PS2 game plays in black&white

[Toaster]

my m8 gave me a ps2 game - ridge racer 5 that he downloaded from the net. While some games play in colour. ridge racer 5 played in black and white. Why is this and what can I do to patch it to colour. I am using neo2/AR2V1.3 on pal ps2, with scart lead.
I'm thinking it is ntsc format, do I need a link wire in ps2 wiring or can it be done with a patch of some kind.
I eagerly await your comments

[GJintheUK]

I have the same problem with NTSC games with my usual TV for playing games on. If I move my PS2 to my other TV the games play in full colour. So I would assume that it is the TV that cannot display the NTSC signal correctly.
If there are any patches to convert games to proper PAL output (all my NTSC Dreamcast games play in full colour) I would be very grateful of the patch also.

[maltloaf]

1) Make a BIN of the game
2) Open up the BIN in your favorite HEX editor
3) Search and replace the following strings:

NTSC -- 0100052402000624

PAL -- 0100052403000624

(so if you wanted to go PAL->NTSC, search for the PAL string and replace it with the NTSC string)

4) Change vmode value in system.cnf to this:

VMODE =NTSC or VMODE = PAL

NOTE: Make *sure* you replace the same number of characters that you overwrite, otherwise you'll get a BIN file with a messed-up block size)

5) Burn. Your game should now be converted!

Congrats and greets to zima and crew who discovered this !

Maltloaf

[Toaster]

thanks I'll give it a go

[GJintheUK]

Thanks for the information, but I have some questions about it. I have never used a 'hex editor' before so these may seem very stupid questions. I have a copy of 'ultraEdit' which I am using, I don't know if this is any good for the task or not.
1. I can 'search and replace' the first string using the 'replace' function and let the program replace all instances it finds. Is this correct.
2. How do I find 'vmode =NTSC' if I search for it it appears on nearly every line. (it counted 67955 occurances) How do I know which one is in the 'system.cnf' or do i change them all?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

[maltloaf]

You only change the strings in the .bin file. You need to change the vmode setting in the system.cnf file on the disk. The easiest way to do it would be to isobuster or something that can actually read the files from the .bin

Maltloaf

[GJintheUK]

Thanks for all the help but I have found a much simpler solution. All you need is a Playstaion 1 (one of the grey ones) AV Scart lead (only cost £5.00 from Comet). This will allow all NTSC games to be played in full colour on a PAL system.

Note! The black AV Cables for the playstation/Playstation 2 do NOT work.

Not on my Jap PS2!

The grey PS1 AV Scart lead when connected between PS2 and PAL TV displays zilch - as I would have expected.

So, what's the trick?

[GJintheUK]

There isn't any trick, I'm using a PAL PS2 with a PAL TV (which I know will output NTSC as all my Dreamcast games play correctly) The PS2 is chipped and the images are patched to PAL. With the Playstation AV Lead all the B&W games now play in full colour.
Does your TV support NTSC?

GJintheUK (02-04-2001 19:15):
There isn't any trick, I'm using a PAL PS2 with a PAL TV (which I know will output NTSC as all my Dreamcast games play correctly) The PS2 is chipped and the images are patched to PAL. With the Playstation AV Lead all the B&W games now play in full colour.
Does your TV support NTSC?

GJintheUK from Charlie:

The PAL TV plays NTSC through the AV lead (whether scart or Yellow/White). As a matter of interest, NTSC games have to go through an NTSC-PAL convertor (or they play B&W); PAL games go directly from the (chipped) Jap PS2 to the TV (else they play B&W through the convertor). So the Jap PS2 puts out according what it finds on the disk.

Incidentally, I tried PAL4U to convert the NTSC games across - but that didn't change the need for a convertor.

That leaves me with the earlier question: JAP PS2 doesn't like PS1 Scart lead.

[Toaster]

solved it
I tryed the other scart port on the back of my PAL only tele. One plays in full colour the other plays in B/W DOH!
I have uk ps2 neo2 v1.3AR and normal scart lead the one with a block with 3 pins half way down it and pal tele.

works fine at last.