Hooking up multiple systems

[Nostalgic]

I would like to hook up a Playstation (pre-redesign), an Atari 2600, and a DVD player (eventually, I don't own it yet) all to the same TV. The TV does not have an antenna, so there is nowhere to hook the 2600's switch box.

 

My questions are:

 

1. What do I need to hook a 2600 up to a modern TV that uses audio/video cables rather than an antenna?

2. Is there something that will allow me to switch between the three systems at will? I've seen boxes that will let you switch between four printers.

 

My apologies if the answers are in the 2600 FAQ. I don't have its handy so I can't refer to it right now.

[Eduardo]

Hi Nostalgic:

 

I have 6 systems hooked to the same TV.

I use "Y" type RCA splitters, (one input two outputs), it looks like a RCA female plug that splits in two separate wires with RCA male plugs at each end. They go for like $3 or less.

 

You also need to buy an A/B switchbox. Some models allow you to switch between 3 or 4 devices. (A/B/C or A/B/C/D configs.) If you can only find coaxial A/B switchboxes don't worry you can buy some cheap RCA-Coaxial plug converters for like $2 each. If you can't find an A/B/C switchbox, don't worry, just hook two devices to input A using those "Y" RCA connectors described before, and the third one to B input. You just need to be careful while selecting position A, by turning on only one system at a time. That's how I do it.

 

To connect your Atari 2600 to your modern TV with AV inputs, there are at least two ways: a) you need a VCR, plug your Atari to the VHF input in your VCR and then plug the AV output wires of your VCR into your TV.

b) you can attempt to do the Composite Video mod as described in Ben Heck's page. More difficult, but you will save a VCR.

 

Good Luck.

[Eduardo]

Note: in your case your RCA "Y" splitters should be like Two Inputs-One Output, they look like two female plugs that go into one male plug. The rest of the info is correct.

[Nostalgic]

My TV is actually a TV/VCR combo, so I definitely don't want to mess with the VCR part of it.

 

Is there any sort of off-the-shelf device that will convert an Atari switch box output to AV? I'm definitely not handy with electronics (I can use them, but that's it), so I'm hesitant to try cobbling anything together.

 

Thanks Eduardo!

[Guest]

No, there is no off-the-shelf part, at least not a cheap one. What you need is an RF demodulator, and they're quite expensive ($100's). Assuming you have a cable (coaxial) input on your TV, just buy a RCA/Coax converter shown here. You also need a cable/coax switchbox to go between cable TV and your 2600. This doesn't give you an all-in-one RCA solution, but it's much cheaper and provides a better signal than a TV switchbox.