Hi!
I’ve been reading threads on the forum for a while but this is my first post. The many in depth comments got me interested in the MSX and especially in MSX VHD. Thanks a lot for all the contributions!
Considering all the knowledge collected here, I wanted to ask if somebody on the forum might be able to help me with a technical problem related to the MSX VHD…
It took some time but I finally got all the parts needed for playing VHD games:
MSX HC-7
VHD Player Victor HD-7900
IF-7900 Interface
Aiwa Data Recorder DR-20
I also have two VHD games, Road Blaster and Thunder Storm (both complete with data tape).
The MSX HC-7 is connected…
- to a Sony CRT via a RGB 21-pin cable,
- to the VHD Player via a 13 pin DIN connector, and
- to the Aiwa Data Recorder via the necessary cable (I forgot the standard’s name).
Everything seems to be working alright, although the VHD Player is not exactly in perfect condition. But for some reason the superimpose feature does not seem to work as intended.
Here’s what I’m doing:
I put the Road Blaster or Thunder Storm VHD into the VHD Player, turn on the MSX and start MSX Basic. Then I let the data tape run via the Aiwa Data Recorder and type in “cload”. Usually either of the two games is recognized right away and I press F5. After a few minutes of loading the game will start and that is when the problem occurs.
The menu generated by the MSX is not superimposed on the video from the VHD player. I only see the pixel graphics generated by the MSX but not the video from the VHD player.
However, the VHD player recognizes the commands from the MSX. I can start and control the games. I know this because if I disconnect the MSX from the CRT and instead connect the VHD player to the CRT via RCA / Cinch, I can see that the VHD Player responds to the keys I press on the MSX. Of course, this way I only see the animation and non of the menus or other in-game pixel graphics will be shown. But I can play the game. This goes for both Road Blaster and Thunder Storm.
The MSX HC-7 is in very good condition, considering its age. I don’t think it’s a problem with the Aiwa Data Recorder as I’d the chance to load the games with a different data recorder. The result was the same. The 13 pin DIN connecter is rather new. The RGB 21-pin cable seems okay, too. I also connected the MSX to the CRT via RCA / Cinch but again the same result.
If it’s a hardware related problem, I can only think of the VHD Player (which is showing its age more than the other parts) or the IF-7900 interface module (but the VHD Player reacts to the commands from the MSX transferred via the module properly).
Or am I missing something?
Unfortunately I don’t have the manual for the IF-7900 interface. Is there maybe the need to activate the superimpose feature separately?
If somebody has an idea what could be the problem, I’d be truly grateful!
