RF to A/V Converter?

[Draugr]

Hi,

I am looking for a way to hook up my Colecovision/Intellivision and Atari systems to my old Commodore 64 monitor. The old consoles all use RF out ports, but the Commodore monitors only have A/V inputs. Is there a converter out there that goes from RF to A/V? Preferably a switchbox type unit hat allows hooking up 3 or 4 units to one Monitor with A/V ports only. Please let me know.

 

Thanks

John

[King Asmo]

Yes, but they run in the neighbourhood of a few hundred dollars (seriously).

 

Or you can do what I did.. go find a broken old VCR at a garage sale (I haven't paid more than $3 for one), and use that as a tuner.

 

KA

[Room 34]

I would think you could find the right comination of adapters and switchboxes at Radio Shack to put something together for less than $20.

 

Try this:

 

1. RF (female) to coaxial (male) adapter

2. Coaxial to A/V (3 RCA plugs, male) adapter or cord (You may need a coaxial coupler in here, depending on the gender of the coaxial on this adapter.)

3. Multi-input switchbox (I'm not sure EXACTLY what Radio Shack offers in this area. But I have a coaxial A/B switchbox from RS. You might use this in between steps 1 and 2 above.)

 

I have often had chains of 5 or 6 varied adapters from Radio Shack stuck together to get all kinds of weird set-ups to work. Just comb through their selection and see what you can stick together!

[Paul Slocum]

1. RF (female) to coaxial (male) adapter

2. Coaxial to A/V (3 RCA plugs, male) adapter or cord (You may need a coaxial coupler in here, depending on the gender of the coaxial on this adapter.)

3. Multi-input switchbox (I'm not sure EXACTLY what Radio Shack offers in this area. But I have a coaxial A/B switchbox from RS. You might use this in between steps 1 and 2 above.)

 

It's not really a matter of adapters. The Atari and Colecovision have the correct plug to go right into the back of a Commodore monitor. But it's not the right kind of signal (RF instead of composite video). I think the easiest solution is to use a broken VCR as a tuner (that's what I do too.)

 

-Paul

[Rob Mitchell]

Scott:

 

He still needs a tuner to convert to the Commodore Monitor AV inputs.

 

The Atari video/audio modification will permit direct connection to the Commodore Monitor .. and delivers a superb picture.

 

I have a standalone TV tuner I use for the Bally Astrocade and the Intellivision.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Room 34]

I think I may have spoken incorrectly.

 

I've done lots of weird adapter arrangements, but not EXACTLY what I'm describing here.

 

I have a special converter box that cost about $30 that I use to convert line input (the RCA plugs for video plus left and right audio) into coaxial, so I can run DVD output from my computer into my TV that does NOT have any line inputs. Judging by the fact that I need this box, I would guess a similar device would be needed for conversion the other way... coaxial to RCA. So I guess I will shut up now.

[Albert]

I also need an answer to this question, as we will have several 2600s and 5200s on display at CGE and I need a good way to convert their RF outputs into composite, or even better, s-video. I also need a good way to split audio and video signals into multiple (2) sources, for reasons that will become obvious at the show.

 

I'll greatly appreciate any insight into reasonable-cost solutions. I may need upwards of *four* devices to convert RF into composite/s-video, and *four* devices to split the video/audio (mainly just video) into two sources.

 

..Al

[Paul Slocum]

Albert:

 

Can you just get 4 broken VCRs? They're bulky, but I don't think you'll find a more inexpensive way. You can pick up a few at some thrift stores for really cheap. Maybe you could take your video camera just to make sure their tuners are working.

 

Once the signal is converted to A/V you can just get a Y-RCA cable from Radio Shack to split the video. I don't think you'll get any significant loss doing this. I have two monitors set up in my room this way.

 

BTW: You can spray paint the VCRs to make them look cooler. I have a blue one.

 

-Paul

[ulikemeinoit]

If you have an atari 2600 4 switch, go over to Atari Hardware on the forums and look at my a/v mod!

[Albert]

Can you just get 4 broken VCRs? They're bulky, but I don't think you'll find a more inexpensive way. You can pick up a few at some thrift stores for really cheap. Maybe you could take your video camera just to make sure their tuners are working.

 

Yeah, that is a possibility, but if I can get a small box for like $20-$30 to do it, I'd rather go that route. I'll already be touting an incredible amount of hardware/software/other items to the show, so anything I can do to help cut down on that bulk will be a big help. Plus four VCRs are more of a pain to setup and they take up valuable space (probably on the floor under one of the tables, but we'll need a lot of that space as it is!)

 

Once the signal is converted to A/V you can just get a Y-RCA cable from Radio Shack to split the video. I don't think you'll get any significant loss doing this. I have two monitors set up in my room this way.

 

I need to run down to Radio Shack (or Fry's) and get a few splitters so I can try it out and see if the picture is acceptable. I'm pretty anal about stuff like this and will want as good as picture as I can reasonably get, since these displays will be running like this for the entire length of the show.

 

BTW: You can spray paint the VCRs to make them look cooler. I have a blue one.

 

Ha ha! As I mentioned earlier these would probably just get shoved under the table where no one could see them. If I do bring VCRs, they will probably be functioning models that I actually (rarely) use, so I don't think I'll be spray painting them!!

 

..Al

[Albert]

If you have an atari 2600 4 switch, go over to Atari Hardware on the forums and look at my a/v mod!

 

Well, I already have one S-Video 7800 system, so that will definitely be one of the systems hooked up. Alex *may* have one as well by the time CGE rolls around, so we'll be using that one also. We may only need to hook up two 5200s using RF output. I wonder if there's an easy way to modify a 5200 for composite or S-Video. That would be ideal, and then I'd only have to worry about splitting the video signal (I'm not as concerned about the audio).

 

I'll go take a look at your mod. Is it for composite or s-video?

 

..Al

[Spector]

I don't understand how that works. The picture and sound comes through the RF lead. How do you split these two to go into the video and audio phono connections which AV has?

[+Mitch]

that is a possibility, but if I can get a small box for like $20-$30 to do it, I'd rather go that route. I'll already be touting an incredible amount of hardware/software/other items to the show, so anything I can do to help cut down on that bulk will be a big help

..Al

 

MCM has demodulators for $50, that's the cheapest I've found. Here's the page for them.

I have one that you are welcome to borrow for the show. Email me if you're interested.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org