A good cheap RF signal to composite or hdmi converter?

[CaptainBreakout]

,... besides a VCR?  I'm kidding.

 

See, I have three unmodified consoles (2600 6-switch, Intellivision 2, and a Bentley Compuvision (aka Pong)) that I'd like to pump directly into an hdmi or rca switch then to the TV.

 

I'm trying to avoid passing it thru the VCR and coax switches. Does anyone know if a box exists and hopefully a cheap ebay buy?

 

Thanks!

[CaptainBreakout]

Well, I did a little of my own research.

 

I came up with this:

 

Ebay link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RF-to-HDMI-Analog-Converter-Signal-Receiver-Box-Adapter-with-Remote-Control-DD/265038393968

 

I don't recognize the input plug marked Antenna.  I was expecting something coax.  Hmm.

 

Anyway, thought I'd share. Seems like there's a million ways to go to RF, but not many in-the-box solutions to go from RF (other than the co-ax in of a TV or a good ol VCR). 

 

If anyone has had any experience with a device like this, would love to hear from you.

 

[CatPix]

This is a Bailing-Lee/PAL/FM connector.

IMO this may be a poor idea as those kind of converters are meant to be used with video (analog emitters, VCR) so there might be a good deal of delay in the analog-to-digital processing.

Also you'll need a FM-to-F connector converter, those exists but it's a bit of a bummer to add a converter on a brand new acquisition (especially since the FM connector isn't the greatest, especially when built to Chinese quality standards.)

[CaptainBreakout]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I was hoping for something simple, and that thing is way complicated.

 

I tried monkeying around with putting the rf signals through an RCA switchbox, and that had terrible results.  I remember trying this before two decades ago and it didn't work then either ?

 

I sprung for one of these...

 

It's the only muti-coax switchbox could find.  (I had a woodgrain one back in the day that had a ton of buttons and two outputs, but there's no trace of it now).

 

Anyways hopefully this will work without causing massive RF interference.  I'll report back when it arrives.

 

 

 

 

 

[BigO]

https://www.amazon.com/Analog-NTSC-Tuner-Demodulator-Output/dp/B01KC03BQ2/

 

Not an endorsement of this unit, but I have a much older analog "demodulator" that works great. Connecting it between my 2600 and Sharp Aquos 60" composite input yielded *a lot* less lag than connecting the 2600 to the NTSC tuner in the TV. I think mine may have been made by RCA.

Using the TV's tuner, I was completely unable to play Circus and Kaboom due to the lag. Using my external "demodulator" (because it sounds more important than "tuner") hooked up to the TV's composite input I was able to play both games. Still some visible lag, but much better than the direct option.

Edited March 1, 2021 by BigO

[CaptainBreakout]

Thanks BigO.  This is interesting.  I'll keep it in the back of my mind with all the other weird adaptors I want to buy.

 

Good to know this one too in case I upgrade to a new TV one of these days.

 

[Tanooki]

I know this hasn't been looked at much and not in about a week now.

 

Best friend of mine got me on this little quest to get the best solutions to various systems from the late 70s to modern to work on a HDMI tv.  I don't think money is a huge object but nothing insane either as it's already going to add up.  I've poked around and figured out like the HD kits, or analogue replacements on stuff.

 

But when it comes down to the 2600 and the older Odyssey I'm kind of stuck trying to figure out the best method for the nicest question without the crappiest of lag issues.

 

I know you can go with a retrotink 2xpro/m style setup for like the mid 80s NES/SMS era forward well into the pre-HDMI 480p stuff (GC, PS2, XB) but what do you do in the really really old there that typically had this mono wire or a UHF style double horseshoe style connector.

 

The end game here is he has this massive bar/counter cabinet setup he'll be getting a quality large panel for that had the least possible lag.  I'm looking to see how big PC style/output at least monitors go since they don't have that problem vs your usual over the air TV style LCDs that do.  He wants to get switcher(auto) boxes, the works, try and run all this off like whatever amount of HDMI ports on the back of the TV are.  He's talking those old things, a VCR, NES(hidef kit), snes/gen/tg16 (analogue products, or at least a retrotink on the TG he has that), n64 (ultra hdmi), PS2, XB, GC, PS3/360 already HDMI there.

[+wongojack]

Agile Demodulator | eBay

[CaptainBreakout]

Wow... I like those rack-mount demodulators.  Didn't know they existed.  That's definitely cheap and easy, but what comes out of the coax port?  How would I hook that up to a TV?  Through a coax-in or do I just need a composite adapter?

 

 

 

I thought I'd report back now that I had a chance to use the switch I showed on post #4.  It's good.  Yay.

 

Not without moderate interference tho, but certainly works better than any other switches that I've tried to use with a RF signal from an old console.

 

My setup produces a certain moiré effect, but I think that's part of the experience of these old consoles.  A reviewer once wrote (and I forget exactly where) that it's not a truly authentic experience with old video games if you're not also being lulled into a trance by the interference patterns.  The reviewer said it better than that, but once I read that, I fully agree. 

 

I also know it's not a converter box like the subject line, but it's at least a solution to multiple unmodified early consoles, assuming you want them all hooked up like I do, and you've got a non-laggy TV.  I'm still hanging on to my 1st gen HD CRT 4:3 Samsung.

 

Heh.. in the last week I won a Channel F -a console I've been seeking on and off for 20 years. That's another RF unit so I'd need another switch unless I find a way to modify it.  Also it's in a non-working state (those suckers are pricey now), so this assumes I can fix it as well.

 

[+wongojack]

I have one of those Blonder Tongue rack mount demodulators.  It outputs what the manual refers to as "baseband" which is just composite no matter the port it comes out of.  I obviously can't attest to all of them working that way, but that's the point of these things, you just have to adapt the output to a standard RCA jack.

[CaptainBreakout]

Has anyone tried attaching a bunch of console RF outputs to a F-Type coaxial cable splitter? ... And then just running the output to the TV (or a demodulator, like above) ?

 

Makes me wonder if I could just hook up the 2600, Intellivision, and pong machine to a 4-port coax splitter and just run it to the TV. Obviously I'd only have one system on at a time. Anyone ever try something like this?

[+wongojack]

I haven't tried, but there are RF switches that were big and sturdy and very common.  I have two and don't know where I got them. They would do what you want exactly.

[Steven Pendleton]

So yeah, I'm looking for an RF -> composite converter as well, as my Japanese Trinitron does not seem to like the RF from my US Intellivision. I'm not really sure what I should be looking for, though, as I've only had systems with native RGB or composite before and there is the thing with the US and Japanese RF signals not matching or something. I'm not sure how it works, but if anyone has any ideas for solutions, that would be great. I could just go buy a Japanese Intellivision, but those are rare and expensive, so I'd rather buy a converter instead.

[+wongojack]

On 3/11/2021 at 9:00 PM, wongojack said:

Agile Demodulator | eBay

 

8 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

So yeah, I'm looking for an RF -> composite converter as well, as my Japanese Trinitron does not seem to like the RF from my US Intellivision. I'm not really sure what I should be looking for, though, as I've only had systems with native RGB or composite before and there is the thing with the US and Japanese RF signals not matching or something. I'm not sure how it works, but if anyone has any ideas for solutions, that would be great. I could just go buy a Japanese Intellivision, but those are rare and expensive, so I'd rather buy a converter instead.

These are small and relatively cheap.  They will pick up the signal from your US Inty and convert it to baseband (aka composite).  There are also more expensive options discussed higher in the thread.

[CaptainBreakout]

Thanks for the (hopefully) easy solution, wongojack! 

 

I just ordered one of these things via the link you provided.  At $25 bucks, it's worth trying out for sure.

 

Hehe... While I was looking around in AA history for a solution, I stumbled onto a 20 year old thread here where Al was looking for a solution like this for doing trade shows.  Funny because at the time these Agile Demodulators were prohibitively expensive... So seems they ended up using VCRs.  Now I presume they are pretty much obsolete in the broadcasting world, so there's a flood of them for cheap. 

 

Anyways, another cool thing about this is I realized I can fix rack-mounted stuff into my new (thrift-stored) stereo cabinet that I'm using for my new vintage consoles.  It's just the right size! 

 

I found a nice rack-mounted power strip with lit buttons. Now I'm on the lookout for a A/V and/or HDMI rack mount video switcher.

[+wongojack]

23 hours ago, CaptainBreakout said:

Thanks for the (hopefully) easy solution, wongojack! 

 

I just ordered one of these things via the link you provided.  At $25 bucks, it's worth trying out for sure.

 

Hehe... While I was looking around in AA history for a solution, I stumbled onto a 20 year old thread here where Al was looking for a solution like this for doing trade shows.  Funny because at the time these Agile Demodulators were prohibitively expensive... So seems they ended up using VCRs.  Now I presume they are pretty much obsolete in the broadcasting world, so there's a flood of them for cheap. 

 

Anyways, another cool thing about this is I realized I can fix rack-mounted stuff into my new (thrift-stored) stereo cabinet that I'm using for my new vintage consoles.  It's just the right size! 

 

I found a nice rack-mounted power strip with lit buttons. Now I'm on the lookout for a A/V and/or HDMI rack mount video switcher.

I hope it works out for you.  Honestly I tend to just use RF because I have a couple displays that really handle the RF well, but a few years ago I bought two of those just to see what they could do.  They get the job done for sure.  Besides the "rack mount" style, I also have one in this form factor which is a bit more compact:  Contemporary Research 232-STA Agile Stereo Cable/ANT TV Tuner/Demodulator | eBay

 

BTW this is the type of RF/Coax switch that I use.  Not this exact one but very similar:  Amazon.com: STEREN Network Switch - Coax Splitter 2 Way - Antenna Splitter - Manual Transfer Switch - Coax Cable Splitter 2 Way - Coaxial Cable Adapter for TV - 2 Way Coax AB Switch for TV - 1 Pack 200-315: Electronics

[joeatari1]

On 3/1/2021 at 3:09 PM, BigO said:

https://www.amazon.com/Analog-NTSC-Tuner-Demodulator-Output/dp/B01KC03BQ2/

 

Not an endorsement of this unit, but I have a much older analog "demodulator" that works great. Connecting it between my 2600 and Sharp Aquos 60" composite input yielded *a lot* less lag than connecting the 2600 to the NTSC tuner in the TV. I think mine may have been made by RCA.

Using the TV's tuner, I was completely unable to play Circus and Kaboom due to the lag. Using my external "demodulator" (because it sounds more important than "tuner") hooked up to the TV's composite input I was able to play both games. Still some visible lag, but much better than the direct option.

I have one of the switches you posted before (bought at Radio Shack many years ago) and this demodulator (posted by BigO) running through a RetroTink 2x Pro and then through my Sony receiver.  There is a very minimal amount of lag...well within acceptable limits to me (YMMV).  

[Mikebloke]

Another solution depending on your setup is a USB tuner device, these are intended for you to watch analogue TV via a laptop or computer, they are usually made in China and prone to breaking but they do work. They are efficient in that they often cover the entire spectrum of signals across the world, the negative side is often this is through the use of auto tune and poor options of selecting specific channel frequencies. 

 

This is my preferred solution for the odyssey 1 because I can use a streaming program like OBS to do digital overlays, making games playable on TV via hdmi laptop to TV and have a full size screen 'overlay'. 

 

Edit: as far as I know you can't plug the USB direct into TV as I don't think it automatically carries the signal without the installation software. My TV is an early 'hard drive / subtitle only' USB port so can't confirm for sure. 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Mikebloke

[Steven Pendleton]

On 3/19/2021 at 11:21 PM, wongojack said:

 

These are small and relatively cheap.  They will pick up the signal from your US Inty and convert it to baseband (aka composite).  There are also more expensive options discussed higher in the thread.

I am extremely distrustful of ebay in general, but I'll see what I can do.

[CaptainBreakout]

I did some work in the Mancave Lab™ tonight and am happy to report some good results.

 

 

I got some really good results hooking up a common F-type coax cable splitter to the RF outputs of the four consoles you see here... (an Atari 2600, an Intellivision II, a Bentley CompuVision, and a Fairchild VES).  nevermind the dreamcast, saturn, etc.

 

This is going to the input of my trusty Toshiba VCR and outputting to the composite input of my HD CRT Samsung TV.

 

I've got the coax splitter hooked in reverse.  The "input" port of the splitter is patched to the input of the VCR.  All the outputs from the consoles are going to "output" ports of the splitter.  No need for a switch- whatever console is on delivers to channel 3.  This is a 6-port splitter that I had in my stash that I paid good money for when I had cable TV and three roommates about 16 years ago. The spare two ports have terminals.

 

I'm getting acceptable video from all of the consoles.  Oddly the Fairchild is the clearest.

 

I think this will be the solution... I'm planning to route the splitter to the Agile Demodulator when it shows up, and then building all this stuff into a cabinet.  Kinda nice since it acts as an automatic switch as long as only one console is on at a time.

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by CaptainBreakout
Correction: Demodulator... not demultiplexor. For the geeks like me who prefer accuracy.