Is this for real?

[17R3W]

30th November 2004
DS' Third Screen? Nintendo DS
Here's something you shouldn't tell the FCC if you plan on keeping your shiny new DS - apparently, the DS has a third screen. But no, it's not what you think.

Hold your DS up to your TV (rabbit-ears-antennae work best). If you look closely at the TV screen, you should be able to see the image that is on your top screen being picked up by your TV!

Yes, this may sound crazy, but so many people have reported this that it can't be just a joke.

-DScentral.net

Is this possible? Why would the image of the screen be transmitted? And will Nintendo DS give you brain cancer?

Also, is it safe to assume PSP will render you impotent?

[touchds]

Its true, ive seen the evidence. I just posted this on the forum.. but your post was more informative so i deleted the other.

Wether it is a random meaingless find or a Nintendo secret tho... we'll wait and see

[Gene]

This is probably due to a built-in transmitter the DS has. Most of you have seen videos from E3 that the DS game play is projected onto a large screen behind the presenter. There's probably a special cable that can be used to plug directly into your TV, set it to channel 3/4, and watch the game play.

Don't believe me? You know how when you watch antenna TV without an antenna the signal barely comes through with a lot of snow? All you have to do clean that up is plug in the antenna. It may be the same with the DS.

I don’t know, I don't have a DS and I can't test this. I'll just wait for a more official news release to believe anything.

[rickla]

It seems to me there isn't an rf modulator inside this small unit. I saw the opened pictures on the web and no evidence of an rf section apart from the wifi transmitter.
But I tried anyway and didn't seem to pick up any rf with the scanners/radios I have.

[plmars]

Here is how/why this is happening.
A lot of people have a wrong idea about the way the monitors are connected to your computer. They all think it is digital, WRONG, except DVI of course. Normal VGA conection is an analog conection that is being send over a wire. Do you know why the wires for the monitors are so thick? Interferenc is the answer. Thick shilding prevents that. You have also probably seen the cable that connects the LCD screen to the circuit board. It is very thin, ribbon like cable, with very little or no shilding. That cable simply broadcasts the video signal, which is picked up by the receiver (tv). The reason why this is not happaning to the lower screen is that, that one is directly conected to the circuit board.

Summerizing this I have to say one more thing.
This is bad news.
You probably all have heard of Federal Communications Commission AKA FCC. They check everything that has to do with comunication abviously. However since every electronic device interfaces with humans they check them all. They look for interferance the product can cause to another products. I am sure that the DS was checked by them before it was released to the market. It even says "This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules and with Industry Canada RSS-210. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation." The problem lays in point number 1. This case proves that DS causes stronger interferenc then similar products. Lets just hope somebody doesnt get a stupid idea to file a lawsuite against Nintendo because it can cause undesired interference with health equipment or airplane equipment. If this happens the DS will be pulled of market and that means no more games. No more touchds.com. No more Us.

Lets Hope and Pray that it will be just fine.

[plmars]

By the way. Part 15 of FCC rules is very big and covers a lot of things. I know it has to do with WIFI but I do not know if it deals with interference brodcasts by induction. If somebody has some spare time please read this and educate us all.

http://www.atlasce.com/FCC_part15.htm

[rickla]

The lcd signal is digital, similar to dvi. Even if it were emitting rf, it wouldn't likely be decodable on an analog monitor.

Part 15 devices just have to not interfere with other licensed services. IF the ds is emitting any tv signal inadvertantly, it would have to be overriding the broadcast signal which is certainly isn't, so don't worry about part 15. It actually would apply to anything like a stereo etc., but it's mainly to protect licensed services. Kind of like being a second class citizen! Even wifi is part 15, which means that if someone decides to jam up a starbucks with their own router, it's legal.

I still doubt the ds is emitting any real images at all, I haven't seen any posted that I can recognize as images yet.

[rickla]

well i finally saw it. I tried this on my sony tv and indeed you can tell it's the screen from the ds, but weak. My best results were touching the center lead of my coax to the shield on the ds power connector.

It is a mystery to me. It may be that the lcd's do use analog video signals after all, but it still makes no sense. I know normal video signals will not get picked up on vhf tv, it takes work to get them modulated.

From what I see (channel 3 being best) my best theory is that if they somehow are transmitting, it's on a non tv frequency and channel 3 is just a harmonic of it. Maybe nintendo is really hiding something after all. But I can't see how they could and not document it which normally is required.

I do know a guy with a spectrum analyzer so maybe I'll take a look there if nobody figures it out.

[chuddy_2001uk]

WOW i thought two screens were good. Are there any available leads that will make this a true possibility?