Making a 90's TV station for the Game Gear TV Tuner in 2022

Since Analog TV is no longer broadcast in the United States, I decided to make my own pirate-TV station in my house, so I could enjoy using my Game Gear TV Tuner accessory. I made the TV channel broadcast 90's commercials and television shows.

[@badmrfrosty09]

This is the most glorious thing I've seen done in 2022

[@tomyyoung2624]

Yes Available

[@TheAllcreatorLiveArchives]

When I was a teenager in the 90's my dad got a great deal from a yard sale on a game gear that came with a bunch of accessories games and a carrying case. I loved this TV tuner and used it to watch everything (we couldn't afford to get me my own tv). In the late 90's my dad pawned literally all of it and to this day I wish I still had it all again. I had some really great game gear games that are impossible to find these days. But most of all I miss the nostalgia of being outside hidden away from the world just watching this in a safe place where drug dealers and muggers couldn't find me. My home life wasn't that fun cause I had a shitty older sister that made my life hell. So escaping the house and finding hiding spaces was allways a great adventure for me. This TV tuner was like a best friend to me. I'm happy people get to learn about it, but they won't ever really know how much comfort this little device brought to so many.

[@RafaelOliveira-te6lm]

You can use a composite cable from the headphone jack on the pi and get low-res 4:3 signal straight from it, skipping the HDMI adapter and not needing to convert to widescreen. Some cables are wired differently, make sure the one you get has at least ground in the correct end, then you can swap the others around

[@BrianJurkowski]

That's what I was going to say! That HDMI-to-AV adapter is totally not necessary. Just use a 4-pin 3.5mm (TRRS) cable with composite video out and run that direct to the RF modulator. As a nice bonus, you won't have the issue of having to output 4:3 files stretched to 16:9 and converting it back to 4:3. Just go 4:3 all the way.

[@Stray_Spectre]

This takes me back. I got a Game Gear on Christmas '94 and a TV tuner not long after, likely because my dad thought the idea was cool. I barely used the TV tuner until the late 90's / early 00's when my parents split up. I didn't have cable running to the TV in my room at mom's, it was only for my PS1. I inherited the trait of needing white noise to fall asleep from my dad, so I set up the Game Gear on my nightstand. I'd fall asleep to some corny pre-reality show when I went to bed, wake up in the middle of the night to Ms. Cleo infomercials, and wake up in the morning to either the news or cartoons. It's funny looking back and thinking I had a lot for the time, but making due with something that seems so archaic now. These days I can leave whatever I want running on my computer overnight.

[@chrishenniker5944]

If you’re doing a pirate radio station in London, you can do this with an iPod or iPad with a set of shows each week. This allows you to slot broadcasts with your work commitments and reduces your risk of getting caught.

[@deusexmachinareznov4975]

Here in the US our radio regulatory body, the FCC; is simultaneously much more strict and far more relaxed, as long as your broadcast does not interfere with anyone else's broadcast and isn't on a restricted frequency they will straight up ignore your pirate station right up until it does interfere with someone else's broadcast who is licensed at which point they levy huge fines on you and potentially prison time.

[@grkb]

fun fact: my dad (who doesn't really know english that well) was interested at what the video was all about (cause i forgot to turn off my computer monitor when he walked in)

[@gregblendsmakes9348]

Is it because it looks like a bomb? Lol

[@grkb]

@@gregblendsmakes9348 nope lol

[@illkid86]

Just got the tv tuner I hooked it up to my converter box and it worked awesome

[@troutsoup]

the commercials are a nice touch

[@illkid86]

I have 4 digital portable tvs one is built into a radio but I just Toda bought a portable analog tv I had back in the 90s I bought a converter box and another piece I needed I'm doing a project

[@danielgerry6374]

The raspberry pie has built in AV out coming from the built in headphone jack. You do not need the HDMI to AV adapter. As for the amp that’s designed for a regular antenna going in. A direct feed from the RF modulator to that amp will overdrive the amp causing distortion.

[@willosfloppydrive]

I'm doing this in a smaller briefcase, with a raspberry pi, but no hdmi adapter (there is a new m69 model that has HDMI input) and I can have another briefcase output to my briefcase to only transmit to one antenna. I can also attach two antennas.

[@RISCGames]

I want to know all the kids who were watching full length movies on this thing!

[@LuckyMTS]

0:50 I miss old memories in 2012 on KZbin.

[@startedtech]

Has your Game Gear been recapped? (Might've missed that if you mentioned it). If not, amazing it's still working. Haven't came across a working one in a while.

[@SANDEDFACELESS69]

Bro is this me? Like no joke, I used to go with my parents to Hawaii all the time (dad was an attorney so it was always some conference or something I guess) and my game gear was also my first personal video game console and I remember wanting so bad to have the damn TV tuner while I was there! Did you know anyone that actually had one?

[@Portalrobot]

Fun fact! the Raspberry Pi has a 3.5 mm Jack used for AV the converter box was useless

[@jdrs4214]

That is amazing. The original screen is washed out tho. I wonder if a McWill or a Benn Venn LCD mod can handle a TV tuner. There is a catch to that though. Some pins of the original LCD location would have to communicate with the TV tuner.

[@marcodelao9148]

this is beautiful!!!

[@coolizmc]

Why not use the direct composite out from the raspberry pi instead of using an HDMI to composite adapter?

[@gregblendsmakes9348]

I tried to, but it didn't work. I know there's a config you have to do and reboot, but it wasn't working for me. The new raspberry PI's also don't have the composite port either - so you have to use a special AV cable that goes in the phono-jack port. I had the cable, but maybe mine was mis-wired? Not sure. But at the end of the day, HDMI is nicer because it doesn't require a config switch and I can still plug it into a regular monitor.

[@SoulSukkur]

I have a raspberry pi that runs the raspberry pi os, and i have the ability to set the output to low-res 4:3 by using raspi-config or editing /boot/config.txt (idk if these options are available with other operaring systems). would that still create the black bars phenomenon? ive also read in documentation that the pi can output composite directly, but ive never tried that myself.

[@gregblendsmakes9348]

I responded to someone else, but I couldnt get the composite output to work. Not sure why. Changing the pi to be 4:3 res is a good idea, I'll look into that!

[@everyonesloopy]

@@gregblendsmakes9348 did you try swapping the red and yellow? for some reason, on my raspberry pi 2 the cables i've used had the yellow video swapped with the red audio so maybe next time you try this try swapping the red and yellow the cable you're using might be wired such that the video line from the pi is on the red audio jack instead of the yellow video jack that's how it was for me at least

[@Noname_2014]

Very cool. Great job.

[@warrenjenkins9246]

This is amazing

[@CobraTWashington]

Very cool project! I've been working on my own set of TV stations for four years now, though they all run through coaxial cable since broadcasting via antenna is a dangerous game to play with the FCC. I've been using an old LibreElec install and the PseudoTV plugin, but I've always wondered if a basic python script could accomplish similar results. I guess i have my answer. I also love plugging it into other devices and getting them to tune in to the signal, and as someone whose first console was the Game Gear I totally get the fascination. Super super cool to see it working!

[@lander77477]

Next you got to replace that screen with a modern LCD screen. Those old original game gear screens where horrible image quality. Even when I was a kid in the early 90s I noticed that.

[@grkb]

nice

[@iLife64]

Pi already has Composite out

[@o1phoenix79]

Nice video and as other have mentioned about the composite out built into the Raspberry Pi 3b, I’ll just ask that next time please put the volume down on the source material if you wish to talk there. As the GameGear was very loud and your voice was mostly drowned out by it. Oh and the commercial breaks might be a possibility if you add cheaper marks to the videos where the commercials used to be. This way you won’t need to edit the videos into separate ones.

[@heyjustj]

I know this video is a year old, but the Google chrome cast thing is likely DRM blocking it so you can’t easily pirate videos from streaming services (like plugging it into an HDMI capture device). Or it could be an EDID issue which I know some video game consoles also have the same problem. I have had the same issues trying to use chrome casts plugged into Black Magic ATEM switchers and it ended up being such a pain that I gave up on it. The chrome casts do something weird with the HDMI signal when not plugging into a TV or monitor.

[@gamingit1]

Just finr xiaomi tv stick for likr 15$ on marketplace and use that. Im using it and it doesnt even care if it is monitor or capture device

[@Portal2099]

This is pretty awesome! But could you also connect a digital converter box to the game gear tv tuner?

[@illkid86]

Yes

[@aspinia]

Ummm way too complicated to simulate old tv signal, good thing that in my country analog signal is still functional despite saying that 2018 was going to be the end of analog signal. And actually there are only 6 digital tv channels, the other 6 channels are analog exclusive.

[@mazar420]

i wanna do this with wansegu infrastructure love japan tv :)

[@CneeKrunch]

This rules.

[@pacsonic9000]

Have you thought of using OBS for this? Have the VLC window in the window capture with a screenbug in an image layer and have the preview be full screen? That’s what I did for my tv station.

[@hectormanuel8360]

There's a way to use vlc for broadcast without obs

[@pacsonic9000]

@@hectormanuel8360 I use OBS because I want to have a screenbug without embedding it into the video, and I can also change scenes based on what I want to show.

[@hectormanuel8360]

@@pacsonic9000 Brother vlc has a built in way to add the screen bug

[@MakarovFox]

funny where i live we stil have analog tv station so that hehehe

[@AhNaa-ik5py]

Have you tried hooking your booster up backwards (antenna on TV side)

[@juniorfio1196]

Is there any way to get the program you made? I have no programing experience to create my own.

[@RaysGamingChannel2003]

This is awesome but idk if it will work with the Japanese version of the TV Tuner for the game Gear

[@blindguitarfox]

I think it would since the US and Japan both use NTSC.

[@juanmacias5922]

nice 5:02

[@Dub-C-30]

so good

[@tomyyoung2624]

Yes Available

[@EverScrolls]

Any plans to share the code? I would love to get this working on my Analogue Pocket.

[@illkid86]

Nah f that

[@EverScrolls]

@@illkid86 ...what?

[@illkid86]

@@EverScrolls this concept would never work on the analog pocket

[@illkid86]

@@EverScrolls game gear tv was innovative for its time I wish it would still work as it was

[@AndyVandercoy]

Is there a py file on a gethub somewhere with this or updated? I never wrote in python and I replicated everything I could in this video and bought all the equipment. It will not autostart whatsoever. Running latest Raspi OS 64 bit. Possible version difference I suppose. Either way, the sh scripts refuse to execute because of errors I created saying unexpected indentation or expected indentation. Compiler doesnt like get CommercialString(): --> expected '(' Anyway, just seeing if this project exists out there. Spent my entire sunday on this lol, my fault, just really wanted to get this to work :(

[@notavailable9919]

The FCC would like a word.....jk...nicely done!

[@gregblendsmakes9348]

Haha it's not that powerful... yet. muahaha

[@DanielDybing]

What is the range on this setup? Does the signal reach throughout the house?

[@MasikoY]

To have a strong signal you need multiple signal boosters to get solid range and a quality antenna

[@subtoyoungfogo]

Does this work with the Sony watchman?

[@RaysGamingChannel2003]

If it can pick up analog TV then yes

[@Nick-oz1ex]

What range does this have?

[@tomyyoung2624]

cool!

[@ClipHub777]

hi, is new content coming any time soon?

[@tomyyoung2624]

Yes sure why. Changing the pi to be 4:3 res is a good idea, I'll look into that!

[@luke51632]

you know you could of just used a converter box and a rf transmitter

[@lamentpnw8662]

I need a V2 that runs off battery

[@illkid86]

I have a game gear thought of the game gear tuner but nah

[@instituutdaphnys3399]

Come like