Hardware difference Toploader vs AV Famicom

[Dendy]

I'm just curious, is there a big hardware difference between ntsc Toploader and AV Famicom apart from AV part?
What hardware is actually better? 

[nerdynebraskan]

The main difference is what you already touched on: the NES-101 (aka NES top loader) is RF-only, and is notorious for its somewhat poor picture. I've heard that its RF is poorly shielded because of how cheaply they were built (they were sold for $50 US in 1993), and so the picture can appear washed-out and with the infamous "jail bars" on the picture. Honestly, I've gotten used to mine on my NES-101, but I do notice the difference whenever I play an NES game on an original ("toaster") console or my AV Famicom. The AV Famicom also has the expansion audio channels while the NES-101 doesn't, so if you have any of those games that exploit them they will sound better on the AV Famicom.

But I have both consoles hooked up to my TV, mainly so that I don't have to use converters to play my games (as I own plenty of 60- and 72-pin carts).

[NintendoKing]

I honestly enjoy them both, they sit side-by-side on my shelf of systems.

[leonk]

My NES toploader was modded with an NESRGB feeding the same multiAV port as on the famicom AV.  In addition, the extra channel mod was done to it.

All this runs to a Sony 20" PVM monitor in pure RGB.  Folks, this is the most amazing video quality one can get with an NES/Famicom.  It's pixel perfect in every respect.  It looks like an Arcade Monitor, only cleaner, sharper, .. total eye candy.

[MarioMania]

How do you add extra sound on the Top Loader?

[Dendy]

Thanks for the info, nerdynebraskan!

[aha2940]

I believe another differences is that the AV Famicom has the DB15 port for accesories, and the NES toploader doesn't have it.

Regards.

[nerdynebraskan]

Yes, that's also true. The NES didn't have any accessories that used that kind of pin configuration (except possibly for the power glove?); NES accessories use the 7 pins that were also adopted for the primary AV Famicom controller ports. That's ideal for American importers like me, since I'm able to use my NES controllers on my AV Famicom. But using an NES Zapper would require modding the console, since the Famicom is expecting light-gun input to come from the DB15 port on the side.

[L___E___T]

using an NES Zapper would require modding the console, since the Famicom is expecting light-gun input to come from the DB15 port on the side.

Not necessarily, I have 3rd party NES zappers that have the famicom pin extension.  You could even case swap them for a legit NES Zapper (as I intend to do)!

[P]

Heh it's no different from a Famicom Light Gun then.

Light gun games reads signals from data lines which are connected to the expansion connector on all Famicoms and to the player 2 connector on NES, but not on the player 2 connector on the AV Famicom (unless it's modded of course).

[MarioMania]

How about for Extra Sound?

[P]

Famicom AV obviously has extra sound. The Toploader NES has to be modded and I heard it's not as easy to mod as the normal NES is.