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Atari 400 - Way to use a video monitor with it


doctorclu

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Simple question, what ways are there to connect an Atari 400 to a video monitor? (For those that do not know about the Atari 400, it has a RF cable but no monitor port like the Atari 800 upward... to matter the fact, I think it is the only Atari 8-bit computer without audio/video connections.)

 

Thx,

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Is there an adaptor out there on the market that will convert RF to audio/video?

 

   Thanks!

 

A VCR will probably do that quite nicely.

 

As for getting AV output from the machine, a little hacking is necessary.

 

BTW PAL 600XLs do have a monitor port, albeit a slight inferior one.

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Is there an adaptor out there on the market that will convert RF to audio/video?

 

   Thanks!

Yes, but they're expensive and don't offer a quality advantage over using a TV with the RF in.

 

You can get around the "expensive" part by hitting a thrift store and buying a flaky VCR with AV out. Lots cheaper than a demodulator, and does essentially the same thing.

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The 600XL also only has an RF port.  I don't think there's a way to hook them to a monitor with A/V ports, short of hacking the motherboard.

 

The 600XL has a monitor port. Did you mean 1200XL?

 

What deathtrappomegranate said. The 1200XL does have a monitor port. The 600XL, at least as released in North America, does not.

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Simple question, what ways are there to connect an Atari 400 to a video monitor?

 

Try to see the schematics of your computer.

(Check the zip attached file)

 

Get composite video from any 8 bit computer, wouldn't be to hard.

Only try to identify the sync signal, lumas and chroma. This signals together makes the composite video.

 

You need to hack your 400 computer :D

 

Below, i post an schematic for get composite video from an Atari 2600, use it like an a idea when you merge the signals.

 

I think it is the only Atari 8-bit computer without audio/video connections.)

 

400/800 Series, and 600XL doesn't have monitor output.

post-5636-1103878552_thumb.jpg

400.zip

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  • 4 years later...

 

"Fairly simple" is what Zybex proposed (the mod by Jerzy Sobola). This one is very complicated in comparison plus it seems redundant (there already is a CD4050 on the mainboard, what is the point in adding another one instead of tapping the signals after the existing one?).

 

Anyone tried Jerzy's mod?

 

 

Thorsten

Edited by Thorsten Günther
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wow another long dead thread returns!

easiest way that I have heard of is to buy a 5200 video mod board from 8bitdomain. It plugs into the GTIA socket, and one other lead (onto POKEY iirc)

Not tried it myself, but someone on the forums has I believe

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Re: "ATARI 400/800 Series"

 

The 800 has a monitor port. The 400 does not.

 

So, the 400 & the NTSC 600 XL are the only two Atari 8-Bits without a monitor port.

The XEGS doesn't have a monitor port either. Granted, it still has composite output (through RCA jacks), but it doesn't have the 5-pin DIN port that the other XEs have.

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Re: "ATARI 400/800 Series"

 

The 800 has a monitor port. The 400 does not.

 

So, the 400 & the NTSC 600 XL are the only two Atari 8-Bits without a monitor port.

The XEGS doesn't have a monitor port either. Granted, it still has composite output (through RCA jacks), but it doesn't have the 5-pin DIN port that the other XEs have.

 

Yes, but as most XLs and XEs only have composite on the DIN monitor port, changing the port was in fact an favour to most customers, for even though there currently are a large number of NOS DIN-to-cinch cables on eBay Germany (seller: "moppi"), they are otherwise quite hard to get., and finding DIN plugs for producing these cables sometimes also is an issue (OK, the DIN5 is one of the more common plugs even outside of Germany for MIDI cables and old PC AT keyboards have the same connector, but finding a DIN7 (XL/XE PSU) or DIN13 (ATari ST monitor) plug can become a real PITA).

 

Thorsten

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  • 2 weeks later...
Yes, but as most XLs and XEs only have composite on the DIN monitor port, changing the port was in fact an favour to most customers, for even though there currently are a large number of NOS DIN-to-cinch cables on eBay Germany (seller: "moppi"), they are otherwise quite hard to get., and finding DIN plugs for producing these cables sometimes also is an issue (OK, the DIN5 is one of the more common plugs even outside of Germany for MIDI cables and old PC AT keyboards have the same connector, but finding a DIN7 (XL/XE PSU) or DIN13 (ATari ST monitor) plug can become a real PITA).

 

Thorsten

 

Not sure about the region where you live, but if you're talking about NTSC machines, it should say most XLs (ALL 800XLs) only have composite on the DIN monitor port, and all XEs (65/130, not GS) have composite as well as chroma/luminance. Is this not the case?

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Not sure about the region where you live, but if you're talking about NTSC machines, it should say most XLs (ALL 800XLs) only have composite on the DIN monitor port, and all XEs (65/130, not GS) have composite as well as chroma/luminance. Is this not the case?

 

Only the 130XE offers chroma/luma. The 65XE and the XEGS do not (if I remember correctly).

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Not sure about the region where you live, but if you're talking about NTSC machines, it should say most XLs (ALL 800XLs) only have composite on the DIN monitor port, and all XEs (65/130, not GS) have composite as well as chroma/luminance. Is this not the case?

 

Only the 130XE offers chroma/luma. The 65XE and the XEGS do not (if I remember correctly).

Both the 65XE and 130XE output chroma/luma; the XEGS just has composite.

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You can get composite video from a 600XL by just soldering a cable to the correct spot inside without any other modding. I don't have the details though. I only know it's possible because I got one that it was done to.

 

http://www.arcadecollecting.com/boulder/inside.jpg

 

They actually convert the composite signal to RGB to display on an arcade monitor on that one. Looks pretty good considering!

 

http://www.arcadecollecting.com/boulder/controller.jpg

Edited by djpubba
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