hooking old school nintendo to projector

[boodroe]

I put this in the video forum but there is more traffic through the main forum so here goes....I am trying to connect my original Nintendo to my projector through an Onkyo TX-SR803 AV Receiver on the RCA composite port. The reciever upgrades the signal to component that connects to the projector. Once I turn the nintendo on I dont get any color, just black and white. The game runs as expected except the picture is in black and white with scan lines. The nintendo works perfect on the other TV. A VCR works perfect hooked up the same way on the projector. Iv tried switching cables and end up with the same results. Oh, and the same thing happens when I hook up my SEGA GENESIS. Are these two consoles too old? Can you not upgrade the signal of these consoles to component? It seems that if it works with the VCR it would work with these consoles. Any suggestions on what is going on and how to fix it. Thanks!

[Malenko]

maybe.... run the nintendo/sega into the VCR, then run the VCR into the projector?

[AwesomeAlbert]

Just connect the nintendo with the rca cable to the projector.

[Sir Auros]

Just connect the nintendo with the rca cable to the projector.

I'll second that. Upconverting old systems like that doesn't usually lead to great results. For whatever reason, your receiver doesn't want to upconvert the game systems with their RCA connections to component. Kind of weird that your receiver will even do that for the VCR. I didn't think that was a really common feature.

[Disturbed013]

Another possible idea is to use one of those little game switcher boxes that came with those older systems to connect to coax on the tv set.  Run that into coax/cable input on the receiver and then your rca out to projector.  WalMart/Target sometimes still have them for the older tv sets still out there.  Nyko is one brand that comes to mind, but they are all the same.

I'm sure someone else here can explain technically why you get picture, but only b&w.  Something about 75hz/300hz, but I can't quite recall.  To me it seems like you are getting signal + sync but losing RGB somewhere in the conversion.  You're not gonna get any quality loss via coax as the resolution isn't there to lose.  I may be mistaken, but don't think upscaling is going to happen, all you are really going to get is a convenient way to connect to the projector and nice sound (which I'm guessing is what you are after).

[ChadTower]

Just connect the nintendo with the rca cable to the projector.

Ding ding.

[boodroe]

thanks for all the replys. The projector will only except s-video and component, this why i need to go through some other medium. Ill try it through the VCR. Thank guys.

[Crowquill]

There are also S-Video-->Composite adapters. Very cheap. You know they're cheap when you can buy one at RadioShack's web page for $5.99. There are plenty available for a buck or less on eBAy.

[Disturbed013]

composite or component?  there are adapters from s-video to both available but now I'm confused which type you need to get to.  plans all over the web to build your own too, which would be in the spirit of your project.

EDIT:   My bad, I reread your original post, then your follow-up answer and it makes sense.  If I have it right you are trying to go from composite because that is all the console outputs, through your receiver to have it upconvert to s-vid/component because that is all the projector has.  Okay, makes sense to give it a shot, nice project idea by the way!

Check this:  wiki on composite video.  In the 5th paragraph it explains exactly why your VCR works and the consoles don't work much better than I can.

To correct myself again, "little game switcher boxes" = RF Modulator  DOH!!!!  You could try an s-video cable from the receiver to the projector, but I don't think that would work either.  The console is sending out an un-modulated signal and it doesn't appear that the receiver knows quite what to do with that.  VCR is a different story as that signal is modulated via its built in tuner.  Running the console through the VCR should work, as it (the VCR) would then become your modulator.  If it works that way, then you know what you need to get or just leave the VCR hooked up.  You could record old-school video tapes of your old-school gaming 

[Crowquill]

Unless you're MAYBE hacking the NES itself, composite video is the best it can output. It's possible to convert that to either S-Video or Component, but you won't gain any quality from either.