---
title: 'Coleco Telstar Classic - Model #6045'
categories:
- Pongs
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1976'
cpus:
- GI AY-3-8500
params:
  name: 'Telstar Classic - Model #6045'
  image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar_classic.jpg
  company: /companies/coleco
  company_name: Coleco
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: 'Telstar Classic - Model #6045'
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Coleco
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1976'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: |-
      1 - Tennis (2 players)\
      2 - Hockey (2 players)\
      3 - Handball (1 player)
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: 2 built-in paddles
  - label: CPU
    value: GI AY-3-8500
  - label: SPEED
    value: On/Off, Reset
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Difficulty Beginner/intermediate/Pro
  - label: RAM
    value: On screen
  - label: COLORS
    value: Black & white
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in beeper
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: TV RF video output
  - label: OS
    value: Unknown
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Unknown
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: 'No'
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - links
  forum_thread: 651
  photos:
  - title: TELSTAR CLASSIC
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar_classic_2.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar_classic_box.jpg
  links:
  - title: The story of the Telstar systems
    url: http://www.pong-story.com/coleco.htm
    text: PONG STORY.COM has nice pages dedicated to the Telstar systems
  related:
  - /museum/coleco-telstar
  - /museum/coleco-telstar-colormatic-model-6130
  - /museum/coleco-telstar-colortron
  - /museum/coleco-telstar-ranger
  oc_id: 667
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230613152855/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=667
    date: '2023-06-13'
---

After the release of the Telstar (the first "dedicated-chip" pong system) in 1976 which was a big success, Coleco conceived a whole range of pongs for release at Christmas 1977.

This pong is identical to the original Telstar but with a big deluxe wooden frame.

There's a 3 positions switch that controls difficulty (beginner : slow ball, big paddles / advanced : fast ball, big paddles / expert : fast ball, small paddles). If this is common to the first Telstars, this is quite different from most of the other pong systems which offer individual settings.