Why sega made you get stereo sound out of the head phone jack in the genesis

[Defolto]

This was something that I have always wondered and I was wondering why you thought sega made you get stero sound out of the fron of the sega genesis.

[TmEE]

They used same AV out connector as SMS, and that cannot carry stereo sound.... that is because of cost since they probably had parts in stock, and they did not have to manufacture new cables, just use SMS ones.

[17daysolderthannes]

you could also probably add to that the fact that most people were using RF at the time, so it didn't really matter. I'm glad they used the same connector so I can use the same cable when I want to play my SMS.

[the.importer]

This was something that I have always wondered and I was wondering why you thought sega made you get stero sound out of the fron of the sega genesis.

I's no electronic expert, that's a fact, but marketing wise, the Genesis model 1 came out in 1989 and although Stereo TVs existed, most kids (who were the primary target of video games back then) had small mono TVs. Like TmEE said, they probably had the parts in stock and producing new ones would have reflected the price of the system for the consumers for something they may have not necessarily needed.

That being said, in the 80', every kid had a Walkman, so headphones were in no short supplies in homes.

[kool kitty89]

you could also probably add to that the fact that most people were using RF at the time, so it didn't really matter. I'm glad they used the same connector so I can use the same cable when I want to play my SMS.
You can transmit stereo via RF too, but no consoles with puilt-in RF did so (and probably external as well) The only way I know of soing that is using your own external RF modulator (or VCR) with stereo A/V inputs and using the RF out. (which should be stereo on a decent VCR with stereo AV connections)


I's no electronic expert, that's a fact, but marketing wise, the Genesis model 1 came out in 1989 and although Stereo TVs existed, most kids (who were the primary target of video games back then) had small mono TVs. Like TmEE said, they probably had the parts in stock and producing new ones would have reflected the price of the system for the consumers for something they may have not necessarily needed.

That being said, in the 80', every kid had a Walkman, so headphones were in no short supplies in homes.
There were also trade-offs for different sets too, you could get a decent mid-range TV with composite+stereo inputs, or a similar one with mono only but featuring S-video as well. (we opted for the latter on our ~1991 trinitron as we had a stereo system to accompany it -a freind had the opposite, stereo+composite and a larger screen too, more like 30" opposed to our 27" set)

[NeoVamp]

I can't wait till my new RGB cable comes in the mail, it has an extra audio cable that you can stick into the front so the tv will output glorious Model 1 Audio in Stereo!

Now i just need to order some parts so i can put an extra headphone jack
in the back to keep everything looking nice and organized when i plug the cable in.

[the.importer]

You can transmit stereo via RF too, but no consoles with puilt-in RF did so (and probably external as well) The only way I know of soing that is using your own external RF modulator (or VCR) with stereo A/V inputs and using the RF out. (which should be stereo on a decent VCR with stereo AV connections)

There were also trade-offs for different sets too, you could get a decent mid-range TV with composite+stereo inputs, or a similar one with mono only but featuring S-video as well. (we opted for the latter on our ~1991 trinitron as we had a stereo system to accompany it -a freind had the opposite, stereo+composite and a larger screen too, more like 30" opposed to our 27" set)

If your parents bought you a Stereo TV bigger than 17" when you were a kid in the 90', they had quite the budget (or you were spoiled :p). Unlike computers, prices for the old CRTs of the 90' are about the same as they are now for the LCDs (give or take a $100,) only difference is that people make more money now.

[Rusty Venture]

I was wondering why you thought sega made you get stero sound out of the fron of the sega genesis.

Blast Processing enhanced stereo was far too powerful for TV's of the late 80's & early 90's. SEGA decided to make the stereo jack separate to avoid any possible class action lawsuits from exploding TV's.

The audio you hear from the back of the system is non-enhanced mono that TV's of the time *could* actually handle.

[kool kitty89]

That was our family TV, I didn't really have my own (except a neat little PortaColor later on, but that's another story). I'm not positive when we got it, but some time between 1990 and '92. (I was too young to remember)

My freind with the ~30" one probably got that a bit later, but I recognized it as similarly styled as our trinitron. (same color and trim placements, similar remote form factor, and same logo style) It was stereo, but composite input only. (again, ours had s-video too)

But yeah, we had a nice JVC stereo amp set-up.

THere was also a decent sanyo set that died around 1993, plus a little ~17" Sanyo set (late 80s?) not cable ready, that lasted until ~5 years ago (replaced by a ~17" Phillips SD LCD), an awful mid-90s ~20" zenith that went bad in a couple years, replaced by a low-end (RF only) sano that never really went bad (the screen got a little out of alignment though) but we got rid of that a few years ago, plus the little portacolor (currently with broken power switch). And that trinitron went bad about 5 years ago and we've had a nice 27" flat face CRT Sanyo there since. (composite+s-video_component with anamorphic widescreen)

[Flygon]

If your parents bought you a Stereo TV bigger than 17" when you were a kid in the 90', they had quite the budget (or you were spoiled :p). Unlike computers, prices for the old CRTs of the 90' are about the same as they are now for the LCDs (give or take a $100,) only difference is that people make more money now.
Call me spoiled but my parents got a 24inish inch CRT TV between 1992-1994 (They can't recall exact when).

But what was REALLY the cream of the crop was the late 80s Stereo amp that Mum currently uses (The CRT died last year sadly), it sounds much better then my fathers 2007 era Surround Sound system.

She got it for the VCR however (Early 90s... it was awesome, plays tapes better then her current one... the old one died also :(), the Mega Drive never got Stereo cables until last year.. even then, I doubt the system could have done the Model II any good.

[kool kitty89]

Do you know what version your model 2 is? (one fo teh bad ones or not?)

[Flygon]

All the Model 2's I've ever had are either PAL VA0's or VA1's.

[the.importer]

@kool kitty89 and Flygon

In my post, I was talking about the TV set in a Kid's room/game room/basement, not the primary family TV which was bigger and in full stereo. For example, I had a 13" with cable input only when I was a kid, the type of TV that was very common late 80' to mid 90'

[TmEE]

My first TV was a black and white portable thingy with FLAT 6" screen, RF only... some old Russian TV from 1980 or so... it died though :(

My 2nd TV was 21" with single SCART my granny gave me, but at that time I had everything that could make sound plugged into my HiFi...

Now I have a lovely 28" TV, with 2x SCART

[Da_Shocker]

I think Sega was being cheap back then. I know when I first got an NES you got AV cords to though I never bothered to use them till a few years later and then wow it looked so much better running though AV compared to the RF switch.

[kool kitty89]

I think soem Sega stuff came with AV cables as well. (usually mono though, obviously for Model 1, but I think often for Model 2/32x as well)
Maybe it depended on specific packaging, regions, and such.

[Defolto]

Yeah, I find it to be one of two things either sega thought that the average consumer would not have a stereo tv or a stereo system or two they wanted to cut costs and were going to take out the headphone jack but instead took out the stereo sound port in the back so you had the option to get stereo sound to your tv or use headphones

[Joe Redifer]

TMEE hit the nail right on the head with his first response. Yeah, it would have been cool to have RCA jacks on the thing or something, but I hooked mine up via RF and routed the sound to an external stereo. If they had an all in one cable, it would have been hard for me to do that at the time since I had no composite inputs anywhere (simple 9 inch black and white TV).

[SEGA.GENESIS1989]

I's no electronic expert, that's a fact, but marketing wise, the Genesis model 1 came out in 1989 and although Stereo TVs existed, most kids (who were the primary target of video games back then) had small mono TVs. Like TmEE said, they probably had the parts in stock and producing new ones would have reflected the price of the system for the consumers for something they may have not necessarily needed.

That being said, in the 80', every kid had a Walkman, so headphones were in no short supplies in homes.

You, my friend, win with that answer!

Gaming then is not what it is now.

I believe I still have my Sony Walkman in one of my dresser drawers!

[Iron Lizard]

I remember when we finally picked a Tv with a composite input,a 27 inch stereo Magnavox, I had a heck of a time tracking down a the av cable. As i recall it was about 1992. No one carried it. I finally found one in a Toy'R'Us after a month or so buried under a bunch of miscellanies garbage if that says anything about how much people cared about composite.

[kool kitty89]

TMEE hit the nail right on the head with his first response. Yeah, it would have been cool to have RCA jacks on the thing or something, but I hooked mine up via RF and routed the sound to an external stereo. If they had an all in one cable, it would have been hard for me to do that at the time since I had no composite inputs anywhere (simple 9 inch black and white TV).

Wait, so you had a stereo system but only a tiny B/W TV, in the late 80s? (more of an audiophile/music fan?)

I mean, they've had affordable color TVs in the US bigger than that since the mid 60s. (I own one such -though the power switch need to be repaired- the one as my avatar -actually still being made in the early 80s, a 10" color compactron tube TV, heh)
I could see preferring a good sized B/W set over smaller, affordable color sets, or more expensive larger color sets, but not a tiny B/W set as your main TV along with a stereo sound system.

Also, you'd have still been able to use RF+AV output simultaneously, so the same setup could hav been use if stereo had been on the AV port. (the composite connector would just go unused)
Not so with the Model 2 and Model 1 in Japan of course, with an external modulator built into the switchbox using the AV port.


Yeah, I find it to be one of two things either sega thought that the average consumer would not have a stereo tv or a stereo system or two they wanted to cut costs and were going to take out the headphone jack but instead took out the stereo sound port in the back so you had the option to get stereo sound to your tv or use headphones
Umm, adding the headphone jack (and associated amp+slider) would have added to cost, minimizing cost would mean AV port only (as with model 2). In the model 1's case they used the standard 8-pin DIN was with the SMS, thus using the same standard AV connectors (also used on the Neo Geo later on). If they wanted to stay cheap they would have just used that connector and no stereo output at all. They must have thought the headphone output would be a nice way to output stereo for those with mono TVs and especially those without stereo systems. (as you just needed headphones, or simple speakers as Sega offered at one point)

[Joe Redifer]

Wait, so you had a stereo system but only a tiny B/W TV, in the late 80s? (more of an audiophile/music fan?)

Well, my stereo "system" was actually a ghetto blaster with detachable speakers. It was so awesome that it even had a "bass boost" button.

[Rusty Venture]

Bass begs to be boosted, especially on ghetto blasters.

[kool kitty89]

Oh. OK ;)

BTW was that 9 incher a portable set? (either truely portable, or luggable -ie handel on top) Was is it all solid state, or an old -or possibly not so old- tube set? (no tubes; which would be likely, there were a few exceptions of the odd tube sets persisting in the market well past obsolecence like the PortaColor -most of the major brands had dropped tubes entirely long before the 80s)