Expert: Octane - 3/3/2009

Question
hello. i discoverd my ol PSone console, (the revamped, smaller designed playsation console) and am having trouble tuning in to get a picture. i can hear a muffled soundtrack and and can see static ridden images, but cannot get any better picture. my TV has an old AV socket in the back, aswell as a SCART socket, but im stumped. any ideas?

Answer
Gday Thomas,

Could be a number of things.

Is the cable you are using have red white and yellow tips (AV) or is it once socket plugged into where the TV aerial goes (Coaxial Socket)?

If it is a Coaxial socket one I would guess that you might have it tuned to the wrong channel.  (It should be either Channel 3 or 4) On the cable is a box that usually has a switch switch it to the correct channel you are choosing.

If it is a true AV cable it could be a bad cable the fact that you are getting some sound and some picture means it is partially working.  I would try maybe wiggling the cable or half plugging it it (Occasionally that helps)  Also check the pins on the cable on the plug end that plugs into the PSone and see if they are not bent flat.  If you have another AV cable around try switching it out to see if the cable is faulty or not (a PS2 AV cable is exactly the same)

Although I would put my money on it being a possible problem with the PSone AV port.  A reasonably common problem is that the constant plugging and replugging of the AV cable into the port occasionally breaks off some of the soldering joints.  The only way fixing it is re-solding the joint back together.  (So if wiggling the cable in the socket up and down partially fixes the problem I would guess that is the problem)

Hope this helps

Octane