Two types of 7800s????

[82-T/A]

Hey guys,

 

I have 2 Atari 7800s. One of them I bought not but 4 years ago, brand new in the box from a company called Video 61. I think I paid like $79 bucks for it. It had never been opened. (I opened it just to check that everything was in there).

 

I keep that one sort of untouched because I want to keep it original for when I'm a million years old and the state governor comes to me asking if I would be willing to donate my collection to a museum.. (ok, well that'll probably never happen.. heheh).

 

Anyway, the other system I have, I use simply for playing games.

 

I noticed something weird though...

 

The 7800 that I use for playing my games has some sort of interface hook-up on the side. There is a rectangular hole in the side, and has what looks like the bottom of an old IBM PCJr 8-bit card (about half the size of the leads on an 8-bit ISA card). Is this some sort of development 7800 that I have? Or were there just multiple versions of it? Was this some sort of expansion hook-up or something?

 

It definitely doesn't look butchered at all.. looks totally factory.

 

The un-used 7800 does not have this port. It's completely flush.

 

 

Thanks,

[ubersaurus]

What you have there is an original, 1984 run Atari 7800 console. Be proud, because those models can play every 2600 game without any problems

[82-T/A]

Hi, thanks! Which one is the original? The one with the expansion interface I guess?

 

Did they ever make anything for that expansion interface?

 

 

Thanks!!!

[ApolloBoy]

Hi, thanks! Which one is the original? The one with the expansion interface I guess?

 

Did they ever make anything for that expansion interface?

 

 

Thanks!!!

 

Yes, the one with the expansion port is the original design. There was never anything released for it, but Atari did plan a laserdisc player that sat underneath the 7800 and would allow you to play laserdisc games.

[rockman_x_2002]

What you have there is an original, 1984 run Atari 7800 console. Be proud, because those models can play every 2600 game without any problems  

 

Excellent news! I too have a couple of 7800s. Same setup, somewhat. Neither system has a box. The one without the port is dead though. But the one with the port runs perfectly.

 

Can't believe I finally have something "original." First time for everything I suppose.

[MattG/Snyper2099]

Yup, I have the same 7800 setup with A/V outputs and it rocks! It's the only setup I ever use to play my 2600/7800 games.

[82-T/A]

Yours has A/V outputs?? What do they look like. Are the A/V outputs from the EXPANSION INTERFACE? Or are these outputs seperate in the rear of the machine? Mine just has the usual RCA cable output.

[Bruce Tomlin]

Looking at the schematic (which I happen to have handy in a window right now), it basically connects up directly to the Maria and cartridge video outputs. (So no TIA graphics through the port!)

 

It was basically so an external device could add video to a 7800 game. Like Dragon's Lair. Or all that crap like Sewer Shark that Digital Pictures did for the Sega CD, proving that wasn't worth the effort because you'd mostly get crappy games out of it. (Were there any GOOD video overlay games? I mean good GAMES, not games that happened to use interesting video, like Cliffhanger using Lupin III scenes.)

[Trip_Cannon]

I remember one for the Pioneer Laserdisc system that was pretty fun at the time... It was basically a point and shoot game very similar to Rebel Assault... the background animations were great... I think it was called Pyramid Patrol or something..

 

But I guess Rebel Assault wasn't that bad either at the time...

[Bruce Tomlin]

Now imagine it where you have to have a separate cartridge for the game itself, pay hundreds of dollars for the LD player, and it overlays 7800 graphics (which are not nearly as colorful as Sega CD allowed). And you would need a clunky module under the 7800 to control the LD player. And you would have to switch video inputs to this highly customized LD player, since it wouldn't display out the 7800 RF port.

[Trip_Cannon]

But I would get superior picture and sound when I watched the latest movies!

 

But seriously, I hear you.. It wouldn't have had any problems with a port of Dragons Lair would it?

[82-T/A]

Hmm.. I've got a couple LD players, I'm into that whole retro thing.. wonder if I can do anything with it?

 

I'm sure I can score a Dragon's Lair LD.

[Fellow Atari Man]

What you have there is an original, 1984 run Atari 7800 console. Be proud, because those models can play every 2600 game without any problems  

 

No, it was the second model that had the problems corrected and certain games to work on it (like Robot Tank), I've got the original 7800 model with the expansion port and my Supercharger wouldn't work on it. After I did the modification to it, it worked immediately afterwards. Seeing the words on the screen of "insert tape, press play" made me VERY damn happy