Atari Jaguar 60Hz PAL mod tutorial - Does it REALLY make a difference?

Join me as we go step-by-step through modifying a PAL Atari Jaguar to output in 60Hz.
When the mod is complete we compare some before and after video of games and decide if the modification is worth doing, or a waste of time.
BIG THANKS to my Patreon Supporters who make these videos possible If you would like to help fund future videos, I would be really grateful. Visit / markfixesstuff for more details.
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[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks for watching my Atari Jaguar 60hz mod video. A huge thanks to my Patreons who make these videos happen. If you can chuck some change in the MFS hat I would be eternally grateful and you'll get your name up in lights! Visit www.patreon.com/markfixesstuff for details!

[@Robertkopp84]

Did you ever try this with another console like a snes or genesis? I always had problems with composite/sync not beeing 100% right. Crts never bothered, but digital displays or recording equiptment just sees black and white or with rgb the color hue is shifted 45 degrees and color/black and white do not match up horizontally.

[@3vi1J]

The Tom chip in the Jaguar has a 64-bit object processor and 64-bit blitter with 64-bit registers, and the system has a 64-bit bus. Atari didn't "add two 32-bit chips together", as the urban legend goes.

[@Vlad-bu3mr]

Great Video, makes me wonder if mines modded as it came with a scart that connects to the RGB out and its full screen already, but if not I dont mind love me some "Where did you learn to Fly"

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Might be an NTSC model?

[@Vlad-bu3mr]

@@MarkFixesStuff i did wonder so checked and if its a green LED its pal, Red for NTSC. Mines Green oh well I'll open it up tommorow and have a little look ;) ....now to try and find a skunkboard thats going to be the real mission!

[@ralfp.9372]

it's real ugly there are more advanced 50/60 Hz mod's out there without an ugly switch on the back which "butchers" the console and make them useless for collectors. Ensure you have the right version of the shunkboard as well, else you may break your jaguar port/voltage circuit.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes. It’s not the most beautiful implementation, but I didn’t want to do anything more permanent to the console. It’s my boxed and complete one and I will return it to PAL standard for display. For the same reason I didn’t want to do a switchless mod either. If I can get an broken or damaged one in the future I’ll go for that. The Skunk is the last revision, v3. Thanks for the warning on that. What are the issues??

[@bubsy3861]

It have 64 bit memory bus so... Technically it's 64 bit XD

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

As someone who greatly respects your ability and your approach to repairing electronics, I feel it is beneath you to claim the fan boy mag nonsense you did in the first part of the video. Not one minute into the video and I feel I need to correct you. Atari never made any such claim that two 32 bit processors equaled 64 bits. That was the lie pedaled by the fan boy mags back in the day because at best the writers were game player, not coders by any stretch. The Blitter and the OPL are indeed 64 bits wide sitting on a 64 bit wide data path. The 64 bits is the graphics processing portion of the machine. Both the blitter and the OPL process data at a full 64 bits across that 64 bit wide data bus. The system was choked by developers thinking they were coding for an Amiga, Atari ST or a Sega Genny. The 68k was a mistake. It ran at half the bus speed and one quarter the bus width. Atari put the 68k in the machine to give familiarity to programmers as the two RISC chips were not compatible with anything familiar at the time or even to this day. The manual makes it clear that the 68k was to get things up and running and then once that took place, the rest of the machine was to take over with the 68k stopped. The GPU however, though a 32 bit RISC processor, can load and store 64 bit data values using the LOADP and STOREP instruction. The OPL( essentially a hardware windowing and sprite engine) use instruction that were 64 bits wide. The Blitter could operate anywhere from 1 bit to 64 bits wide depending on the way it was used. It is called the Atari Jaguar 64 bit multimedia system.... not the Atari Jaguar 64 bit processing system for a reason. The machine was plagued by horrible tools and a 68k that cut the performance down to well below its potential. When turning it off and using the monster chips, a noticeable difference was made. No one has ever really seen the Jaguar perform at its full potential because no one ever bothered to take the time to find said potential. Some came close but not fully did they realize the machines ability. I've been coding the Jaguar since 1998 and have spent countless hours learning the ins and outs of the system.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Good info. Thanks for this. It's a shame that Atari didn't support the machine properly.

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

@@MarkFixesStuff The were in too much of a rush to get it out and then did not bother to put out the needed revenue to update the tools. They needed to get investors on board but in typical Tramiel fashion, they tried to do everything on the cheap.... remember...these are the same guys that put out the VIC-20 and the C64.

[@DubiousEngineering]

Really well created and nice fun video!! I’ve never seen in a Jag before... So many TABS! :-). Loving the quirks!!! Leaky caps... ?!? Nope just crud!!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks mate. I’m sick and tired of changing caps so crud really is “happy days”!

[@xwolpertinger]

Luckily we moved on and we no longer get black bars just for using higher resolutions *cries in 1920x1200*

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Weeps in composite

[@RMCRetro]

What a difference! Really enjoyed seeing those examples at the end thanks Mark

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I think it’s beyond dispute that the 60hz mod improves things immensely. Thanks for watching!

[@P5ychoFox]

A big difference there and almost worth just removing that 0 ohm resistor and forgetting the switch.

[@seantaylor861]

I'm not sure why this story about Tom and Jerry being two 32 bit chips keeps being propagated. It's simply not true. While the Jag chipset is complicated, there is no way to add up its chips to make 64 bits. The way it was described by its designer is that it's 64 bit where it needs to be and not 64 bit where it wouldn't have made a difference. It has a classic Motorola 16 bit CPU for example... although that is more of a manager for the other chips. The data bus and GPU etc are all 64 bit.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

TBH, I heard it from a guy who heard it from a guy etc. Someone really should do the definitive hostory on it. Not me though. I just plug them in.

[@trailersic]

Hmm loks very simple might have to do this with one of my E type Jags.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Haha!

[@kranibal]

So by removing R140 and not installing a switch, this would make the PAL Jaguar video output run permanently into NTSC mode?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Well, PAL 60 but yes.

[@paulbuhagiar7332]

So, if you just remove the resistor, it'll be locked to 60hz? I did a similar mod on my PAL MegaDrive 2, just cut a trace, now it's set to English NTSC.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

That is correct!

[@miikasuominen3845]

Will do this one probably. Made one for Saturn, it makes all the difference... I also happen to have an original Atari scart-cable for Jaguar. It's really, REALLY monster sized cable, with Atari logo on the Jaguar-side connector. And I have a working cd-rom also...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Blimey! That’s a big money lot right there!

[@miikasuominen3845]

@@MarkFixesStuff Yes, bought them instantly, when they were available in Finland. Also,I though I had a problem with the laser as I couldn't get burned images to work. I bought a new laser module and it was still the same. Anyway, installed Windows XP and Padus Disc Juggler, which solved the problem. Strange beast 🤣

[@joachimott2717]

Great video,! Planning to do that when I recap the Jaguar. What temperature (°C) did you set the iron to for the (de)soldering? You mentioned in another comment that too high temp could damage the board...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I usually use about 330 degrees Celsius!

[@ctrlaltrees]

Great video! Did you find anything that was actually *worse* in 60Hz? I'll be doing this mod but I'm just wondering whether to bother making it switchable...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Some demos and a couple of Jaguar CD games won’t play in PAL60 so not really much...

[@CLS2086]

Old commercial games are OK to run on 60 Hz, especially those JagCD whose are not 50 Hz compatible like Dragon's Lair. But some moderns demos are not 60 Hz compatible. So it's good to have a switch

[@HalJordan18]

Great video! One question. The mod only changes frequency rates but doesnt change the video format? Because i want to buy a PAL jaguar to play it in a NTSC tv. Can i do that?

[@bombjack1984]

'No need to introduce this game...' *immediately introduces game* 😆

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I’ve got to do something to keep myself amused.

[@chumpyman]

I’ve always wanted my jaguar switched but I can’t find someone in Scotland that can do it

[@TheAngryMelon64]

People tend to just be more quiet and to themselves about their hobby up here don't they, in my experience at least.

[@davidretrogamesplayedbadly3533]

Great non intrusive mod this mark. Wire clippers, real men use there teeth 😁

[@MarkFixesStuff]

This is why you have no teeth. Love you Dave

[@davidretrogamesplayedbadly3533]

@@MarkFixesStuff 😆😆😍

[@RetroTuna]

Pal 50hrz is terrible.

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

Wait, so if I just desolder that resisitor thingie, I can make a Jag run 60hz? Wow. Does Burn Out run fine in 60hz?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Not checked every game should work fine if not better.

[@ctrlaltrees]

4:58 talk about asbestos fingers! 😲

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I’m pretty tough it has to be said 🏋️💪🏻😂🤣🤣

[@brendonelton]

The innuendo's are brilliant Mark... Although, It does need a bit of massaging to get it off, but don't we all....! Genius sir. (or is it just me?)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Brendon Elton I’m admitting to nothing...

[@DouglasTitchmarsh]

Great job, looks like a nice cheap upgrade 👍

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Costs less than a quid.

[@PantherUK]

More good quality content up to your usual standard Mark... Thanks...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

PantherUK thanks dude! I really appreciate it mate!

[@meetoo594]

I used to stretch the image to full screen using my trusty Commodore 1084s monitor, worked great for megadrive/snes as well (apart from the 17% slower gameplay of course).

[@danieltornqvist6062]

But, what about tempest 2000??? (The sole reason to play on the Jaguar ;-))

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Much faster. MUCH!

[@frankowalker4662]

Cool. I thought the Amiga 500 had a lot of tabs.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

This is the tabmaster. The king of tabs and the emperor of shielding!

[@andypyne]

Not as many tabs as my browser during coronavirus lockdown ..... so many tabs ....so many tabs .....

[@CheshireNoir]

Huh. Always wondered what that slot tool was for. Now I know :-D

[@paulb4uk]

Well worth the mod and easily done nice work.

[@Rip-Van-Tinkle]

Nice video Mark 👌 And a quite noticeable difference, more than I'd have thought. One small thing though, my highly trained observers eye noticed there where quite a lot of tabs there... you should maybe mention that next time 🤔😁

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I didn’t notice any tabs??

[@Rip-Van-Tinkle]

@@MarkFixesStuff 😆

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

Also..... I would not 100% say that the two 32 bit RISC chips were buggy.... there are some minor issues with them that would be better expressed as cost saving/missed opportunities. They are very capable chips installed in to a badly designed system. the 68k is the Achilles Heel of the system in more ways than one.

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

Wow Mark this is amazing, I’m seriously considering doing this to my Jaguar. I have the same scart lead.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Go for it! It's easy. Just don't have the iron too hot on the pads as they can be a bit fragile.

[@electricadventures]

Very good, clear video Mark. This looks well worth doing, for the extra screen space alone, let alone any speed differences. The mod looks very simple, and you showed how to do in neatly and with due care - awesome stuff! Just watch out for those neighbors especially as we are all stuck at home :)

[@SiGoesRetro]

Thanks Mark! I didn't realise it made such a difference, will be modding my Jag this weekend now!

[@Merl-co2nd]

60Hz is a must have on this machine.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

You are spot on. There's no point running most games in 50hz!

[@keiiko]

Isn't the squashed PAL screen the result of the bigger resolution 576 lines where NTSC has only 480 lines? As shown in video, the framerate of 50Hz is slowed down 60Hz or vice versa.

[@dlarge6502]

No this is just the 60Hz mod. Its still PAL, just at 60Hz.

[@keiiko]

@@dlarge6502 I see

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@keiiko Yes, what @dlarge6502 said. It's a bit confusing all round to be honest.

[@trailersic]

@@dlarge6502 Technically correct but since genrally PAL runs at 50hz isn't it easier to ignore it and just say it's running at NTSC, hz and res, even if the colour is PAL.

[@keiiko]

@@trailersic since it doesn't run at 50Hz it's not PAL anymore... Now I'm wondering what's the output is. Some 60hz RGB signal?

[@TheAngryMelon64]

60hz is very nice until the wallet has to come out for some nice scart cabling to connect to an old tv I find.

[@trailersic]

3 Phono composite should do fine.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

RGB SCART cable is about £16 shipped and really worth the money.

[@tommyboy9998]

you can easily pick up S-Video/SVHS from 3 pins on the rear edge connector.. no need to open it! Works on all regions..

[@trailersic]

Speaking of regions I'm interested to find out whay I'll find inside mine as one of my Jags has a Japanese stickered box, but as far as I know plays in PAL 50.

[@ReverendJackson]

The rgb scart cable is very reasonably priced from coolnovelties and makes a massive difference.... Brilliant video. 👍

[@TheMalMeninga]

Always wanted a Jaguar, even though they're a bit...bobbins.