Old Turbo questions

[PC Gaijin]

I rented Turbo games from a place called Floppy Joe's in College Station, Texas. I don't know if they were a chain or a mom-n-pop. Their main deal seemed to be "renting" PC software (apps and games). Not sure how they got away with that, so I'm leaning towards mom-n-pop versus a chain, since I think a chain of stores "renting" PC software would have attracted the attention of a few software publishers.

They did have an outstanding selection of video games for rent though. When no one else would touch Sega Master System or Turbo games, this place carried them.

[Joe Redifer]

The first time I played the TurboGrafx-16 for myself was when I rented it from a video store (re: movies) along with a few games.  I was really disappointed in the system because I couldn't get composite OR stereo audio out of it, which I thought was phuggin' retarded.  Still do.  I enjoyed the games, but my first impression was not a good one since I was limited to mono RF.  I never bought the system because I would have to spend a bunch more money to get acceptable visual and audio from the thing and to play with more than one player, and it cost the same as the Genesis if I recall.  God damn that thing was one of the most horribly marketed systems ever.  They could not have done it any worse.

But when I graduated high school, I got a Turbo and a CD-ROM, both brand new as a graduation present.  I was happy about that, for sure!

[Keranu]

So that's why yer such a sour-puss!

[SignOfZeta]

The first time I played the TurboGrafx-16 for myself was when I rented it from a video store (re: movies) along with a few games.  I was really disappointed in the system because I couldn't get composite OR stereo audio out of it, which I thought was phuggin' retarded.  Still do.  I enjoyed the games, but my first impression was not a good one since I was limited to mono RF.

Um...this is...this can't be true. You mean you were a nit-picking cantankerous old otaku even back then? What a trend setter!

Composite out was pretty rare on game machines back then. You'd have to be a pretty hateful/petty person to dismiss an entire game machine just because of that one thing. It would be different if you didn't like it because the first game you played was Keith Courage.

BTW, is the RF actually limited to mono? Its certainly possible to transmit stereo via RF.

[Joe Redifer]

Composite out being pretty rare on game machines back then?  Let's see:

NES - Came with built in composite A/V out
SMS - Came with built in composite A/V out
Genesis - Came with built in composite A/V out

Rare indeed.  All of these systems I had a great deal of experience with before touching the Turbo.  And yes, all systems RF is limited to mono.  To do stereo over RF you would need a license from MTS.

You're right.  I was setting me standards way too high.  I had absolutely no right whatsoever in being disappointed with the system.  Only nit-picking cantankerous old dudes would dare not like everything about the Turbo without exception.  I deserve AIDS.

[GUTS]

Yeah I agree it was bullshit that you had to buy that Turbo Booster to get AV output, it wasn't a big deal for me at first but later on when my family got a decent TV it was shitty that I still had to use an RF switch with my turbo since you couldn't find those stupid Turbo Boosters anywhere locally anymore.  It wasn't until I managed to get a Turbo CD that I could enjoy a good picture and stereo sound.

[sunteam_paul]

You're right.  I was setting me standards way too high.  I had absolutely no right whatsoever in being disappointed with the system.  Only nit-picking cantankerous old dudes would dare not like everything about the Turbo without exception.  I deserve AIDS.

That's harsh.

Maybe a small wart or two would suffice.

[Joe Redifer]

I already have a small, soft wart.  Maybe a stubborn zit?

[esteban]

I already have a small, soft wart.  Maybe a stubborn zit?

Joe wasn't serious about hatin' the TG-16 because of the RF-out standard. It was simply a continuation of his preoccupation with composite video from a discussion we were having in an older thread. As I said then, Joe was one lucky bastard to be nit-picking about composite-output when most folks at the time didn't even have a TV with composite-input! Sure, I eventually harnessed NES' comp-out with my family's fancy, new VCR.... but the VCR itself was attached to our TV via RF!!!!!!



My friends and I used RF for Genny, NES, SMS, TG-16, Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivision, etc. etc.

[vestcoat]

I already have a small, soft wart.  Maybe a stubborn zit?

Joe wasn't serious about hatin' the TG-16 because of the RF-out standard. It was simply a continuation of his preoccupation with composite video from a discussion we were having in an older thread. As I said then, Joe was one lucky bastard to be nit-picking about composite-output when most folks at the time didn't even have a TV with composite-input! Sure, I eventually harnessed NES' comp-out with my family's fancy, new VCR.... but the VCR itself was attached to our TV via RF!!!!!!



My friends and I used RF for Genny, NES, SMS, TG-16, Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivision, etc. etc.

Shit, that's nothing.  I remember bringing my brand new SNES home from the store and plugging it into a 14" Black and White, mono TV!  I didn't rock stereo sound on any of my systems until I got my Duo in 1997.

[Joe Redifer]

Even when I had a black and white TV with RF only, I used the composite hook-up through my VCR mainly so I could route the audio to a stereo.  What's funny about black and white is it really seems pretty clear since there isn't any dot-crawl/color bleed and all that.  And you get used to it after a few minutes.  When I finally got a color TV I had a hell of a time finding one that was good enough.  It had to have S-video and I finally found a 20-inch Sony that did.  Still have it and it still works great, but I don't use it for gaming anymore.  For gaming I have a 20 inch Toshiba (made by Sansui) and all of the game systems except the NES are hooked up via component video.  The video is really good, but I worry about the longevity of the TV.

[Black Tiger]

Composite out being pretty rare on game machines back then?  Let's see:

NES - Came with built in composite A/V out
SMS - Came with built in composite A/V out
Genesis - Came with built in composite A/V out

Rare indeed.  All of these systems I had a great deal of experience with before touching the Turbo.  And yes, all systems RF is limited to mono.  To do stereo over RF you would need a license from MTS.

You're right.  I was setting me standards way too high.  I had absolutely no right whatsoever in being disappointed with the system.  Only nit-picking cantankerous old dudes would dare not like everything about the Turbo without exception.  I deserve AIDS.

The actual Composite A/V cable for the SMS and Genesis was and is rare though. I never got to try SMS through 'video' until after I got my first Turbo Duo. And for years people had a hard time finding a replacement Duo cable(many still do).

Even by the time I got the Turbo Booster for my TG-16, none of my friends had a TV that accepted composite(we had a nice Sony TV for years).

I also remember RF switches and 'modulators(?)' selling well during the 32-bit generation because of all the people needing to 'downgrade', but I don't remember anyone else trying to upgrade during the 16-bit generation.

Even when I had a black and white TV with RF only, I used the composite hook-up through my VCR mainly so I could route the audio to a stereo.  What's funny about black and white is it really seems pretty clear since there isn't any dot-crawl/color bleed and all that.  And you get used to it after a few minutes.  When I finally got a color TV I had a hell of a time finding one that was good enough.  It had to have S-video and I finally found a 20-inch Sony that did.  Still have it and it still works great, but I don't use it for gaming anymore.  For gaming I have a 20 inch Toshiba (made by Sansui) and all of the game systems except the NES are hooked up via component video.  The video is really good, but I worry about the longevity of the TV.

I had like a 12" or 10" b/w TV in my bedroom when I received my first NES. I had so much fun playing SMB on it(I also remember renting and play Dragon Power on it). At the time, I was lucky just to have my own TV at all. Neighborhood kids would come over and we'd all sit around it.

Back then, older color TVs weren't perfect, just as Plasma and LCD TVs aren't perfect now. But man that little b/w TV sure had a nice clear picture. 

[Joe Redifer]

The actual Composite A/V cable for the SMS and Genesis was and is rare though.

I am a bit skeptical about the cables being rare nowadays, and the composite cables were included with every Sega Master System and Genesis sold... except the SMS 2 which was RF only.  So they certainly weren't rare back then.  I remember reading back in the day how the most popular "peripheral" for the PS1 and Saturn was the RF adapter.

[Black Tiger]

The actual Composite A/V cable for the SMS and Genesis was and is rare though.

I am a bit skeptical about the cables being rare nowadays, and the composite cables were included with every Sega Master System and Genesis sold... except the SMS 2 which was RF only.  So they certainly weren't rare back then.  I remember reading back in the day how the most popular "peripheral" for the PS1 and Saturn was the RF adapter.

I guess Canadians got worked over once again, since we never got the cable packed in and I still have never seen an official one. 

[SignOfZeta]

My Genesis didn't come with an AV cable, and either did my SMS, so I don't know about, "every" one of them.

Without a doubt %98 of all AV cables packed with an game system released circa 1985 would be stuffed in a drawer never to be used. I think only the SMS systems that came packed with a gun had it.

I worked at a video store where we opened up and prepared for rental many a Genesis, and none of them had AV cables. I used the cable from my C64...but that was mono, so I had to use the headphone jack on the Genesis for stereo sound. The only Genesis I remember coming with an AV cable was the CD-X.

The first system I ever had that came with an AV cable was the SNES.

RF switches are still pretty popular, even for people using XB360s.