Difference between revisions of "TV Tuner"

Latest revision as of 08:06, 16 November 2024

TV Tuner

Manufacturer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT), Zegetron (GR), Tec Toy (BR)

Type: Miscellaneous

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1990	¥12,80012,800^[1]	HGG-3001
JP (TV Auto Tuner)	1994	¥12,80012,800^[1]	HGG-3015
US	1991		2101
DE	1992		MK-2101-18
ES	1992		MK-2101-20
PT	1992		MK-2101-20
UK	1991	£74.9974.99^[2]^[3]	MK-2101-05
SE	1992
IT	1992		MK-2101-20
CZ	1993	3,699 Kč3,699^[4]
PL	1993	250zł250^[5]
AU	1992		MK-2101-20
BR	199x		011840
KR	199x		STP-150
AS	199x

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The TV Tuner is a Sega Game Gear accessory which allows users to watch analogue television on the system's built-in screen. A revised version with an automatic tuner was released as the TV Auto Tuner (ＴＶオートチューナーパック), and was only sold in Japan.

Hardware

The TV Tuner plugs into the Game Gear's cartridge slot, and has a mono 3.5 mm A/V input. This means that if required, a VCR, camcorder, or a video game console can be connected and played off the system - it essentially turns the Game Gear into a small color television. There is also another mono 3.5 mm input for an external antenna, with the Japan-only Game Gear Car Antenna being the only official product to use it.

TV Tuners also differ depending on the television standard. For example, the Japanese and US models use NTSC, whereas the European model uses PAL. On top of this there are several different types of PAL - the United Kingdom for example uses PAL-I and so had a different TV Tuner to Germany. France and other countries using the SECAM standard are not thought to have officially received the TV Tuner.

History

Sega were keen to advertise the TV Tuner shortly after the system's launch for two distinct reasons, firstly because handheld televisions were still a relatively new invention and were still quite pricey in the early 1990s, and secondly because in order to cope with a color television signal, you would require a color screen - something Nintendo's Game Boy lacked, and which Sega were happy to point out at every given opportunity.

Unfortunately due to the short battery life of the Game Gear, the TV Tuner is a largely redundant accessory unless the system is connected to an AC adapter. The battery life will be drained much faster with the TV Tuner than playing Game Gear games as it uses the Game Gear's 34V rail to power the tuner inside. In modern times, the TV Tuner is largely useless for watching television as many countries have switched over from analog to digital broadcasting, which the TV Tuner is incompatible with. Majesco Game Gears are also not compatible with the US TV Tuner.

At around the same time, NEC also had the TurboVision, a TV tuner for their rival handheld, the TurboExpress. Unofficial TV tuners would also show up for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS in the years that followed.

Production credits

Masatoshi Mizunaga^[6]

Source:

Uncredited

Magazine articles

Main article: TV Tuner/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

DE TV advert (1991)

GR TV advert (1993)

SE advert

TW advert

FI advert (1992)

FI advert (1993)

UK print advert

UK Judge Dredd print advert

Print advert in Top Mega-Drive (TW) #3: "xxxx xxxx" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in Top Mega-Drive (TW) #4: "xxxx xxxx" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in Game Champ (KR) #1992-12: "92/12" ()
also published in:

Game Champ (KR) #1993-02: "xxxx" (199x-xx-xx)^[7]
Game Champ (KR) #1993-04: "xxxx" (199x-xx-xx)^[8]

Print advert in Game Champ (KR) #1993-03: "xxxx" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in Freak (IL) #10 (1993-xx-xx)

Print advert in Riki (SK) #1: "September 1994" (1994-09-01)

Patents

US5161803

Photo gallery

US model
JP Auto Tuner model
DE model back
KR model
KR model back

Physical scans

Game Gear, JP (older)
Cover

Game Gear, JP (Auto Tuner)
Cover

Game Gear, US
Cover
Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover

Game Gear, UK
Cover
Manual

Game Gear, PT
Cover
Manual

Game Gear, GR

Game Gear, BR
Cover

Game Gear, KR
Cover

Game Gear, AS^†

External links

Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Game Gear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_transition

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/tuner.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-02-08 08:04)
↑ Mean Machines, "January 1992" (UK; 1991-12-27), page 15
↑ Sega Power, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-06), page 15
↑ ABC, "Ročník 37, 16" (CZ; 1993-04-24), page 31
↑ Sega Game Gear - Gry Komputerowe 5/1995 page 11
↑ https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=201103066743544441
↑ Game Champ, "xxxx" (KR; 199x-xx-xx), page 154
↑ Game Champ, "xxxx" (KR; 199x-xx-xx), page 148

Sega Game Gear
Topics	Sega Game Gear \| History \| Magazine articles \| Promotional material \| Merchandise
Hardware	Japan \| North America \| Western Europe \| Eastern Europe \| Asia \| South America \| Australasia \| Africa Wide Gear \| Fun Play 20-in-1
Add-ons	Pro Action Replay \| Game Genie \| X-Terminator \| Master Gear Converter (Gear Master \| Nuby Converter) \| Stereo FM Tuner \| TV Tuner
Cases	Carry-All \| Deluxe Carry-All Case \| Gear Bag \| Holster Case \| Standard Carrying Case \| Soft Case \| Third Party (Play & Carry Case)
Accessories	A/V Cable \| Battery Pack \| Car Adaptor \| Car Antenna \| Cleaning Gear \| Gear-to-Gear Cable \| PowerBack (Third Party) \| Screen Magnifier (Wide Gear \| Super Wide Gear \| Third-Party) Handy Gear \| Master Link Cable
Development Tools	Sega Game Gear Development Board

[https:.2F.2Fweb.archive.org.2Fweb.2F20130208080438.2Fhttp:.2F.2Fsega.jp.2Ffb.2Fsegahard.2Fgg.2Ftuner.html-1] 1.0 ^1.1 http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/tuner.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-02-08 08:04)

[:File:MeanMachines_UK_16.pdf_p15-2] Mean Machines, "January 1992" (UK; 1991-12-27), page 15

[:File:SegaPower_UK_28.pdf_p15-3] Sega Power, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-06), page 15

[:File:ABC_CZ_37-16.pdf_p31-4] ABC, "Ročník 37, 16" (CZ; 1993-04-24), page 31

[5] Sega Game Gear - Gry Komputerowe 5/1995 page 11

[https:.2F.2Fjglobal.jst.go.jp.2Fdetail.3FJGLOBAL_ID.3D201103066743544441-6] ttps://jglobal.jst.go.jp/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=201103066743544441

[:File:GameChamp_KR_1993-02.pdf_p154-7] Game Champ, "xxxx" (KR; 199x-xx-xx), page 154

[:File:GameChamp_KR_1993-04.pdf_p148-8] Game Champ, "xxxx" (KR; 199x-xx-xx), page 148

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[3]

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[8]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | accessoryprogramscreen=
 | title=
-| maker=[[Sega]]
+| maker=[[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.]]
+| distributor={{company|[[Ecofilmes]]|region=PT}}, {{company|[[Zegetron]]|region=GR}}, {{company|[[Tec Toy]]|region=BR}}
 | type=Miscellaneous
 | madefor=[[Sega Game Gear]]
 | releases={{releasesGG
-| gg_date_jp=199x
+| gg_date_jp=1990
 | gg_code_jp=HGG-3001
 | gg_rrp_jp=12,800{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20130208080438/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/tuner.html}}
-| gg_date_jp_1=199x
+| gg_date_jp_1=1994
 | gg_code_jp_1=HGG-3015
 | gg_rrp_jp_1=12,800{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20130208080438/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/tuner.html}}
-| gg_type_jp_1=2
+| gg_type_jp_1=TV Auto Tuner
 | gg_date_us=1991
 | gg_code_us=2101
@@ Line 22: / Line 23: @@
 | gg_date_de=1992
 | gg_code_de=MK-2101-18
-| gg_date_it=199x
+| gg_date_it=1992
 | gg_code_it=MK-2101-20
-| gg_date_es=199x
+| gg_date_es=1992
 | gg_code_es=MK-2101-20
-| gg_date_pt=199x
+| gg_date_pt=1992
 | gg_code_pt=MK-2101-20
-| gg_date_se=199x
+| gg_date_se=1992
 | gg_date_cz=1993
 | gg_rrp_cz=3,699{{magref|abc|37-16|31}}
-| gg_date_pl=1994
+| gg_date_pl=1993
 | gg_rrp_pl=250<ref>''Sega Game Gear'' - Gry Komputerowe 5/1995 page 11</ref>
-| gg_date_au=199x
+| gg_date_au=1992
 | gg_code_au=MK-2101-20
 | gg_date_br=199x
@@ Line 41: / Line 42: @@
 }}
 }}
-{{stub}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''', known as the '''TV Auto Tuner''' (ＴＶオートチューナーパック) in Japan, is a [[Sega Game Gear]] accessory which allows users to watch analogue television on the system's built-in screen.
+{{stub}}The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is a [[Sega Game Gear]] accessory which allows users to watch analogue television on the system's built-in screen. A revised version with an automatic tuner was released as the '''TV Auto Tuner''' (ＴＶオートチューナーパック), and was only sold in Japan.
 ==Hardware==
-The TV Tuner plugs into the Game Gear's [[cartridge]] slot, and has a mono A/V input. This means that if required, a VCR, camcorder or another video game console can be connected and played off the system - it essentially turns the Game Gear into standard 1990s-spec television. Some models have an extra port for an extra antenna (the [[Game Gear Car Antenna]] was the only official product to use it) - this port was removed in some variants because it served no purpose in many regions.
+The TV Tuner plugs into the Game Gear's [[cartridge]] slot, and has a mono 3.5 mm A/V input. This means that if required, a VCR, camcorder, or a video game console can be connected and played off the system - it essentially turns the Game Gear into a small color television. There is also another mono 3.5 mm input for an external antenna, with the Japan-only [[Game Gear Car Antenna]] being the only official product to use it.
-TV Tuners also differ depending on the television standard. For example, the US model uses NTSC, whereas the European model uses PAL. On top of this there are several different types of PAL - the United Kingdom for example uses PAL-I and so had a different TV Tuner to Germany. France and other countries using the SECAM standard are not thought to have officially received the TV Tuner.
+TV Tuners also differ depending on the television standard. For example, the Japanese and US models use NTSC, whereas the European model uses PAL. On top of this there are several different types of PAL - the United Kingdom for example uses PAL-I and so had a different TV Tuner to Germany. France and other countries using the SECAM standard are not thought to have officially received the TV Tuner.
 ==History==
-[[Sega]] were keen to advertise the TV Tuner shortly after the system's launch for two distinct reasons, firstly because handheld televisions were still a relatively new invention and a dedicated system was still quite pricy in the early 90s, and secondly because in order to cope with a colour television signal, you would require a colour screen - something [[Nintendo]]'s [[Game Boy]] lacked, and which Sega were happy to point out at every given opportunity.
+[[Sega]] were keen to advertise the TV Tuner shortly after the system's launch for two distinct reasons, firstly because handheld televisions were still a relatively new invention and were still quite pricey in the early 1990s, and secondly because in order to cope with a color television signal, you would require a color screen - something [[Nintendo]]'s [[Game Boy]] lacked, and which Sega were happy to point out at every given opportunity.
-Unfortunately due to the short battery life of the Game Gear, the TV Tuner is a largely redundant accessory unless the system is connected to an [[AC adapter]]. The battery life will be drained much faster with the TV Tuner than playing Game Gear games. Also as the world switches from analogue television to digital, the system becomes ever more useless, and the TV Tuner is reportedly incompatible with the late 90s Game Gear produced by [[Majesco]].
+Unfortunately due to the short battery life of the Game Gear, the TV Tuner is a largely redundant accessory unless the system is connected to an [[AC adapter]]. The battery life will be drained much faster with the TV Tuner than playing Game Gear games as it uses the Game Gear's 34V rail to power the tuner inside. In modern times, the TV Tuner is largely useless for watching television as many countries have switched over from analog to digital broadcasting, which the TV Tuner is incompatible with. [[Majesco]] Game Gears are also not compatible with the US TV Tuner.
-Following the release of this device, [[NEC]] responded by releasing the TurboVision, a similar add-on for their rival handheld, the TurboExpress. Unofficial TV tuners would also show up for the [[Game Boy Advance]] and [[Nintendo DS]] in the years which followed.
+At around the same time, [[NEC]] also had the TurboVision, a TV tuner for their rival handheld, the TurboExpress. Unofficial TV tuners would also show up for the [[Game Boy Advance]] and [[Nintendo DS]] in the years that followed.
 ==Production credits==
@@ Line 66: / Line 67: @@
 ==Promotional material==
-{{gitem|Notavailable.svg|DE TV advert (1991)<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bBM_FkygJQ&ab_channel=Protozet</ref>}}
+{{gitem|GG DE TVAdvert 1991.mp4|DE TV advert (1991)}}
 {{gitem|Game Gear advert GR.mp4|GR TV advert (1993)}}
 {{gitem|Game Gear advert GR 2.mp4|GR TV advert (1993)}}
@@ Line 103: / Line 104: @@
 <gallery>
 TVTuner GG US.jpg|US model
-Gg jp tvtuner.jpg|JP model
+Gg jp tvtuner.jpg|JP Auto Tuner model
 GG DE TV Tuner.jpg|DE model back
 TVTUNER_GG_KR.jpg|KR model
@@ Line 120: / Line 121: @@
 }}{{Scanbox
 | console=Game Gear
-| region=JP (newer)
+| region=JP (Auto Tuner)
 | front=Gg tvtuner jpbox front.jpg
 | back=Gg tvtuner jpbox back.jpg
@@ Line 159: / Line 160: @@
 | square=yes
 | manual=TV Tuner GG PT Manual.pdf
-}}{{Scanbox
+}}
+{{Scanbox
+| console=Game Gear
+| region=GR
+| front=
+}}
+{{Scanbox
 | console=Game Gear
 | region=BR
@@ Line 191: / Line 198: @@
 ==External links==
 * Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/tuner.html Game Gear]
+* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_transition
 ==References==