Fairchild Channel F (1976) Library | Trying all 26 Videocarts
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- Fairchild's Channel F is the first video game console to make use of dedicated cartridges. This inventive technology has served gaming for almost half a century! Does the console and its library hold up today?
► Console library videos: • FR's Console Libraries
Special thanks to 'vghchannel' for the gameplay recordings.
You can find his channel here: / @vghchannel
• Channel Membership: / @framerater
• Patreon Support: / framerater
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0:00 - Introduction
2:19 - Learning the Controls
6:40 - DEMOCART 1 & 2
7:07 - Introduction (cont.)
8:50 - Built-In HOCKEY
9:15 - Built-In TENNIS
9:33 - VIDEOCART 1 (3,4,5)
(TIC-TAC-TOE, SHOOTING GALLERY, DOODLE, QUADRA-DOODLE)
10:14 - VIDEOCART 2 (7)
(DESERT FOX)
10:27 - VIDEOCART 3 (8)
(BLACKJACK)
10:34 - VIDEOCART 4 (9)
(SPITFIRE)
10:45 - VIDEOCART 5 (10)
(SPACE WAR)
10:55 - VIDEOCART 6 (11)
(MATH QUIZ: ADD & SUBTRACT)
11:14 - VIDEOCART 7 (12)
(MATH QUIZ: MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION)
11:23 - VIDEOCART 8 (13,14)
MIND READER, NIM)
12:08 - VIDEOCART 9 (15)
(DRAG STRIP)
12:24 - VIDEOCART 10 (16,17,18,19)
(MAZE, JAILBREAK, BLIND MAN'S BLUFF, TRAILBLAZER)
13:05 - VIDEOCART 11 (20,21)
(BACKGAMMON, ACEY-DEUCEY)
13:28 - VIDEOCART 12 (22)
(BASEBALL)
13:46 - VIDEOCART 13 (23,24)
(ROBOT WAR, TORPEDO ALLEY)
14:17 - VIDEOCART 14 (25)
(SONAR SEARCH)
14:28 - VIDEOCART 15 (26)
(MEMORY MATCH)
14:42 - VIDEOCART 16 (27)
(DODGE IT)
15:03 - VIDEOCART 17 (28)
(PINBALL CHALLENGE)
15:13 - VIDEOCART 18 (29)
(HANGMAN)
15:29 - VIDEOCART 19 (30)
(CHECKERS)
15:38 - VIDEOCART 20 (31)
(VIDEO WHIZBALL)
15:53 - VIDEOCART 21 (32)
(BOWLING)
16:04 - VIDEOCART 22 (33)
(SLOT MACHINE)
16:17 - VIDEOCART 23 (34,35)
(GALACTIC SPACE WARS, LUNAR LANDER)
16:56 - VIDEOCART 24 (36)
(PRO FOOTBALL)
17:12 - VIDEOCART 25 (37)
(CASINO POKER)
17:30 - VIDEOCART 26 (38)
(ALIEN INVASION)
17:57 - Conclusion
Outro Music: Launch Base Rearranged - Savaged Regime
Background Music:
Barrel-O-Mermaids - Shantae: Half-Genie Hero OST
Dayni Moon - Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters OST
Enjoy Yourself (Instrumental) - Chris Brueggeman
Duckin' - Duke Nukem II OST
Treetop - Super Mario Land 2 OST
Counterfeit Mermaids - Shantae: Half-Genie Hero OST
#fairchildchannelf #cartridges #retrogames 
Игры
Seizure warning for GAME 16 - MAZE (thanks to bonusmemez2739 for mentioning this!)
I showed this to my uncle who loves Atari and honestly he got stoked apparently he remembers actually owning the entire set of this. Honestly, I'm jealous. I love collecting games new and old. I just wish I knew more about this before.
If you'll get a lot of extra traffic, it's probably because of the Google Doodle. Awesome video, by the way!
Oh my god
It has even more interesting history .
This came out before the Apple II the 1st real commercial personal computer. So the Channel F was a microprocessor product (as opposed to integrated circuit like pong machines) With color display capabilities & interchangeable software.
Nothing existed like this for consumers back then, PCs were normally business terminals or hobbyist devices that may not even have a video display.
Doodle was pretty much the 1st piece of retail paint software ever.
The computer used by Matthew Broderick's character in the film WarGames (1983) was the IMSAI 8080, released at the tail end of 1975, but it had no color or even any bitmap capabilities, so yeah, at home you wouldn't have any sort of color graphics to speak of at the time. Even the Apple II only recieved a color display mode in the second revision released in November 1978, and even that was by tricking 1-bit "color" data into displaying 4 different colors. The first home computer that could natively display color out of the box with true color data was the Atari 400/800 in 1979.
@@elimalinsky7069 ooh didn't know the apple ii color details.
@@EmperorMAR The Apple II sold from 1978 onwards came with a color monitor, while the Apple II itself had no color capablities, the video adapter had this quirk that it could manipulate the video signal to trick the CRT electron beam into applying color when in fact it was just 1-bit data (luminous or dark). Basically taking advantage of composite video artifacting. programmers had access to the video adapter using assembly language, so they could essentially add colors to the output image, with the caveat of being limited to 1 color per bitmap sprite or a line of text, and 4 colors on screen in total.
The more expensive Apple II models sold from 1980 onwards came with a video adapter capable of color rendering in hardware.
16:08 AGGGGGHHH! All jokes aside I'm gonna miss the FrameChopper...
Hi Frame, sounds like your AV cable is receiving interference. It clears up when you hold it because your hand is blocking out any signals in the air that are getting into the compromised section of your cable. Perhaps you could try heat shrink on the cable? Or wrapping it in electrical tape? It needs more insulation, you may be able to get a better picture without having to really repair further
Agreed! I would suggest, if it is straightforward solder job, replacing the connection with any cheap rg-6 or rg-59, as most modern cables will be wrapped in dielectric and have metal shielding. Although it could be from within, but frame’s demonstration makes it look like the connector is the culprit.
grabbing a cheap cable ferrite would fix this without much more work. add a snap on one and he's good.
@@DaiAtlus79 came here to suggest this, you can get cheap lead ones for under 10 bucks, but they're pretty heavy
I think the holding the cable fix has something to do with the capacitance of your hands
@@dylanseligman5928 What these guys said, buy a ferrite core or two. Attach one close to each end of the cable.
The Channel F is such a fascinating machine and really is a sad story, this machine was relatively unknown of which is sad as it was a really revolutionary system. It was the 2nd console, debatably 1st, to use cartridges, was the first to use colour and jumpstarted the 2nd Generation. Sadly the expensive price and the fact the Atari 2600 overshadowed it meant that not many were able to experience this revolutionary machines beauty. There is always a special kind of beauty with failed consoles, and while not all of them were great, you can sometimes find a hidden gem where if the circumstances were slightly different, they could've won the console war of the generation. Who knows, maybe in some weird parallel universe, the Channel F would be the retro 70s system people would remember.
Of all the videos you make, I think these videos on pre-8-bit consoles are my favourite. They're straight to the point and full of information that many wouldn't know. And the games are basic enough that a brief segment is adequate to convey what each game is about.
The Fairchild Channel F is an 8-bit console. Only 1st-gen consoles used oddball word lengths due to their discrete logic nature. The Magnavox Odyssey used a different word length for each component of its logic. The Channel F was the first home console with a CPU.
The fuzzy cable issue is due to a break in the grounding sheath. This usually happens on either end. With no grounding shear EMI gets in and you get screen static. Your body is large enough to be a ground and attract a good chunk of that EMI.
Notice how the controller compartment solves the 'your t.v. looks cluttered as heck from the two controller cables' problem 30 years before the 7th generation of consoles introduced wireless controllers for mostly this same purpose.
10:33 It came out in the 70's so "Great for parties" probably means play it while high.
Knowing the 70s,
that theory doesn’t seem too far off.
Or they meant, turn it on the TV while you play a record, so you have a neat thing on the TV while doing other things like dancing, playing games, or just sitting around BSing. It definitely wasn’t meant for a centerpiece.
On Coke. Everyone in the 70s did Coke.
You know those weird plastic bits at the end of a ps1 controller? Thoughs are ferrite chokes. They solve the same problem you have with that RF cable. You can buy snap on ones on amazon methinks.
The "card matching game from Super Mario 3" is called Concentration, it's a type of solitare card game.
This video's not even out yet and I've seen it twice
You need some shielding over the cable to blow signal interference.
The reason you have to squeeze the cable is because coax must be insulated from background rf. Try wrapping the splice area in foil and taping tightly with electrical tape.
Consider me impressed by reaching so far back in history and taking the time to give the Fairchild it's due. And credit for repairing the one you have! The poor thing didn't stand a chance against the Atari 2600 but that doesn't mean it should be forgotten.
Thanks for covering this and and shedding a little light on its history. Much love and respect.
When I was a kid, the shooting gallery game as seen at 10:05, was one that they would have kids play on TV for a show they called TV Pow. Kids would call in, and yell "POW!" repeatedly into their phone to make the game shoot. If they did well, they would earn points which they could spend on prizes.
Great video!! I learned a lot and it was very interesting! Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing more!
Love these software platform rundowns. One of the best ways to learn video game history.
Colin said Quadra-Doodle is garbage, but inside he’s just happy you aren’t throwing each cartridge at his chest.
Also 🚁!!!!!
Okay, I had recently gotten a Channel F (System II even! Yay sound over RF and removable controllers!), and I adore it. There's an absolute charm to it. Being a guy who lives on his own, clearly the two player games don't do a whole lot for me, but I genuinely liked Dodge It (man, that thing is a time suck in the best way!), Video Wizball, Sonar Search, Alien Invasion, Hangman, and Bowling (turning the knob after you launch your ball will curve it in that direction, which does add some depth). Also, there are still some great folks doing homebrew stuff -- not sure if you've gotten to play them through emulation or anything but both the ports of PacMan and Tetris are pretty decent, especially considering the hardware.
I would totally play couch coop channel f bruv
i’m actually impressed that there was such a dynamic home console in the 70s
My brother and I bought one of these when we were in High School (late 70s). Previously we had received a Pong machine one Christmas. The Channel F was around $150 but I don't remember how much the cartridges were (we had 4 or 5 before my brother left the machine powered on sitting on a carpeted floor- it fried itself). We had a lot of fun with it, and I loved the Doodle program.
Great for parties! ;)
The original Atari 2600, the "heavy sixer," had arguably even more buttons/ selections on it's face and was probably just as complicated looking as this button layout in the late 70s.
Looking, sure. But not in practice. The 2600's interface is logical. The FCF's is confusing and likely the result of cost reduction to not have as many physical functions. That's my guess, but at least from someone with lots of 2600 experience, its execution far succeeds this one.
I was excited to see this video pop up as the mighty Fairchild Channel F is a favorite of mine. I had all of the games except for Checkers. It's woefully underrated. As for Demo Cart 1, my understanding is that Zircon did offer it for sale via mail order. As for the Saba Video Play, it does have one exclusive game, which is Chess. This game is really unique because it has extra hardware for the A.I., and a light to indicate when the computer is done "thinking."
Hockey is a true hidden gem among Pong-permutations, and I wish you spent more time on it. In fact, I wish you spent more time on each game. They are simplistic, sure, but they each have personality and challenge. There is also value is comparing them to the 2600 counterparts. Desert Fox, for example, is similar to Combat.
I think you did a really good job with the background explanation of the console, but I would've liked to have seen more in-depth coverage of the actual games.
You came up many times in my research, great coverage on the system! Did you also have something to do with documenting Magnavox Odyssey stuff? I'm not sure if that was you or someone else.
@@FrameRater Thanks! Your research was conducted well, as well. This is a great intro for the platform.
Yes, I did some Odyssey stuff as well. I am going to check out your video on that one next!
Having an AI opponent that reacted to player inputs and not just having a predifined looped pattern was something unheard of at the time. It was a rare sight to behold even in the arcades in 1976 and was only possible by the inclusion of a CPU in the Channel F, a first for a home console. Discrete logic could produce something similar, but not on a scale of a box tucked under a TV.
I appreciated the return of “When you try your best but you succ.”
They called it the channel f because it used a very early fairchild micro processor called the F4. You might want to replace the full-wave bridge rectifier, they got really hot ...and caused electric noise problems.
I actually sent a request to Fairchild to get all the information about the F4 processor, and they complied. That was actually the very first microprocessor that I had ever gotten specific architecture literature on. The channel f was being sold at the same time that the very first Atari console came out. During christmas. The Fairchild was the first to hit the scene, but the market went towards Atari because of the selection of games. Sears roebuck sold both the units side by side during I think it was 1975 or 1976 Christmas. I bought mine as a Christmas present to my dad, because it played a really good blackjack game.
I thought it was the F8 but could be wrong. It was split into 2 or 3 separate chips I believe.
I remember those days of RF interference.. sorta freak you out that putting your hands on stuff seems to make picture clearer, huh!? In any case, great video man! Really thorough on all the aspects of the Channel F. It's a big undertaking to talk about all the buttons and all the cartridges in a single well-done video... kudos!
Happy to be able to help shortcut the work with the emulation captures. You definitely sunk plenty of time into organizing and presenting this well. I like the sidebar graphics you added. I'm a terrible artist, so stay away from too much in the way of titles & graphics.
BTW, I thought the Quadra-Doodle party would've been terrific. I mean, maybe play twister or throw up a disco ball and make Quadra-doodle simply play in the "background on a giant TV screen! yeah
I'd sooner play Hockey, but having Quadra Doodle may prove to be a good time, especially if you're stoned, I would wager.
@@Chaos89P LOL
It's definitely meant to be running in the background of a party with loud music, dim lights, and illegal substances.
I've got myself a saba videoplay aside from having a replaceable rf cable (and for some reason 2 rf outputs), it isn't different beyond being PAL compatible. The most notable mention is that "hold" is actually named "pause" and that the buttons on the console are much clearer in their function.
Also, based on the German name of shooting gallery on game 2, it's not tanks you are shooting but clay pigeons.
Fun fact Europeans consoles where mostly licensed affairs, which is why the channel F was released by Saba (A German TV manufacterer) rather than fairchild themselves. This is especially noticeable when looking at European made systems/standards like the SHG Black point, 1929 APVS, Interton VC4000, etc. Which almost every country had a different variant off , but compatible, variant (sometimes even multiple variants made by different companies).
A lot of them also have really weird electronic design choices, like the black point/tele-sports console "standard" having the CPU not on the system but inside the cartridge.
Are you sure one of the outputs isn't an input so it can pass through the TV signal when turned off?
@@renakunisaki It is, now I look at it. I just had looked at the internal wiring when I was fixing up the power button a while ago (common issue), which connected by a y split to the consoles motherboard. However just checked and the connector and it's certainly an RF input connector.
So it's clearly meant as a passthrough rather than an extra output, though you could use it as such. I'm just used to passthroughs having a switch, or switching circuitry, not just a straight Y split.
Seizure warning at 13:41 btw just in case
Unfortunately sometimes these things slip by my conscious radar. Thanks for the warning, I'll pin it so others can see.
@@FrameRater You're very welcome
@@bonusmemez2739 You madlad thank you
Ey wy me and red o on em to the room and the link the only way
@@donutto4 what?
I find the first two console generations so fascinating.
This video is amazing!
Channel F and Odyssey 2. My favorite consoles. Appearance-wise, anyway.
While definitely a humble beginning, Channel F still can be fun today. I tried out some of the games on an emulator with my wife, and we had a real blast with Dodge It. Extremely simple concept, but it can still be fun even today if you have someone to play it with.
Dont know if post-upload YT editing let's you add text, but you might wanna add a seizure warning for the maze game around 13:30.
Aside from that, really cool stuff! Surprised this one isn't talked about as much as other Atari competitors like Intellivision. A few genuinely neat games like Whizball and a solid Space Invaders clone. If there's more like this to uncover from that era, I don't care if we get Virtual Boy, Gamecube, or something weird like Bally Astrocade next!
(Though I'd still like to see those first 2 soon :) )
Virtual Boy is indeed soon. Not next, but soon.
Did the fairchild start off as being a 8-track game system? There was some 8-track game system around that time , The idea could have worked if you did put the board at the bottom of the 8-track so you could have sound and picture. But it was just basic image and sound 8-track games more so a board game.
What 8-track game system are you referring to? The Omni? I've talked to the production designer of the Ch F; the 8-track cart shape was done so consumers would more easily grasp the insert/interchanbability of game cartridges. Bally Astrocade copied them, but coming out a yr later, they made their carts look like cassette tapes instead. They also stole the console/controller designs from Ch F too, lol
I sold these back when they came out. I still have two consoles and both still work.
Great video! I had this system! Spitfire allowed you to play against the computer. The more you shot down the computer, the better he got. The more the computer shot you down, the worse he got. You set a predetermined score at the beginning of the game.
looks amazing
Got one of these babies, the UK version is branded as Grandstand. I got it supposedly faulty but it works fine.
Never knew all this. Awesome video.
The Channel F has a surprisingly good homebrew of Pac Man. Talk about pushing a console to its limits.
Looks like the cable is faulty. If a replacement doesn’t help, try wrapping it round a ferrite rod. This console was sold in Australia by Dick Smith Electronics as Dick Smith Channel F. I used to see them in the Bourke St store in Melbourne
Hockey on the Channel F console is a great party game.
I once showed this to two young lads who did not know anything about old consoles and we ended up having a lot of fun.
Apart from that the carts 16 (Dodge It) and 20 (Video Whizball) seem to be fun, cart 20 especially with that human opponent.
Cart 26 (Alien Invasion) is an outstanding achievement for this console and seems worth playing.
But admittedly the number of really good games on the Channel F is very limited.
That was a fascinating look into the past.
I have the licensed Swedish version of the Channel F; the Luxor Video Entertainment System. It uses the same cartridges and controllers. In fact, it’s straight up just a Channel F manufactured in Motala, Sweden. It’s very dear to me simply because of its history.
Fairchild Channel F is really the first gaming console...the Odyssey, Telstar and Pong were just light switches since they didn't allow you to play to beat the game.
Clip on some ferrite beads where you normally hold it. It's just not fully grounding. You can get a pack of like 10 on Amazon for 8$. No more fuzzy picture, no more black and white.
Hey! Sorry I'm late. Co-ax cables are operating on a bubble gum and duct tape level of stability as is since they had to really shield down the modulator section in compliance with FCC. You holding the length of cable is probably turning yourself into enough of a ground plane that it's enough to retain the shielding. You should be able to wrap the joint with a length of aluminum or copper foil all the way around, connect it to ground, and heat-shrink it tight. Using copper foil is a better choice because you can solder straight to it if you're careful enough. Aluminum foil just chars and crumbles.
This last weekend I went to an experimental audio visual show, and that Quadra Doodle imagery would have fit right in. The sound of the console would too.
I think there is a shield in the coaxial cable. Might be why it does that weird thing with your hand.
The wires inside the cable are coming unwound. That's why only squeezing, which presses all the wires closer, solves the issue.
My dad had this console, although it was called Luxor Video Entertainment Computer here in Sweden
try using a ferrite on the cord, the part of the cord that has been repaired lacks rf sheilding.
Someone in the late 2000s ported Pac-man to the Channel F and it's impressive for the console.
Whew! Video games sure were lousy back then, eh! Great video.
Ferrite core on the wire might help reduce interference
In the UK the Channel F was known as the Adman Grandstand Video Entertainment Computer which was based on the Channel F II and in Sweden it was called the Luxor Video Entertainment System
This is awesome! Is Maze the only co-op game you’re aware of?
there actually was a chess game exclusive to the saba videoplay, which was positioned as the killer app.
I got one of these. I think I bought it in 1976 or 1977. But in Sweden it was called Luxor video entertainment system. But it was the same product. I think mine still works. :)
All of my homies shoot diagonally in Videocart 13 for the Fairchild Channel F
Fairchild Channle F was the first video game system we had in our house...it was amazing for its time.
BTW that sounds like radio interference lol. It happens, especially with an older cable like that in a modern world with as much radio and wifi and Bluetooth flying around, decayed wire shielding or even shielding in the console etc. Fixing it would probably take an entire new wire I assume? Someone a bit more experienced could give a solution, or a swift google search. I've seen similar stuff happen with NESes including going black and white - sometimes there are on board solutions via amplifiers too.
I'm no expert just throwing some ideas out from my amateur console/electronics repair head lol
The Channel F actually exceeded my expectations a little bit. I am going to see if I can get an emulator working to try a few of them. They look like they can be decent fun for a few minutes.
You may want to try running the cable through a ferrite core to block the interference. You can find them on a lot of old power cable s
I've been rewatching some of your videos lately. Is it just me, or have you cut segments out of a lot of them?
They are like them games you used to write in basic from a magazine
Wow… G?… to think I’ve never known about this hunk of glory until now.
Someone most likely let you know already but your hand was drawing out the electrostatic interference, obviously the best option for quality is to attach a better cord at a lower down spot...
A distant second opinion both in quality as well as ease is to wrap it in magnetic tape (preferably with a small and week magnet or two) to help disperse the interference.
I think the issue with the coax cable needing to be held has to do with your body's capacitance? Not sure what to do about it, but that's what the effect reminded me of
Have you considered wrapping tin foil around the cable? I imagine the hand might add some shielding or something like that.
Oh shit, where can I find that Launch Base remix at the end?
1977: "VCS and VES? That's too similar and will confuse consumers."
2020: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One S, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 S, Xbox.
I was not prepared for how expensive one of these is on eBay.
0:40 Wallace Kirschner and Lawrence Haskel invented the interchangeable game cartridge while working at Alpex Computer Corporation. Fairchild later licensed this technology for use with their Video Entertainment System. Jerry Lawson was part of a team at Fairchild, which included Nick Talesfore and Ron Smith, who adapted the technology for use with their console.
Yep, the Channel F was leased technology.
these graphics seem far more advanced than the 2600, in some ways
seems like there's no crazy "racing the beam" trickery needed, just a simple bitmap screen, so you can easily draw whatever you want, even if the colors and resolution are a bit lower
Amazing work on the video. Your channel is a must have on RUclips!
This Galactic Space War game looks so ambitious. I wonder how they even got the idea to simulate the first person view.
Wonder if a ferrite ring on the cable would replace your hand? Not sure if that is how that works
JJJYYAEEEAAAHHH FRRRAAAME RRRAAAAAAAAAATERRRRRRR! Ilove these episodes my bro!
I always kinda hoped for a Channel F mini but I think that ship has sailed. Not much of an audience for games of this era anymore unless it’s Atari. I can still dream, though!
My first video game was a Fairchild and the baseball game was the best ever!
Frame Rater, You're Really Fuckin' Nice 👌
Your cable isn't properly shielded. Your hand is serving as a partial shield, improving the signal. For the best results with these old TV Out games, use a TV type coaxial cable instead of the usual video cable. You will need an adapter on the console end, but the results can be dramatic.
You have to put a ferrite core on the cable.
Thanks for another great video.
Atari Lynx next! Lol
I had the VES version before they renamed it. Loved the hand controls. But when I got my hands on CBM machine, it went into the dark corners of history.
i think you need a better coax cable, it's acting like an antenna picking up noise in your room lol
video whizball looks nice
You can fix it by wrapping copper wire around that area of the cord and pressing it maybe with a pepper clip , It like when you touch the tv and the picture get better it using your your body.
blind man's bluff is actually a tag varient that is appearently popular in the UK.
Frame - Capacitive coupling of some sort is what's up with the cable holding
Pretty sure they had LSD back then for the quadradoodle parties.
Haha true
Cartridges existed before the channel f in computers.
The Chaneel F is leased technology from a computer company called Alpex AKA Project Raven. It was a fully working system but on a bread/PCB board with games on Eproms and controlled by a keyboard.
We did have an channel F system. But the games was way to expensive. a one game cartridge could cost 19.99 euros and a double when it did contain more games. So it was a no brainer when the first computer did come down in price we did get that instead....
16:08 lmao 💀
I suspect your hand is shielding electromagnetic interference