website/content/museum/akor-tv-boy.md

---
title: Akor TV-Boy
categories:
- Consoles
params:
  name: TV-Boy
  image: /media/museum/photos/tv_boy_1et2.jpg
  company: /companies/akor
  company_name: Akor
  tabs:
  - photos
  - connectors
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 808
  photos:
  - title: TV-BOY I
    subtitle: ''
    text: Notice the external joystick connector on the lower right.
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy1.jpg
  - title: TV-BOY II
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tv-boy-2.jpg
  - title: TV-BOY II DETAILS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy2detail.jpg
  - title: BUTTONS CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy2detailbtns.jpg
  - title: DIRECTIONAL CROSS CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy2detaildirect.jpg
  - title: EXTERNAL JOYSTICK CONNECTOR
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The TV-Boy I has two of these connectors.\
      Pirated games, bad quality components, VERY bad integration... the TV-Boy is a typical chinese low cost system.
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy2detailconn.jpg
  - title: TV-BOY I INTERNALS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The **A** box is the RF modulator.\
      The black blocks on each side are Atari joystick connectors.
    image: /media/museum/photos/tv_boy_1_inside.jpg
  - title: TV-BOY II INTERNALS
    subtitle: ''
    text: Less components than the first version, better integration. Space was provided for Atari connectors and RF modulator, but they were not implemented on this SCART model.
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy2internals.jpg
  - title: MOTHER BOARD CLOSE-UP (SOLDER SIDE)
    subtitle: ''
    text: This close-up picture shows the bord revision number (the Super TV-Boy board is labelled "WS101C")
    image: /media/museum/photos/tvboy2detailboard.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: This is the french version of the box.
    image: /media/museum/photos/tv_boy_box.jpg
  - title: SYSTEMA TV-BOY
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/systema_tvboy.jpg
  - title: WHITE NICS TV-BOY
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [TV GAME KAN](http://www8.plala.or.jp/tvgamekan/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/photos/nics_white-tvboy.jpg
  connectors:
  - title: VIDEO CONNECTOR
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This mini-DIN 4 video out connector is available on the SCART versions of the (Super) TV-Boy.\
      The video ground is on the connector (and SCART cable) shield.
    image: /media/museum/connectors/tvboyvideo.gif
  - title: EXTERNAL JOYSTICK
    subtitle: ''
    text: It's a standard Atari compatible joystick connector.
    image: /media/museum/connectors/atari_joystick.gif
  screenshots:
  - title: MACHINE CAMEL
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'The real name of this game is **Star wars: the empire strikes back**. It was originally edited by Parker Bros.'
    image: /media/museum/software/tv_boy_camel.gif
  emulators:
  - title: Stella
    url: http://stella.sourceforge.net/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: Stella is a very good multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator and has alredy been ported to AcornOS, AmigaOS, DOS, FreeBSD, IRIX, Linux, OS/2, MacOS, Unix, and Windows.
  links:
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: ''
  related:
  - /museum/akor-super-tv-boy
  oc_id: 827
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221205121902/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=827
    date: '2022-12-05'
---

This very classical system-in-a-paddle is a pirate Atari VCS 2600 clone with 127 built-in games (but no cartridge slot). Produced in China, it was released under several brands (NICS in the US, SystemA in UK...) all over the world. This system was sold until recently in France by a local company : AKOR.

Everything you need to have fun playing good old 2600 games (excluding the TV set) is built in the system : CPU, games, control pad. While the second version (aka TV-Boy II) needs to be connected to the TV set via an A/V connection (SCART or standard RCA cable), the first one (TV-Boy I) includes a cheap wireless video transmission system : an antenna can be plugged into the RF Out connector, converting it in a (very) short range video emitter. You can also use a normal RF cable.

These two versions have a few other differences : the TV-Boy I has two Atari joysticks connectors which the TV-Boy II lacks (in two-player games, the pad controls both players at the same time...), and the version II has a better mother board design, probably in order to lower the production cost.

The system uses a bank switching technique and the 127 built-in games are accessed via an on-screen menu (the 128th program) so there is no dip switch as seen on some pirate x-in-one cartridges. This menu (that seems to be located at the lowest address of the ROM) is executed by default when the system starts and once a game is selected, there is no mean to come back, so one needs to restart the system to play another game.

Several games have been hacked : the copyright marks and original publisher logos were removed, and some sprites have been modified. Most of them have been renamed.

The SystemA and NICS versions of TV boy II, does not have the A/V connection mentioned. It's a straight RF lead to the TV. They also have a small II printed to the right and above the TV Boy logo. The game list is also slightly different.

A third version, the [Super TV-Boy](/museum/akor-super-tv-boy/) was released later, including the same games and specifications, but with a very different design.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this console ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>