mkiker2089 Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 The voices aren't working. It only wants to talk between screens but it can't talk. It makes a short sound like it should talk, then the screen goes black and the game is silent until a new map is drawn. I've played the ROM in Stella and it's much better than the actual cart. Anyway, is my cartridge defective? Is it because I'm using a Sears Arcade 2 perhaps? Shouldn't be but I don't understand it at all. How can it not work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkiker2089 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 It's not my Atari. I pulled the Light Six unit out of the storage box and it acts the same. I'll try it on a different TV tomorrow and see if that changes anything. This is just strange though. How can a cartridge not work? There's nothing inside to break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Two different Atari's and it doesn't work on either? sure sounds like something is wrong with the cart. Where did you get it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkiker2089 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) Got it here but I'm wondering if it's the cart now. Al has already offered an exchange but I'm going to run down a few ideas first. My Atari's hook up via the RF > Coax barrel. I tried it on a different TV and got more sound. On my game TV (LCD flatpanel) the screen goes black and the sound is muted between mazes. On a newer flatpanel when it tries to talk I get a blue screen error for a split second and then the new map draws in. If it doesn't try to talk I don't get the blue screen error. I suspect my TVs have an auto mute feature to prevent static from making noise and the way the map draws in makes it think the signal is gone. The black screen between non-talking mazes doesn't cause an issue but combining the voice and the black screen causes a problem. I'm going to try running it through a digital converter box (I happen to have one in my closet, the wonder of being a pack rat) and see if it makes a change. Too bad I can't force the Atari to have something on the screen the entire time. That would probably solve the problem. After trying the converter box I wonder if using a game adapter would help rather than plugging it straight to the TV. I kind of doubt it, but who knows. Probably a converter box is the best answer short of buying a full on upscaling demodulator. Edited May 27, 2013 by mkiker2089 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkiker2089 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 My digital converter box doesn't recognize the Atari signal for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlepaddle Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Might try it on a regular tube TV since they're cheap and easy to find. Then you'll probably know whether it is or isn't the TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 I had a similar problem and it turned out to be my power supply. There was enough power for the system to function properly but the Berzerk VE cart drew just a little too much juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 I had a similar problem and it turned out to be my power supply. There was enough power for the system to function properly but the Berzerk VE cart drew just a little too much juice. What? There is nothing special about the circuit board inside the cart, compared to any other modern PLD bankswitched game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkiker2089 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 Can't be the power supply. My light six has a new one from Retro-Bit. I do have a CRT in the attic I can use. I am a pack rat by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkiker2089 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 Confirmed that it's the TVs and the way the game communicates to them. By cutting the video in total the TV thinks the signal is gone. If the game sent a black screen them maybe it wouldn't happen. The CRT that doesn't mute when signal is lost plays the voices fine. When the game was made auto-muting wasn't a common issue I'm sure. I can now use a demodulator that costs 80+ dollars or just accept that it doesn't work on my TVs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 What? There is nothing special about the circuit board inside the cart, compared to any other modern PLD bankswitched game. That's what happened though. Every other game on my 7800 worked fine (well the ones I tested anyway) except for Berzerk VE. At the time I was told that my power supply must be failing and that was the reason it wasn't working. Sure enough, I got a new power supply and it worked perfectly after that. No idea why, but that's what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEANJIMMY Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Had same problem with berzerk ve... the screen blanks during speech... tv detects video signal loss and mutes audio expecting white noise if the 2600 has got video mod installed put the video cinch in telly but connect audio cinch to your sound system. Intruder Alert:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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