RF Cables SUCK...

I recently had to get a 2nd AV Cable for a SEGA Dreamcast. I needed it because the 2nd Dreamcast I got during the Thanksgiving Weekend from a local record store came with a damned RF unit instead of the AV cables. Even worse, it was a 3rd Party one from Mad Catz. As Eric Cartman would say, that is really fuckin' weak! (Not to mention a pretty weak audiovisual signal compared to RCA Composite cables...)

Just an FYI here, kiddies. If the system commonly had AV cables of some kind (RCA Composite, RGB, S-Video, HDMI, et al.), include those with the system. RF units are BULLSHIT on anything past the 16-Bit era because modern HDTV's can't natively use them. RF units send out an interlaced signal and ALL HDTV sets are Progressive Scan. While you can get a system with an RF unit/cable to work on HDTV sets (usually by plugging them into the coax input on the back of a VCR/DVR/DVD/Blu-Ray or some other movie playing device) it can also be a huge pain in the ass. Even if the system works, you can forget about using any light guns like the NES Zapper. They used the CRT in an old Tube TV to work. I'm not sure if the same applies to a Super NES Super Scope since that thing came with it's own Infrared Sensor. I'll have to test that some day...

Anyway, as for RF Units...

SEGA

- You're excused on older SEGA systems that rarely had them (Genesis and Saturn) or never had any RCA cables (SG-1000 and Master System) but, there's no excuse with the Dreamcast. Those consoles were packed with AV cables, not crappy RF units. Using an RF cable on a 128-Bit console that was nothing but PURE EXCELLENCE like the Dreamcast should be outlawed.

- That being said, some 3rd Party operations have made RCA cables for the Genesis Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3. I strongly recommend getting them. Amazon sells them cheap.

NINTENDO

- There's also no excuse for ANY Nintendo console, except the NES Top-loader which only has RF Output.

- The 'Toaster Model' NES had AV ports on the side, namely red and yellow RCA plugs. White wasn't included because it's sound output was in Mono. However, using those composite outputs, you can play NES natively on a modern HDTV, minus the Zapper games.

- Super NES, N64 & GameCube all used the same RCA Composite cables. Even if Nintendo no longer makes them, LOTS of 3rd party companies do. They are not hard to find, either. Amazon has them by the boatload.

- The Wii used a different RCA cable and had a custom RGB cable as well. Neither of them are hard to find and are probably still on store shelves since Wii hasn't been discontinued yet.

- The WiiU came packed with an HDMI cable. It can re-use the same AV cables from Wii. I don't care since I use the HDMI cable. :P

Sony Consoles

- Did any of them have an RF unit available? I've never seen one. I don't imagine this being available for anything past PS1. RCA cables for that console are easy to find since the same ones were used on both PS1 & PS2. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Early PS1 consoles had simple RCA outputs that would accept any RCA composite cable with the Red, White & Yellow plugs. Why did Sony change that, besides finding a new way to make money?)

- PS3 & PS4 seem to be HDMI-only and that is the way it should be...

ATARI Consoles...

- Sadly, ALL of these came with RF cables and sometimes (bleech!) those damned manual switchboxes. Do yourself a favor and bypass those pieces of junk and get a Coax (Male) to RCA Phono (Female) adapter. That eliminates the switchbox and plugs directly into the Coax port on your old-school Tube TV or the coax input on one of the previously mentioned devices.

- The RF cable is attached to the 2600 & 5200 models so, you won't have to worry about finding them. There are ways of soddering RCA cables onto the motherboard of the 2600 but, I'm not comfortable doing that...

- There are 2 models of the 5200, both with different RF connections. The 1st version has 4 player controller ports and uses a weird proprietary box that screws into the TV's coax port. This thing had both the RF cable and AC adapter plugging into it at once. It didn't take Atari long to put out another model that used a standard arrangement for connecting the RF and AC adapters. Too bad it took them NINE revisions to fix the controllers... And that it was already too late by the time they did...

- The RF cable for the 7800 is detachable. It uses the same one as every console and TV-Compatible computer of the late 1970's and 1980's, including the Atari 2600 redesign known as the '2600jr.'. Get the Coax-to-Phono adapter for this one too.

- Be sure that RF cable that you use on your 7800 is free of corrosion and patina on the copper contacts. That will interfere with the video signal's transmission to the monitor.

- The Jaguar is an oddity in just about every way. The RF cable is no exception. I have no idea if Atari ever sold AV cables for it at any time. The RF unit that comes with it is a bit flaky and can fall apart or fail to function. If that happens, just replace it with a RF unit from the NES. Yes, the gray box with wires that connected your Nintendo Entertainment System to a TV set for decades works on the Atari Jaguar. As crazy as that sounds, it does work. I have done this for myself. The inputs on the back of the console are exactly the same as the NES. Score one for standardized parts! :)

Coleco, INTV, Commodore/Atari 8-Bit/TI-99 computers, et al...

- Same advice as the Atari 7800 console. The cable should be the same. And be sure to get the damned adapter!

- Lord Publius