The 7800GD (New 7800 Flash Cartridge?)

[+Muddyfunster]

@SainT do you plan to take pre-orders for the device or will it just be sold via approved outlets?

[+MrZarniwoop]

1 hour ago, SainT said:

It’s easy enough to add, and the 7800 had a similar messy SECAM bodge which I should support for completeness. For the 2600, though, I’d need to allow the selection of the palette before the game is run as there is no way to break in and alter it currently.

I don't believe there are SECAM 7800 consoles, are there? There are French 7800 consoles that are PAL internally but instead of a TV RF modulator have an internal OEM Sony V7201 video decoder to output low-quality RGB via SCART. They just play standard 7800 PAL cartridges like any other European 7800, including 2600 PAL cartridges.

 

[UPDATE] If you do end up adding a SECAM 2600 palette, you might want to also force SECAM 2600 games into thinking the color/B&W switch is set to B&W. That's what Stella does, as a real SECAM 2600 has the switch hardwired to B&W. That ties into why some Atari 2600 PAL games map to SECAM colors in their B&W palette allowing the same cartridge to work across Europe regardless of PAL/SECAM. However, I'm not sure how one activates or shuts down your engine in the SECAM version of Activision's Space Shuttle in a SECAM 2600 though without using that switch?

Edited February 5, 2023 by MrZarniwoop
Added 2600 SECAM B&W switch

[SainT]

1 hour ago, Muddyfunster said:

@SainT do you plan to take pre-orders for the device or will it just be sold via approved outlets?

It’s just going to be available via the usual places. 😄

[SainT]

1 hour ago, MrZarniwoop said:

I don't believe there are SECAM 7800 consoles, are there? There are French 7800 consoles that are PAL internally but instead of a TV RF modulator have an internal OEM Sony V7201 video decoder to output low-quality RGB via SCART. They just play standard 7800 PAL cartridges like any other European 7800, including 2600 PAL cartridges.

 

[UPDATE] If you do end up adding a SECAM 2600 palette, you might want to also force SECAM 2600 games into thinking the color/B&W switch is set to B&W. That's what Stella does, as a real SECAM 2600 has the switch hardwired to B&W. That ties into why some Atari 2600 PAL games map to SECAM colors in their B&W palette allowing the same cartridge to work across Europe regardless of PAL/SECAM. However, I'm not sure how one activates or shuts down your engine in the SECAM version of Activision's Space Shuttle in a SECAM 2600 though without using that switch?

Ah, yes, I think you’re right. I saw the 8 colour / SECAM palettes when I searched for 7800 palettes, but they were just in-fact the 2600 palettes. After a bit of reading it appears you are right about the RGB conversion. One less thing to worry about. 😆

 

The 2600 B/W switch on the 7800 is mapped to pause I believe. The difference in buttons like this is one of the oddities when using 2600 games on the 7800. There’s not much I can (easily) do to change how the console reads things like this.

Edited February 5, 2023 by SainT

[+DrVenkman]

Please don't let feature creep delay this amazing-looking product.

[SainT]

9 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

Please don't let feature creep delay this amazing-looking product.

No, on the finally push now… 😄

[Shawn]

20 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

Please don't let feature creep delay this amazing-looking product.

Come on man! Everything he's made in the past has been awesome and has shipped. I don't think that is a valid concern here. You know he's got it under control and more.

[+DrVenkman]

2 minutes ago, Shawn said:

Come on man! Everything he's made in the past has been awesome and has shipped. I don't think that is a valid concern here. You know he's got it under control and more.

No, I know no such thing. I’m not a current or former customer of anything he’s made. But I’ve watched lots of promising retro products enter the death-spiral of feature creep over the last 10 years to know it is always a concern, especially when a product has been announced but unreleased for a long time.

 

And in any case, my request wasn’t addressed to you, and @SainT has already replied.

[Shawn]

16 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

 

 

And in any case, my request wasn’t addressed to you, and @SainT has already replied.

 

Jesus. What the hell man? You have a nice day. 

[SainT]

51 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

No, I know no such thing. I’m not a current or former customer of anything he’s made. But I’ve watched lots of promising retro products enter the death-spiral of feature creep over the last 10 years to know it is always a concern, especially when a product has been announced but unreleased for a long time.

 

And in any case, my request wasn’t addressed to you, and @SainT has already replied.

I viewed it as a light hearted comment, so no worries! I’ve spent something like 14+ months on this project basically full time and have experience of getting devices like this to market (NeoPocketGD, LynxGD and JagGD currently in production). An additional palette is not feature creep, it’s probably a couple of hours to integrate.

 

I always announce projects as soon (or even before) I start working on them. So it’s not surprising they seem to be a long time coming given I’m a one-man-band. However if you do have a look at anything I’ve announced I’m working on, you’ll see it does materialise.

 

In the case of this project it was bounced around quite a few years before I even bought a 7800… 😆

Edited February 6, 2023 by SainT

[+sramirez2008]

I have a LynxGD and love it. Looking forward to your 7800GD. 

[Trebor]

All Bankset Bankswitching mapper variations are now working under 7800GD!

[+mksmith]

2 hours ago, Trebor said:

All Bankset Bankswitching mapper variations are now working under 7800GD!

[Onlyfordj]

From which country will the Atari7800GD be shipped?

[SainT]

4 minutes ago, Onlyfordj said:

From which country will the Atari7800GD be shipped?

Depends which retailer you purchase from.

 

There are currently retailers which carry my products in the UK, Germany, USA and Canada.

[Onlyfordj]

Ok, I'll sign up for the waiting list... when it opens.
Thank you.

[SainT]

Unless specific retailers offer some kind of waiting list, there will be none. It will just be available for purchase when ready.

[+DrVenkman]

4 hours ago, SainT said:

Depends which retailer you purchase from.

 

There are currently retailers which carry my products in the UK, Germany, USA and Canada.

When things are “done” and you’re sending them off for manufacturing, can you let us know which retailers these are?

[SainT]

4 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

When things are “done” and you’re sending them off for manufacturing, can you let us know which retailers these are?

The usual suspects, such as those listed here for the JagGD --

https://www.retrohq.co.uk/products/atari-jaguar-gd-flash-cartridge

 

There will be a similar page for the 7800GD.

[Trebor]

UPDATE:

[gambler172]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:53 PM, SainT said:

Ah, yes, I think you’re right. I saw the 8 colour / SECAM palettes when I searched for 7800 palettes, but they were just in-fact the 2600 palettes. After a bit of reading it appears you are right about the RGB conversion. One less thing to worry about. 😆

 

The 2600 B/W switch on the 7800 is mapped to pause I believe. The difference in buttons like this is one of the oddities when using 2600 games on the 7800. There’s not much I can (easily) do to change how the console reads things like this.

The french System has PERITEL in its serial number. The french system is really horrible. It has a bad screen quality.....a real Secam seems not to exist.

Edited March 13, 2023 by gambler172

[gambler172]

On 2/8/2023 at 11:14 AM, SainT said:

Unless specific retailers offer some kind of waiting list, there will be none. It will just be available for purchase when ready.

Great.....I always say...it is done, when it is done 😉

[SainT]

The Mega7800 is getting pretty close to being finalised as well now. Both will be released simultaneously as the Mega7800 complements the 7800GD, so everything needs to be in-place before release. I never seem to take the easy option... 🙄😆

 

 

[Goochman]

I think the handwriting font on the Mega7800 looks great  

[Trebor]

On 3/15/2023 at 12:35 PM, Goochman said:

I think the handwriting font on the Mega7800 looks great  

Check out some of the latest developments for it...