How do you have your 7800 hooked up?

[gdement]

I use an incomplete SVideo mod. It's still on a breadboard because I kept finding things I wanted to experiment with and try to improve. I started looking through schematics for various versions of the A8 computers, then I lost interest in it and so it sits unfinished. It works though, and if I'm playing 7800 that's the machine I use.

 

There's certainly some room for tuning and adjustment of resistor values. Much of that comes down to personal preference and the TV, your cables, etc. But it wouldn't totally surprise me if 2 7800's needed to be tuned differently to put out the same result on the same equipment.

Even if a mod isn't tuned real well, it should still be better than RF. But I'll admit I haven't tried hooking up RF with any extra heavy cabling, so RF probably isn't as bad as I think.

[WERY]

But you mod the console for AV so you dont have to tune at all. I newer tune my system I just plug it in and use it

[Underball]

Even using an RCA to Coax gold adapter and really good gold plated coax cable, RF still was appreciably blurry and there was interference issues. With the composite mod it's clear as day with 0% interference.

[Jinks]

IMO

I would not touch the thing, as sometimes is proven to make the 7800 a doorstop and takes up time to do, also from what I have read, there is brightness issues etc. everyone has problems and and no two 7800s are exactly the same and no 2 mods are the same with mixed results depending on the tv type used.

My switchbox is my surround sound system, I can turn it from atari to blueray and so on.

Take your old switchboxes and ditch them!!

 

Okay, I had to address this.

 

No, 'touching the thing' will not necessarily kill your 7800.

Takes up time? Everything does. If you're playing an atari and posting about it online, you have time.

Brightness issues, if you have them, can be fixed easily and are a matter of taste anyways.

Not everybody has problems.

Many 7800s ARE exactly the same. Also, many mods are the same.

Mixed results from mixed TVs are to be expected to some degree.

And I've never seen a surround sound received with RF inputs, though I'm sure yours is pretty rad.

 

Gotta be one of those "home theater in a box" jobs that comes with speakers, a dvd player, VHS deck, etc.

 

at any rate, the soldering, assembly of the easier video mod takes all of 15 minutes. it's as easy as tying your shoes.

 

and nothing will give you a clearer picture than an a/v or s-video mod. Not a VCR or a home theater receiver/32x-segaCD in a box.

No its not a home theatre in a box like I said I have the rca cables going from the vcr to the 7.1 then rca to the tv, so there is no coax connection on the home theatre, the only rf connection is from the 7800 to the vcr, clear picture and sound.

I can appreciate that you guys are smart enough to be able to mod your 7800 to be able to directly connect the output to be used to the tv and that is easily the best connection to be made when its done right. The mod can be done wrong for sure as its not as easy as connecting a few cables. Thats what I have been reading in the forum is some people having problems(as thats why they are asking you guys for help), but I am sure there is many people that get it right such as yourselves.

I was more or less trying to say that you can get pretty decent results with proper cables and using no switchbox. Much better than a snowy screen that happens when the 20 foot long 1977 rf cable is used that was also used for skipping rope.

 

To the average person the easiest remedey is not taking apart the 7800 and performing open heart surgery. I dont think everyone can actually solder a circut board without screwing it up.

 

But your still 100% correct as you have invested time and reasearch into finding the best answer for the best output of an atari 7800.

 

Also one last thing I have never tried the output mods so I have no real first hand experience on how easy it can be and the results. I have the skills for the soldering, but probably too lazy. Probably could have had the mod done if I had the correct materials in the same time it took for me to write this reply.

[Koopa64]

Even using an RCA to Coax gold adapter and really good gold plated coax cable, RF still was appreciably blurry and there was interference issues. With the composite mod it's clear as day with 0% interference.

 

Your TV also affects how the RF reception is. Newer TVs tend to be bad in that regard, get something from the 90s!

[frunobulax]

I use the easy composite out mod I fond on these forums. From there it goes into an external RF modulator and then the TV. I use the external RF modulator because my display doesn't have composite or s-video in's. Only RGB, component, digital, and RF. My AV receiver also doesn't up-convert the nonstandard signal form the 7800 correctly.

 

Anyway, the external RF modulator I'm using is still obviously (to me) far superior to that little silver box I removed completely from my 7800. The comparison is not even close. One of these days I will get a proper video scaler when I have the money.

 

Until then, I have at least dumped the silly RF switch that also killed my normal cable TV signal, and I have improved the video on the 7800 going to the TV at the same time. Thanks again for all the people here that helped develop that mod.

 

(EDIT: For those complaining of 'brightness' problems with the mod, simply install a appropriate value POT in place so you can adjust the gain of the the video amp you are installing. At first my mod worked on my friends TV but didn't have a high enough level to work with mine. Adding some gain by decreasing resistance in the circuit fixed everything.)

Edited October 24, 2010 by frunobulax

[mimo]

PAL Rgb scart into a 36" plasma tv, lovely

I also have an NTSC 7800 with a longhorn s-video mod. It's pretty good, but rgb is better

[gdement]

PAL Rgb scart into a 36" plasma tv, lovely

I also have an NTSC 7800 with a longhorn s-video mod. It's pretty good, but rgb is better

 

Interesting. I've been wondering if the RGB models look any better than a good SVideo mod, since the native output from the Maria is essentially SVideo. RGB is only accomplished through conversion - but apparently Atari's circuit is very good.

[mimo]

PAL Rgb scart into a 36" plasma tv, lovely

I also have an NTSC 7800 with a longhorn s-video mod. It's pretty good, but rgb is better

 

Interesting. I've been wondering if the RGB models look any better than a good SVideo mod, since the native output from the Maria is essentially SVideo. RGB is only accomplished through conversion - but apparently Atari's circuit is very good.

Well i can only speak from personal experience, but I do find that there are NO vertical lines on rgb, but they are visable on s-video. Longhorns mod (I have a v1.x) is better at reducing the problem than the previous 8bitdomain mod that I had installed.

It is also worth pointing out that I live in pal land so although my tv "does" NTSC i am not exactly sure how good it is ( although my 1200xl looks great)

I wish that I had not killed the colour on my 7800 rgb recently, as soon as I get it fixed I will post some screen shots

[WERY]

frunobulax: I also got my RCA jacks installed downwards on the same spot. But I put the amplifiercircuit on a board insted and placed it on those two big chips in the left downer corner

[frunobulax]

frunobulax: I also got my RCA jacks installed downwards on the same spot. But I put the amplifiercircuit on a board insted and placed it on those two big chips in the left downer corner

 

Nice!

 

My amp is on a little board that is wrapped up in electrical tape that sits where the RF adapter used to be. Getting that RF adapter out was a bitch. not only are the solider points massive, but the entire housing acts as a giant heat sink.

 

It's not fixed to the board in any way, so I thought I would protect it from making any unwanted connections bouncing around in there. I'm planning on using the space above the 2 chips you described for installing the NES controller adapter board I am working on. I haven't yet worked out where to put the jacks though.

 

 

Kudos to whoever came up with using the RF-unit's pin header with an internal PC CD-rom audio cable. Makes for a super clean install.

 

Love all the usable space in these units!

[WERY]

I was thinking about to remove the RF unit when I modified my 7800 but like you said it is damn hard to do so. Therefore, I let i be. The RF unit is on the other hand more expensive than the videoamplifier since it has a lot more circuits in it. Atari would have saved lots of money if they ditched it and installed AV from the beginning insted.

 

They could later have made an custom adaptor for the output if someone wanted to use RF, like Nintendo did with N64, a custom RF converter if you did not want to use scart

[+SpiceWare]

The RF unit is on the other hand more expensive than the videoamplifier since it has a lot more circuits in it. Atari would have saved lots of money if they ditched it and installed AV from the beginning insted.

The 7800 was designed in 1983 - AV connections were not common place then (at least in the US, which is where it was designed) so it made a lot of sense to just build in the RF unit. The N64 was designed over a decade later, by which time AV connections were commonplace.

[OldAtarian]

Mine is hooked up through the *gasp* 5200 switchbox.

 

I just added an Intellivision to my setup so now it goes like this: 5200 switchbox into coax connector on back of TV tuner, 5200 into powered RF connector on switchbox, 7800 into coax connector on 5200 switchbox using adapter, Intellivision into flat lead connectors on 5200 switchbox using old style TV/Game switchbox. Works great except that the Atari's seem to like working on channel 2 while the Intellivision works on channel 4. The tuner I'm using is actually a component from a modular TV system and doesn't lock on to channel 3 for some reason and I have a RGB monitor connected to that. Also have a stereo module from the same television setup with speakers running out from that for sound.

Edited October 26, 2010 by OldAtarian

[WERY]

The 7800 was designed in 1983 - AV connections were not common place then (at least in the US, which is where it was designed) so it made a lot of sense to just build in the RF unit. The N64 was designed over a decade later, by which time AV connections were commonplace

 

Of course but then, the homecomputers that came out back then had a AV input installed with them, C64, MSX and SC-3000 as an example, so there should have been some possibility to do so with the 7800 as well

 

The N64 was only mentioned as an example of the use of "AV to RF" converter

[Underball]

The home computers were designed to be displayed on a monitor not a tv. Adding the rf ability to them was an afterthought.

[OldAtarian]

The home computers were designed to be displayed on a monitor not a tv. Adding the rf ability to them was an afterthought.

Really? Then why does the 600XL not have a monitor output?

Edited October 30, 2010 by OldAtarian

[WERY]

Really? Then why does the 600XL not have a monitor output?

 

Because I would be wrong otherwise

[so_tough!]

I just have mine hooked up to an old tube tv using the standard rf cable. I hooked my neo geo up to either a plasma or lcd tv and it looked crap, I can't imagine how bad the 7800 would look.

Edited November 1, 2010 by so_tough!

[WERY]

That depends on the TV. Some LCD/Plasma TV's are good with the old games but some other are not. I tested different brands of them with the NES and Snes and it worked out great with the picture but some were better than others in the picture

[Underball]

The home computers were designed to be displayed on a monitor not a tv. Adding the rf ability to them was an afterthought.

Really? Then why does the 600XL not have a monitor output?

Because it was the budget model.

[mimo]

The home computers were designed to be displayed on a monitor not a tv. Adding the rf ability to them was an afterthought.

Really? Then why does the 600XL not have a monitor output?

Because it was the budget model.

PAL ones do