Sweet vintage RGB tv pick-up. TV experts, what do I have?

[satoshi_matrix]

I picked up a vintage TV yesterday off kijiji that was too cool to ignore, but I need some help from tv experts to help me figure out what I have to get the most from it. I bought a Panasonic 24" Color TV from 1984 that's loaded with features. I have no doubt in my mind that this would have been one EXPENSIVE tv back then. The TV in case anyone can find any info other than replacement parts is a Panasonic PC-26K79RS.


So check this tv out! it's a 24" CRT with a glass screen protector! I've never seen anything like that outside of arcade cabinets! and it's in such good shape after all these years!


This TV oddly has some sort of windowed vents on each side of the tv. What's with that?


This is what caught my eye. Notice where it says RGB?


The back of the TV. Check out all the inputs this thing has!


The right side of the TV has two sets of composite inputs (the first is on the right side) and two others I have no idea what they are/do: "Through Out" and "Program Out". Can anyone help me figure out what these are?

Also note that it's got hookups for external speakers. Pretty cool. I'm going to have to try that.



Here's the real star of this show - an RGB Panel Box(!).
I don't pretend to be anything of an expert on RGB via tvs, but I know that whatever this is it isn't SCART. I have so many questions about this I don't know where to begin.

There's a switch between RGB (TEXT) and RGB (TTL). What do each of these mean?
What is the olive green 8 pin connector?
What about all those other inputs? What about the YM and YS ports? the more info I can get on everything this panel box does the better!

I'm crossing my fingers I'll somehow be able to use this to perhaps get some RGB system to work. Perhaps there's some sort of TTL to SCART adapter? In any case I just want to figure out what I got. Thanks in advance!

[UglyJoe]

The "vents" look like speakers to me.

[MasterDisk]

The greenish connector was supposed to replace AV or Scart (I forgot) but it didn't work that well and ended up disappearing a bit after it was introduced. And you've got some really good TV.

[133MHz]

Wow! Now that's a sweet find!
How's the picture quality?

There's a switch between RGB (TEXT) and RGB (TTL). What do each of these mean?

TTL level RGB is digital RGB, as used in IBM CGA, EGA and some other video adapters of years past.
Regular analog video uses 0.3V for black and 1.0V for white, with the values between those representing all the grays in between.
TTL RGB is just like a digital input. 0V means black, 5V means the color is full-on. No steps in between.

At least we know you can use it as a CGA monitor for an old Tandy or something.
As for RGB (TEXT) I've got no idea, maybe something to do with Teletext?
Hopefully that's the analog RGB setting you're after.

What is the olive green 8 pin connector?

That's a VTR connector, used for professional video cameras. Carries composite video and audio. Boring.

What about all those other inputs? What about the YM and YS ports?

YM and YS? No idea, maybe some sort of early S-Video on two separate plugs?

I'm crossing my fingers I'll somehow be able to use this to perhaps get some RGB system to work. Perhaps there's some sort of TTL to SCART adapter? In any case I just want to figure out what I got. Thanks in advance!

What you should do is set the switch to RGB (TEXT), wire up RGB from a game console to the white RCA plugs and feed composite video to the yellow RCA plug marked as SYNC IN. There are simple SCART to Component adapters you can buy (which are just pin adapters) which will do this if you can wire up the composite video lead they don't usually carry, or you can build your own from scratch out of a component cable, a composite AV cable and a female SCART plug.

Good luck!


EDIT: Actually I just had a closer look at the back panel and the supposed VTR connector says RGB(TTL) while the white RCA plugs say RGB(TEXT). No VTR connector then. Go ahead and wire up some RGB to the TEXT inputs!

[Kiddo]

Wow! That TV is simply awesome. I need to broaden my retro searches for some vintage hi-tech TVs! 

[satoshi_matrix]

Forgot to mention the remote. Yes, you saw right - the remote slides directly INTO the tv and is spring loaded for easy removal. This is such a brilliant design that it's a SHAME that this is the only TV I've ever seen to offer such a handy feature. I dunno about you guys, but I'm always losing the remote and have to dig around for it.

As for picture, well here's some pics I've taken of NES gameplay via composite. The colors seem to be slightly off, but maybe that's because I'm used to seeing NES graphics with HD goggles on. I own a huge library of NES and Famicom games as well as the Powerpak, so I'll take on any requests anyone has for a specific title.

Here's what I've taken thus far.


Super Mario Bros. 1 - note how blue the sky looks!


Super Mario Bros. 3 - was the sky always that color?

Gradius II - Lookin' good

Rockman 2 also looks spectacular on this tv!

[xan_racketboy_fan]

Simply amazing! You mind me asking what the price was? Had I found ray and brought it home, my wife would kill - just don't have the room in our apartment. Nice find indeed

[nintendodork]

Moved to Other Gaming.  This isn't a Famicom.

[satoshi_matrix]

The best thing about the tv? it was free.

[xan_racketboy_fan]

Wow, doesn't get any better than that. Must have been a beast to move.

[satoshi_matrix]

Not so bad. it's 24" and I can move it by myself. It's not something I'd like to be lefting up and down a flight of stairs anytime soon, but it's no 40" flatscreen CRT either.

[jpx72]

What about all those other inputs? What about the YM and YS ports?

I believe it has something to do with Luma and Chroma used in S-video connection...

[MasterDisk]

The colors seems to be normal. Indeed between CRT and HD there's always some big changes...

[manuel]

The best thing about the tv? it was free.

Can' beat that price! 
I also have a nice Panasonic TV. It's not as retro and cool though.

[Jedi Master Baiter]

Off-topic here, but what Rock Man 2 is that?! \\\

And since when did Gradius II have "PHOTON" on the HUD?