Difference between revisions of "TV Tuner"

From Sega Retro
(Added uncredited Production credits)
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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.
 
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.
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==Production credits==
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{{creditstable|
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*[[Masatoshi Mizunaga]]{{ref|1=https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=201103066743544441}}
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| console=GG
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| source=Uncredited
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}}
  
 
==Magazine articles==
 
==Magazine articles==

Revision as of 12:06, 17 June 2023

Tvtuner.jpg
TV Tuner
Made for: Sega Game Gear
Manufacturer: Sega
Type: Miscellaneous
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Game Gear
JP 		¥12,80012,800[1] HGG-3001
Sega Game Gear
JP
(2) 		¥12,80012,800[1] HGG-3015
Sega Game Gear
US 		2101
Sega Game Gear
DE 		MK-2101-18
Sega Game Gear
ES 		MK-2101-20
Sega Game Gear
PT 		MK-2101-20
Sega Game Gear
UK 		£74.9974.99[2][3] MK-2101-05
Sega Game Gear
SE
Sega Game Gear
IT 		MK-2101-20
Sega Game Gear
CZ 		3,699 Kč3,699[4]
Sega Game Gear
PL 		250zł250[5]
Sega Game Gear
AU 		MK-2101-20
Sega Game Gear
BR 		011840
Sega Game Gear
KR 		STP-150

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.

TV Tuner, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Production credits

Source:
Uncredited


Magazine articles

Main article: TV Tuner/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Notavailable.svg
DE TV advert (1991)[7]
Notavailable.svg
GR TV advert (1993)
GR TV advert (1993)
Game Gear advert SE.jpg
SE advert
Game Gear advert SE.jpg
Suuri lelukirja FI 1992 Sega.jpg
FI advert (1992)
Suuri lelukirja FI 1992 Sega.jpg
Suuri lelukirja FI 1993 Sega.jpg
FI advert (1993)
Suuri lelukirja FI 1993 Sega.jpg
TVTuner GG UK PrintAdvert.jpg
UK print advert
TVTuner GG UK PrintAdvert.jpg
TVTuner GG UK PrintAdvert JudgeDredd.jpg
UK Judge Dredd print advert
TVTuner GG UK PrintAdvert JudgeDredd.jpg
SegaIsraelSegaClub IL PrintAd.jpg
Print advert in Freak (IL) #10 (1993-xx-xx)
SegaIsraelSegaClub IL PrintAd.jpg
Riki 01 SK Computer Center advert.jpg
Print advert in Riki (SK) #1: "September 1994" (1994-09-01)
Riki 01 SK Computer Center advert.jpg

Patents

  • US5161803

Photo gallery

  • US model

  • JP model

  • DE model back

  • KR model

  • KR model back

Physical scans

Game Gear, JP (older)
TVTuner GG JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngTVTuner GG JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Game Gear, JP (newer)
Gg tvtuner jpbox back.jpgNospine-small.pngGg tvtuner jpbox front.jpg
Cover
Game Gear, US
TVTuner GG US Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngTVTuner GG US Box Front.jpg
Cover
SegaGameGearTVTunerNAmericanInstructionManual.pdf
Manual
Game Gear, EU
TVTuner GG EU Box Front.JPG
Cover
Game Gear, UK
TVTuner GG UK Box Back.jpgTV Tuner Pack GG UK BoxSpine.jpgTVTuner GG UK Box Front.jpg
Cover
TVTuner GG EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Game Gear, PT
TVTuner GG PT Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngTVTuner GG PT Box Front.jpg
Cover
TV Tuner GG PT Manual.pdf
Manual
Game Gear, BR
ModulodeTV GG BR Box Top.jpg
ModulodeTV GG BR Box Back.jpgModulodeTV GG BR Box Spine.jpgModulodeTV GG BR Box Front.jpgModulodeTV GG BR Box Spine2.jpg
ModulodeTV GG BR Box Bottom.jpg
Cover
Game Gear, KR
TVTuner GG KR Box Front.jpg
Cover

External links

  • Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Game Gear

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/tuner.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-02-08 08:04)
  2. ↑ Mean Machines, "January 1992" (UK; 1991-12-27), page 15
  3. ↑ Sega Power, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-06), page 15
  4. ↑ ABC, "Ročník 37, 16" (CZ; 1993-04-24), page 31
  5. ↑ Sega Game Gear - Gry Komputerowe 5/1995 page 11
  6. ↑ https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=201103066743544441
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bBM_FkygJQ&ab_channel=Protozet
Sega Game Gear
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