this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2024
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[–] [email protected] 46 points 8 months ago (3 children)

It's a US thing, where the glory of SCART was unknown thus they had to continue using the antenna input of their TV to connect their consoles to, also, as far as I'm aware only NTSC has fixed frequency assignments. Elsewhere in the world you just programmed the TV to display the console's output on whatever number you wanted, or, if you had a proper input for non-antenna signals, switch the TV to "AV".

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Actually things like the ZX Spectrum predated SCART plugs and their video signal came in instead via the antenna input.

(And this was everywhere, not just the US)

So the guy in the thread posted by the OP might just be older than you think.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

We had an SNES hooked up to the antenna input for the simple reason that if you're a kid who wants a TV in the attic, away from adult interference, it's not going to be a brand-new model but a hand-me-down from the living room.

Still we programmed channel 1 to the SNES's frequency so we wouldn't have to switch channels after turning the thing on. On the console side though composite outputs quickly became ubiquitous as including them involves little more than bypassing the RF encoder. Speaking of the ZX Spectrum.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Are you sure about that? I thought the advice was to never trust a SCART.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

you're thinking of a shart. A scart is long piece of material you wrap around your neck to keep warm.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

You're thinking of a scarf. A scart is a high-aspect ratio metal object with acute tip and fletching that you throw into things when drunk.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You could get cheap cables that don't have all conductors and/or the shielding wasn't up to spec but that stuff hasn't changed a bit over the decades: USB, DisplayPort and HDMI have the exact same problem.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I'm kind of curious to see if plugging my phone (which charges via USB-C) into my laptop's charger (which plugs into one of my laptop's USB-C ports would blow it up.

I obviously won't do it, but I'm still curious.

I'm glad that there's sort of an agreed-upon standard for phone chargers now, but you're right that it's also a bit of a problem.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Go ahead and do it. USB-C charges slowly and safely until both sides negotiate a faster but still safe charging speed.

[–] RVGamer06 6 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Thanks, as a GenZ i did never imagine such a thing

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

As a gen Z I don't even know what some of these words mean when used in this context

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Yeah but SCART is just kinda fun to say.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I was born in October 96 so gen z and I grew up with a mega drive and PS1 so scart cables were very familiar. The only TV we had for years was a CRT so I was more than familiar with red yellow and white connectors into the back as well.

[–] MrScottyTay 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Those are called composite, just so you know

[–] Poiar 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There were composite and component cables for these consoles.

My mnemonic device for remembering which of the two that sucked was that: one is called component, and the other is compo-shite :)

[–] MrScottyTay 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Composites with the one with only one video cable, component has three. Both having two audio for stereo.

[–] Poiar 1 points 8 months ago

Yeah, it couldn't separate the video channels.

YPbPr or RGB cables were essential if you had a compatible monitor. Composite just sucked

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (3 children)

You were born in 1996 and you don't consider yourself Millennial as denoted by being born when the Millennium changed (2000)?

[–] Poiar 7 points 8 months ago (3 children)

1996 is end millennial, and start gen z.

Though, usually if you got hand me downs as a child, you'd get the same experiences as the people born 3-6 years before you.

That said, I've that splitting people up and putting them into groups like this is a pseudo science over generalization.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

That said, I've that splitting people up and putting them into groups like this is a pseudo science over generalization.

Exactly. People are always like "younger generations don't know about x", and it's like bro, I know what AOL, VCR, cassette tapes, antennas, flip phones, rotary phones, landlines, DOS, wax lips, even fucking Garbage Pail Kids and so on are. I've grown up with this shit. It's called being poor and living in the country side. Everything is like 10 years behind minimum.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Ding ding. Most of my early childhood memories are video tapes, Compaq PC that was a big brick, playing PC games with a joystick, a mega drive, a PS1, family trips/holidays in the car. My family did not have a lot of money so everything I grew up with to say when I was 10 was older stuff. I got a CRT for my room from my great aunt that I thought was the shit when I was about 7-9 and that was only really when thinner TV's were becoming a thing. It always amuses me that people want to label me a millennial when I didn't actually turn 18 at the millennial, I remember 90's kid stuff because I grew up with a Gameboy and Pokémon, I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons in the UK. I don't relate much to gen z because the younger end speaks a completely different language to me.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

I feel like having millennials cut off before the millennium shift is stupid and nothing you say can change my mind.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Sorry I replied to the wrong comment earlier.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

I thought it was based on "became a teenager/young adult" at the turn of the millennium? (I know they've moved the definitions a few times though)

[–] mindbleach 2 points 8 months ago

Early televisions were not built for anything but broadcasts, so early consoles recreated that hardware in miniature. It was possible to stick an antenna in the right place and make 2600 or NES output appear on your neighbor's screens.

"So even though the NES generates a television signal inside of it, there's just no way to transmit it to your TV... legally."