1985 Sony Watchman FD-30A handheld TV + Atari Flashback

[@joshm264]

Wow Sony! Why you have to claim this video for 6 SECONDS OF MUSIC?

[@phudman]

Free this video Sony!

[@Kylefassbinderful]

I love collecting these. I have 5 of them. 2 of them are promo items with SF 49ers, 1 SF Giants, 1 LA Raiders and 1 is NY Giants. They're pretty cheap to collect.

[@vwestlife]

Yes, I remember your video. I'm surprised Sony gave it an external video input, but not an antenna input. The most basic model was the FD-20A, which was a TV only, with no radio tuner, but it did also have the video input.

[@OlMrEllis]

I used to prop mine up in my backpack and watch Jerry Springer during class back in the day (nothing better on at 9:30). AM/FM is still handy, I just wish I could find some use for the video- I tried hooking up my Sega with a coaxial adapter and all I got was a solid grey screen. :P

[@vwestlife]

WNYZ-LP in New York City, a Channel 6 LPTV acting as an FM radio station. According to Wikipedia, their video signal shows only color bars and an ID. There were also a few analog LPTVs on UHF in NYC, but they've since gone digital-only.

[@TechBaffle]

Who else is here from the WTF UA-cam video?

[@joshm264]

Me

[@expgretaillegacy]

I am

[@wilkes85]

It's a shame there's no analogue TV anymore, one of these would be great to have! I'm surprised it doesn't have an antenna input though. It would sure be a lot more useful than a video input.
I actually saw one at the thrift store once, but I didn't buy it because I figured I wouldn't get any use out of it. Considering how collectible they are though, maybe I should have bought it!

[@vwestlife]

There are some handheld portable digital TVs, but not by Sony. The main problem with digital TV is that you can't receive it while moving because the signal will drop out. The TV needs to be standing still in order to lock onto the signal. (This applies to the digital TV system used in the USA. Europe and other parts of the world use a different digital TV system that can be received while moving around.)

[@manitoba-op4jx]

Having to deal with the V-Hold is a pain as it is. Add in the movement in the vehicle and fluctuating signal and you get a battle you cannot win.

[@thephoenixhasflown]

I was just recommended this video. 5.17pm 9/25/2019.

[@MsCreepyChan]

I wanted one of these so bad when I was a kid.

[@briankelly9347]

They were only 70 bucks with both parents working you had the money

[@indextron2388]

aye @@briankelly9347 be reasonable, no offense MsCreepyChan but what if they where poor and just dident have the money to wast on things like that.

[@rellik187redrum]

These were a hot item back in the day,it actually became the walkman without the the tv tuner .

[@punishedexistence]

Wow, that's pretty cool! Gotta love the old school stuff, I remember this back when I was in grade school and a kid had one and brought it to class, he was the coolest kid that day. Nice to see it's still working well, but I can imagine it would eat through 4 AA batteries pretty fast. Thanks for the upload!

[@مهندس_علي]

Great radio thank u so much ❤

[@JFD62780]

I have a slight theory: I think the video-in jack was made for the three-segmented 1/8" jacks those camcorders used back in the day.
I know it's been years since this video was released but try it anyway!

[@JFD62780]

oop. That segment with the Flashback? I'm amazed the things looked THAT good!
oh, and the system's supposed to be a 7800, BTW.

[@kevindavis4709]

I didn't know people still buys old TVs I've seen people selling them at Flea Markets I thought to myself what's the point in buying an old TV? Yes it's good for a gaming system or when our kids get older we can show them this was our TV back when we were kids back in the 90's.

[@mjinabnit4481]

That was wayback! I bought one of those on Guam before being transfered to a new command station while in the US Navy. Used it quite a bit on several islands. NICADS at the time gave the tv about 1 1/2 hour of watch time. Picture was never that good and it wasn't really square like a normal TV, the left side was slightly higher than the right. Still, it was the only way I could watch the news when I returned to the USA.
73
j

[@johnmoyer2849]

I have two of these and there protective cases

[@bluenazz]

I always wanted one of those Sony Watchman things when I lived in Toronto and would go to the Blue Jays baseball games. It would have been good for watching replays and features during the game.

[@Dedicatedtolivinginthepast]

This is the Watchman I own! Mine was made in July of 1984 I have used it with my NES, Atari 2600 and Commodore Vic-20! Although Mine could really use a tune up it outputs a much worse picture than yours.

[@XMguy]

Sweet find! I would love to get a Watchman!

[@EzeeLinux]

Cool. I'm off to check that out. :)

[@thepirategamerboy12]

The distorted sound may be a problem with the device. I have an FD-30A, and the sound doesn't sound distorted at all.

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

If you use this NTSC B/W Watchman to Argentina where PAL-N broadcast has been used, the vertical picture will stetched up and some cutoff picture

[@tOSdude]

I'm on an iPod with the 4 inch screen and at the distance I am from it the watchman seems like original size.

[@4clive]

Note that the DC input socket is negative centre pin, I bought my first Jaguar in 1989 thanks to Sony and the mugs who used third party adaptors on their equipment.

[@bobskie321]

2:50 It sounds slightly over modulated because TV's FM audio deviation is 25 KHz while standard FM broadcast is 75 KHz.

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

That thing rules! Thank you for showing *hugs*

[@vwestlife]

I already did a demo of how the SPP-800 sounds on my vwest7ife channel: watch?v=y9x18I8Tntk
I have a backlog of videos to edit and upload, but once I get that taken care of, I might do a video demonstrating the setup (yes, that's an Orban 222A on top). I wish I could also get an SMP-800 and SG-800 to have CRL's complete FM rack system, but those are hard to find, and the few that do come up for sale are at unreasonably high prices.

[@EzeeLinux]

Have you put up a video about the CRL SPP and SEP on the desk? I that an Orban stereo enhancer on top? Do tell. :)

[@Jallge]

The picture on that CRT is way sharper than a handheld LCD would ever be.

[@tetsujin_144]

It depends.
LCD panels are sharp because, under digital control, the host computer's logical pixels can be mapped directly to the panel's physical pixels. Any kind of color CRT will have the phosphor space split into triads which won't necessarily correspond directly to the host computer's logical pixels (in general the beam deflection system isn't accurate enough to hit specific triads.)
The fact that this is a monochrome CRT does simplify things (there are no divisions in the phosphor), and as you say the resulting picture could be quite sharp, but that's subject to having things like beam focus properly dialed in (which is particularly complicated on one of these Watchman CRTs, I think, because the distance from the electron gun to the phosphor varies depending on what area of the screen you're drawing.)

[@TheBigfoot567]

I just bought one of this exact same model at an estate sale for $5 bucks. Need to insert some batteries to see if anything works. Japanese made stuff is superior quality, especially Sony Brand.

[@IAmNotAFunguy]

That is a nice little unit apart from the fact that the Video input is just that-video only!

[@Lachlant1984]

Themaritimeman has made a video about one of these, either the one he has is the same model or it's a similar model, I don't know if his one has a video input or not. Still, I think these things are pretty fascinating. Even though analogue TV is disappearing now, a model like this would still make a good personal stereo as long as you use headphones, that's if you really do want to listen to the radio.

[@EastAngliaUK]

Be interesting to see the TV with the cover off to.

[@loganjorgensen]

Looks like Composite video I think which isn't bad, you could mod an Audio In probably. People seem to think that but text clarity on a CRT is largely a matter of AV fidelity, if you got it up to S-video 8x8 font characters are comfortably legible. Personally think AV port mods are the only remedy for no analog broadcast complaints for these small TVs.

[@Kumimono]

Funny thing about CRT's, clever developers used the faults and limitations of CRT's to make stuff more colorful. CRT color bleed? Awesome, these two blue and red pixels are now smooth purple!

[@vwestlife]

That's not the fault of CRTs, that's the fault of the NTSC video standard. You get the same color bleed effect when watching an NTSC video source on an LCD TV.

[@beyondbeyond1965]

I have quite a few of this kind of TV - Analogue receiver only, so I got tired and decided to create a pirate TV station to test the things. Channel 36 UHF is clear in the UK, so it shouldn't cause any major interference.

[@Killzilla6]

Isnt Dab+ used on the old UHF channels?

[@J1ZZB0SS]

Yeah their's still some low powered analogue stations still. I get two where i live but they are both in spanish and the signal is very weak so its useless.

[@Mark-xk3hh]

The only way i got this to work was by using some thingy where theres a place for a coax cable and on the bottom there is 2 screws for a wire
i put 1 wire with aligator clips on the end and stuck it on the antenna and then you can get channels and stuff.

[@Rockband2991]

Huck up the antenna to the Middle stick part of a coax cable and it will work for TV. To keep together use a alligator clip

[@rawdealmx]

i used to do that with a Casio one i have!

[@Rockband2991]

I meant hook not huck

[@Rockband2991]

+rawdealmx I was talking to vwestlife but that's ok because you didn't know

[@tookeydookey]

Anyone know where I can get a battery holder for this? Bought this Watchman on eBay 3 years ago, and it didn't come with one, so I can't put batteries in it. Only power I can give it is through the power cable.

[@HazelTheHare]

Heh, I never even knew Sony made these!
I saw a handheld TV at a market once but I didn't get it because the analogue transmission have now gone so it would be useless to me
It would have been a cool thing to have
Also...FIRST!

[@mraiwa1000]

I have the basic verison but it broke and I can only view it verticaly witch mackes it very hard to view! Any sugestions?

[@isaacdavisandmichaelhuynh9755]

I live in Sacramento I pick up channel 32 and lock low powered

[@Texasmilitarydepartmentvid9654]

I have a 1997 Realistic Pocket Vision 22. I was going to be pissed if you got yours to work .

[@changospank1]

i have one of these but i get no audio out of it. not from speaker or earphones.

[@joselutabares]

What kind of cable did you use?

[@KingHenryVR4]

I sold the Casio? portable tv I bought from Circuit City about 10yrs or so ago kind of wish I would have kept it was basically new in the box

[@slawor4]

If you like it than you should put a Pi in it..

[@willdatsun]

THEN

[@rambact5769]

I’ve been thinking of making a raspberry pi computer with a Sony watchman

[@ikesalonga1809]

has anyone taken action to this? it would be awesome to have it play movies from the 80's uploaded to a micro sd card

[@redneckbryon]

Isn't UXWbIlls pocket TV color?

[@noahdejesus5601]

I have the same thing!

[@welcometomychannelswelcome7261]

Pull the antenna up though. U might get something.

[@vwestlife]

Not anymore. There are no analog TV stations on the air in my area.

[@zeffieprawn3746]

I have the Atari Flashback that I got at goodwill, is it a collectors item?

[@vwestlife]

No. It's worth about $5 at best.

[@jeffreyshambling711]

+vwestlife however the Atari 2600 is at least 35 years old the original Atari was made in 1977 I seen those consoles go from anywhere between 50 to $150 it really all depends what you get.

[@ozmondjohn2216]

+Jeffrey Shambling Atari stuff still doesn't really have any value, it hasn't since 83

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

Japanese Famicom will work on this US Watchman?

[@WafflezGaming]

Francis Litan only av famicom will work

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

Wafflez Gaming Look at tuning meter of Watchman, after channel 6, it will tune up to 108 MHz or vice versa

[@Ricc81]

wow

[@gamerguy425]

if they made a model that could accept coaxial I so want to plug a PC engine into it and just play it in a library for the sake of being ridiculous.

[@basilbatov]

Bach?

[@EastAngliaUK]

One Direction LOL so there popular over there to?

[@leehall1403]

tv sony 1985

[@LiviuDragon]

funny clicky buttons on joystick

[@randyharrigan4790]

I saw a newer one of these as a kid circa 95 in RadioShack and dreamed of owning one. Definitely would be useless now a days except as a am FM radio. It's cool that it has a video in on this model!