Dont forget to download tapdancer. It will help you transfer tape programs from your phone. Find the right volume and then go nuts recording games back to tapes. I found that the cartridges are an extreme indulgence. I spent around $70 US on a Vic 20. Then I spent $1000 on cartridges. Lol. Idk if you want to do that, so I thought Id toss in that bit of sense. You can get a copy of Shamus on cart for over $100 or you can copy a tap image back to tape for .50 cents.
Hello, congratulations for this video which breathes new life into the fabulous time spent with our Commodore VIC-20.😉 In a few days, I will start creating an S-Video/Composite mod on my two VIC20s. For several days, I have been able to glean a lot of information on the Internet on this subject. The vast majority of VIC20 owners who have used this S-Video hardware mod have in some way "destroyed" the motherboard of their Vic20 with a cutter or screwdriver. Personally, I cannot imagine this type of process which consists of cutting tracks on the PCB (bakelite) of my VIC20. Today, I was finally able to better understand this problem of a video display improved by the S-Video hardware mod and understand why the final result is still not optimal. The fact of physically separating the two luminance and chrominance components on the Vic20 motherboard already poses problems in terms of signals, let me explain. The circuit (device) which manages the Video part of the VIC20 has been designed to deliver (mix) a Composite video signal with relatively sufficient quality for old screens (SCART socket, RF modulator). What happens when we separate the two Luma and Chroma signals? Both chroma and luma signals end up with various types of interference of all kinds. All S-Video mods performed on the VIC20 consist of adding a 75 ohm resistor and a 0.1 micro Farad capacitor, except that this absolutely does not solve the initial problem, even if the display result is better than initially (without this mod). In reality, this S-Video hardware mod is much too aggressive and does not really address this problem. To respond to this video display quality problem of the VIC20, it is necessary from the start to act on the Composite signal by applying a "corrective" to effectively improve the two components luminance and chrominance AND then reinject them into a new Composite signal “clean” (cleansed of all its impurities). Today, the vast majority of TV screens manage Composite (normal), few screens/monitors accept an RGB (Y/C) input. In conclusion, the S-Video hardware mod made on a VIC20 will never be able to give optimal results. Only ("corrective") processing of the Composite VIC20 signal can truly improve the video display quality, much better than that delivered by the S-Video hardware mod. Would you be interested in my work on creating a Composite mod designed to correct and clean both luminance and chrominance components of the VIC20 WITHOUT DESTROYING THE VIC-20?? Sincerely PS: adding a 75 ohm resistor only adds this ohmic value to that of the video cable connected to a screen. This is one of the reasons why this S-Video hardware mod is deficient and does not address the problem of improving the video display of the VIC20.
WOW ... Talk about Omens, Prophecies and Signs from the Heavens ..... I just now pulled mine out of the closet after all these years. I have a Super Expander w/3k Extra memory, 16k Ram Cartridge and a Vic20 HESMON machine language monitor for it. After seeing your video I found one of these home made cable in the box but have no recollection of making it. I remember paying $600 bucks for mine waaaaaaay back when. I had just started working as a Computer Operator down on Wall Street. By the grace of God I was able to fill a spot in the machine room mounting tapes and working on the nosiest monster size printers in the world, coming out of the mail room, and wanted to start learning some programming. Thanks to this little puppy I am a 30+ year IT professional. .... How fortuitous was this video.
My first was a VIC-20 and I've just got it out of storage. It powers on but I haven't got a video signal yet. Had a homemade cable from Radio Shack parts apparently, but it's gone bad in just the last week from using on my C128D. Have more old parts, so gotta fire up the soldering iron and get crackin'. The Commodores definitely helped get me into software, hardware and firmware engineering. Now 37+ years obsession. Check out my blog at davevw.com
This was my first computer. It was the catalyst that led to my career as a coder. I still have that old VIC and would like to revive it. I'm just lacking some parts, like that old 300 baud modem and cassette drive. Built my own video converter. Can you believe 32K? I have 100 terabyte machines idle with nothing to do several times over keeping my screens busy with Andromeda Mass Effect background ambient. There is no peace in the world but the background sound of my servers; a hundred fans in the background. Funny, no beeps or boops in the background, just air blowing by my processors.
Thanks for Sharing. VIC20 got me started in programming as well. My next computer was a Tandy 1000 which I spend a few hundred dollars on to upgrade the RAM to 640k so I could play Double Dragon.
@@MakerAtPlay Yeah, the Tandy 1000 was my next computer. I did spend the money on expanding the RAM to 640k, then to 1024k expansion. It was pretty expensive. Stuck the VIC in a box in storage but have now revived it after decades. My computer after that was an HP 83/85 and I learned HP Basic. I used that at work (worked for Micro Source, Inc., later Gigatronics) to automate a Network Analyzer, and HP8566B Spectrum Analyzer and a Scalar Analyzer to tune 2-8 GHz YIG oscillators and filters. Good memories. Got a couple of IBM PC's after that and never looked back. Now I have crazy systems I would have never imagined possible. Happiness and I sure would love to find a Commodore t-shirt like that. Oh, BTW, I also got ahold of a UniVax 11/780 around then. Filled my whole living room! It had 2 20MB platter hard-drives that weighted about 200lbs each, with multiple terminals including a separate small integrated terminal just for system functions. I never really learned how to use it, but the console table became a great support for my two IBM PCs. I wish I kept it; it would have been fun as heck to play with now after I retired. I think it belonged to State Farm, but I couldn't figure out how to access it. I got it by trading my old Chevy pickup truck for it. Gotta laugh about that!
My first computer was a Timex-Sinclair 1000, the Americanized version of the Sinclair ZX81. It came with 2K of RAM, which I later upgrade to 16K with a plug-in RAM expansion.
My first computer was a Commodore VIC-20 that my parents bought me back in 1982/83. After that was an Amiga 500. I somehow managed to skip the C64. Not really sure why. lol.
Wow thats crazy! I never thought about it, but ya, if you stuck with your vic until 1987 lets say....it would make more sense to buy an amiga than a c64 in the states. I find most people upgraded very quickly to the 64 in the US. Which is why there are so few US releases in comparison with contemporary systems. In the UK there were hundreds of additional releases for the vic that never made it to the US.
Instead of mutilating your RF modulator...you can get a new 5 pin din connector for around 5$ on ebay. If you happen across an old tv set, you can get what is called an RF to COAXIAL adapter and use that. Crt televisions are commonly available on the side of most streets these days. So for that reason, as well as many others, I would recommend that you dont ruin your RF modulator...if for no other reason than historical completeness of your very historic computer.
For VHS video cassette players, a TV of any age will show it with just one single coax cord (as your cable Co. provides) if you "Manual Add", in the TV's menu "Tools" or "Channels" : 3-0 and 4-0
Actually that is exactly what I use for my C64. RCA(RF out on the c64) > coax > VCR > RCA > TV. that way I can record myself playing games when I get to a hard part, or remember how I did something difficult in assembler etc. I also can watch tapes/TV/DVD without disconnecting the computer. Can't beat a CRT with RCA ports...at least in my opinion. Monitor is good if you are doing 80 columns and is quite sharp. I mostly just use the TV though for space sake.
Tandy 1000 was my next computer after the commodore. I remember spending a few hundred dollars to upgrade the RAM to 640kb so I could play Double Dragon.
Does anyone know if I need to remove any personal data like my checking information from my Vic20 I think I wrote checks using the Vic- 20? I don’t have a monitor or the ability to change the monitor plug to use with my smart TV
The VIC 20 doesn't have any internal storage (writeable storage). The only place your personal data could be save is on cassettes if you had a tape drive or on floppy disks if you had a disk drive for your Commodore.
And if you are planning to get rid of your Commodore, don't throw it in the trach, there are people out there that would love to have this old computer.
I put my Vic-20 with dozens of games out on marketplace for $250 someone offered 180. I’m just concerned that I might’ve used my checking account information in one of the programs.
Most of these Composite to VGA adapters are junk. They have terrible picture quality and introduce a ton of input latency which makes a lot of games unplayable. Get a Retrotink 2X of some sort. I'd recommend the 2X-Mini for most of these microcomputers from the 80s since the best most of them outputted was either Composite or S-Video anyways. It's like $80 USD, and is totally worth it. I have the 2X-Classic since I have several systems that also use Component. Trust me, this is a much better solution if you intend to play ANY games on an 80s computer. They output HDMI (some use mini-HDMI I think), but you can get a cheap HDMI to VGA adapter and you'll be set.
About the video chip's 'visibility', it seems it can only handle 16kb of memory according to the VIC's registers. So from $0000-$1FFF or $8000-$9FFF. But if memory Block 0 is installed it is not 'seen' by it (at least in the emulator), is this also true for a real VIC-20, does it also see nothing but 'noise' at $0400-$0FFF ?
I believe (but not 100% sure) that since the VIC chip only has 14 address lines it can access 16kb of memory, but this 16kb can't be located just anywhere in RAM/ROM because of the 2 missing address lines. More info tinyvga.com/6561
Hi, i discover your channel right now looking for vic20 info about how to fix or improve image. I use a RCA cable to my moder tv.. the image seems to be not perfect...some lines and the pixels with colors appears not perfect... do you know if i need a modulator or i need to fix the video box output inside the machine...? can you help me , please?? thx in advance.. !
My advice would be to get an old tv set from the side of the road and use a coaxial to rca adapter. Hook the coax to your RF modulator and just use the RF. Picture is perfect even in 40 columns. Vga seems like overkill to me when there are so many crt tv sets getting dumped for free/for nearly free.
For any screen that's "wideScreen" shape, expect jiggles and smeared text. Panel TV old enough that it does not have "HDTV" printed on the front is the right shape; most have a small number of really big glowing pixels, so can match to '80s console "Standard Def/ Lo Def"
