Odyssey^2 Video Mod

[Tempest]

Now that I've cracked my O2 open, I've decided that I should do the composite video mod. Is it truly as simple as connecting two wires to points on the motherboard?

 

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/odyssey2/faq/essentials/#51

 

Procedure

 

Choose a place to mount the jacks. It's tempting to slap them somewhere on the back of the unit, but that would probably interfere with the Voice module. I drilled two holes in the side of the top half of the shell for mine.

 

There's no point in producing schematics for this one.

 

Audio output = junction of C45 and R49

Video output = junction of C44 and R7

 

One wire from each of the above points to the center post of an RCA jack, outside conductor of the RCA jacks to ground, badaboom badabing, away you go.

 

There are some pictures here:

 

http://www.lukesandel.com/techgallery3/index.php/VideoGameTech/Odyssey2-Composite

 

 

Has anyone here done this? How well does it work?

[mtshark7]

I've read about this myself...Haven't tried it out yet, I don't see why it wouldn't work tho....sorta similar to the Sega Genesis A/V mod...just picking the correct signals off the motherboard.

[lgallair]

I've done this mod before and it works fine. Video signal was strong enough to produce an good image.

[desiv]

Just tried this, and while the audio is fine, all I'm getting for video is a black screen.

I can see the screen flash a bit when I turn the O2 on, but it goes back to black..

I know the monitor (1084s) I'm using works, as I plugged in a little TV game thingy and video, no prob.

 

O2, just audio..

 

I've checked my continuity from the pins all the way back to the jacks and it looks good..

Any thoughts???

 

OK, doing some more googling and found some sites that talked about it being too dark.

So I tried again and turned the brightnesss all the way up..

And I can see a picture...

It's still too dark, even with it all the way up, but it is there...

Hmmm...

 

Thanx,

 

desiv

Edited March 24, 2014 by desiv

[Jess Ragan]

Yep! Couldn't be easier. Was satisfied with the video quality too, but it is after all just an Odyssey2.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I've read about this myself...Haven't tried it out yet, I don't see why it wouldn't work tho....sorta similar to the Sega Genesis A/V mod...just picking the correct signals off the motherboard.

You don't need to mod your Genesis to get AV out because it's right there in the DIN connector. The aftermarket Model 1 cables are garbage but you can make your own by splicing a MIDI cable to RCA.

 

Just tried this, and while the audio is fine, all I'm getting for video is a black screen.

I can see the screen flash a bit when I turn the O2 on, but it goes back to black..

I know the monitor (1084s) I'm using works, as I plugged in a little TV game thingy and video, no prob.

 

O2, just audio..

 

I've checked my continuity from the pins all the way back to the jacks and it looks good..

Any thoughts???

 

OK, doing some more googling and found some sites that talked about it being too dark.

So I tried again and turned the brightnesss all the way up..

And I can see a picture...

It's still too dark, even with it all the way up, but it is there...

Hmmm...

 

Thanx,

 

desiv

The RF modulator is likely draining most of the current, or the signal may be too weak to start with. Most signals probably need a preamp circuit to boost the signal. Splitting composite video with a simple RCA coupler will make the signal weak and darken the image. I've tried it before while trying to send the signal to the TV and a capture device simultaneously.

Edited March 24, 2014 by stardust4ever

[Seob]

You could check here http://videopac.nl/forum/index.php?topic=20.30

[Tempest]

I ended up doing this mod and it worked, but the picture is really dim. I think I might need an amp. Anyone have specifics on how to do this?

[desiv]

You could check here http://videopac.nl/forum/index.php?topic=20.30

That's what I'll try next..

I found some BC547's (What Rene used on page 3 of that thread) on ebay pretty cheap, so I'll see what that does...

 

desiv

[Seob]

Here is a mod with us partnumbers.

 

http://solarfox.triluminary.net/hwh_o2avc_p2.php

[desiv]

Thanx, I might try that one.. It looks like a more complicated design than just adding the single transistor, but easier to understand.

(The other thread has some confusing instructions about "4" going to ground, but the emitter going to video out, but "4" looks like the emitter, etc... )

 

Interesting looking at the schematics, the feed for the RF modulator (which is actually totally separate from the O2 board) is a 3 pin header with sound, video and 5V.

I wonder if that mod could be modified just a tad to be a small board that you just unplug the RF, and plug in the new composite audio/video board? (Well, I'd need ground too, so not totally solderless, but..)

 

I hope I can get this working; I already mounted the RCA jacks on the console, and I like the way they came out..

 

desiv

Edited March 24, 2014 by desiv

[Seob]

The mod i used for the g7000, the euro version of the o2, i used the header output for the rf modulator to connect my small composite outputboard.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Seob

[pitfall_jerry]

Just found this article and did the mod. Super easy and the picture and sound are amazing.