First Commodore monitor, the Commodore 1701 video monitor is introduced on 1983 Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, January 6-9................
The COMMODORE MODEL NO. 1701 VIDEO MONITOR PAL system color TV ; 1701 and 1702 were 13-inch (33 cm) color monitors for the C64 which accepted as input either composite video or separate chrominance and luminance signals, similar to the S-Video standard, for superior performance with the C64 (or other devices capable of outputting a separated signal).
The monitor was developed in conjunction with a major television manufacturer , JVC , and includes special circuitry that greatly enhances picture resolution. Commodore even has applied for a patent on the new design, and features a first time a MITSUBISHI PAL decoder. the M51393AP is a semiconductor integrated circuit consisting of a PAL system color TV video chroma system, housed in a 30-pin molded dIL package.Functions include video tone control, contrast control,and brightness control. The device includes a video output transistor, chroma signal processing and chroma demodulator circuits.
The 1701 monitor has a composite input for the Vic 20, or for an even better picture for the C64, C16 and Plus 4, there is a chrominance and luminance output.
Although these peripherals came very late in the VIC-20's production history, they are worth mentioning because of their immense popularity among Commodore computer owners. Because of this, many VIC-20s were used with 1701 & 1702 monitors even after the VIC-20 had ceased being produced. Many present-day VIC-20 collectors and enthusiasts prefer to use this monitor because of its good quality picture, durability and versatility.
The 1701 and 1702 monitors are made to match the tan and brown colour theme of the Commodore 64. The only monitor known to have been designed specifically for use with the VIC-20 is Commodore's ultra-elusive VIC-1510 (which may not have been produced for sale).
The 1701 & 1702 monitors operate on the NTSC or PAL television standard. This means that any video player, video game or other source with A/V connectors can be used with these monitors. In fact, up until the recent advent of high-definition widescreen television, many amateur & professional film-makers sought out second-hand 1701/1702s to use as inexpensive monitors for use in video-editing suites. Perhaps these alternate uses explain why so many 1701/1702's were spared destruction in the period between the decline of 8-bit computers in the mid 1980s and the emergence of retro-computer collecting in the late 1990s.
The 1701 and 1702 monitors produce vivid colour and a good quality picture, but were not well-suited for displaying sharp text beyond 40 columns.
The square, charcoal-colored screen is framed in a black plastic rim at the top of the front panel of the box. Beneath the screen, on the right side of the front panel, is a grey power button. Beneath it are two jacks. The leftmost jack has a yellow plastic rim and is labeled "VIDEO". The rightmost jack has a white plastic rim and is labeled "AUDIO". There is a small, rectangular power indication light underneath the center of the screen. Beneath the screen on the left-hand side is a plastic strip that can be manually folded down revealing a row of monitor controls.
There are ventilation slits cut into the sides of the monitor. In the top, left-hand corner of the back panel of the monitor are additional Audio and Visual input jacks. There is also a switch for selecting either the front or the back input.
Commodore International (other names include Commodore International Limited and Commodore Business Machines) was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Commodore International (CI), along with its subsidiary Commodore Business Machines (CBM), was a significant participant in the development of the home personal computer industry in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The company developed and marketed the world's best-selling computer, the Commodore 64 (1982), and released its Amiga computer line in July 1985. With quarterly sales ending 1983 of $49 million (equivalent to $109 million in 2020), Commodore was one of the world's largest personal computer manufacturers.
In 1954 Jack Tramiel founded Commodore as a typewriter repair service. Jack Tramiel was Polish, and after Auschwitz he traveled to the United States and joined the Army. After the army he decided to open a repair shop in the Bronx. Tramiel always had an inclination towards technology such as mechanical and electro-mechanical. Tramiel Moved again in 1955, this time to Ontario, Canada becoming a low-cost office furniture manufacturer.
In the 70’s there was a boom in the calculator and digital watches and although Tramiel ventured in this area in 1976 Commodore was on the edge of insolvency. Tramiel was saved by Irving Gould by lending him three million dollars and purchased MOS technologies. The acquisition was key to Tramiel’s philosophy of vertical integration. By production and distribution controlling, Commodore kept its costs very low and it’s products competitive. Commodore was again transferred to the Bahamas in order to take advantage of lower taxes, which eventually the company came on its feet again.
The headquarters and manufacturing base was in California. The idea in the 70’s was that the future of computers was in databases which were accessed via terminals. Desktop computers and affordable models were still a far reached idea. Tramiel refused to accept this. Determined as he was, in 1977 Commodore introduced the PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) which was designed by Chuck Paddle and it was sold at $795. By the time PET was put on the market there were other competitors such as Tandy TRS-80 and Apple II. Always keeping the idea of “User-Friendly” PET was composed of a Monitor, Keyboard and a Tape Drive which were housed in a plastic case.
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