SNES Vertical Line Issue

One problem that’s plaguing almost all versions of the SNES is a vertical line constantly going down the center of the screen.  Please read on for more information:

Problem:
The vertical line is most notable right when the console is powered on (hence the above shot), or in games with lots of dark scenes, such as Super Metroid. It’s something I remember seeing when I was a kid and it’s a widely talked about issue. I’ve tried different power supplies and surge protectors to make sure it wasn't a ground issue, but nothing seemed to change it.

RGB Bypass as a solution for 1CHIP / Mini Consoles:
Different model systems seem to be worse than others, but luckily the 1CHIP and SNES Mini aren’t as badly affected as the rest.  After doing an RGB bypass on both 1CHIP SNES 1's and Mini's that had the issue, the white line seemed to go away. While this might not be the "fix", it seems to bypass some of the affected circuitry, so in the scenario's I've tested, it seems to do the trick. Also, they're pretty easy mods to perform, so unless you're good at soldering small components, I'd suggest trying an RGB-bypass first.

Other Fixes:
A few people have emailed me to report fixes that 100% solve the issue.  I haven't had time to test them, but wanted to add the information in case it could help someone else.

Alex / ArcadeTV suggested replacing the big 2200uF capacitor plus three 220uF: one on the output of the 7805 and the two remaining on the supply-pins of the S-RGB IC.  Here's a link for more information: http://circuit-board.de/forum/index.php/Thread/12133-Vertikale-wei%C3%9Fe-Linie-beim-SNES-Wer-hat-sie-wer-nicht/?postID=293232#post293232

A reader named Mark emailed me with his fix:  He soldered two 16V 220uF caps to the S-RGB chip, one to each +5V pin.  Then soldered the negative ends pin 13 (ground).  He said it didn't make the line go completely away, but it helped greatly.

Paul T has a similar fix, but also added a cap to the voltage regulator and was nice enough to send pictures as well.  Click for full-sized:

Here's another possible fix:  http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?18935-SNES-vertical-line-issue&p=591084&viewfull=1#post591084

If I ever get a definitive answer as to why this happens, I'll update this page with a full description, as well as the technical description of the fix.

Feel free to go back to the main SNES page.  If you'd like info on mods for other systems, head to the Getting RGB From Each System page or check out the main page for more retro-awesomeness.