How to Hook Up an Atari to a Modern Television Set

Last Updated: August 22, 2019

Lucky enough to still own a functioning Atari (and games!) but can't figure out how to make it work on your TV? Read on to learn how to solve this problem; it's easier than you think

Steps

1
Plug in the Atari to an outlet. It's obviously not going to work unless it has some power.^{[1]
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2
If you have the original TV/Game switchbox that came with the Atari console, you can try to hook this up. Unless your television is old enough to still have places to screw the two wires with the U-shaped things on the end, you will need an adapter.

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3
Purchase an adapter for about $5. This adapter is designed to screw down the two U-shaped prongs and also connect the coax cable to your TV, allowing you to access both the Atari and your cable TV.
4
Screw down the U-shaped wires onto the adapter and push the adapter onto a VHF input on your TV.
5
This method does not always work. The easiest way to connect your Atari to your TV is to avoid the old TV/Game switchbox altogether, and purchase an RCA phono plug to F jack adapter. This adapter allows you to play your Atari.^{[2]
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6
Purchase an RCA phono plug to F jack adapter for about $5.
7
Disconnect the TV/Game switchbox from your Atari. You can keep it if you're sentimental or crafty, but you'll probably never use it again.
8
Connect the plug that was previously connecting the Atari to the switchbox to the phono plug to F jack adapter.^{[3]
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9
Push the adapter onto the VHF/cable input on your TV.^{[4]
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10
Insert a game into the Atari, turn it on, and play Space Invaders to your heart's content.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

Where can I get a VCR/DVD player/recorder that lasts more than one year? I have had a Funai, Magnavox, and Sony. All eat the tape.

Community Answer

A Samsung DVD-V9800 DVD Player might be the best if you are ready to pay. Although Panasonic might be cheaper.
Question

My TV only has rca or HDMI connections, not the coax on the back. How do I connect to that?

Andre Michael Pietroschek

Community Answer

There are adapters formally called `coaxial cable converter´. Such allow to plug the old cable in on one end and attach the other, or an extension cable with proper plug, into HDMI. Larger shops have their own pages for such, like Walmart has `coax to hdmi´ as a shop page.
Question

How do l get Atari on to a TV?

Andre Michael Pietroschek

Community Answer

Plug it in properly. If you mean how the old cable fits into modern TV's: You may need a so called coaxial converter, which bridges the old cable round plug into HDMI. Such can be found in shops for 5 to 10 dollars.