Hacking Hardware Homebrew Project DS Lite Bricked after trying to install the TV Out mod

[MikeyLORR]

This is the 2nd time I've bricked my DS Lite trying to get the TV Out mod to work (the first time being about 4 years ago). I installed the custom firmware (following the instructions EXACTLY as written on the github page), then turned it off and back on to make sure it still worked, and it booted into the main menu with no problem. Then I took off the top screen and attached the TV Out board, turned it on and I just got a white screen on the bottom screen. I tried hooking it up to my TV and got a distorted image and the normal DS startup sound. I took the board out and put the top screen back in, and it shows the startup then just gets stuck on a white screen. I'm really not sure what's causing this, it was working fine after patching the firmware but seems to get bricked when I try the hardware. I would really like to know what I can do to get this thing working, any and all help/advice is appreciated. I can provide any information/files as needed. Thank you.

Edit: I'm using the Rhotronix DS Lite TV Out board V2. I'm pretty sure it's not available anymore as the site isn't up anymore, which sucks because I would've liked to print out the plastic shell for it.

 

[Wokann]

Have you had a slot2 ds flashcart such as supercard mini?
DSL TvOut firmware is based on flashme v8a, so it has a recovery method for bricked consloe if you flash the beginning data of flashme.
Put the flashme.nds into slot2 ds flashcart, and boot dsl with button (A+B+Start+Select) holding, you can booting into the flashcart, and then rerunning the flashme.nds to fix your firmware.

 

[MikeyLORR]

Have you had a slot2 ds flashcart such as supercard mini?
DSL TvOut firmware is based on flashme v8a, so it has a recovery method for bricked consloe if you flash the beginning data of flashme.
Put the flashme.nds into slot2 ds flashcart, and boot dsl with button (A+B+Start+Select) holding, you can booting into the flashcart, and then rerunning the flashme.nds to fix your firmware.

I can buy a Supercard mini and try this out. My only concern is that I installed the firmware with fwmanager, not flashme, although a flashme file was used when I patched it. I'll definitely give this a shot, I'll let you know when I get the Supercard mini and what happens when I try to boot. Thank you very much for the info!

 

[Wokann]

I can buy a Supercard mini and try this out. My only concern is that I installed the firmware with fwmanager, not flashme, although a flashme file was used when I patched it. I'll definitely give this a shot, I'll let you know when I get the Supercard mini and what happens when I try to boot. Thank you very much for the info!

The software you use isn't the main issue.
The first thing to confirm is whether your firmware is still complete and functioning correctly. Normally, you could dump your firmware using dsbf_dump.nds and compare it to the firmware file you previously patched for TVOut and burned with FWManager .
However, since you can't boot the device normally, you need to rely on the recovery function preserved by FlashMe to try and boot the flashcart. At the same time, by checking if this recovery function boots successfully or not, you can confirm whether the beginning part of your firmware was burned in normally or not (the recovery function is located at the beginning of the firmware, and this part belongs to the SL1 protected area; it can only be modified after shorting SL1).

 

[MikeyLORR]

The software you use isn't the main issue.
The first thing to confirm is whether your firmware is still complete and functioning correctly. Normally, you could dump your firmware using dsbf_dump.nds and compare it to the firmware file you previously patched for TVOut and burned with FWManager .
However, since you can't boot the device normally, you need to rely on the recovery function preserved by FlashMe to try and boot the flashcart. At the same time, by checking if this recovery function boots successfully or not, you can confirm whether the beginning part of your firmware was burned in normally or not (the recovery function is located at the beginning of the firmware, and this part belongs to the SL1 protected area; it can only be modified after shorting SL1).

Got it, thank you. I'll reply here when I get my Supercard and try it out.

 

[MikeyLORR]

Got it, thank you. I'll reply here when I get my Supercard and try it out.

I received my Supercard and tested it on another DS. Would anyone be able to help me with the flashme process? I downloaded flashme from the wiki and there's a few different files and I'm not sure which one to use.

 

[Wokann]

I received my Supercard and tested it on another DS. Would anyone be able to help me with the flashme process? I downloaded flashme from the wiki and there's a few different files and I'm not sure which one to use.

First plug in your supercard, and power on your console with start+select(or A+B+start+select). If anything is successful, you will boot into supercard's ds mode. That is the first thing you need to check, whether the fail safe code was burned or not. If it doesn't exist, it means your firmware was broken badly, and need another normal firmware to save it.

 

[MikeyLORR]

First plug in your supercard, and power on your console with start+select(or A+B+start+select). If anything is successful, you will boot into supercard's ds mode. That is the first thing you need to check, whether the fail safe code was burned or not. If it doesn't exist, it means your firmware was broken badly, and need another normal firmware to save it.

Doesn't work... I'll have to buy another BIOS chip. I have no idea what I did wrong both times to cause this, I followed these instructions exactly. Do these instructions seem off to you?

 

[Wokann]

I received my Supercard and tested it on another DS. Would anyone be able to help me with the flashme process? I downloaded flashme from the wiki and there's a few different files and I'm not sure which one to use.

have you tested the ds mode of supercard in other ds?

Post automatically merged: Dec 7, 2025

Doesn't work... I'll have to buy another BIOS chip. I have no idea what I did wrong both times to cause this, I followed these instructions exactly. Do these instructions seem off to you?

I followed this guide too and work well.

 

[MikeyLORR]

have you tested the ds mode of supercard in other ds?

Post automatically merged: Dec 7, 2025

I followed this guide too and work well.

I just tried on my DS phat and it doesn't do anything. Tried start+select and start+select+A+B

 

[Wokann]

I just tried on my DS phat and it doesn't do anything. Tried start+select and start+select+A+B

you need a slot1 passme card/ flashme to boot slot2 ds mode. (An original ds phat or lite won't boot into slot2's ds mode, so it won't goto failsafe mode.) many slot1 card has owned passme function and can do it. or you can use this hb to launch slot2 ds mode.

Post automatically merged: Dec 7, 2025

you can also see my video of various methods to boot slot2 ds flashcart. and make sure the ds mode of your sc card is normal or not in other ds console.

 

[MikeyLORR]

you need a slot1 passme card/ flashme to boot slot2 ds mode. (An original ds phat or lite won't boot into slot2's ds mode, so it won't goto failsafe mode.) many slot1 card has owned passme function and can do it. or you can use this hb to launch slot2 ds mode.

Post automatically merged: Dec 7, 2025

you can also see my video of various methods to boot slot2 ds flashcart. and make sure the ds mode of your sc card is normal or not in other ds console.

Are you able to provide instructions for this? I can't understand the video unfortunately. I have a slot 1 R4 Flashcart that I can use.

 

[Wokann]

Are you able to provide instructions for this? I can't understand the video unfortunately. I have a slot 1 R4 Flashcart that I can use.

wait? did you mean you haven't followed the instructions exactly?

Post automatically merged: Dec 8, 2025

1. using flashme_v8a_noauto.nds to flash custom firmware flashme to your console.
2. using dsbf_dump.nds to dump your modded firmware.
3. using tvout.ips to patch the modded firmware.
4. using fwmanager to flash the modded firmware back into your console.

That is how to flash tvout firmware to your ds lite. After that, you can output video by connecting an external pcb board. Please confirm whether you followed this procedure or not.

 

[MikeyLORR]

wait? did you mean you haven't followed the instructions exactly?

Post automatically merged: Dec 8, 2025

1. using flashme_v8a_noauto.nds to flash custom firmware flashme to your console.
2. using dsbf_dump.nds to dump your modded firmware.
3. using tvout.ips to patch the modded firmware.
4. using fwmanager to flash the modded firmware back into your console.

That is how to flash tvout firmware to your ds lite. After that, you can output video by connecting an external pcb board. Please confirm whether you followed this procedure or not.

Yes, I already tried these instructions. I am asking how to boot into the Supercard DS mode, which I need to do because my DS Lite cannot boot normally.

 

[Wokann]

Yes, I already tried these instructions. I am asking how to boot into the Supercard DS mode, which I need to do because my DS Lite cannot boot normally.

or you can use this hb to launch slot2 ds mode.

The easiest way, here. download this nds homebrew (PassMeLoader.nds) into your r4.
Plug in r4 and sc.
Open r4 and boot PassMeLoader.nds, and then you will boot slot2 ds mode of sc.

 

[MikeyLORR]

The easiest way, here. download this nds homebrew (PassMeLoader.nds) into your r4.
Plug in r4 and sc.
Open r4 and boot PassMeLoader.nds, and then you will boot slot2 ds mode of sc.

I put both my R4 and SC into my DS lite (with Passme installed on the R4), it still boots into a white screen.

 

[Wokann]

I put both my R4 and SC into my DS lite (with Passme installed on the R4), it still boots into a white screen.

First boot it in your normal ds to make ssure your sc is working well,
After that, if sc works well, plug sc into your broken ds litte, boot it with start+select to see if slot2 ds mode entered or not.

 

[MikeyLORR]

I put both my R4 and SC into my DS lite (with Passme installed on the R4), it still boots into a white screen.

It reads on my working DS, I select PassMe on the R4 menu and it loads the SC. I tried on my DS Lite and it still can't get past the white screen, even when I hold start and select.

 

[Wokann]

It reads on my working DS, I select PassMe on the R4 menu and it loads the SC. I tried on my DS Lite and it still can't get past the white screen, even when I hold start and select.

This situation is not optimistic.
There are two main possibilities: First, the firmware itself may be corrupted, including a damaged or improperly flashed failsafe data. Second, during disassembly and reassembly ds lite console, there might have been a loose connection or some other reason that caused hardware failure, preventing the device from booting and displaying properly.
If it's the former, it's easier to resolve. You can buy a new ds Lite, remove its normal firmware hardware, and migrate it to this broken dslite to check if it boots normally. If it runs normally, it means the problem is only with the firmware, and you can use the new ds lite and normal firmware hardware to re-flash the firmware of the corrupted firmware hardware.
However, if migrating the normal firmware hardware still doesn't work, then the problem may lie with the dslite hardware itself.

 

[MikeyLORR]

This situation is not optimistic.
There are two main possibilities: First, the firmware itself may be corrupted, including a damaged or improperly flashed failsafe data. Second, during disassembly and reassembly ds lite console, there might have been a loose connection or some other reason that caused hardware failure, preventing the device from booting and displaying properly.
If it's the former, it's easier to resolve. You can buy a new ds Lite, remove its normal firmware hardware, and migrate it to this broken dslite to check if it boots normally. If it runs normally, it means the problem is only with the firmware, and you can use the new ds lite and normal firmware hardware to re-flash the firmware of the corrupted firmware hardware.
However, if migrating the normal firmware hardware still doesn't work, then the problem may lie with the dslite hardware itself.

Like I said, this is the 2nd time this happened. After buying a new BIOS chip the first time, it worked fine, so it's definitely a firmware issue.

I can buy another BIOS chip and try again. One thing I noticed, in the instructions you wrote earlier:

1. using flashme_v8a_noauto.nds to flash custom firmware flashme to your console.
2. using dsbf_dump.nds to dump your modded firmware.
3. using tvout.ips to patch the modded firmware.
4. using fwmanager to flash the modded firmware back into your console.

I installed flashme_v8a_noauto to my flashcart, but I may not have ran it on the DS to flash the CFW. The instructions on the site were pretty vague on this. I will try this when I try again on the new BIOS chip.

Thank you for all of your help.