Hooking it all up...

[+DZ-Jay]

So I have the following systems:

• Intellivision I
  
• Intellivision II
  
• ColecoVision
  
• Atari VCS
  
• PlayStation 2
  
• PlayStation 3
  
• GameCube
  
• Wii
  

And they're all in my living room and it's a mess! (And that is not counting the receiver, the surround-sound system, the DVD player, and Apple TV, and the dozen or so direct-to-tv all-in-one games-in-a-controller).

 

What is the best way to hook them all up nicely so that I can play them at a whim? I currently have one of those RF Modulator switch boxes that supports up to 4 or 5 systems, but it's intended for the older stuff, so it doesn't have any digital jacks, just RCAs.

 

I just bought my first flat-screen HD TV which forced me to unhook everything and re-assess the situation. What's a good switching box or something like that to organize my consoles and entertainment system in a comprehensive way?

 

-dZ.

Edited January 14, 2012 by DZ-Jay

[+DZ-Jay]

Anybody? I can't be the only one trying to hook multiple vintage consoles to an HD TV...

[Rev]

i only hook up one sytem at a time.

[+DZ-Jay]

i only hook up one sytem at a time.

 

Oh! I must confess that that never occurred to me. I always thought that you guys would have some sort of "game room" rigged up with all your "toys."

 

Thanks,

-dZ.

[IntellivisionDude]

I have seen topics on this before just not in this section. Maybe the General Gaming section or at Digital Press.

[Intymike]

The ones that are only with antenna cable are plugged in one after another.

 

Systems with HDMI, Cinch, RGB, Component are plugged into my home cinema receiver.

[+thegoldenband]

I too only have one console set up at a time, but I do have a 4-way AV switch with the respective cables attached for my Genesis, Dreamcast, SNES/N64/GameCube, and a generic 3-plug AV cable. I could use another couple spots for my PlayStation and SMS/C64/Genesis Model 1 AV cords, but c'est la vie.

 

I also have a 2-way RF switch which switches between my cable TV and my consoles that use RF, like the Intellivision. The only hassle there is swapping out the consoles that have hardwired RF, like my Odyssey^2 and my 6-/4-switch VCSes.

[Rev]

i only hook up one sytem at a time.

 

Oh! I must confess that that never occurred to me. I always thought that you guys would have some sort of "game room" rigged up with all your "toys."

 

Thanks,

-dZ.

 

In my living room i have a smaller lcd tv beside my recliner. I have an intellivision, 2600 and a colecovision all hooked up on a smaller dresser type thing and i just move the rf cord to the console i want to play, it only takes a second, and i dont have to worry about any complicated hook ups!

[+DZ-Jay]

Thanks all. I hate having to play with cables every time I want to play a game, so I typically just hook it all up once and just use a switch box. Seems that I'll continue with that in the future.

 

-dZ.

[+LS650]

I live in a small, cramped apartment right now, so I really only have room for one console at a time. When I feel like playing a system, I put it out of a storage closet and haul the box into the living room. I hope that someday I can have a den with multiple systems connected at a time...

[jaybird3rd]

I make heavy use of switchboxes, too. I've got six consoles/computers set up in my tiny little room right now: on my main 13" CRT TV, I've got an Intellivision II, an Atari Jaguar, an original PlayStation, and an Atari XEGS, all connected to a four-way composite A/V switchbox. I've also got a Commodore 1702 monitor and a VCR (my "development setup") connected to a Mattel Aquarius and an Atari 7800, also on a switchbox.

 

Oh, there are also three PCs on a KVM switch, so I guess that makes nine systems in all!

[BassGuitari]

Oh! I must confess that that never occurred to me. I always thought that you guys would have some sort of "game room" rigged up with all your "toys."

 

Thanks,

-dZ.

 

I kind of do, but mostly not. My game room has three televisions, which are used exclusively as monitors: a 27" CRT, a 13" CRT on my computer desk, and a 5" color CRT in the computer desk's hutch.

 

The 27 is the "main" T.V. On the 27 I'll connect one system via RF to the antenna coax input (usually a pre-crash console or dedicated system) and one newer/post-crash console into the secondary/front AV inputs. The primary/rear AV inputs are reserved for a DVD player. So that's three systems/devices on the 27, and they stow nicely in the "entertainment center" (a.k.a. a beastly coffee table from the '70s or '80s).

 

The 13 I use as a monitor for my older, classic systems (my favorites!). I currently have my Intellivision II + ECS (+System Changer) hooked up to that. It also has AV inputs in the front, but I don't have a second system wired to that; I prefer to use the desk's other real estate for accessories/games/books. This computer desk, with the 13, is my classic gaming command station. (It's also just wide enough that if someone wanted to scootch in next to me to play games on the 13 with me, or someone else, they could do so comfortably.)

 

The 13 can also be subbed out for my Commodore or Apple monitors, should I choose to use them when I set those systems up, or for my Compaq Portable 286 IBM-compatible "luggable."

 

The 5 I haven't really defined a role for just yet; I found it at a Salvation Army last week and I had to have it (color screen, built-in antenna screws, and even AV in/out!). Honestly, it's probably there because it looks neat in the hutch next to the 13 (I have another nice 13" Color -and several B/Ws- that would probably fit, but I don't like the "wall of T.V.s" look). I know on paper a 5" screen sounds like it would be too small to be of any use, but from two feet away, it's not bad at all. I like to have at least one computer system out in addition to the game consoles, and since the Intellivision rig eats half the desk, I currently have one of my TRS-80 MC-10s connected to the 5. It's compact and tucks away nicely. (As you've probably deduced, I have low tolerance for clutter.) Besides, a little computer on a little screen seems fitting.

 

(I have hooked my Commodore 64 up to the 5 and it actually looks kind of cool...like a poor man's SX-64. )

 

So that's three screens with four systems (typically 2 consoles -one precrash, one postcrash- 1 computer, and 1 Pong/dedicated game; I like to have a wide mix available) and a DVD player. That might sound like a lot (or maybe not, to you guys with 9 systems set up at a time! ), but my game room's closet contains around 40 systems, while my basement contains around 30 more. It's a mild hassle putting away/getting out a system when I want to set up a different one, but that's a tradeoff I happily make for the sake of tidiness. Plus, I feel like my layout is "modular" enough that the hassle is minimized, but that also hinges on how organized I can keep my closet!

 

[+DZ-Jay]

OK, I hooked up all like i had before, except for the Intellivision. It turns out my receiver does not accept Coaxial cables (wtf?) and expects all analog devices to be separated into audio-left, audio-right, and video RCA inputs. My RF-Mod switch box expects the same.

 

It seems I will not be able to hook up the Intellivision directly without that stupid "TV-Game" switch box it came with back in 1982. Is there a way to split the Intellivision RCA cable into video and audio signals?

 

-dZ.

[mphokie]

This is an issue I had when I wanted to hook my Intellivision to my Commodore 1702 monitor. What I did was run the signal through an old VCR. That broke it up into audio/video outputs for me.

[Ransom]

My strategy involves using lots of different video output devices, plus a few switch boxes of various sorts.

 

In the game room/library, I have two TVs. A 15" standard def LCD to which I have hooked an Odyssey2 (using RF) and a TG-16 (using composite). The 20" standard def LCD has a switch box for S-Video to which is connected my 800XL and my 7800. There's an antenna (A/B) switch box that has the 5200 and the Intellivision connected to it. The Colecovision is connected directly using composite cables.

 

My 26" LED HDTV in the loft has the Jaguar hooked up to it via composite connections. The Vectrex and the Apple2 are also in the loft, each of course with its own monitor.

 

My 32" LED HDTV in the living room has the PS2 hooked up to it via composite connections.

 

That works for me. But you'd have to take over your whole house to do likewise.

[+DZ-Jay]

This is an issue I had when I wanted to hook my Intellivision to my Commodore 1702 monitor. What I did was run the signal through an old VCR. That broke it up into audio/video outputs for me.

 

That's an idea. I'm sure I have an extra VCR for this somewhere.

 

Thanks,

-dZ.

[AlvinKarpis]

Here is what I do

 

I have an old Panasonic TV in my home office, it has no RCA inputs, which is perfect for how I have it set up

 

I have my GameCube and my Wii hooked up to my 62 inch Rear Projection TV in my living room and those are played by my children 99% of the time, which was my plan the whole time

 

In my office I have my NES hooked up and keep the NES adapter screwed on to my TV at all times, then at the other end I have Coax adapter screwed on

 

Then I have the following systems set up on my desks and stands all around my TV

 

Atari 5200

ColecoVision

Intellivision

Sega Master System

Sega Genesis

NES

 

So every system runs through my NES adapter, I just use one RCA cable that can reach every system, when I want to play a system I unplug it from the system I was playing last and then plug it into the system I want to play next

 

The 5200 has its own cable built in to the system, so I just unplug the RCA cable from the NES adapter and then plug the 5200 into that directly

 

My 2600 is displayed on the other side of my office on a shelf, the reason being is that I dont have enough room for it around my TV and its so much easier to plug in my Expansion Modual to my ColecoVision and play my 2600 games on my CV

 

I know that some people might think thats wrong, but for me my CV always comes in with a crystal clear picture, and the 2600 games just look beautiful running off the expansion port

 

Its so much easier then moving a system out and then moving the 2600 in to play

 

With my set up it only takes seconds to change systems

 

I also have a power strip that I have my systems with small plugs like my 5200 and INTV plugged in at the top, then I have a NES/SMS/Genesis AC adapter combo that I use (which is cheap to buy and an awesome thing for my set up, not only do I not have to switch those systems but I can save all of the original AC adapters which are getting harder to find as time goes on)

 

I only have to take that AC adapter out when I want to play my ColecoVision

 

My SNES and N64 are both in my desk under my TV, I dont play those systems as much, but when I do I just hook them up out in my living room

 

I love my set up and it works perfectly for me and my classic gaming needs

[pimpmaul69]

Here is what I do

 

I have an old Panasonic TV in my home office, it has no RCA inputs, which is perfect for how I have it set up

 

I have my GameCube and my Wii hooked up to my 62 inch Rear Projection TV in my living room and those are played by my children 99% of the time, which was my plan the whole time

 

In my office I have my NES hooked up and keep the NES adapter screwed on to my TV at all times, then at the other end I have Coax adapter screwed on

 

Then I have the following systems set up on my desks and stands all around my TV

 

Atari 5200

ColecoVision

Intellivision

Sega Master System

Sega Genesis

NES

 

So every system runs through my NES adapter, I just use one RCA cable that can reach every system, when I want to play a system I unplug it from the system I was playing last and then plug it into the system I want to play next

 

The 5200 has its own cable built in to the system, so I just unplug the RCA cable from the NES adapter and then plug the 5200 into that directly

 

My 2600 is displayed on the other side of my office on a shelf, the reason being is that I dont have enough room for it around my TV and its so much easier to plug in my Expansion Modual to my ColecoVision and play my 2600 games on my CV

 

I know that some people might think thats wrong, but for me my CV always comes in with a crystal clear picture, and the 2600 games just look beautiful running off the expansion port

 

Its so much easier then moving a system out and then moving the 2600 in to play

 

With my set up it only takes seconds to change systems

 

I also have a power strip that I have my systems with small plugs like my 5200 and INTV plugged in at the top, then I have a NES/SMS/Genesis AC adapter combo that I use (which is cheap to buy and an awesome thing for my set up, not only do I not have to switch those systems but I can save all of the original AC adapters which are getting harder to find as time goes on)

 

I only have to take that AC adapter out when I want to play my ColecoVision

 

My SNES and N64 are both in my desk under my TV, I dont play those systems as much, but when I do I just hook them up out in my living room

 

I love my set up and it works perfectly for me and my classic gaming needs

it isnt wrong to use your coleco. i have an av mod i did on my coleco which looks good. the av mods on the actual atari are junk and look like crap (colors are not toally correct). i have several atari 2600's but i use my coleco, 7800. or the flashback 2 i modded to play my atari games. does anyone by chance have an a/v modded intellivision. i am eventually (soon) gonna do it, just hoping it looks good on the tv. Edited January 16, 2012 by pimpmaul69

[SlowCoder]

Here was my solution to that problem:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/187522-my-new-gaming-station

[intvnut]

OK, I hooked up all like i had before, except for the Intellivision. It turns out my receiver does not accept Coaxial cables (wtf?) and expects all analog devices to be separated into audio-left, audio-right, and video RCA inputs. My RF-Mod switch box expects the same.

 

It seems I will not be able to hook up the Intellivision directly without that stupid "TV-Game" switch box it came with back in 1982. Is there a way to split the Intellivision RCA cable into video and audio signals?

 

-dZ.

 

Either an external analog tuner (such as the spare VCR already mentioned), or perform an A/V mod on your Intellivision to get the NTSC and audio straight out.

 

Even if that TV had an RF input, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it doesn't have an analog tuner now that terrestrial broadcast has gone digital, although I don't know what that would mean for analog cable TV. Anyone out there with cable know if cable's gone to digital everywhere? Or do modern cable boxes have component output now?

[pimpmaul69]

OK, I hooked up all like i had before, except for the Intellivision. It turns out my receiver does not accept Coaxial cables (wtf?) and expects all analog devices to be separated into audio-left, audio-right, and video RCA inputs. My RF-Mod switch box expects the same.

 

It seems I will not be able to hook up the Intellivision directly without that stupid "TV-Game" switch box it came with back in 1982. Is there a way to split the Intellivision RCA cable into video and audio signals?

 

-dZ.

 

Either an external analog tuner (such as the spare VCR already mentioned), or perform an A/V mod on your Intellivision to get the NTSC and audio straight out.

 

Even if that TV had an RF input, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it doesn't have an analog tuner now that terrestrial broadcast has gone digital, although I don't know what that would mean for analog cable TV. Anyone out there with cable know if cable's gone to digital everywhere? Or do modern cable boxes have component output now?

there is still analog here as well as digital. what comcast did to people with basic cable was move all the analog channels to make you think you lost your channels so you would upgrade. but they are still there. just in the one hundred digits.