[helipilot]

Does any one know where I can buy a mainboard for my Dreamcast (new or second hand)?

I have been using my Dreamcast via the RF modulator since it was new more than two years ago. Today I bought an RGB cable as I wanted to use the Dreamcast via my video projector (getting Shenmue 2 for Christmas, RF wont cut it at 7 feet wide). I plugged in the RGB cable hooked it up to my TV and got a rather greenish picture. I hooked it up to my projector with the same result. Because the projector is CRT I could see that nothing was coming out of the blue tube. I therefore suspected a faulty cable. I disconnected everything and replaced the old RF cable. Guess what no signal ! I then switched everything off again and reconnected the rgb cable. now I only have audio and no video. Further experimentation showed that I had a black screen which was displaying dreamcast graphics very feintly in black. I suspect this cable has fried the video chip. I will take the cable back to the shop tomorrow where with a bit of luck it will fry one of their Dreamcasts. If it does not it looks like I am stuffed and left with a duff Dreamcast.

Is it possible that my video chip was about to go anyway ?

Has anyone else had this problem ?

[Ono]

Woolworths are selling DCs for £50 if you hurry.

Just got my brother one for Xmas.

[helipilot]

I took the Dreamcast back this morning. Guess what the cable worked on one of their machines!

I had resigned myself to a trip to Woolies! (thanks ono) However the manager was very helpful and did not see how the cable could have damaged the Dreamcast but offered a no guarantee replacement as a good will gesture.

The only thing I could see that may have had an effect is that the RF modulator runs at 5V while the RGB cable has a 12V supply. The extra power consumption may have caused a breakdown in an already weak video output chip. Who knows?

Wow result ! It does pay to buy your stuff from a local supplier who actually knows you !