2600 A/V Mod seller recommendations

[BillDMatt]

Good morning,  I'm looking for any recommendations to a seller who people have had a solid experience with in terms of the quality of  the mod.  Fully installed and  assembled atari.   I don't have the working knowledge to install the mod.      I just recently bought an A/V modded  2600 on ebay,   that is working but that's about it.  I'm thinking it might not be the best mod.  I'm not expecting HD level sharpness  but the unit I have just has a certain level of blur, for lack of a better word, across multiple TV's and even  CRT TV's   In fact Space Invaders is actually unplayable on a CRT, due to the fact you can't see the lasers or bullets from either your cannon or the invaders.    Also even on the CRT  the images have a certain doubling image that you see on the HDTV's as well, can't really explain.    I've seen enough 2600 A/V mod's video's on YouTube to know people are getting nice solid results with their mods.

 

Well anywho to make a short story long, I'm looking to replace it and was hoping to see if people had any great experience with any certain sellers they would recommend.  

 

Thanks   

Edited March 3, 2023 by BillDMatt

[+x=usr(1536)]

Go with the UAV from The Brewing Academy.  I've installed around a dozen of them at this point and, on a price/performance basis, consider them to do the best job for the money.

 

Obviously, someone else may have different preferences, so be prepared for a barrage of answers 

[BillDMatt]

3 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Go with the UAV from The Brewing Academy.  I've installed around a dozen of them at this point and, on a price/performance basis, consider them to do the best job for the money.

 

Obviously, someone else may have different preferences, so be prepared for a barrage of answers 

I will give them a look thanks .   

[BillDMatt]

48 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Go with the UAV from The Brewing Academy.  I've installed around a dozen of them at this point and, on a price/performance basis, consider them to do the best job for the money.

 

Obviously, someone else may have different preferences, so be prepared for a barrage of answers 

I just went on their site,   do the sell any fully assembled?     I guess I should have been more specific.     I'm look for a fully completed 2600   case and all  .  I don't have the chops to put one in.  Way out of my Wheel house.  LOL   I'll go back and edit my post.

 

Thanks again. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by BillDMatt

[+-^CrossBow^-]

16 minutes ago, BillDMatt said:

I just went on their site,   do the sell any full assembled?     I guess I should have been more specific.     I'm look for a fully completed 2600   case and all  .  I don't have the chops to put one in.  Way out of my Wheel house.  LOL   I'll go back and edit my post.

 

Thanks again. 

You could always send in the one you have now to someone to get whatever is in it replaced out with a UAV? I've done that on a quite a few 7800s and at least 1 or 2 2600s. But you also have to remember that these consoles being as old as they are, and the type of signals we are dealing with, the results always vary from console to console and with the display types used. But one of the reasons I stick with only using the UAVs for my clients is because it provides the most consistent results.

 

I know there are consoles sold on ebay that likely have UAVs inside them. But from what I've seen of their costs, it would still be less in most cases to send in your console to have it upgraded or have what is in it replaced out with something different/better.

 

 

[BillDMatt]

49 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

You could always send in the one you have now to someone to get whatever is in it replaced out with a UAV? I've done that on a quite a few 7800s and at least 1 or 2 2600s. But you also have to remember that these consoles being as old as they are, and the type of signals we are dealing with, the results always vary from console to console and with the display types used. But one of the reasons I stick with only using the UAVs for my clients is because it provides the most consistent results.

 

I know there are consoles sold on ebay that likely have UAVs inside them. But from what I've seen of their costs, it would still be less in most cases to send in your console to have it upgraded or have what is in it replaced out with something different/better.

 

 

Thanks, that's great advice, is there a sub forum for people to reach out to on here?    I have a couple more tricks up my sleeve to try this weekend before I throw my hands up.   I have composite to HDMI up converter arriving today and another big CRT that has a flat screen  I picked up locally that I will test on that as well.   If they don't work, I think your advice on sending out to someone sounds great.   

[+-^CrossBow^-]

8 minutes ago, BillDMatt said:

Thanks, that's great advice, is there a sub forum for people to reach out to on here?    I have a couple more tricks up my sleeve to try this weekend before I throw my hands up.   I have composite to HDMI up converter arriving today and another big CRT that has a flat screen  I picked up locally that I will test on that as well.   If they don't work, I think your advice on sending out to someone sounds great.   

Well something else you need to keep in mind. Composite output from all of the Atari systems looks a bit blurred and fuzzy on modern displays. This has to do with how the signals are handled on modern displays and the upscaling of those signals making them look fuzzier as a result. CRTs actually had tech built into them to clean up the composite image using comb filters and the like. This is stuff that tends to not be present in modern displays since those older analog inputs are just NOT a priority for modern TV manufactures as it was 10 - 15years ago. 

 

If you want the best output from a 2600 on a modern display. Then you have to spend the big bucks to get it RGB upgraded along with a scaler to handler it like the RetroTink2s SCART or more expensive RetroTink5x Pro. With that combo you get near emulation output on modern displays. On the 7800 side currently, you can have the UAV installed and then again, using something like the RetroTink2x Classic or Pro, or the RetroTink5x Pro, you can then convert the s-video output and that will look quite good as well. It won't be as perfect as RGB does, but it is can get pretty darn close for most people.

 

 

[BillDMatt]

23 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Well something else you need to keep in mind. Composite output from all of the Atari systems looks a bit blurred and fuzzy on modern displays. This has to do with how the signals are handled on modern displays and the upscaling of those signals making them look fuzzier as a result. CRTs actually had tech built into them to clean up the composite image using comb filters and the like. This is stuff that tends to not be present in modern displays since those older analog inputs are just NOT a priority for modern TV manufactures as it was 10 - 15years ago. 

 

If you want the best output from a 2600 on a modern display. Then you have to spend the big bucks to get it RGB upgraded along with a scaler to handler it like the RetroTink2s SCART or more expensive RetroTink5x Pro. With that combo you get near emulation output on modern displays. On the 7800 side currently, you can have the UAV installed and then again, using something like the RetroTink2x Classic or Pro, or the RetroTink5x Pro, you can then convert the s-video output and that will look quite good as well. It won't be as perfect as RGB does, but it is can get pretty darn close for most people.

 

 

Thanks a ton.   

[BillDMatt]

So  I went with the RetroTink 2X Pro  which is arriving today and I have another 2600 Vader with a UAV composite/ S- Video modd, that should be here tomorrow.    So I'll test it on both Atari's and see which one has the best overall picture with both using the RetroTink 2X.   

 

I  might have been initially hard on my current mod.   After turning my sharpness down, and turning off a lot of the video processing on my set and going out to a Retro gaming store in my area.and stocking  up on some carts..... I  found most looked really good to some even looking great.   Ms. Pacman, Pacman,as did Berzerk  they all looked wonderful.   Some still had the slight double blur, if that's even what it's called, but no where nearly as bad as earlier.  Not a deal breaker by any means.      I did find my  Retro 2600 power adapter is prone to noise,  and static banding.   Running the vacuum cleaner causing static banding sure brought me back to the days when that was so common even just watching TV in early 80's. LOL      So ordered up new one from Console5 that claims to be noise free so.. we'll see.     Anyway much happier and can't wait to see what the RetroTink 2X Pro, new power supply can do  plus testing out a new S Video modded Vader.   

 

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by BillDMatt