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Another Super Pro TutorVision Found


Humblejack

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From what I've been able to track down, there are two known "real" TutorVision consoles -- those with the tan and blue case and full logo.

 

Then, we have four known "Super Pro TutorVision" consoles -- these have the INTV88 motherboard, GROM, STIC 1A, extra video RAM, and, critically, the WBEXEC. These all match Chuck Gill's TutorVision (one of those tow originals), which he was kind enough to let intvnut​ and Frank Palozzolo (spelling?) examine recently.

 

Of these "Super Pro TutorVision" consoles, one has display problems (intvdave's) and the other three seem to be completely functional. Also of those, as far as I know only this one has a hand-written serial number. These all seem to have the same STIC 1A and WBEXEC date codes as Chuck Gill's system. Mine has a slightly different GROM stamp, but unclear if there are actually any differences.

 

​Lathe26​ has either the best, or worst luck, it seems... With two systems that have the proper motherboard, however​ they have the original 2609 EXEC (in a new chip) -- each with slightly different STIC 1A chips​ than the others - for a total of at least three versions of the STIC 1A, based on the data stamped on the chips. It is not known if there are any internal differences. He repaired one of these (broken RF connector), but the other has some as-yet-unidentified problem preventing it from being booted up.

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So far, the Tutor Pros (aka Super Pro Tutorvisions) with the Mattel EXEC outnumber the WBEXEC ones.

 

Regarding my 2nd Tutor Pro that doesn't work, the 5V power traces are only providing <1V for 2/3s of the parts on the board. Someone gave me a suggestion of how to fix it by adding a thick wire from the good 5V section to the bad 5V section. I might do that but I'd like to make sure that the drop in voltage is due to bad traces rather than a bad part that will burn out if I do that.

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Are the Super Pro systems the only system that can be a tutorvision?

 

We don't really know. So far, that has been the case. It's worth checking out any system, really. So far only systems made in the U.S.A. have had these parts in them - but who knows.

 

Is there solid information about a crossover date from INTV System III -> Super Pro? Or were they both marketed at the same time? I have the impression that INTV System III was earlier and the Super Pro branding came later, in the heyday of the Super Pro sports titles - 1987 and later. Was the INTV88 motherboard going to be dual-purpose for both a tweaked Intellivision console capable of supporting a minor upgrade to graphics capability (more GRAM tiles possible?) while delivering the World Book TutorVision? Both systems would have been using the same main board, with one chip swapped out and perhaps a jumper installed (or removed). Could be this was in the later stages of being figured out when it all folded up.

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The tutorvision that Keith Robinson had was branded INTV System III, I believe. The thing to look for is made in USA. I think that INTV intellivisions made in Hong Kong are older than those made in USA. There are some super pro made in hong kong and some system III made in USA. The intv tutorvisions seem to have bubble keypads.

 

And remember, if anyone has a tutorvision with a regular mattel exec, the missing tutorvision exec can be added through the cartridge port.

 

A different date on a chip shouldn't suggest a variation in the part, only that it was manufactured in different weeks.

Edited by mr_me
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Have any other tutorvision roms been found other than the 3 that were posted last year?

 

I am going to take this opportunity to state that we have no Tutorvision roms (though we do have at least one Tutorvision system, I am told). I also do not believe that we have the rights to those roms, so cannot give permission for distribution or stop distribution, though I guess I need to double-check that.

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Yes, and I believe he donated them to nvm a couple years ago for preservation.

I spoke with Sean about it last year but I forget the exact details.

I also want to say world book owns the rights to them. Or it's split ownership which more confuses it.

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I have checked the contract which transferred games from INTV Corp, and the Tutorvision games are definitely not included, so Blue Sky Rangers does not own them now.

 

World Book's lack of knowledge of the rights does not really prove anything. Activision denied owning Happy Trails and other games that had been done for the Intellivision outside of their major titles. When we did Rocks we just got a contract that said we could use anything they owned, meaning that they couldn't sue us for infringing anything we put on Rocks, but if someone else came forward claiming ownership, we could have been at risk.

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The other thing is that if World Book wrote the text that appears in the program they could have some copyright even if they didn't pay the programmer. There was also another educational consultant involved in designing some of the programs who may or may not have been paid. I assume realtime associates wrote the music and sound effects, although some of it sounds like locknchase. Someone could contact Terry Valeski and try and find out what exactly happened to the tutorvision project.

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My understanding is that the Junior Reynolds Research Department of The Intellivisionaries spent some considerable energy trying to contact Mr. Valeski earlier in 2018, no to avail. He is unreachable or doesn't want to talk about his Intv days, apparently.

 

The other thing is that if World Book wrote the text that appears in the program they could have some copyright even if they didn't pay the programmer. There was also another educational consultant involved in designing some of the programs who may or may not have been paid. I assume realtime associates wrote the music and sound effects, although some of it sounds like locknchase. Someone could contact Terry Valeski and try and find out what exactly happened to the tutorvision project.

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My understanding is that the Junior Reynolds Research Department of The Intellivisionaries spent some considerable energy trying to contact Mr. Valeski earlier in 2018, no to avail. He is unreachable or doesn't want to talk about his Intv days, apparently.

 

Bummer

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