Atari hook up to HDTV

[Den Burger]

Guys, I've heard about some type of device which allows one to connect old console to an HDTV via HDMI port. Is there such a device that works with Atari, and if so, what is it called? I have a HDMI plazma panel. I want to hook up my old console to HDMI.

[teh_lurv]

The easiest way to connect your whichever Atari console you have is to simply connect the RF cable to the coaxial port on your HDTV. That's what I do with my 2600 and it works fine. You can spring for the extra equipment to transcode the video to HDMI, but you're not going to see any image improvements and probably will introduce additional input lag.

[Den Burger]

I was able to find some equipment to transcode the video to HDMI here https://bzbexpress.com/HDMI-Video-Converters/. But are you saying the graphics will not look any better with these converters? And so HDMI cables would be useless as well in this scenario?

[+Stephen Moss]

It is possible there is an RF to HDMI converter out there but in my experiance they usually require an AV (composite video and audio) input therefore you would have to do an AV mode to your Atari.

 

Some modern TV sets can have trouble with either sound or image (sync / lines or colour issues) due to the fact they now use progressive scan as opposed to the interlaceing of old CRT TV's and have a refresh rate of 100Hz or more as opposed to 50Hz (PAL) and 60Hz (NTSC).

Modern sets that still have an analogue receiver will try to convert and display older analogue RF signals, if your TV appear to be giving good video and audio when doing that then using a HDMI converter will not really do anything for you, if it is having trouble then a HDMI converter can help with those issues as a result of bypassing the analogue tuner however it will not improve the base quality of the signal, i.e. it will not increase the resolution of the video signal displayed over that from the RF analogue signal it will just improve any sync/line/colour issues.

 

If you find the analogue RF input is giving you problems I would suggest performing an AV mod that way you can use either Composite video input to your TV or pass it through a HDMI converter if you really want to use a HDMI input, however even they do not always work as you would like, for example I purchased one so that I could connect my Consoles to my HD computer monitor instead of using a separate TV, it displays my PS2 fine but for my Jaguar I get audio but no video, just a black screen.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

When buying those converters, make sure that they have a low delay. Cheaper ones often add a noticeable lag of multiple frames, which makes many game unplayable. Also most of them can't handle 240p at all, so they will detect the Atari's signal as 480i like a modern TV does too.

 

An XRGB-Framemeister is the best, but costly choice for modern TVs. That or buy a much cheaper CRT. The result is even better (no lag at all).

[Kapikui]

The easiest way to connect your whichever Atari console you have is to simply connect the RF cable to the coaxial port on your HDTV. That's what I do with my 2600 and it works fine. You can spring for the extra equipment to transcode the video to HDMI, but you're not going to see any image improvements and probably will introduce additional input lag.

I used to do phone tech support for DirecTV. Before I quit, I'd started running into televisions with ONLY HDMI and Digital coax. No analog inputs at all. A way to make an atari work with hdmi is going to be necessary soon.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I used to do phone tech support for DirecTV. Before I quit, I'd started running into televisions with ONLY HDMI and Digital coax. No analog inputs at all. A way to make an atari work with hdmi is going to be necessary soon.

 

Well..I just picked up a Sony 48 inch that is a 2016 model and it only has a Coax, 2 HDMI, Composite video L/R and a small 1/8" jack where I plug a semi proprietary cable that gives me my Component but that actually plugs into the same port as the composite video...

 

Anyway, I was still able to connect my Intellivision via RF to the coax, and tune it into channel 3 as normal. Looked okay, but snow city. Hence why I AV modded my intelly, but it is about the only classic console I have that is AV modded that still allows use of the RF since my other consoles I removed the RF modulators on them to prevent additional noise in the audio/video.

[Kapikui]

 

Well..I just picked up a Sony 48 inch that is a 2016 model and it only has a Coax, 2 HDMI, Composite video L/R and a small 1/8" jack where I plug a semi proprietary cable that gives me my Component but that actually plugs into the same port as the composite video...

 

Anyway, I was still able to connect my Intellivision via RF to the coax, and tune it into channel 3 as normal. Looked okay, but snow city. Hence why I AV modded my intelly, but it is about the only classic console I have that is AV modded that still allows use of the RF since my other consoles I removed the RF modulators on them to prevent additional noise in the audio/video.

There were a couple three times with customers hooking up VCR's and the like. As I recall it was a low end Television, and there were only HDMI ports, we tried the coax, but there was no option to go to any type of analog input, it would only take digital broadcast channels.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

There were a couple three times with customers hooking up VCR's and the like. As I recall it was a low end Television, and there were only HDMI ports, we tried the coax, but there was no option to go to any type of analog input, it would only take digital broadcast channels.

 

That is really surprising because I even have 3 small 19inch Insignia TVs I picked up a few years ago for $100 each and they offer on their channel scan the option to use Antenna or Cable. Choosing Antenna they are able to pick up the Atari or whatever I have connected via RF Coax without issue. In fact I was really pleased with those little TVs given then cheap price because they also appeared to have very little to NO LAG to speak of. Used them in gaming competitions and never had a complaint.

 

And now that I think about it, I've never seen a consumer level TV that didn't offer both Antenna and Cable scanning for the tuner auto scan option?

[RamrodHare]

As far as coax connections go, I'm 98% sure that all TVs have the option to switch between antenna and cable and the "Add channels" option still allows for analog and digital signal.. Not to mention the fact that almost all new TVs have multiple connection options. HDMI has become the new standard for most things, but coax, AV and RGB are still widely used. My opinion is that the AV mod is the easiest option, if the TV has AV inputs. As far as picture quality goes on the Atari, trying to connect to HDMI is pointless.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

As far as coax connections go, I'm 98% sure that all TVs have the option to switch between antenna and cable and the "Add channels" option still allows for analog and digital signal.. Not to mention the fact that almost all new TVs have multiple connection options. HDMI has become the new standard for most things, but coax, AV and RGB are still widely used. My opinion is that the AV mod is the easiest option, if the TV has AV inputs. As far as picture quality goes on the Atari, trying to connect to HDMI is pointless.

 

I agree about the HDMI being pointless as it certainly doesn't look any better. But mine is setup this way because I use a Composite/S-Video to HDMI converter in the mix. My actual setup from one of my classic consoles..goes like this:

 

7800 via S-video - JVC SX-700 S-video input - SX-700 s-video monitor output - composite / s-video to HDMI converter - Converter HDMI out to Yamaha Reciever HDMI in - Yamaha HDMI out to TV HDMI i.

 

Lots in the mix but this allows me to have 8 devices via s-video or composite into the JVC and then to the converter for HDMI out. Essentially I can 8 devices all output on the same HDMI out and eventually to the 1 HDMI on the TV.

 

In fact everything is connected in such a way that I only require just one HDMI cable to the TV itself. I have an old Intellivision RF cable via coax adapter attached and off the site to connected non AV modded stuff. And then I have 6ft HDMI cable coiled up behind the TV within reach for any other Hdmi input device I might need to connect up quickly.

 

PITA to get setup initially, but very easy to manage and swap things out as needed. The JVC even has 2 front inputs I can use out of the 8 total to make it easy to attach other stuff as needed.

 

Does the HDMI give me better results? NO...of course not as the original signals are still s-video or composite. But it does give me a very easy way to get everything back to the TV using an input the TV can handle without issue.

 

Now to get my VGA to HDMI converter so I can hook up my old DOS Gaming PC into that mix...LOL

[NinjaWarrior]

It won't look at all, Just get a small CRT for the 2600 and be done with it

 

I just don't know why people want to put Pre-PS3 consoles on HDMI?, It just doesn'r look good at all, and the Input Lag

[+-^CrossBow^-]

It won't look at all, Just get a small CRT for the 2600 and be done with it

 

I just don't know why people want to put Pre-PS3 consoles on HDMI?, It just doesn'r look good at all, and the Input Lag

 

Looks pretty good to me to my 40+ year old eyes and CRTs are too small with decent screens, plus my LED/LCD uses up much less power and I only need the one display.

 

Lag is there I'm sure, but I honestly don't notice it and neither has anyone else that has gamed on my setup. I turn off all the fancy crap off the LED to minimize picture processing and again it is very easy to switch between systems and only have the one HDMI cable to worry about. I also have a PS3, Wii-U, and my NES via HDMI as well on the receiver. So..everything is pretty full LOL.

 

Honestly in my game room I do not have room for both a large CRT and flat panel. One or the other and for what I play I'm totally happy with everything on the flat panel. I can still force a 4:3 aspect so screen stretching isn't an issue either.

[the_crayon_king]

It won't look at all, Just get a small CRT for the 2600 and be done with it

 

I just don't know why people want to put Pre-PS3 consoles on HDMI?, It just doesn'r look good at all, and the Input Lag

 

Most FPGA based kits have imperceptible amounts of lag.

Lag would be from a crappy video scaler/TV same for bad looking video.

 

Obviously RGB through a CRT/BVM/PVM is the way to go but lacking that id go with an RGB upgrade into a scaler like the GBS, OSSC, XRGB

There are others but those are the ones I know aren't garbage.

 

A/V modding is still a viable option as well. I believe I could draw something up to get S-Video and Composite out of a atari 2600 4 switch.

You would just have to lift to components and then run it through a FMS6400. Need a handful of resistors and capacitors but fairly simple.