Best video quality?

[beyondoasis]

Which Atari system produces the best quality video for 2600?

 

1) heavy sixer

2) light sixer

3) 4-switch

4) atari jr

5) atari 7800

6) cart-modded flashback 2

[supercat]

Which Atari system produces the best quality video for 2600?

 

I have the mod board for the 7800 and its S-video out is gorgeous. Even feeding the S-video out into a converter to produce composite or RF looks great. The composite output from the mod board is all wonky, though, so I don't use that one.

[Prodos8]

My experience with standard RF is that 6-switch (heavy or light) and the 7800 give the best picture. Haven't tried a modded FB2 however.

 

I use a 4-switch with DIY a/v mod the most, however.

[LiQuiD iCe 9]

Here is a 2600 rca video mod that I did it was captured @ 720 x 480 so the flaws will jump out at you. its alittle bright compaired to the fb2 but when i darken it the white on black casts a shadow pretty bad. i have a 24" RDTV and it looks great i could turn the brightness down on the tv but its not so bright that it looks bad so i don't bother (like some other rca and s-video mods).

 

2600

2600.BMP

 

Putting the FB2 side by side does make the 2600 look gritty or more imperfect and this is not a moded FB2 so i don't know if the picture on the carts suffers. you can see a green line on the right of the trees or anything brown and a red line on the left it took me forever to get that under control in my mod. its still there its just harder to see on tv because it blends more, the FB2 is a sharper picture so the line is clear as day.

 

FB2

FB2.BMP

Edited March 10, 2007 by LiQuiD iCe 9

[oldric]

I would say the 7800 with scart RGB connector.

[Math You]

I think a 7800 with RGB would be the best.

 

I've read that the 2600 Jr is good if you're stuck with the televisions RF lead.

[mimo]

Buy my RGB 7800 and find out

[Math You]

Buy my RGB 7800 and find out

I am soooooo tempted! No, I must be strong and start saving money instead of spending it (for the first time in my life!)

[mimo]

Buy my RGB 7800 and find out

I am soooooo tempted! No, I must be strong and start saving money instead of spending it (for the first time in my life!)

no no no no no, have the fun now, it's less than the price of a PS3 game and will be still going stong when the PS7 is out

and i'll include 7 games (not the ones shown!)

[ozzie_owl]

Which Atari system produces the best quality video for 2600?

 

1) heavy sixer

2) light sixer

3) 4-switch

4) atari jr

5) atari 7800

6) cart-modded flashback 2

 

I never knew there was a difference between them.

 

I have a 4-switch that i have only just really started playing and on some of the games the graphics seem to flash, is this a common fault/problem or my machine. I'm running it through the built in RF lead. I can't remember this problem BITD.

 

Lee.

Edited March 10, 2007 by ozzie_owl

[A.J. Franzman]

on some of the games the graphics seem to flash, is this a common fault/problem or my machine. I'm running it through the built in RF lead. I can't remember this problem BITD.

Sounds like you're describing "flicker", a programming technique used to display more objects than the console was originally designed to. All consoles will show this on games that have it. Edited March 11, 2007 by A.J. Franzman

[TimsterAA]

I've been meaning to ask this question, but never got around to it and couldn't think of the best place, but reading this thread leads me to believe this would be as good a place and time as any.

 

I have almost every console ever made, and many a TV (from 20+ y.o. 13 inchers to my 65" WS HDTV). I do NOT have an issue hooking any system up. I have a TV (or multiple) that I could hook anything I have up to. The situation is the other night my stepson and I were playing some 2600 carts I'd recently gotten on epay up in my 'arcade' room. Then we planned to head downstairs to the rec-room where the 65 incher resides. I initally grabbed a 2600 to bring down when it dawned on me that the only way I could hook it up down there was via a RF-to-coax adapter plugged into the BACK of the TV (not a simple task!). Long story short, we wound up playing a bunch of 2600/NES/SNES games via emulator on my modded XBox, but it's just not the same!

 

Sooooooo.... On that TV, and the older big screen I have in the living room on the main floor, there are composite A/V and S-Video inputs on the front of the TV. To save myself from the VERY UNenviable task of crawling behind either of these monstrosities to hook up a vintage console when the urge hits, is there ANY WAY feasible to hook up any of these 'RF-out' older consoles to either the composite or S-Video inputs? On occasion, I've seen 2600s and 7800s on epay with S-Video mods, but the last thing I want to do is buy ANOTHER console - I have too many already!!! I'm much more interested in scoring some type of adapter that would let me use any of my consoles in this way. I spent a good little while this afternoon researching, but it doesn't seem like such a beast exists.

 

If anyone would know the existence of something like this, I'm sure that person would be a member of this site! So, if anyone has any ideas for me, please let me know! Thanks!

 

--Timster--

[supercat]

I'm much more interested in scoring some type of adapter that would let me use any of my consoles in this way. I spent a good little while this afternoon researching, but it doesn't seem like such a beast exists.

 

A cheap VCR should fit the bill nicely. Feed the console into the VCR's RF input and feed the composite output into your monitor.

 

Dedicated tuners exist, but VCRs are cheaper.

[TimsterAA]

A cheap VCR should fit the bill nicely. Feed the console into the VCR's RF input and feed the composite output into your monitor.

 

Dedicated tuners exist, but VCRs are cheaper.

 

Yeah - that was kind of the concensus I gleaned with my research. I was hoping to avoid that as that would add another electronic device to my somewhat cramped quarters. This is for temporary, infrequent, ad-hoc setups - when I get the itch to play the 'real' A2600 (or ColecoVision/Intellivision/etc) on a screen big enough to make Pac-Man the size of a baseball - not a permanent fix. He he he... Like I said - I can already do this easily enough through emulation - but until someone comes out with a wireless PC or XBox 'Atari' joystick controller - it's just not the 'same'!

 

I was amazed when I got into this collecting gig two years ago that I could hook these old machines up to newer TVs with their own RF leads via a tiny RCA-to-Coax adapter from Radio Shack for ~$2-$3. That was like the best thing since sliced bread! I guess the optimist in me insists on believing that some similar type adapter exists, or should, to go from RF to composite. Or even RF to coax (which I have) to composite would even work. I'd rather have a small clump of daisy-chained adapters than another electronics deck to find a home for (a vcr). Oh well... if it can't be done, it can't be done - I just want to know for sure so I can stop dreaming!

[supercat]

Yeah - that was kind of the concensus I gleaned with my research. I was hoping to avoid that as that would add another electronic device to my somewhat cramped quarters.

 

Dedicated tuners do exist, and some old cable boxes would suit the bill nicely if you can find them. VCRs are cheap and readily available, but if you want to search around for a tuner or cable box that might be more compact.

[TimsterAA]

Yeah - that was kind of the concensus I gleaned with my research. I was hoping to avoid that as that would add another electronic device to my somewhat cramped quarters.

 

Dedicated tuners do exist, and some old cable boxes would suit the bill nicely if you can find them. VCRs are cheap and readily available, but if you want to search around for a tuner or cable box that might be more compact.

 

Any recommendations on where I should start my search?

[+SpiceWare]

On occasion, I've seen 2600s and 7800s on epay with S-Video mods, but the last thing I want to do is buy ANOTHER console - I have too many already!!! I'm much more interested in scoring some type of adapter that would let me use any of my consoles in this way. I spent a good little while this afternoon researching, but it doesn't seem like such a beast exists.

I have a CyberTech S-Video in my Atari that creates a picture this good on my Commodore 1084 monitor

 

I don't think it's being made anymore, but 8bitDomain sells something similar.