240p Testing

Although connecting a PlayStation 2 via component video and launching a PlayStation 1 game is the most common method people use to see if their TV or other video input devices accepts 240p YPbPr component video, please do not rely on it! There is a much more accurate (and simpler) method. All that is required is the retro console you plan to use our YPbPr cable with, its corresponding composite video cable, and a game cartridge to run on it. Depending on how your device's input jacks are laid out, there may be a couple of things you have to do differently. Because of this, you might also need an extra A/V cable with at least 2 RCA plugs. Repeat this test for ALL consoles you are planning to use our YPbPr cables with, as 240p is not standardized and some equipment will accept signals from one console but reject another. This includes testing add-ons such as the dbGrafx Booster for PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 consoles.

NOTE: Before beginning the test, please verify that your console and game work properly. We have witnessed false failures like this where the user wrongfully blamed the TV/display device instead of the console equipment.

IMPORTANT: Some TVs, particularly many new Vizios, cannot be properly tested. IF YOU GET A COLOR IMAGE INSTEAD OF A BLACK & WHITE IMAGE ON YOUR TV, YOU HAVE NOT PROPERLY CHECKED 240P COMPATIBILITY.

Note to PANASONIC TV owners: Please take special note of the top half of the screen during testing. If it appears to be processed differently than the bottom half, this same artifact/effect will also appear when using our cables.

Note to VIZIO & SONY TV owners: We have noticed a trend where many of these TVs can work with Genesis but NOT with SNES. This is why we advise you test each console separately. As of right now, we have not found a single Vizio TV that works with SNES.

Required Test Equipment
Required Test Equipment

For TVs and devices with separate composite video and component video jacks
IMPORTANT NOTE: If your TV/device has 3.5mm (headphone-style) video ports, now is the time to plug in the respective RCA breakout adapters for all of these ports. See photo in the margin.

Connect the composite video (yellow) cord from your retro console into the Y (green) jack of the component video set on your TV or device.

Connect two extra RCAs cables (color doesn't matter) into the Pb (blue) and Pr (red) jacks next to this Y jack. Make sure the other end of these two cables remain disconnected. We advise against using the RCA audio cables (red & white) attached to the yellow composite cable you just plugged in. Please use a completely separate set of cables for this step.

Select the corresponding input on your TV/device. For example, if you plugged the cable into the jack labeled Component 2, then select Component 2 on your device's input menu.

Insert a game and turn on your retro console. Do not use Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Genesis or Radical Psycho Machine Racing (RPM Racing) for SNES, as you might get invalid test results when using those games.

Verify that a picture is displayed indicating that your game is running. The picture should be stable (not jumping around or flashing on/off) and in black&white with some distortions where color should be (example here). A stable black&white image, with fluid game motion, indicates that your TV/device is compatible. If proper 240p processing is important to you, now is the time to check if rapid motion and/or flashing game objects are being displayed properly as described above. Instead, if you see a message that says "No Signal", "Unsupported Signal Format", or "Mode Not Supported" then your TV/device doesn't accept 240p on its component video inputs. You'll need a separate processing box or a different TV/device.

Examples of 3.5mm -> RCA Breakout Adapters
Examples of 3.5mm -> RCA Breakout Adapters

Rear of TV with separate component video and composite video inputs.
Rear of TV with separate component video and composite video inputs.

For TVs and devices with shared composite video and component video jacks
IMPORTANT NOTE: If your TV/device has 3.5mm (headphone-style) video ports, now is the time to plug in the respective RCA breakout adapters for all of these ports. See photo in the margin.

Connect the composite video (yellow) cord from your retro console into the Y/Video jack on the TV or device. This shared jack is usually colored green, but sometimes it's half-green/half-yellow or it's green with a yellow halo on the plastic behind it.

Connect two extra RCAs cables (color doesn't matter) into the Pb (blue) and Pr (red) jacks next to this Y/Video jack. Make sure the other end of these two cables remain disconnected. We advise against using the RCA audio cables (red & white) attached to the yellow composite cable you just plugged in. Please use a completely separate set of cables for this step.

Select the corresponding input on your TV/device. On some TVs/devices, it is vital that you plug the connectors in prior to selecting the desired input. These TVs/devices with shared jacks usually have three different ways of determining which type of signal to use on the jack.

Auto-detection: Only having the Y/Video jack connected has the TV/device assume that composite video is plugged into the shared jack. Plugging in additional RCA cables (into Pb & Pr) trips a switch in the jacks that indicates to the TV/device to use component video. Either the TV/device will unlock the option for you to change to the correct video input, or when you select your shared input (ex. "AV 2 / Component 2") it knows which to pick.

Separate Input Entries: When selecting your input, there will be two separate entries for the shared jack. For example, Component 2 and A/V 2 will be listed separately even though they refer to the same jack.

Setup Menu Setting: On some TVs/devices (like many Toshiba TVs), you're required to go into the setup menu to change what type of signal the device should accept over the shared port(s). You must change this menu setting every time you switch between component and composite on the shared jack.

Verify that a picture is displayed indicating that your game is running. The picture should be stable (not jumping around or flashing on/off) and in black&white with some distortions where color should be (example here). A stable black&white image, with fluid game motion, indicates that your TV/device is compatible. If proper 240p processing is important to you, now is the time to check if rapid motion and/or flashing game objects are being displayed properly as described above. Instead, if you receive a color picture instead of black & white, then please re-check the above process. If you see a message that says "No Signal", "Unsupported Signal Format", or "Mode Not Supported" then your TV/device doesn't accept 240p on its component video inputs. You'll need a separate processing box or a different TV/device.