How to tell whether 2600 Jr is PAL or NTSC?

[gorgh]

Hi there,
I have doubts that my console is PAL, because it displays properly my demo written in NTSC manner (262 scanlines), the proportions of the screen are also ok, so I wish to ask whether most of the demoscene productions dedicated to PAL consoles will lose synchronization on NTSC machines just like in Stella emulator? For example demos SV2020 and 2600BC are displayed ok on my console but on emulator they lose synchronization in NTSC settings.
 

Edited October 4, 2021 by gorgh

[derSammler]

I'm no expert, but I would expect by the colors. If you get colors on a PAL display, it's a PAL system. If you get colors on an NTSC display, it's an NTSC system. Other combinations will result in b&w only.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

57 minutes ago, derSammler said:

I'm no expert, but I would expect by the colors. If you get colors on a PAL display, it's a PAL system. If you get colors on an NTSC display, it's an NTSC system. Other combinations will result in b&w only.

This isn't completely true. Many of the PAL demoscene stuff will display on my modern day LCDs but with strange glitching of screen flashes, sometimes rolling, and other times a still picture that will show some colors but they aren't the right colors at all. Pinks instead of blues for instance and the colors are stripey indicating it is more in how the RF signal is being interpreted by the TV's tuner and not really what the Atari is putting out. On normal CRTs, I just get a rolling screen of course. 

 

And I will say that the colors I sometimes get aren't consistent from play to play and not all of my LCDs will do this. My main one in the game room will show a static image but yes in B/W most of the time whereas my cheaper Insignia brand 19" LCD I use on the work bench will show the odd colors I mentioned above.

 

My Sony 8" PVM will show NTSC/PAL without issue as you would expect from an old broadcast monitor.

 

[+Andrew Davie]

1 hour ago, gorgh said:

Hi there,
I have doubts that my console is PAL, because it displays properly my demo written in NTSC manner (262 scanlines), the proportions of the screen are also ok, so I wish to ask whether most of the demoscene productions dedicated to PAL consoles will lose synchronization on NTSC machines just like in Stella emulator? For example demos SV2020 and 2600BC are displayed ok on my console but on emulator they lose synchronization in NTSC settings.
 

It's your TV that decides if it can display the frame OK. Some TVs can display both NTSC and PAL signals, with autodetect. Many TVs can display "out-of-spec" frames. If you have a 262 scanline demo, you can't really know if it's running on a PAL or NTSC console until you check the colours on the TV. That's the main difference between the two - the frequency/location of the colour information in the signal output by the console. Other than that, the consoles are very close to identical. Very minor difference in clock frequency, but it's negligible.  Your question is really slightly worded incorrectly; it's not the console that determines if a demo will lose synch; it's the TV.  If the TV is incapable of displaying the # scanlines sent to it, you get a wonky picture, or no picture at all. Nothing to do with the console. Everything to do with the demo itself.  You'll get the same wonky picture (just with or without colour) using either an NTSC or PAL console on any given TV. So again, the only real way to determine by looking at things is if the colours are correct on the TV. If they are, then you probably have a console/TV match (both NTSC or both PAL).

[gorgh]

thanks a lot for detailed explaination!

[+littaum]

To also check to see what your console/TV setup can properly display you could also download homebrews that have NTSC/PAL50/PAL60 variants and see how each one looks.  

[gorgh]

thanks for suggestion, I didn't think of that solution

[gorgh]

I checked two games and in both cases colours were definitelly PAL, so I guess it solves the problem, thanks for suggestions folks!

[Wizzard]

Well, first of all, PAL Atari Junior has "PAL" written on the sticker on the bottom. NTSC has not, cause it was the default. I had both PAL and NTSC Jrs so I am sure about this.