50/60hz switch: good reasons for 50hz?

[stween]

Honest question: I've got a PAL Jaguar I bought in the UK years ago, which of course was set to 50hz. I finally decided it was time to look at modding it to 60hz, which I've always avoided because I didn't want to cut the case and add the switch most tutorials discuss.

 

I didn't realise until now that the significant part of the mod is whether R140 bridges two points on the underside of the board, and the switch only acts to connect/disconnect those points. So I simply took R140 off the board, and now I have my 60hz Jaguar.

 

Which leaves me with the question: are there good reasons to add the switch in the first place, good reasons to switch back to 50hz? Should I truly want to cut the case to install a switch? I like to keep as close to factory as possible.

[+cubanismo]

I've found Val d'Isere is noticeably easier at 50Hz. However, the only reason I put a switch on mine was to test that game I'm going to develop "real soon now."

[+CyranoJ]

Testing and bigger playfield in Raiden.

[+phoenixdownita]

I found Trevor McFur easier at 50Hz and so more "enjoyable" so to speak.

[Atlantis]

As above + larger play screen in Doom in 60, much easier Atari Kart in 50 (slower) and probably more differences here and there.

[Isgoed]

Less slowdown in Tempest 2000.

The Iron Soldier games play/look nicer in 50Hz. imo on a PAL TV.

Full screen with games like Pitfall, Rayman etc.

Atari Karts is a little slower indeed, but in 50Hz. the graphics are much nicer (again on a PAL TV).

 

With some games the scanlines are more visible in 60Hz. than others,  so that it makes the display less bright.

I also noticed that 60Hz. scanlines are more visible on Trinitron CRT's than for example a good Philips CRT, especially when playing up close on a large TV.

 

I have everything hooked up to CRT with RGB-scart, so I can't say how it looks on NTSC displays or upscaled/HDMI displays.

 

[stween]

Okay, cool; I don't have any of the games above I'll keep it in mind whenever I expand my collection.

 

I'm hooked up via an OSSC, and the OSSC had a hard time locking onto the 50hz signal, which was my final prompt to get this done.

 

Doom and Tempest 2000 already feel smoother. Syndicate and Theme Park always felt awkwardly slow, I'm looking forward to trying them out now, see if they feel smoother.

[Isgoed]

I should've been more clear.

 

Maybe that Tempest feels smoother, there is less slowdown in 50Hz. and in my experience makes for a smoother gameplay.

[stween]

Interesting. At 50hz on Tempest I've always seen framerates that seem low on screens like the game over screen. On 60hz I haven't seen any gameplay slowdown (so far)!

[Zerosquare]

Tempest may be both smoother in 60 Hz when there aren't too many objects on the screen, and jerkier when there are many (for example, if it takes between 16.67 and 20 ms to render a frame, it'll run at 30 fps on 60 Hz, but at 50 fps on 50 Hz).

[+Stephen]

There's definitely crazy slowdown on Tempest 2000.  I didn't notice it too much back in the day, but recently went back to play it again and holy crap.  Got SUPER spoiled by Space Giraffe on XBox 360 and the buttery smooth framerate in Tempest 4000 on PS4.

[stween]

28 minutes ago, Zerosquare said:

Tempest may be both smoother in 60 Hz when there aren't too many objects on the screen, and jerkier when there are many (for example, if it takes between 16.67 and 20 ms to render a frame, it'll run at 30 fps on 60 Hz, but at 50 fps on 50 Hz).

yeah fair. I feel like I'm gonna have to install the switch to really force myself to do a side-by-side!

[Atlantis]

Got two systems the one for cart play is modded 

 

you can hide switch at the back to not ruin the feel to it. Mine has switch at front which is kind of ugly (bought that way) 

[Gummy Bear]

On 3/18/2022 at 9:53 AM, Atlantis said:

you can hide switch at the back to not ruin the feel to it.

Yeah man. 

That's what I did. 

Tiny switch, countersunk and mounted internally. 

 

 

 

The Jag is one of the few old machines that actually has several games where developers properly handled PAL. 

A lot of Jag games have increased vertical resolution when played at 50hz, and some just play better. 

 

A switch rather than a hard 60hz mod is what I would recommend. 

[+phoenixdownita]

On 3/18/2022 at 2:53 AM, Atlantis said:

Got two systems the one for cart play is modded 

 

you can hide switch at the back to not ruin the feel to it. Mine has switch at front which is kind of ugly (bought that way) 

I actually put mine under the Jag, I used a switch like such:

 

and carved some space in this area:

 

 

I literally superglued it there (those 2 "hole extensions" to the side of the switch hold up pretty nice for the glue).

I think I may have had to cut the actual switch peg halfway as it was a little too long/

[Isgoed]

5 hours ago, Gummy Bear said:

Yeah man. 

That's what I did. 

Tiny switch, countersunk and mounted internally. 

 

 

 

The Jag is one of the few old machines that actually has several games where developers properly handled PAL. 

A lot of Jag games have increased vertical resolution when played at 50hz, and some just play better. 

 

A switch rather than a hard 60hz mod is what I would recommend. 

 

That looks very nice!

 

Have you also installed a multicolor led?

[Gummy Bear]

45 minutes ago, Isgoed said:

 

That looks very nice!

 

Have you also installed a multicolor led?

No I didn't. 

If I forget if it's set to 50 or 60 I just feel the switch at the back. 

Up is 60, down is 50. 🥳