Binatone TV Master (Tennis/Pong) - Retrospective

[@angusmacleod6073]

Loved this console. Had the mark 4 as a kid. Was born in 1979, but it was a hand me down from older siblings. Still think of it fondly today. Even after my family got an Atari 2600, we still used this. I would love to get my hands on one today and reverse engineer a compatible clone for the retro market. It's hard to believe, but I even used this sporadically once I had moved on from the 2600 to a C-64. Loved it. Those analog dial paddles will always be a part of my gaming life.

[@RetroSpectives]

I know there are Pong machine recreations out there, but nothing that's meant to replicate this particular model. Whatever gets made, it'd definitely need the analogue paddle controllers.

[@stephennorris2524]

Had this, great memories.

[@RetroSpectives]

I can't believe these machines are still working!

[@stephennorris2524]

@RetroSpectives Old electronics seemed to last.

[@icvideoservices]

We had the Binatone in the late 70s. LOVED it. Then we had an Acetronic machine before moving to a ZX Spectrum. This is why my total love of retro games continues to this day.

[@RetroSpectives]

Similar story for me. Moved up to the 48k Speccy in 1983/4.

[@icvideoservices]

@@RetroSpectives I started with the 16K as that was the one we afford. But it was faulty. So they repaired it but upgraded it to 48K for me. Which was ace.

[@whitesapphire5865]

I had the Hanimex version of the same game. I seem to recall that all/most of these game consoles were based around the AY-8500 (n) chip (where n relates to the variant of the games onboard). I converted mine to colour output, and as a result had two RF outs (one colour, the other one, black and white). The control paddles were a simple 500k linear potentiometer, and as such can still be repaired to this day. They were exciting times! You could still use your your telly even while the transmitters were all turned off overnight, and not broadcasting again until about 10:00 am - unless you include blank carriers, station idents, or test cards etc.

[@RetroSpectives]

That's some intersting technical info. I was never that knowledgable with electronics. I will need to open up one of the paddles on this console at some point though. They both work, but one of them is very loose. I want to see if I can tighten anything up inside. Thought it best to wait until AFTER I'd filmed the video, in case I ruin something.

[@danielcox3152]

I remember us having the mark 4, I remember playing it with my brother or sometimes when my school friends came around

[@RetroSpectives]

Sounds very similar to the experience we had in our household.

[@Inaflap]

I was given a used Prinztronic Tournament II Deluxe in 1979. It was much the same thing, but with a large rotating selector for choosing the game. It came with a light-gun and included Skeet and Target. The case was silver, black, and orange. It was the 1970s, so you had to have orange on there somewhere. I was talking to a guy a few months back, who mentioned he'd built some pong home consoles to order, for friends and work colleagues back in the 1970s. He made circuit boards based around the General Instruments AY-3-8500 chip and a TV modulator.

[@RetroSpectives]

Prinztronic rings a bell. I must have heard of it at some point. I'll look that one up out of curiosity.

[@garrylawless3550]

Great video Steve, we had a Fairchild console that my Dad bought from the electrical store next to Kwik-Save in 1976. This was a cartridge based system and the controllers were pretty advanced for the time, you had multi-direction, pull up and push down. The games on Cartridge 1 was Tennis, squash, tic-tac-toe (Noughts and Crosses), a doodle mode when you could use the controller to draw in different colours, and an auto doodle, when it would create different shapes and colours by itself, it was amazing to watch. I still had it in its original box with instructions and all the warranty cards etc, Now I've donated it to the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield. This museum is currently going through a refresh and there is a new team turning it around, I'm planning to visit with my son in a couple of months. Maybe we'll see each other sometime? Thanks as always Steve for a top quality video.👍🏻🕹️

[@RetroSpectives]

I've never seen a Fairchild in action but I've read about them in magazines. Sounds like it would have been great fun back in the 70s. Sounds kind of ahead of its time with the cartridges and games other than just Pong. I'm about 130 miles away from Sheffield, so I probably won't be visiting the museum any time soon. We're planning to downside the house and move North at some point though (years ahead) so if it's still going it'll probably become a regular haunt.

[@garrylawless3550]

@@RetroSpectives I remember the Christmas we (my sister and me) got it, after being totally amazed at the Tennis game, my Dad and my Uncle started playing it - that was the end of that for that day! My dad has since told me that it was the last one in the shop and when he got it home he noticed that it hadn't come with the aerial wire that plugs into the TV and console, so he made one and that's what we used. 👍🏻🕹️

[@davidbowie2046]

Got one for my 12th Birthday in 1980 Was literally game changing! When lads in School found out about it, they all wanted to come round to have a go! 😂

[@RetroSpectives]

I would have taken mine into school on the last day of term (remember the take a toy to school days?) if I could have lugged the TV along with it!

[@davidbowie2046]

@@RetroSpectives In all honesty Steve, it would of got robbed :)

[@ChristopherDickinson-dl1vt]

I've just got this. Not seen 1 for yrs.

[@RetroSpectives]

You just bought one?

[@80sSumpy]

Nice video! I have fond memories of getting my Mk. 4 in 1978 at the tender age of 10 and playing it on the only TV in the house which was in the living room. I can still hear my dad saying "you've got 5 minutes before I am watching the news". There is also another very elusive model that they released called the Supercable. I have only seen a picture of it so don't know if it was ever released, but it seems to have been a black and white version of the Superstar.

[@RetroSpectives]

Sounds similar to the story in my childhood home. Forever trying to get time on the living room telly for a game of Squash.

[@BloodRayneUK]

Hiya and thank you for including my comment. Looks like we had a very similar introduction to this simple yet amazing milestone in gaming technology. It’s crazy to think that in less than 5 years after first getting my grubby little mits on the Mk4, l would be using a Commodore 64 lol Thank you for the great video and a nice little trip back to those days of being a nipper in awe of a few pixels flying about a TV screen ☺️👍🏼

[@RetroSpectives]

Yeah, a similar introduction, only I went down the ZX Spectrum rabbit hole afterwards.

[@SiFiClark]

Yeah Dad got us a Binatone Might have been an earlier version as I think it was around 1976. As you said this was something a tad different to playing tag, or going for a bike ride. Gamed right through from this console, all Sinclair models, Megadrives into pcs,then PS4/5 Still gaming at 58 but arthritis is arriving in my hands...😢

[@RetroSpectives]

There were a LOT of Pong home game variations in that era. I too have been gaming since that old Binatone machine. Ultimately I've landed on pretty much exclusively gaming on my laptop now. It's the convenience of not having to hog the telly. The hands thing is a bit ominous. I can relate .. I've had RSI in my hands since 2005. I'm lucky though, as I can still work around it on my day job and gaming is not a problem - I just have to manage how much time I spend on it. Hope it all works out for you.

[@scottishwildcat]

My parents would never let us have a TV game because they were convinced it would damage the TV. Eventually my brother bought one that he was allowed to plug into the portable in his bedroom. (I forget what brand, but it was one of the ones that just came as two separate controllers, which were beige/white with orange switches.)

[@RetroSpectives]

I have seen a lot of Pong knockoffs over the years, (Binatone being one of them, to be fair.) The one you're describing rings a bell. Some of them were mostly controller, with a small console in the middle that housed the controllers.

[@Padsterrocks]

At least yours doesn't have erratic control dials like my one does.

[@RetroSpectives]

Mine need a little work, but they're still usable. One is very stiff and the other rattles and is too loose.

[@k20aa]

Thank god the nintendo came out 😂😂

[@RetroSpectives]

Indeed. 😂 Gotta start somewhere I guess.

[@johnpoile1451]

On a Sunday?

[@RetroSpectives]

You mean the time of release for the video?

[@robinpelletstovesuk9194]

PS What does 'Pong' mean?

[@RetroSpectives]

Ping Pong, as in.. table tennis. 🏓

[@SwainyAtRetroAsylum]

My first games console. Loved it until I got an Atari VCS.

[@RetroSpectives]

My first machine after the Binatone was the Speccy 48k. I did get a VCS years later though and that one is still working today.

[@SwainyAtRetroAsylum]

@@RetroSpectives I did eventually got a Speccy but not until late 86. Still got all 3 👍