website/content/museum/binatone-tv-game-unit-model-n-01-4990.md

title, categories, origins, years, params

title	categories	origins	years	params
Binatone TV Game Unit (model n° 01 / 4990)	Pongs	United Kingdom	1976	name image company company_name specs forum_thread oc_id source TV Game Unit (model n° 01 / 4990) /media/museum/photos/binatone_tv-game-unit_1.jpg /companies/binatone Binatone label value NAME TV Game Unit (model n° 01 / 4990) label value MANUFACTURER Binatone label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR ? 1976 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE one (pong) label value KEYBOARD 4 built-in knobs. Two for each player (vertical & horizontal movement ?) label value CPU Unknown label value SPEED Unknown label value CO-PROCESSOR Unknown label value RAM On the system himself label value COLORS Black & white label value SOUND Unknown label value SIZE / WEIGHT Unknown label value I/O PORTS RF TV video output label value OS 4 x 'C' batteries label value POWER SUPPLY Unknown label value PERIPHERALS No label value PRICE £23.95 (UK, 197?) 1014 1040 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230613001100/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1040 2023-06-13

Very interesting and early pong system but sadly nearly nothing is known about it. It is the UK version of the Entex Gameroom Tele-Pong (USA).

It might be an analogic pong, using no dedicated chipset. The controllers are weird : two knobs for each player, integrated into the plastic case. One for vertical movements and the other for horizontal movements. Two other knobs at the top of the case are used to set V-Hold and H-Hold values of the display. Another control (dial or push button) seems to be used to choose between channel 26 or 31 on the TV.

The score is not displayed on TV, but there is a way to keep track of each player's score thanks to two numbered wheels built-in the case.

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Steve Challis recalls :
I had one of these as a young child. From what I can remember it used descrete TTL /analog logic chips. And there were quite a few of them on one large PCB. It had sound provided by an inbuilt modulator to the TV set. The back was made of cardboard which also housed the battery holder.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.