NES Test Market console image quality…

[Salduchi]

I've been browsing the internet for a while trying to figure out why early test market NES consoles and some early deluxe models (specifically NES-CPU-01 and 02 boards and perhaps 03 boards) display darker colors and worse image quality. Blue looks green, red looks pink, text isn't as sharp. Mario 1's underground level is the best example. It's not like the typical variance with NES/Famicom color display that you read about.

From what I can find online, the motherboards are similar enough so I don't know why these consoles would display a darker image unless it had something to do with the RF box. Is anyone tech savvy enough to have any ideas on the cause of this?

[Skawo]

Different crystal oscillator? Different PPU revision, maybe?

Is there any footage of how this early NES looks?

[P]

How was this comparison made? The colors may vary quite a bit on different TV-sets due to the PPU not being fully into NTSC specs, so you would have to compare using the same TV.


Those early test market NES systems uses PPU revision E-0 which don't seem to have any known color-related bugs (the palette is write-only though that wouldn't matter in most games like SMB that never tries to read it), but I guess it's still possible that different PPU revisions have slightly different colors.

[Salduchi]

Different crystal oscillator? Different PPU revision, maybe?

Is there any footage of how this early NES looks?

there is not much footage I can find, but it's spoken of a bit.

[Salduchi]

How was this comparison made? The colors may vary quite a bit on different TV-sets due to the PPU not being fully into NTSC specs, so you would have to compare using the same TV.


Those early test market NES systems uses PPU revision E-0 which don't seem to have any known color-related bugs (the palette is write-only though that wouldn't matter in most games like SMB that never tries to read it), but I guess it's still possible that different PPU revisions have slightly different colors.

I have compared with both 01 and 02 boards on the same TV. My 07 and 11 motherboards have more standard pallets that you would expect. My HVC-07 famicom has PPU E-0 just like the NES 01 and 02 boards except it has a normal looking pallet.

I feel like it has to be something with the RF box or the crystal oscillator. I will try to get some pictures.