Doom9's Forum - View Single Post - How to capture old computer and games RF output

GrofLuigi · 11th October 2006, 02:30

Hi csnet,

I'm not very familiar with ZX81 (missed it just by little), but I have some thoughts/suggestions for you that might be useful:

- I don't quite understand all your connection schemes above, but from what I can see, the switchbox is an external device, right? Now, I suspect it does some "looping" because I see the 'fade to black' thing when a loop in the equipment is made, i.e. two VCRs have connected both inputs to outputs and vice versa or, on a modern computer, TVOut->VCR->Capture card of the same computer (and VCR tuned to see the output of the TVOut card).

- The successsor to ZX81 (a.k.a. ZX Spectrum or, I believe, Timex) had a built in RF modulator (wee, colour!), but also a composite signal could be pulled out of the edge-connector (just soldering 2 wires), and I (vaguely) remember recording it to VCR and/or displaying it on a pretty demanding/tight composite monitor, so I guess that signal was all right. But I highly doubt the same could be hacked on the ZX81. My guess would be that you would most likely need some kind of TBC.

GL

11th October 2006, 02:30	#13 \| Link
GrofLuigi Member of a Library Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 463	Hi csnet, I'm not very familiar with ZX81 (missed it just by little), but I have some thoughts/suggestions for you that might be useful: - I don't quite understand all your connection schemes above, but from what I can see, the switchbox is an external device, right? Now, I suspect it does some "looping" because I see the 'fade to black' thing when a loop in the equipment is made, i.e. two VCRs have connected both inputs to outputs and vice versa or, on a modern computer, TVOut->VCR->Capture card of the same computer (and VCR tuned to see the output of the TVOut card). - The successsor to ZX81 (a.k.a. ZX Spectrum or, I believe, Timex) had a built in RF modulator (wee, colour!), but also a composite signal could be pulled out of the edge-connector (just soldering 2 wires), and I (vaguely) remember recording it to VCR and/or displaying it on a pretty demanding/tight composite monitor, so I guess that signal was all right. But I highly doubt the same could be hacked on the ZX81. My guess would be that you would most likely need some kind of TBC. GL