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8 Bit Video Out


Atari Smeghead

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I currently own an 800 and an XEGS, and was thinking about picking up an 800XL. (Well, I was actually considering a 600XL upgraded to 64k, until I read that it didn't have a composite video out, only the TV switchbox thingy.)

 

I need to know what type of "video out" the 800XL has.

I looked on the Atari Historical Society site, but the picture of the back of the computer isn't clear enough. Does the 800XL have the same 5-pin round plug that the 800 has?

 

May as well lay 'em all out, while were at it:

 

400 - TV only

800 - composite - round 5-pin

1200XL ?

600XL - tv only

800XL ?

65 / 130XE ?

XEGS - RCA plugs (one Video, one Audio)

 

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

(This is off-topic a bit, but does anyone know what type the Texas Instruments TI99 4/A has? It looks like it's a round 5 pin plug similar to the 800.)

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Yes, the 800, 800XL, 65XE, and 130XE have the same monitor port. It is a 5-pin DIN and supports composite, audio, chroma and luminance. Chroma and Luminance can be used to make an s-video cable, which is the preferred means for getting video output from your 8-bit computer. The 1200XL has a monitor port, but it does not have separate chroma and luminance signals. Same with the European 600XL.

 

..Al

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Hello,

 

my atari 400 french model have a connector scart peritel and tv.

french atari 600xl -> scart moniteur pal 5 pin or 6 pin peritel secam.

french atari 800xl => scart moniteur pal 5 pin or 6 pin peritel secam

french atari 800 (not xl) => antenna tv , monitor 5 pin connector,

and connector 8 pin for secam .

3 connectors for atari 800 french model.

 

Arnaud

 

french atari user

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All XL computers (1200XL/800XL) are missing Chroma. So, unless they've been modified, they have Luma and Composite out at the monitor port. The old 800 and the XE's have Chroma as well. Why it was omitted in the XL line is a total mystery.

 

-Bry

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All XL computers (1200XL/800XL) are missing Chroma. So, unless they've been modified, they have Luma and Composite out at the monitor port. The old 800 and the XE's have Chroma as well. Why it was omitted in the XL line is a total mystery.

 

Whoops, my bad, I could have sworn the 800XL had the chroma signal at the monitor port. I know I was using an 800XL with a 1702 and an s-video cable I built back in the early 80s, and I don't recall having to modify it. But that was 20 years ago, so who knows. :)

 

..Al

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Yes, the 800, 800XL, 65XE, and 130XE have the same monitor port.  It is a 5-pin DIN...  

..Al

 

Thanks for the quick response! It's good info to have. Frankly, it's amazing to me that Atari kept the same video out in three lines of 8 bits. It's SO unlike Atari not to change things for no good reason. :roll:

 

Thanks again!

 

Smeggy

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  • 2 weeks later...
All XL computers (1200XL/800XL) are missing Chroma. So, unless they've been modified, they have Luma and Composite out at the monitor port. The old 800 and the XE's have Chroma as well. Why it was omitted in the XL line is a total mystery.

 

Some late model 800XLs may have chroma at the monitor port. I received an email from someone who said that their's did. It also had the Freddie chip. Of course, I haven't seen one myself.

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Are there schematics on how to modify an s-video cable to hook up an Atari 800 XL to s-video or composite video on a TV?  

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

I am bumping this up because I just got an 800 xl and want to modify a cable to use composite outs.

 

Anybody have this mod or know how it is easily done?

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All XL computers (1200XL/800XL) are missing Chroma. So, unless they've been modified, they have Luma and Composite out at the monitor port. The old 800 and the XE's have Chroma as well. Why it was omitted in the XL line is a total mystery.

 

Some late model 800XLs may have chroma at the monitor port. I received an email from someone who said that their's did. It also had the Freddie chip. Of course, I haven't seen one myself.

 

You're right. I even have one and didn't remember it. The PCB is dated '84 so this would have been the last revision before the XE's.

 

-Bry

post-3606-1071084378_thumb.jpg

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I am bumping this up because I just got an 800 xl and want to modify a cable to use composite outs.  

 

Anybody have this mod or know how it is easily done?

 

Composite out is easy because the 800XL has this at the monitor jack. It's the chroma/luma interface(S-video) that is missing the chroma signal.

 

From: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/atari-8-bit/faq/

 

Monitor Jack (all but 400, N. American 600XL, XE Game System, SECAM systems):

3       1

5     4

   2

1. Composite Luminance (Composite Video on 600XL)

2. Ground

3. Audio Output

4. Composite Video

5. Composite Chroma (not on 800XL(most),1200XL; grounded on 600XL)

 

You can get a 5 pin DIN to RCA cable that will make it easy to hook up any monitors/TVs to your 8-bit. I've got one that has 4 RCA jacks. All it takes is some trial and error to figure out which is which. I've since labeled mine so I always know which is which.

 

If you want to mod your 800XL for s-video (chroma-luma) then search the web for "Supervideo 2.1" Keep in mind that you will lose the ability to display artifacted color (gr.8 games usually) and you will have to switch to composite video to regain the artifacted colors for those games that require it.

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Well, I think you want to hook up pins 4 and 3 to the center of the RCA jacks and the ground pin 2 to the outside/shield of the RCA jacks I think.

 

It might be better to just buy a cable at your local electronics store or from ebay, unless you want the sense of accomplishment from building your own.

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I got the video to work crystal clear. Then I try to use pin 3 for the sound and I get nothing but a lot of static sound. I am using the same ground (pin 2) for both audio and video. It seems like the sound should work if the video works.

 

I will probly just end up using the RF until I buy a cable.

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I got the video to work crystal clear. Then I try to use pin 3 for the sound and I get nothing but a lot of static sound. I am using the same ground (pin 2) for both audio and video. It seems like the sound should work if the video works.  

 

I will probly just end up using the RF until I buy a cable.

 

You're probably using pin 1 (across from pin 3) and hearing the Luminance signal through your speaker (it will sound like a steady buzz).

 

-Bry

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nope, I have pins 5 and 4 hooked together going to the center of the video rca. and the ground to the outside and then I hooked pin 3, I am sure it is pin 3 and not 1, to the center of the audio rca and the same ground to the outside.

 

I don't have pin 1 hooked to anything because there isn't one in the cable I am using. That probly has something to do with it, huh?

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nope, I have pins 5 and 4 hooked together going to the center of the video rca. and the ground to the outside and then I hooked pin 3, I am sure it is pin 3 and not 1, to the center of the audio rca and the same ground to the outside.  

 

I don't have pin 1 hooked to anything because there isn't one in the cable I am using. That probly has something to do with it, huh?

 

???? Umm... Why do you have 5 & 4 hooked together? Composite is on pin 4. You shouldn't tie it to anything.

 

So, looking at the back of the computer, you're using the pin in the upper left of the jack for audio? The picture shows the connections you should have on the back of the male connector.

 

-Bry

post-3606-1071101102_thumb.jpg

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I tried just having pin 4 on the video and it looked REALLY bad, but I know that I don't have it right, because all of the colors arent there. But just having the composite hooked up looks like shit.

 

And looking at the plug the audio (pin 3) is on the upper left. But looking at the back of the machine, it is on the upper right, correct?

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Okay, I guess I had male and female mixed up. I always thought the male was the one with the pins. And like I said before that it didn't have one wire, I guess that missing wire is the audio, damn. I guess I will just have to buy one, because this is the only din 5 wire around my house. It has 5 wires but there is one that is hooked up to the outside ring of the din plug.

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