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Repair guide

No picture, fuzzy picture or jailbars: check the AV chain

Many video faults are in the cable, port or TV input rather than the console. Work through them in order before opening anything.

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Video · Easy · about 30 minutes. Worth doing. Reports say this fix helps on many machines.

You are in the right place if: Black screen, rolling or snowy picture, missing colour or vertical bars on a working console.

Before you start

  • Do not plug an NTSC csync RGB cable into a PAL Saturn.
  • Do not force plugs into a multi-out port with damaged pins.
  • If you are unsure about any RGB cable's wiring, use composite instead.

Board revisions and models

SNES and N64 board revisions differ in RGB support. The Jr. SNES lacks S-video and RGB support without modification.

Parts you may need

  • Replacement AV cable. known-good cable for testing Amazon · eBay
  • Contact cleaner. cleaning ports Amazon · eBay

Tools

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Step by step

  1. Try another input and TV Rule out the display first. Change HDMI adapter inputs, cables or the TV itself if you can.
  2. Reseat and inspect the AV plug Power off, reseat the plug and look for bent pins or corrosion in the multi-out port.
  3. Swap the cable Use another known-good cable of the same type. A defective video cable is a common cause of black or blurry pictures.
  4. Try another video type If you have a composite or S-video cable, switch types. The signal may work on one and not another.
  5. Check the cable standard RGB cables are not universal. Saturn RGB cables that use csync and are meant for NTSC consoles can damage equipment on PAL consoles.
  6. Know the N64 quirks Some games that use the Expansion Pak output 480i, which can confuse scalers and cause flicker. Try the same game in another video mode or on a different display.
  7. Clean the connector With power off, spray contact cleaner on the multi-out pins and scrub gently with a swab or small brush.
  8. Consider jailbars separately Vertical bars on an SNES RGB signal are a known issue and can be cut down by a board fix, but this is a modification, not a repair.
  9. Stop if the cable is not at fault If another cable and display give the same result, move on to the dead console flow or a board-level repair.

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us.

  • Tip (Medium confidence). iFixit's SHVC troubleshooting says if connections are secure but the picture is black or blurry, replace the video cable. Source
  • Story (Low confidence). An owner cured SNES RGB vertical bars by lifting pin 3 of PPU-2 on one board revision, based on a published fix. Source
  • Watch out (Medium confidence). ConsoleMods notes that PAL Saturns can put 9V on pin 1, so NTSC csync RGB cables must not be used on them. Source

Guides we used

We wrote the steps in our own words from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

Boards and models vary, so check what is in front of you. A repair can involve hot tools, chemicals and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

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