Composite Video on the NES: Why's it so wobbly?

5 hours ago

The NES composite video output produces a wobbly or shimmering effect due to its unique internal timing and signal generation.
Unlike systems like the Apple II or Sega Master System, the NES lacks a separate RGB video encoder; its PPU directly generates composite video without intermediate steps.
The NES uses a 21.47727 MHz oscillator, leading to 227.33 colorburst cycles per scanline, creating a three-line repeating pattern instead of the typical two-line pattern in other systems.
Ricoh engineers implemented a 'missing dot' technique, alternating scanline lengths to reduce the three-frame pattern to two, mimicking systems with proper 227.5 cycles per scanline.
The 'missing dot' effect is disabled when rendering is turned off, as seen in games like Battletoads, which exploit this for faster VRAM access.

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