Radio Shack RF Modulator + 2600 + LCD TV = What?

[GregadetH]

Frustration, that's what.

 

I may be wrong here...and if so please feel free to tell me. I was under the impression that to use my 2600 (with sound) on an LCD TV I needed an RF Modulator, so I bought one from radio hack with ANT IN, TO TV (both coax), composite out and s-video out. How am I supposed to hook this thing up? Everything I try produces zero results.

[StoneAgeGamer]

Frustration, that's what.

 

I may be wrong here...and if so please feel free to tell me. I was under the impression that to use my 2600 (with sound) on an LCD TV I needed an RF Modulator, so I bought one from radio hack with ANT IN, TO TV (both coax), composite out and s-video out. How am I supposed to hook this thing up? Everything I try produces zero results.

 

Doesn't your LCD have a coax antenna in on the back? If it does all you should need is one of those little F-connectors on the end.

[Koopa64]

You need a typical male-to-male composite cable, like what you would use on a DVD player.

[+save2600]

Frustration, that's what.

 

I may be wrong here...and if so please feel free to tell me. I was under the impression that to use my 2600 (with sound) on an LCD TV I needed an RF Modulator, so I bought one from radio hack with ANT IN, TO TV (both coax), composite out and s-video out. How am I supposed to hook this thing up? Everything I try produces zero results.

 

A modern LCD TV might not have a coaxial R.F. input since they're not broadcasting that way anymore. If you have just a monitor with no TV tuner built in, then the only way you're going to get a signal from a 2600 into it is by hacking your 2600 to provide separate composite video and audio out.

 

An R.F. Modulator combines these signals for products that don't provide R.F. output. In any event, an R.F. modulator for an old Atari 2600 was a waste of money. It already has R.F. out.

 

If your TV has a coaxial R.F. input, then go back to Rat Shack and find yourself this tiny adapter which has an RCA in and a coaxial out. Great picture result that way too since you're bypassing an old fashioned switchbox!

Edited July 27, 2010 by save2600

[+remowilliams]

I was under the impression that to use my 2600 (with sound) on an LCD TV I needed an RF Modulator

 

As noted the 2600 already has RF out. If your TV does not have coax input, you would need an RF demodulator.

[JamesD]

Frustration, that's what.

 

I may be wrong here...and if so please feel free to tell me. I was under the impression that to use my 2600 (with sound) on an LCD TV I needed an RF Modulator, so I bought one from radio hack with ANT IN, TO TV (both coax), composite out and s-video out. How am I supposed to hook this thing up? Everything I try produces zero results.

 

A modern LCD TV might not have a coaxial R.F. input since they're not broadcasting that way anymore. If you have just a monitor with no TV tuner built in, then the only way you're going to get a signal from a 2600 into it is by hacking your 2600 to provide separate composite video and audio out.

 

An R.F. Modulator combines these signals for products that don't provide R.F. output. In any event, an R.F. modulator for an old Atari 2600 was a waste of money. It already has R.F. out.

 

If your TV has a coaxial R.F. input, then go back to Rat Shack and find yourself this tiny adapter which has an RCA in and a coaxial out. Great picture result that way too since you're bypassing an old fashioned switchbox!

Cable companies and satellite companies still broadcast NTSC so the TV should have an RF input.

 

The 2600 just hooked to a switchbox didn't it? I think the 2600 already outputs RF and it just needs a matching transformer (I think that's what mine was called).

Sending RF through and RF modulator is likely to fail.

Also, some LCD TVs have issues syncing to old computers an video games. The fix is a different TV or a scan doubler.

 

If it just has composite out then the audio would be separate and you'd just hook up to the RCA video/audio inputs.

[+save2600]

[if your TV does not have coax input, you would need an RF demodulator.

ROTFLMAO! Too bad RF Modulators don't have a simple switch for that. I've never seen a stand alone 'demodulator' marketed on a consumer level before, but VCR's can perform that task obviously. Ain't gonna help in a portable situation though. lol

 

-edit-

 

ooops - by 'broadcasting', I was thinking in terms of over_the_air. I believe RF NTSC as a standard on televisions will go the way of the dinosaur here relatively soon. Thought the most modern of LCD's might have already done away with that input by now. I guess not? Hell, even the cheapest cable box has A/V outs these days. At least with our cable company.

Edited July 28, 2010 by save2600

[GregadetH]

I was under the impression that to use my 2600 (with sound) on an LCD TV I needed an RF Modulator

 

As noted the 2600 already has RF out. If your TV does not have coax input, you would need an RF demodulator.

 

That's what I need then. Not an RFmodulator.

 

I already have one of these but I get no sound unless I run it through an old VCR. I'll just mod the bad boy.

 

Thanks!

[akator]

I already have one of these but I get no sound unless I run it through an old VCR.

 

Are you sure it's not a problem with the 2600? I use one of those phono-to-coax adapters with my 2600 and it works perfectly.

[nathanallan]

This is a problem from way back, and the best solution-- get a second TV set that will take the original setup (I have found). My 1986 Quasar works great, and has a very fine tunable picture on it, and a 13" more recent model works okay, too.

 

Why do these LCD TV sets have to be so darn problematic??

[GregadetH]

I already have one of these but I get no sound unless I run it through an old VCR.

 

Are you sure it's not a problem with the 2600? I use one of those phono-to-coax adapters with my 2600 and it works perfectly.

 

Nah. It's the TV. The 2600 works like a charm on all of my older tube sets.

 

Damn you modern technology!

[jaybird3rd]

Hi Greg, if you can't get the 2600 working with RF, I've got a few extras of Longhorn's 2600 Composite/S-Video mod kits. PM me if you're interested.

[jeremysart]

Thats strange. I have a 780i Element HD LCD set. It has a coaxial input on the side, I just plug the male double ended cable from the 2600 to a radio shack switchbox, and plug the coaxial out into the tvs coaxial in. Just gotta make sure the tv and 2600 are set to the same channel and the switchbox is switched to "game" or "computer".

[psquare75]

I've got a pricey Samsung 40" LCD that I bought last fall, and my 2600/Coleco/Aquarius all work fine set to channel 3 on the antenna input.