Random question about asteroids not working in my modded 2600

[MikeDijital777]

I did an AV out mod on my jr. everything works great, but I can't get asteroids to get the TV to pick up the signal. ( I have two parker bros games that fail to as well, Popeye and .. gyruss maybe?, but these games also fail to play on the retron 77 for myself and others, so I assumed it was a chip incompatibility issue or something. ) But my Asteroids game plays fine in the Retron... so a few days ago , I found a Telegames asteroids for $2.50 on eBay... for that price it was worth a shot.. and that wont work either....

Also in trouble shooting I noticed the telegames version had horrible ghost trails behind the asteroids on the retron77 and the official atari version did not..    just a weird side observation...

anyway im sure there is some technical reason for asteroids not sending the right signal to my TV through the AV mod....   works fine on the jr through the RF just not the AV...  My curiosity is killing me and I figured one of you fine people would know. 

[+DrVenkman]

Asteroids uses graphics flickering extensively to get so many objects on the screen at once. Depending on how you’re connected to the TV and what kind of TV you’re using, there’s a chance it just can’t display the image. Is it a modern flatscreen TV or CRT? Are you connected directly to the TV via composite/S-video or through an HDMI converter of some kind?

[MikeDijital777]

8 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

Asteroids uses graphics flickering extensively to get so many objects on the screen at once. Depending on how you’re connected to the TV and what kind of TV you’re using, there’s a chance it just can’t display the image. Is it a modern flatscreen TV or CRT? Are you connected directly to the TV via composite/S-video or through an HDMI converter of some kind?

Cheap westinghouse flat screen, about 7 or so years old. directly into the AV in... I did try and AV to HDMI converter, a nice one too, not one of those cheap china made 3$ ones on eBay and nothing worked. 

If I turn the atari on first, then the TV, instead of " no signal " I get " unsupported format " which ive never had the TV display that for anything else in the 7 years I owned it. 

[+DrVenkman]

So, there are two versions of Asteroids out there in addition to the Sears variant. The original version that I remembered as a kid that just loads up into the game, and a second version that displays a copyright date. The first version has 262 scanlines; the copyright screen variant use 265 scanlines to display the first screen before the main game display, which then drops to 262 lines again. Many modern flatscreen displays cannot deal with non-standard line counts.

 

And that's even aside from the other tricks the programmers used with the TIA chip to get it to display so many objects on-screen. Check out this thread for a bit more detail. 

[MikeDijital777]

2 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

So, there are two versions of Asteroids out there in addition to the Sears variant. The original version that I remembered as a kid that just loads up into the game, and a second version that displays a copyright date. The first version has 262 scanlines; the copyright screen variant use 265 scanlines to display the first screen before the main game display, which then drops to 262 lines again. Many modern flatscreen displays cannot deal with non-standard line counts.

 

And that's even aside from the other tricks the programmers used with the TIA chip to get it to display so many objects on-screen. Check out this thread for a bit more detail. 

WOW, you are a very smart person... that was totally it...              so im like, Ill just turn it on and wait 25 seconds or so for the copyright screen to go away before I turn the TV on.... and boom...   is the first version without the copyright screen a foil label, or is there a discerning mark, variant or something, I want that version. 

Seriously thanks so much, on my atari top tier list asteroids in number one for me. I love all the games, but for some reason im a savant with asteroids lol 

[NinjaWarrior]

Just get a CRT, Simple as that

[MikeDijital777]

28 minutes ago, NinjaWarrior said:

Just get a CRT, Simple as that

But I dont want a CRT.....   simple as that .😀

[NinjaWarrior]

Then put it in 4:3 play it 

[MikeDijital777]

1 hour ago, NinjaWarrior said:

Then put it in 4:3 play it 

I don't know if you have been reading this thread, but the first fellow fixed it...   But thanks for your input. 

[NinjaWarrior]

I know, But put it in 4:3 to play Games

 

Doesn't look Good Streatched

[MikeDijital777]

I believe it is spelled " Stretched " . and you are certainly welcome to have that opinion. It doesn't bother me at all. Thanks for your input.