Fairchild Channel F

Logo

The Fairchild Channel F (also known as Channel F) is a home video game console. The "F" in the name stands for "Fun". It was designed by Jerry Lawson and released in November 1976 by Fairchild Camera and Instrument in the United States for a price of 169.95 $. It is the first console that uses ROM cartridges and a microprocessor. By 1977, 250,000 Fairchild Channel F consoles were sold. The production ended in 1983.

Licensed versions

Many licensed versions were released in Europe. For example, the Luxor Video Entertainment System (Sweden), Adman Grandstand (United Kingdom), Saba Videoplay, Nordmende Teleplay, ITT Tele-Match Processor (Germany) and Dumont/Barco Videoplay (Italy and Belgium).

Games

26 cartridges were officially released for the Fairchild Channel F. Some cartridges have several games included. Each cartridge was sold for 19.95 $. On November 5, 2009, a homebrew game, a version of Pac-Man, was released.

List of games

Integrated with console: Hockey, Tennis
Videocart-1: Tic-Tac-Toe, Shooting Gallery, Doodle, Quadra-Doodle
Videocart-2: Desert Fox, Shooting Gallery
Videocart-3: Video Blackjack
Videocart-4: Spitfire
Videocart-5: Space War
Videocart-6: Math Quiz (Addition & Subtraction)
Videocart-7: Math Quiz (Multiplication & Division)
Videocart-8: Mind Reader, Nim (also referred to as Magic Numbers)
Videocart-9: Drag Strip
Videocart-10: Maze, Cat and Mouse
Videocart-11: Backgammon, Acey-Deucey
Videocart-12: Baseball
Videocart 13: Robot War/Torpedo Alley
Videocart-14: Sonar Search
Videocart-15: Memory Match
Videocart 16: Dodge-It
Videocart-17: Pinball Challenge
Videocart-18: Hangman
Videocart-19: Checkers
Videocart-20: Video Whizball
Videocart-21: Bowling
Videocart-22: Slot Machine
Videocart-23: Galactic Space Wars
Videocart-24: Pro-Football
Videocart-25: Casino Poker
Videocart-26: Alien Invasion
Videocart-27: Pac-Man (homebrew)

Technical specifications

RAM: 64 byte
VRAM: 2 kilobyte
CPU: Fairchild F8 operating at 1.79 MHz
Display resolution: 128 × 64 pixels
Colors: eight colors
Audio: 500 Hz, 1 kHz, and 1.5 kHz tones. The tones can be modulated to produce more tones. The sound is played through internal speakers build in the console, not through the television.
Input: two custom game controllers, hardwired to the console

Successor

In 1979, the successor named Fairchild Channel F System II was released.

References

↑ Edwards, Benj (2015-01-22). "The Untold Story Of The Invention Of The Game Cartridge". Fast Company. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Adman Grandstand (Fairchild Channel-F) Video Entertainment Computer - Game Console - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
↑ Jones, Gareth R.; Hill, Charles W. L. (2007). Strategic management: an integrated approach (7th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. C-123. ISBN 0-618-73166-0.
↑ Wolf, Mark J. P. (2018-11-21). The Routledge Companion to Media Technology and Obsolescence. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-44266-2.
↑ 1976 commercial trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXvpsmanhsk
↑ "Homebrew:Pac-Man - veswiki". channelf.se. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
↑ "Fairchild Channel F / Channel F System II (1976 – 1984)". Museum of Obsolete Media. 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

Other websites

Fairchild Channel F Pac-Man emulator

[1] Edwards, Benj (2015-01-22). "The Untold Story Of The Invention Of The Game Cartridge". Fast Company. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

[:0-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Adman Grandstand (Fairchild Channel-F) Video Entertainment Computer - Game Console - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

[3] Jones, Gareth R.; Hill, Charles W. L. (2007). Strategic management: an integrated approach (7th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. C-123. ISBN 0-618-73166-0.

[4] Wolf, Mark J. P. (2018-11-21). The Routledge Companion to Media Technology and Obsolescence. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-44266-2.

[5] 1976 commercial trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXvpsmanhsk

[6] "Homebrew:Pac-Man - veswiki". channelf.se. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

[7] "Fairchild Channel F / Channel F System II (1976 – 1984)". Museum of Obsolete Media. 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2020-06-04.