What are you plugged into?

[[d2f]Iggy*SJB]

Today, the wife and I decided to do some re-organizing. I made the decision to pull one of my IBM computers out of duty, which freed up a piece of real estate on the desks. I had the idea of pulling out an old Commodore 1084-S monitor, and setting it up in the place of it...and having all of my PnP's available to be hooked up to it. This free'd up space under the TV on the entertainment center, so I could keep the Atari 5200 and N-64 there, without as much clutter. The 1084 is a great monitor to have for PnP devices, as is ANY C=64 compatible monitor(1702 is probably the best, but more than likely, most costly).

I'm just wondering if anyone else is using an older PnP compatable monitor, and if so, which ones? If you're just using your TV, sound off as well. We might all learn something!

[Room 34]

I don't have any old monitors, but I've managed to get my game room rigged up so that I have no less than SEVEN systems at-the-ready with my ca. 2002 TV.

 

I have a 4-port AV switch running into the TV's AV ports, supporting my XBOX (new this Christmas), GameCube, NES, and Flashback 2. Hooked up to the coaxial input (in a rather crude way*) I have an Atari 5200, a 7800, and an Intellivision.

 

I'm planning to work on a game room page for my video game website this week, and I'll post some photos.

 

*The aforementioned "crude" way is that I have one of the coax-to-composite RCA adapters (like the ones they sell here on AA) connected to the TV, and I have the 3 composite RCA plugs for those three systems all cable-tied together, with tags identifying which is which. If I want to switch systems, I just swap the plugs in the back of the TV! Sure, it's inelegant, but it gives the best picture quality I've been able to achieve; putting those systems on a switch led to a fuzzy picture.

Edited January 1, 2006 by Room 34

[classicgamingguy]

Just the old TV I have down in my game room. It's actually plugged into my VCR/DVD combo in the front.

 

Steve

[foxglove9]

I use a Commodore 1702 with a moded S-video cable that runs my systems. In case friends come over and want to play I plug my games into the 27" sony tv.

[bedouin]

I had a 1702 I was using with a Playstation and Dreamcast for a few years that eventually broke. I replaced that with a 1084-S I bought off eBay. I was totally ripped off on that purchase. It was advertised as being in good condition but everything on it was trash. Power switch busted, RCA inputs in the back needed jiggled or they didn't work, flickering etc. The tube eventually only showed green; this was all in like a 2 week period.

 

I threatened to leave negative feedback if he didn't refund me $20 -- which he did (I paid something like $40 + $20 shipping, so it's not like I made out great). I threw it in the trash and replaced it with a $120 Sanyo TV from Wal-Mart, complete with an S-Video and component input. My Jaguar and Gamecube are connected to that now.

 

However I did inherit a Commodore 1084 in seemingly great condition recently, and have it attached to an Amiga 500. Unlike the 1084-S, this doesn't have composite inputs, only RGB (S-Video technically I suppose). Any way to use this monitor with ordinary composite inputs?

 

I have an Atari Paddle (for Breakout/Super Breakout and Video Olympics) attached to my PowerMac's TV card, since I ran out of inputs on my TV and VCR. It's nice to be able to open a window and play a quick game every now and then, kind of like having an emulator but with the original paddles attached.

[Flojomojo]

I'm trying to simplify my life. I dismantled my 2nd "workhorse/testing" computer and put the drives in external USB enclosures attached to my main PC. I sold my big 19" CRT and use a little 15" LCD display instead -- more desk space, less incentive to sit at the computer all night when at home.

 

Downstairs, I have a 34" widescreen HDTV with the 360, modded XBOX, vanilla XBOX, Cube, PS2, and Flashback 2 attached via a Pelican switch. The modded XBOX is doing emulation of the older consoles such that I don't feel the need to have the real thing hooked up all the time.

 

Not exactly Spartan elegance, but I'm trying. I can't give up my games, though.

[rorysl]

All my old-schools systems are living at my parents until I find a more permanent living space. There I have an Atari 2600 Jr., Sega Master System, Tandy Color Computer 3, Sega Saturn, Colecovision and a Telstar Pong Dedicated hooked up to a 27" Sears from the early 90's. The Saturn is connected via RCA plugs into my VCR. Everything else is connected coax to a switchbox that i bought at Value Village for $7. This switchbox is OLD school -- from the 70's (came in original box with manual). Has settings/switches for TV, Cable, VCR, Pay-TV (?), Disc (I'd imagine Laserdisc) and Game. I have a system hooked up to each input (except for Cable -- that's my actual television feed!), which leads to a bunch of RF switches hanging off the back of it!! Now that I've picked up some comp to coax adapters, I'll have less clutter (Thank you, AtariAge!). The neat thing is the Game input is a modulated composite input -- my Atari runs right into it!

 

It's old and weird but it does a great job -- picture is crystal!

 

Rory