• Source: C64 Direct-to-TV

The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick (modeled after the mid-1980s Competition Pro joystick), with 30 built-in games. The design is similar to the Atari Classics 10-in-1 TV Game. The circuitry of the C64DTV was designed by Jeri Ellsworth, a computer chip designer who had previously designed the C-One.
Tulip Computers (which had acquired the Commodore brand name in 1997) licensed the rights to Ironstone Partners, which cooperated with DC Studios and Mammoth Toys in the development and marketing of the unit. Released in late 2004, QVC purchased the entire first production run of 250,000 units and sold 70,000 of them on the first day that they were offered.




Versions


There exist multiple versions of the C64DTV. DTV1 (NTSC television type) comes with 2 MB ROM. It first appeared in late 2004 for the American/Canadian market. DTV2 (called C64D2TV sometimes) is a revised version for the European and world markets (PAL television type) and appeared in late 2005. The ROM has been replaced by flash memory in these devices. However, the DTV2/PAL version suffers from a manufacturing fault, which results in poor colour rendering (the resistors in the R-2R ladder DACs for both the chroma and the luma have been transposed). In the DTV3, a problem with the blitter was fixed.




Hardware specifications



Core circuitry
ASIC running at 32 MHz internally, implementing 6510 CPU, VIC-II, SID, CIA, and PLA
Casing/Connectors
integrated in a joystick (as if connected to port 2 of a real C64)
five additional buttons (acting like keys)
running from batteries only (four AA batteries)
Composite video, monaural audio (RCA connectors)
looks similar to a Competition Pro joystick
Graphics
NTSC (DTV2 and later: NTSC/PAL on chip, only PAL wired in end-market devices)
reprogrammable palette with 4 bits of luma and 4 bits of chroma
DTV2 and later: "chunky" 256 color mode, additional blitter for fast image transformation
Sound
no support for SID filters
DTV2 and later: 8 bit digital sound, additional options for envelope generators
Memory
DTV1: 128 KB RAM, 2 MB ROM
DTV2 and later: 2 MB RAM, 2 MB flash memory
DMA engine for RAM/RAM and ROM/RAM transfers
DTV2 and later: additional RAM access using bank switching and blitter
CPU
implementing a 6510 at 1 MHz
DTV2 and later: Enhanced CPU (fast/burst mode, additional registers and opcodes, support for illegal ops of the 6510)




Built-in games


The official games for the unit are mostly a mix of Epyx and Hewson C64 games. Games unique to the NTSC or PAL versions are noted below.




Hardware-modding


Since the internal circuit board has exposed solder points for floppy-drive and keyboard ports, hardware modifications of the C64DTV are relatively simple.
Known hardware mods

Keyboard connector
External joystick (Port 1 and 2)
Floppy connector
Power unit connector
Fixing the palette problems of the PAL version (to some degree this is possible in software by adjusting palette entries)
S-Video connector
User port
Original C64 casing and PS2 keyboard
Additional hardware

Data transfer cable (Parallel port (or USB/serial port via DTV2ser) to Joystick or user port)
SD card interface 1541-III or MMC2IEC




Limitations


The internal flash memory is accessible as device 1. However, software is not included to support write operations so high-score saving is not possible. Also, flash devices used in the DTV are specified for a very limited number of write accesses only.
When using the standard keyboard mod, the F7 key does not work. There is a workaround, the "Keyboard Twister."




Software-modding


The DTV contains software-flashable memory. A number of tools have been released to compile programs into DTV-compatible flash images and load it onto the DTV. People made their own game compilations, adding popular (sometimes DTV-fixed) games that were not in the original DTV, added boot menus to make homebrew software development easier or enable new features, for example transfer programs like DTVtrans for transferring data from PC to DTV RAM and vice versa via the PC parallel port (or USB) and the DTV joystick port.




References






External links


DTV Hacking Wiki, archived from the original on 2013-04-14, retrieved 2013-08-06 - DTV versions overview, HOWTOs, DTV Programming guide
The Official C64 DTV site - user manual plus some other information
David Murray's Commodore DTV Hacking
C64DTV stuff by tlr Flash Tool, ML-Monitor, PC<->DTV transfer system
Mr. Latch-up's C64 DTV & Hummer Advice Column
A page about the history of the device
Details on fixing colour problem on PAL DTVs - Note that surface-mount soldering skills are required.
DTVtrans, connecting a DTV to a PC via parallel port
DTV2ser, connecting a DTV to a PC/Mac via USB or serial port
Four ways to turn a C64 DTV into a C64 clone
Grokk´s DTV Stuff DTVBIOS and DTVBASIC - make your DTV code-ready.
dtvhacking.retrosafe.com
http://dtvhacking.cbm8bit.com/v1/index.html Archived 2021-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/the-commodore-64-bounces-back-to-life-as-a-direct-to-tv-plug-and-play-joystick
C64 DTV Games Joystick Specs and History

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• C64 Direct-to-TV
• Commodore 64
• Paradroid
• Handheld TV game
• Speedball (video game)
• Uridium
• Summer Games (video game)
• VICE
• C-One
• Winter Games