Atari VCS To Monitor
How could I connect an Atari VCS videogame machine to a Commodore 1702 monitor?
Mark Pittenger
Unfortunately, there is no easy way, because the Atari VCS has an RF (Radio Frequency) modulated output. That is, the output from the Atari VCS simulates a signal from a TV station so the game machine can be connected directly to the antenna terminals of an ordinary TV set. The video and audio signals are mixed and a carrier signal is added. The RF demodulator inside the TV set breaks down this output into the component parts for sound and video.
A computer monitor such as the Commodore 1701/1702 needs a composite signal—the video and audio are separated and fed into separate jacks, and no RF element is included.
Any standard monitor can be used with a device that has a composite output, such as a computer or videocassette recorder. COMPUTE! uses Commodore, Amdek, and Zenith monitors interchangeably with Commodore, Tl, Apple, and Atari computers. We also know of several people who obtain outstanding pictures using computer monitors with VCRs.