---
title: Binatone TV Master MK IV (model n° 01 / 4974)
categories:
- Pongs
params:
  name: TV Master MK IV (model n° 01 / 4974)
  image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_2s.jpg
  company: /companies/binatone
  company_name: Binatone
  tabs:
  - photos
  photos:
  - title: TV MASTER MK IV
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_2.jpg
  - title: 'PIC #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_1.jpg
  - title: 'PIC #3'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_3.jpg
  - title: PADDLES
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_paddles.jpg
  - title: UPSIDE DOWN
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_under.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-master-mk-4_box.jpg
  comments:
  - author: simon king (United Kingdom)
    date: Sunday 23rd February 2020
    text: I have a number of these devices including Mk4 , mk6, mk8 and mk10. I also have a number of other first generation consoles :) great fun but trying to get a TV which works with them nowadays is difficult.
  - author: Steve N (United Kingdom)
    date: Saturday 18th July 2015
    text: |-
      I have a 1977 one of these - I paid £7 for it for off ebay in 2008 and it worked at the grand old age of 31 years old

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$M1-04SGSRIs

      Need to get it out of the loft and run it again soon
  - author: Presley
    date: Wednesday 9th January 2013
    text: I just got a Binatone from eBay, I remember these when I was 7. The console works, comes with all controllers, RF cable, and box! And the instruction manual. It came with everything! Good job i still got it:D
  - author: Tim
    date: Monday 30th January 2012
    text: I bought mine from Woolworths and I think the year was 1977. I still have the console in it''s original box and it still has the Woolworths price sticker £13.95. It didn''t matter that the games were only B$W as our TV was only B$W any way.
  - author: Peena (England)
    date: Monday 28th November 2011
    text: My brother and I clubbed together and bought one. I was eight years old, and they were fairly new, so your estimate of 1997 is actually correct. We had just met my uncle, who gave each of us £25 - a princely sum! I''m not kidding - this represented about a week''s wage. The console cost about thirty to thirty five pounds, because my bro had to ask me to chip in. I had spent about £15 of my money, so what was left went towards the console. Sadly, it was thrown away by a cleaning company following a fire next door. Shame - it''s the only computer game I can actually play!
  oc_id: 1035
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230614011025/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1035
    date: '2023-06-14'
---

This pong is one of the many Binatone systems. It is the first of the "TV Master" serie and offers 4 pong games (squash, squash practise, football, tennis).

In order to understand how this system fits into the Binatone pong range, here is simplified list of the systems :

TV Master MK IV\
TV Master 4 plus 2\
TV Master MK 6\
TV Master MK 8\
TV Master MK 10

Colour TV Game\
Colour TV Game 4 plus 2\
Colour TV Game MK 6\
Colour TV Game MK 10

The TV master serie are black & white pongs (first generation). The **TV Master MK IV** system is the same as the **Colour TV Game** except that the games are in black & white, while the Colour TV game displays colour games.

So how to differentiate a **Colour TV Game** from a **TV Master MK IV** ? Well first, the name... ;-) The underside and switches of the former are grey while those of the TV Master are orange. The Colour TV Game has also a small 'colour' logo next to its name (upper right).

The paddles are rather small, with one knob each, but are detachable and connected to the system through two small sockets. One interesting feature is that there is a switch to turn sound on / off (great !).