Atari 2600 US VCS with S-Video, Composite Video, Stereo Audio and Pause

On first article on the Atari, series of classic consoles, I mentioned that Atari 2600 factory has RF output only, both Brazilian model Polyvox as the North American original. But over the years the staff digs of paranauê walked designing various modifications to first extract composite video and S-Video after the Atari consoles 2600. Furthermore, also managed to separate the audio into two channels, producing stereo sound, and finally adding a pause button, that did not exist in the original consoles.

I also mentioned in that article that was in doubt whether to acquire an Atari 2600 exactly like my childhood, unchanged, only with RF output, or purchase a modified console, ready for the modern TVs. As there was no answer all questions with a console only, the business went for two :), one to suit each set of questions.

And it was not easy to find the two Atari 2600 the way I was wanting, but with enough patience and a lot of search I did find relatively soon. Do Atari 2600 Polyvox of the same model I had in my childhood I have spoken in another article. So in this article I speak here of Atari 2600 U.S., actually, do Atari Video Computer System, as he was known at the time, because “2600” só apareceu com o lançamento do modelo todo preto, known as Vader.

Both in the free market as the eBay I was just finding Atari 2600 with modification for composite video, no S-Video. I ended up finding this model with S-Video with a member of forums do Atari Age. He had 3 consoles modified by himself and was trying to get rid of a. In the photos provided by the previous owner could see that his modification work was well done, organized with good welds and wires. The against S-Video is designed by Longhorn Engineer, that is what is best today. I contacted and some time later we entered into an agreement to change the console owner, leave civilization, specifically the city of Cincinnati in Ohio State in the US, and come here to the third world.

Despite the relatively large box, auditors from the IRS had the good sense not to tax a console the years 70/80, even when the value of the product shipping exceeding US $ 50,00. Note that the seller reused a box of Amazon, more to Amazon has nothing to do with it.

The seller packed everything very well, so that all items arrived intact. He gave the option to purchase only the console for $ 75,00 or the complete package with cables and accessories for $ 100,00, so I ended up with the second and thought it was worth it: the complete package came an original source of Atari, two original Atari joysticks Flashback 2, two joysticks paddle type also original Atari, um cabo S-Video e um cabo P2 Stereo -> Duplo RCA para o áudio. All cables with gold contacts.

The island is the American model with the front woodgrain, as were the first Atari 2600, which at the time were just called Atari Video Computer System. The amber LED next to the switch connecting is also an addition of the seller. She lights up when the console is connected. Most modified Atari receive the addition of a LED, usually red or blue. I liked the idea of ​​the amber LED, it combines with a more console-year 70/80. Electronic that time did not usually have colored LEDs, moreover LEDs were not very common, I think it was still expensive. So the most common in electronics was to see an even yellow lamp, filament, especially illuminating displays old radios.

On the back you can see the added outputs: S-Video, RCA for composite video, and P2 stereo jack for audio. The use of P2 jack instead of a double RCA is also personal preference of the seller who made the change. If you noticed that the jack RCA changed between photos of the seller and my, is because it replaced the previous jack for gold as a bonus, before sending the console to me.

At the bottom there is still the seal with the console serial number and a stamp with the phones Atari, I suppose operating no more :). Also in the bottom you can see a small red button. This is the pause button. I liked the location of it, very discreet, sem modificar o design original do console, but easily accessible. And it works perfectly. Image and sound disappear when the break is pressed, but it is so in all mods Pause. Everything returns to normal when the button is deactivated.

O cabo P2 -> duplo RCA parece ser de muito boa qualidade, with golden plugs and everything. Certainly expensive cost in Brazil and would be difficult to find. Already needed cables and so I had to do it myself. The S-Video cable is also thick and has the golden plugs, seeming good quality.

The pair of control paddles is pretty clean and looks to new. Unfortunately I have not had chance to test, for I have no matching game with paddles. That soon will my Harmony Cartridge so I can test them. 😀

The two traditional joysticks are actually the Atari Flashback 2. Are perfectly compatible with Atari 2600, only are lighter. I do not know how the inside, but if it is not good and not last, nothing a repair kit does not resolve, because the plastic parts are in great condition.

The source is also original Atari, new, but along the lines of accompanying the console. Input 120V, 9V output, 500mA. It is the weight of a transformer, as the sources that accompanied the console. The cable is long enough.

After checking all the material, I made the connections and left ready to play. Not my current TVs or my receiver has S-Video input, which apparently is in the process of extinction, so I had to connect using video same compound. I took a cable that I even rode wired and quality plugs for use in this task.

When connecting the console, behold, the amber LED lights and the Enduro appears with a clarity that I had never seen before in a real console. Also tested some other games, as Mr. Postman, Bobby is Going Home, River Raid, Frogger, and other.

I also tested on the LCD TV, where upgrade the composite video makes even more difference. The image was very clean. I imagine that with S-Video go get even better. As? I already have a S-Video to HDMI converter that got in DX on the way. If it has the same quality SCART RGB to HDMI Converter I'll be quite satisfied.

As for the stereo, note that only the first few games Atari 2600 were designed with stereo sound, plus several homebrew. This is because the original design the Atari would have two speakers on the console itself. This idea was eventually discarded before the final release, probably to cut costs. Thus the Atari 2600 was only with mono audio in RF cable. In unprepared for stereo audio games what happens is that some sounds out of one side and other leave another. Basically what happens is that some audio channels are directed to the left and others are directed to the right side.

Cleaning

Accessories come all very clean, cables organized, all looking new. The island although superficially clean still had enough accumulated dirt from over 30 years of its existence, including also had a series of white dots, probably resulting from a painting with spray on the Atari VCS was not properly covered. So I decided to pass it by my heavier cleaning process, with View, isopropyl alcohol and silicone. I managed to get enough dirt and the vast majority of white dots. Some were still for the next cleaning, but overall I thought the result was very good. Check out the photos below.

And these are the tracking information package:

Data	Local	Situation
17/09/2014 18:26	CSD [Removed]	Delivery Effected
17/09/2014 09:40	[Removed]	Out for delivery to the recipient
16/09/2014 11:00	CTE CAMPINAS – VALINHOS / SP	Routed
	Referred to CDD [Removed]
15/09/2014 16:47	CTE BENFICA – RIO DE JANEIRO / RJ	Routed
	Referred to CTE CAMPINAS – VALINHOS / SP
09/09/2014 21:16	SITC RIO DE JANEIRO / GEARA – RIO DE JANEIRO / RJ	Routed
	In transit to CTE BENFICA – RIO DE JANEIRO / RJ
09/09/2014 21:14	TREATMENT UNIT INTERNATIONAL – BRAZIL	Awarded
	Freed peels alfândega
02/09/2014 13:27	SITC RIO DE JANEIRO / GEARA – RIO DE JANEIRO / RJ	Routed
	In transit to RFB – RELEASED WITHOUT TAXATION / BR
01/09/2014 22:23	UNIT TRAT INTERNATIONAL RIO RIO – RIO DE JANEIRO / RJ	Routed
	In transit to Customs Enforcement – Customs Enforcement / BR
01/09/2014 22:22	UNIT TRAT INTERNATIONAL RIO RIO – RIO DE JANEIRO / RJ	Awarded
	Received / Brazil
26/08/2014 16:11	UNITED STATES	Routed
	M traveling to TREATMENT UNIT INTERNATIONAL – BRAZIL
26/08/2014 16:08	UNITED STATES	Awarded
	Received the unit export
25/08/2014 14:53	UNITED STATES	Posted
25/08/2014 14:53	UNITED STATES	Posted

And the purchase summary table:

Product Name:	Atari Video Computer System
Name Original:	Atari Video Computer System
Store:	–
Value:	US$ 100,00
Current value:	–
Payment Method:	PayPal
Shipping Type:	USPS Priority Mail
Shipping Fee:	US$ 43,47
Package Home Country:	USA
Purchase Data:	23/08/2014
Submission Date:	24/08/2014
Data Delivery:	17/09/2014
Time in Transit:	24 days
Declared content:	Video Game System
Type Marked Content:	Gift
Declared Value:	–
Taxed:	Not
Taxable Value:	–
Tax Value:	–

And for those who had not Atari none to little more than a month ago, now have three :). But I will stop here, for I am already satisfied with the two national Polyvox models, including one that is the same model I had in my childhood, and this model ready for modern TVs. Overall, I can appreciate that I liked enough of this and the other two were great acquisitions. And you, what do you think?