The Fairchild Channel F - Obsolete Geek

[@vwestlife]

Fairchild was (and still is) a manufacturer of electronic components mostly designed for industrial and government use, so it's no surprise that the Channel F's hardware was innovative but the games they created for it were stodgy and unimaginative -- while a company like Atari who consisted of a bunch of young hippie potheads who did nothing but design video games all day was able to come up with more creative and entertaining games!

[@fabian6514.cr3]

I watch you!!

[@jettwhite2791]

+vwestlife me too

[@robinder_]

+vwestlife woah, me too

[@rodmunch69]

When Steve Jobs worked at Atari everyone hated him because he stank so bad - apparently he didn't believe in using deodorant because he thought the chemicals were bad. Well, we see how that turned out. The big fat Steve who ate McDonald's and never exercised is still alive in kicking.

[@rodmunch69]

Nope, Jobs died because he was a hippie who tried to treat cancer using homeopathic remedies. A person in his position, with his wealth, could have lived a much longer life had he aggressively treated himself with the latest and greatest in medicine. Modern medicine actually works - well at least when there is a free market involved that rewards people and companies for coming up with new cures and new technology.

[@McLoganator]

The Channel F controller is just like a Bop-It.

[@ModernVintageGamer]

could be the best video ever. awesome stuff Rob

[@davebladegun3009]

Man that Astro City cab looks super clean. You must've spent some time and elbow grease on that sumbitch. I'm a little bit jealous.

[@anactualmotherbear]

Jerry Lawson was one of the most important figures in video game history and it's good to be reminded of his major contribution to the industry- the video game cartridge!

[@Dios67]

www.fastcompany.com/3040889/the-untold-story-of-the-invention-of-the-game-cartridge

[@CarnorJast1138]

I had one of these when I was a kid. It was the first "electronic game system" I ever had! It was actually pretty cool for its time, and I enjoyed it until I got the Mattel Intellivision in 1980.

[@araigumakiruno]

The Obsolete Geek + 8 Bit Guy + LGR + Techmoan = Chaos

[@psychoklown66]

Thank you both! Love both of your channels!

[@StuffWePlay]

The joysticks on this thing always seemed incredibly unique. I'd love to see their design somehow adapted for some sort of modern game!

[@dave4shmups]

Excellent video! IMO, Jerry Lawson should be right up there with Nolan Bushnell, in terms of being a well-known pioneer in the video game industry.

[@obsoletegeek]

+David Halligan I agree. Had the system been more successful I think you'd hear his name mentioned more often.

[@zigzagbigbag]

dave4shmups Perhaps because he was black?

[@dave4shmups]

I don't know, but I sure hope that's not the reason.

[@Dios67]

He's known but he didn't invent the console and doesn't hold any patents on it. Two engineers at a small company called Alpex invented the prototype even putting the eprom game chips in plastic "cartridges". Fairchild leased/bought the technology and they converted over to the F8 (from Intel) and shrunk it down to a smaller "console" size. Is Jerry Lawson important in gaming history? Sure, but he didn't do what you think.

[@ninjamaster3453]

wow. love your videos but you knocked it out the ballpark with this one. 1. never heard of channel f, 2. your production value is superb (the cloning) 3. 8bitguy/ibookguy cameo perfect!

[@obsoletegeek]

+Ninja Master Thanks!

[@johneygd]

The channel F had set a new standard for video games systems.

[@antonnym214]

The video color selection for the 8 colors in the single pallet were not optimal: The choices were: Light Grey, Light Green, Lavender, White, Black, Red, Green, and Blue. No yellow, no orange.

[@alansmithee1030]

Awesome episode. When I saw your doppelganger I thought for a second that the two of you were going to fight in the retro mirror match tradition. Love the show. Keep it up!

[@RogerRHF]

That pong at the end actually looks fun, you can move around going after the square lol.

[@The8BitGuy]

+RogerRHF it is.. and you can also move your goal post too by using the push/pull feature of the controller. (not shown in video) So there are lots of things you can control. I was impressed.

[@RogerRHF]

+The 8-Bit Guy It is in fact a work of art. I am going to get one myself because it just catches my interest.

[@HomelessPank]

it's literally virtual air hockey lol

[@ed10523]

I saw this console in the store when i was 7 or 8 my mother thought it was too expensive...later on i got an Atari 2600 where my love for games began. Thanks for Making this video..brought me back.

[@QUIZFILTER]

Obviously informative, but super funny as well... loved seeing 8-Bit Guy hang out for the fun! Keep up the great videos!

[@derekchristenson5711]

The bit about "finding" the 8-Bit Guy still in your living room hours later was priceless, and so was the part where you just joined him, and then a third guy showed up, and you all had a blast trying to beat your scores at the games you had just, more or less, dumped on, LOL. I just picked up a faulty Fairchild Channel F myself and hope to get it back to working order. Back in the 80's, I had never seen one, but I've heard about them, and Jerry Lawson, since the 90's, and my curiosity got the better of me. I wish I'd picked one up twenty years ago when they were a lot cheaper, though. @.@

[@GamingPalOllieMK]

I have the german version of the channel F, SABA VideoPlay :) I'm very proud of the fact I own this system

[@obsoletegeek]

+Oliver It's a piece of history!

[@max-dy3vs]

Gaming Pal Ollie I'm a german and I have a SABA Videoplay too! :)

[@lordwolffurry582]

The Obsolete Geek: where middle aged men meet to relive their childhood

[@robintst]

That really is the best version of Pong ever. Don't have a Channel F but that's one reason I'd love to get one.

[@pmcKANE]

8-Bit Guy out of nowhere!

[@michaelturner4457]

With the big 1 2 3 4 buttons, and the shape of the cartridges, it definitely took inspiration form 8-track.

[@LastofAvari]

Awesome to see your collab :)

[@ccateni28]

Lol, David the 8-bit guy was featured in this video, well thats odd.

[@jessemessmer7257]

What an obscure yet interesting corner of KZbin keep it up

[@benseac]

This brings back memories of my brother and me playing games on the Channel F.

[@lucacalutoiu1236]

''Never gets old!'' Now the console is old

[@vemcomachines9634]

I just love the way it sounds!

[@acertainshape]

I love it when your wife gets pissed at you.

[@dhpbear2]

I also remember how well shielded it was the ENTIRE PC board was encased in metal!

[@CJRussell]

4:54 that was awesome the way you and 8 bit guy looked at each other

[@maicod]

you and David have the same wall paint supplier

[@MegaMoto85]

Great vid guys, i laughed so hard at the last bit

[@1337Shockwav3]

Suddenly: Saba Videoplay & Nordmende Teleplay :) Yes, this console actually got licensed. Also: MHz means nothing - see 6510 in the C64 vs. Z80 in the ZX Spectrum Fun fact about 8-Track cases ... the Exidy Sorcerer computer used actual salvaged 8-track cases for their cartridges.

[@dhpbear2]

6:33 - I owned one of these back in 1979 (yes I bought it and Videocart -10 on sale along with a new color TV) . The only games I played was "Maze" and the built-in Pong. I do recall the awful video 'ghosting'! ) Probably Fairchild's attempt to get more 'colors' outta this thing!

[@meolessi5227]

7:30 The 8-Bit Guy's face is hilarious . I'm still laughing, best scene ever hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Greetings guys!

[@nrnoble]

I remember when I first saw Pong. I couldn't figure out what "Magic" was used to get a TV to do. At the time, everything shown on a TV came from broadcast TV signal, so it was mind boggling how a TV could be controlled by game device.

[@dhpbear2]

4:58 - That's the sped-up version used in "Airplane!" ;)

[@Jimfoxyboy]

My family had one of these back when I was a kid, though we only had the first 7 carts for it. Was still working up till about a decade ago, when it was damaged during a move. After seeing some videos on other old gaming consoles, I'm kind of curious as to how it was to program the Channel F... well other than the limited space it had.

[@brandontechnerd]

I was really surprised when you brought in The 8-Bit Guy.

[@PointReflex]

I always wanted this system back in the 90's, I also still have the Popular Mechanics magazine from 1976 with the Atari VCS and the Channel F being anounced to enter in the US market (with a lot of other systems that didnt got the FCC approval xD), I saw that back then and I wanted one so much. But I got instead an Atari 2600 Jr with 72 built in games (this was in 1991 as I remember), my first game, Enduro my first virginity lost, River Raid. But as far as I can tell the market back then was making a slow begining, cheap games that anyone could understand was the way, when creativity and programming techniques came, more complex things were created, so at the end the Channel F is not THAT BAD, its just how it started.. and lets be realistic... if this console is "oh-so-basic", then.... what in the flying hell would be the original Magnavox Odissey? D:

[@SeGa32xXx1]

Magnavox's system would be considered garbage.

[@kamiboy]

Great collab there guys. For my taste though console video games didn't get to be real fun until the Japanese entered the market and threw their weight around.

[@obsoletegeek]

+kamiotokonoko I agree. This is the only "pre-crash" console I own. It's so historically significant that I felt it deserved it's own video.

[@BenTvHowman]

Hello #8bitguy thank you for sending me to this channle, both your shows are awesome

[@e5frog]

No, the CPU was not divided into three separate 40pin packages. The CPU is just one 40 pin package. The other two in the image is the program storage units (ROM), they were able to keep pin count down on the CPU by having ROM with their own logic for program counter etc and just use the ROMC control signals to control it. You did need at least two chips to do anything useful, a CPU and one program storage unit, later on these came package in the same capsule. 128x64 is the number of bits that can be addressed in the Video RAM, you don't see all of it on screen, especially since the two columns that encodes the palettes are placed on column 125 and 126. Emulators like MESS/MAME shows 102x58 pixels - you often see even less on a real TV. channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=VRAM

[@satin227]

ah yes back in the day when switching video cards meant playing a whole new game and not renewing your faith in the PC master race and of course 8-bit guy is here to explain it instead of making stuff on his own channel XD

[@Godzilla7302]

Had that console when i was a kid, loved the game "Cat and mouse" a maze game, but the joystick controller were weak and stopped working after a couple of years or something, that was pity. I so badly want to play that game console again.

[@pastedtomato]

Were I the only one who expected Techmoan to appear out of nowhere when they inserted the 8 Track cart into the Channel F?

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

Find the 2001 Sheen home video center from 1982!

[@HobertMcFarlandtechandcargeek]

Proof that you can have fun on KZbin! :P Nice collab, guys.

[@unitedunitedunited_]

The channel f looks a lot like an 8-track player with the numbered buttons

[@Esth.1]

i love your channel!

[@FinalBaton]

I'm wondering : how exactly do 480i CRT handle a 120 pixel high raster. We all know that for the 8-bit and 16-bit consoles (and most ps1 games, etc)displayed on SD sets(480i), the raster has 200 something pixels on the vertical axis. So by by using the 240p "hack"(show only every other line, 60 times a second, wich expands the raster twice has high since it adds blanked lines on every other line), the picture here fills up a whole SD screen, with perfect alignment of 1 pixel line on each scanline. But what about a 120 something high raster, like that of the Channel F? is 1 pixel line of the raster spread over 2 scanlines?

[@edcoolidge]

Yes

[@SeltsamerAttraktor]

Waaaaa the 8bit guy, now that is a surprise

[@XzTS-Roostro]

The 8-track joke was the best bit

[@terrythe2dmaniac71]

very interesting and entertaining guys, keep up the good work.

[@gjones1348]

Good stuff as always bud!

[@mariosskl8347]

Thank you Fairchild. For Intel, for AMD, for pushing technology forward

[@zeldajunkielol2]

Cool collab video!

[@ThePixelPolygon]

This was waaay before LAN parties.

[@vorkev1]

have you ever come across the rare Atari 2700 proto type

[@Doostun]

Nice video.

[@PSNationTorgo]

This was my 1st gaming console :-)

[@richfiles]

I used to have one of these, and a Commodore PET... I took them apart before I came to realize I might want to hold onto them... ;_;

[@RogerBarraud]

Apple II .... used a MOS 6502 ... [Shows a Synertek 6502] :-/

[@glynnetolar4423]

Had one of these when I was a kid. Great memories. But the games were eh. Did collect many of the games and sadly, I still have them, somewhere. The console died.

[@DirtyHairy1]

To me just the term Fairchild is full of promises, fantasies and laser future.

[@alfredpianoman2543]

How do you capture off of such old consoles?

[@AmyraCarter]

Heh. I've seen these here and there, but never played one...

[@gold4963]

That actually looks kinda fun!

[@noplss]

*very silently* "hey guys..."

[@MaximNightFury]

Yay editing tricks allow two of the same guy!

[@AliasUndercover]

We must have run through 3 or 4 pong machines before Atari came out. Never had a Fairchild, though.

[@ilcool90]

Sentence in commercial: *never get's old* they should be sued for false advertising :D

[@thelazywanderer_jt]

I know of a certain person who would love the woodgrain...

[@theodor12]

TheLazyWanderer lazy game reviews :)

[@thelazywanderer_jt]

Mhm, exactly~

[@Lyrabon]

WoodGrainReviewsROBLOX?

[@LegoWormNoah101]

Clint Basinger (Lazy Game Reviews).

[@AccountWasHacked]

That actually look likes a fun version of pong.

[@andrar9969]

Didn't the Magnavox Odyssey(The first home video game console) use interchangeable ROM cartridges?

[@SeGa32xXx1]

Ash No.

[@The_Str4nger]

The Odyssey as circuit cards with no rom chips.

[@Ron2600_]

There are more like keys /switches to swap between internal games.

[@Haisui]

thought the door line was a line of coke xD

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

This was very interesting.

[@davidfox8791]

Any videos on cancel games for the few net And any video on the keypad With games to go with-it I think was won with A space

[@iliketurtles4869]

I thought the Magnavox oddessy 1 was the first console with interchangeable cartridges..

[@seattleskeleton9195]

Those were just circuit cards. No ROM.

[@matthieumeewis]

@@seattleskeleton9195 yep, no cartridge there

[@branden32210]

great fantastic vid.

[@jeff97ish]

Mr. Obsolete Geek, how did a fellow Alabamian end up in the Dallas area? ROLL TIDE!

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

Oh, check this out: a crossover episode! Cool!

[@carbonblack1002]

DID THAT PLAY AN 8 TRACK WTF!?!

[@richardnaffa5953]

great video thanks

[@davidfox8791]

Space Invaders is ok on this game system as well and breakout was brilliant as well I hear you can buy one card is with all the games on

[@MetalTiger88]

to be honest, i couldn´t care less for this console, but your review was really really good and funny :D

[@Dios67]

Jerry Lawson was in the mix with the creation of the system but its a bit more complicated. www.fastcompany.com/3040889/the-untold-story-of-the-invention-of-the-game-cartridge

[@Sirkitty01]

i was thinking playing pong vs the computer, and probably get your butt handed to you)

[@MrDDawson]

I just had to re sub. KZbin please stop doing that crap! Love this video.

[@le-db6bc]

How did you get a clone of your self?

[@FairPlay137]

Mr10616SD Magic, I assume.

[@hackpod100]

great video

[@williefleete]

Wow the thing has more V ram than actual ram.

[@jesse_cantcook]

Channel F in the chat

[@thefappingfive2170]

Black's BBQ omfg dude yesssss!!!

[@dave4shmups]

Pac-Man was released for the Channel F as a homebrew game.

[@8BitKeys]

+David Halligan Rob should show us that sometime in a future episode.

[@obsoletegeek]

+David Halligan I wish I had a copy :(

[@Liam3072]

And it looks and play better than the official Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 !

[@MrJWTH]

Was that a joke or can the Fairchild actually play 8 tracks?

[@Naitrio]

no it can't.

[@energysynergymatrix8145]

It was a joke, the damn thing doesn't even fir fully in there, hence it block fully the eject button. It was pretty funny to be honest.

[@smittenthekitteninmittens2679]

cool it's the 1 byte guy....i like his channel :D

[@samfrankenstein]

Today is its creator birthday