Macintosh TV, getting it going and stuff

[Macdrone]

So I got the Macintosh TV  and I am finding oddities that make this machine at its age and what it does super strange.

First how it came.  Well packed no power on at all.

Recapped logic board, No change, change button switch as was listed ages ago on an LC board.  Now in a 575 it boots.  Analog board needs recapped, but I put the analog from the busted up 575 into the Mac TV.  The original 160mb hard drive was dead, floppy drive dead, slot load cd rom works.  

System without a battery doesnt hold time of course.  8 meg ram is max no matter how much ram you put in.  It always tries to start from the hard drive unless the floppy has a bootable system folder.  This was hard to put another scsi hard drive in because they all had an incompatible system and was a loop of not being able to use utilities until I found a working floppy drive to put in.  7.1 is bare bones and has no apps.  There were no real apps on the Mac TV cd rom.  Just system software.  I have application floppies, just found it strange.

More to come as I get the remote and play with it some more.  7.1 is ok but putting 7.5 on it at the moment as it didnt have even desktop picture or anything on it.  

Its really wierd there is no pds slot, no cpu, no upgrade path at all, other than a motherboard, which would change the back plate and would not be solid black anymore.

 

[omidimo]

First thing I did with my Macintosh TV was pull out the original board and upgrade it to a 575. The backplate will eventually get painted to match.

Its really wierd there is no pds slot, no cpu, no upgrade path at all

The original hardware and software was lacking on so many levels. Probably the reason why it flopped.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

This is one of those strange machines that I've passed on acquiring because I couldn't justify keeping it "just because it was rare".  There was one local to me (in working shape no less) for $150 last year but the thing that killed it for me is that it's only slightly more usable than a Color Classic but it takes up loads more space and is much more fragile to boot.  Then if you go the upgrade route you remove the one thing (besides the case color) that made it unique, the TV capabilities.

 

[Macdrone]

Ya its a strange 1.  I got it just to say Ive had 1.

 

[Themk]

The TV capabilities of the MacTV were later found on systems such as the 630-series.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

Yup, my 5200 has the Tuner add-on and then of course, the TAM.

 

[joethezombie]

Can the 5200 and TAM show the tuner video full screen? I know my G3 AiO has it trapped in a window.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

I've never tried it on the 5200 so I can't say for certain on there.  The TAM is limited to a window if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Themk]

And the Quadra 630 goes full screen!

 

[Macdrone]

The Mac TV is different completely as the TV tuner is a card, but the AV is integrated into the motherboard.  Thats why there is no FPU slot.  Also since its a 030 you cannot use the computer while watching TV.  Its one or the other.  Its 16 bit for TV and 8 bit video for computer side, according to the specs.  I have not tested that part yet as I was lacking the caps to redo the cable card.  Got a fresh install of 7.1, maxed the ram to 8 mb (tried more ram but death chimes over 8 mb) and cleaned all the dust out.  The floppy was dead, the hard drive was dead along with the analog board and motherboard caps.  To date the worst caps mess I have messed with.  Again just waiting parts to make it right.  I had a TAM and gave it a new home after I learned how to "Tam" a 6400/6500 board.  I have a 638CD, a5200 I put a 6400 board in, a 6500 all that have the cable so thats not why I did it.  Was seeing if I could ressurect it.  It was the original owner so I have the receipts and original media and books.  The original credit card type remote is on the way, minus the box it will be totally complete.

 

[Themk]

Also since its a 030 you cannot use the computer while watching TV.

It 'works' to watch TV and use the computer at the same time on my 638CD, but, at 640x480 resolution (if you want any more than 8-bit color), it is cramped to try to watch the video screen while doing something else.

 

[jhorvath911]

I provided info in another thread but you definitely can't use tv and mac at same time on the tv. You will need the tv control panel to switch modes and with mine I quit using coax all together and just use the rca inputs while switching to line since it's all digital here anyways.

 

[Themk]

I wasn't referring to the MacTV, I was referring to the Quadra 630 family, on which you CAN watch TV and write a text document at the same time. It's VERY cramped on 640x480 though.

 

[Macdrone]

Again I have a 638, and I know what it can and cant do.  The idea was to find the difference.  The av board and the coax board on the 638 series are both removable, on the TV it is not with AV.  The AV is part of the motherboard.  There are fewer caps on the motherboard by far compared to all the other 030 macs.  The coax board, that must have the mount bent to remove has a bunch of caps.  The fact that the video is 16bit for TV mode and 8 bit for computer making it a one or the other is interesting.  Some web sites mention its because of the 030 that it could not do what the 630 series can with its 040 setup.  The lack of any internal expansion makes this a serious road apple.  An FPU option is no go.  If you put another board in there its not a Macintosh TV at that point, Which is the only thing that makes it at all collectible.  You can put an AV system in a color classic or 520, but you cannot take it out of the Mac TV lol.

 

[bibilit]

 I had a TAM and gave it a new home after I learned how to "Tam" a 6400/6500 board. 

What is involved ?

 

[Themk]

Again I have a 638, and I know what it can and cant do.

I know you know what it can or can not do. My comments weren't particularly directed towards you, they were general so other people knew about what the 630 series does. My second comments was mostly directed at jhorvath911

 

[Macdrone]

Moving resistors on both sides of the motherboard.  It changes the gestalt ID and allows the rom to think its a TAM which also proved the 6400/6500 and TAM share the same ROM.  The board will not make the TAM bong in a 5xxx series case, needs the built in sub I guess.  I have a thread on it somewhere all the resistors that need moved.

 

[bibilit]

I have a spare board somewhere, if you can supply information, will be nice to try.

 

[Macdrone]

its all documented on here.  ill look for the thread i guess.