# Colour signal from arcade game box not getting through to TV monitor.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-signal-from-arcade-game-box-not-getting-through-to-tv-monitor/455811>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 9, 2008, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-signal-from-arcade-game-box-not-getting-through-to-tv-monitor/455811 "2008-07-09T08:43:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-signal-from-arcade-game-box-not-getting-through-to-tv-monitor/455811/1 "2008-07-09T08:43:48Z")

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I have a little games box that plays old arcade games. It connects to a monitor via RCA leads.

When this box is connected to my new TV it works fine. The problem is when I try to connect it to an older TV or computer CRT the signal only comes through in black and white.

Is it something to do with the strength of the signal? Do I need a pre-amp or something?

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**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-signal-from-arcade-game-box-not-getting-through-to-tv-monitor/455811/2 "2008-07-09T15:38:46Z")

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The arcade box is using composite video ([Composite video - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video)). The fact it’s missing colour would suggest that it’s using a video standard (PAL, NTSC or SECAM) that your older TV doesn’t support. The colour is encoded into the signal in a different way in each of the three standards.

Your newer TV is probably clever enough to identify the proper signal, whereas the older system won’t. I can’t tell where you are from your location, but I’m guessing the USA. Did the gamebox originate from there, or is it possibly PAL?

As for the fix, you can remodulate the signal but you’d need a bit of hardware to do this. It may be possible to feed this through a VCR which is aware of both PAL/NTSC and then use the VCR to feed the old TV, but it would be trial and error.

tim

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-signal-from-arcade-game-box-not-getting-through-to-tv-monitor/455811/3 "2008-07-10T03:43:43Z")

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Your explanation fits.

I am in Australia, so have PAL. The box probably originated from Japan or USA. It was purchased on eBay and then given to me, so I am not sure where it came from. Both these counties use NTSC.

I was intending on putting the game box and an old monitor in an upright cabinet that I have ready.

Looks like I would have to buy a [converter](http://www.converters.tv/products/ntsc_to_pal/25.html) to get it to work. Might be cheaper putting in a new arcade [gameboard](http://www.ozstick.com.au/prod_pcbs.html) or a MAME controller.