Video Monitor Cable
From Sega Retro
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| Video Monitor Cable | |||||||||||||||
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| Made for: Sega Mega Drive | |||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer: Sega | |||||||||||||||
| Type: Video cable | |||||||||||||||
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The Video Monitor Cable is the name of the official cable used for carrying composite video (yellow) and monaural audio (white) from a Sega Mega Drive to a television.
In Japan, Video Monitor Cables were bundled with every Mega Drive console from launch in 1988, however in North America and Europe, Sega originally opted for lesser RF cables, presumably to accommodate differences in television markets (although it is not currently known if this cable appeared in Europe). Video Monitor Cables were instead sold separately for those who had televisions (or monitors) that supported the standard.
When the Mega Drive 2 was released with the ability to output stereo audio to a television, the official Video Monitor Cable was rendered obsolete by the Stereo Audio Video Cable (and then again in Europe when SCART cables were introduced). While all flavours of Mega Drive support stereo audio, the original Mega Drive needs to be physically modified in order for this ability to be unlocked (save for out of the headphone port at the front).
However, for televisions that only had a mono audio input, a Mega Drive 2 variant was released as the Audio Video Cable.
Physical scans
| Mega Drive, US (1990) |
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   Cover
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| Mega Drive, US (1992) |
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  Cover
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| Mega Drive, US (Audio Video Cable) |
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 Cover
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References