The C64 Direct-to-TV, or C64DTV for short, is a single chip implementation of the Commodore 64 contained in a joystick and with 30 built-in games. The design is similar to the Atari Classics 10-in-1 TV Game.
Mammoth Toys produced the units with the software included licensed from Ironstone Partners. QVC purchased the entire first production run of 250,000 units and sold 70,000 of them the first day they were offered.
The circuitry of the C64DTV was designed by Jeri Ellsworth, a self-taught computer chip designer. Before the DTV, she designed the C-One.
Specifications
The C64DTV runs on four AA batteries, has a composite video output, and monaural audio output. The joystick has two fire buttons and four function buttons.
The internal hardware is a clone of the C64 and thus has the same features and limitations, but it lacks the keyboard and I/O ports*. On the other hand, it has a few new features:
- The palette is reprogrammable, with 4 bits of luma and 4 bits of chroma
- There is 64 KB of extra RAM, and a 2 MB ROM for the built-in games
- It has DMA engine that can be used to copy data between system RAM and the game ROM and extra RAM
(* The internal circuit boards have exposed solder points for data and keyboard ports and detailed instructions for adding them is avaialble. )
Built-in games
The official games for the unit are mostly a mix of Epyx and Hewson C64 games. The following games list is sorted by original publisher.
EPYX
Hewson
Image Works
Easter eggs
The console also contains several Easter eggs, planted by the software developers (and accessed by wiggling the joystick left to right when the C64DTV enters the "LOAD" mode) and secret commands to enable hidden functions such as a Commodore BASIC editor with an on-screen keyboard, demoscene animations, and 6 additional bonus games.
To 'Turbo Load' the Games menu:
Hold down the Left Joystick Button as you power on or reset.
The games menu will load much more quickly.
To boot to C64 mode:
Wiggle the Joystick back and forth (left to right) VERY FAST
as you power on or reset. Do this all through the credits screen until after the blue screen displays for a couple of seconds.
The display will load and list several programs and stop.
To load and run a listed program from the C64 mode list:
Boot to C64 mode (Tip 02), then
Use the Joystick to move up to a listed program
Hit the Left Joystick Button
The chosen program will load and run.
Hint: If you keep holding the button down, it will Turbo Load (Tip 01).
To go to BASIC mode:
Boot to C64 mode (Tip 02), then
Load and run (Tip 03) the listed "BASIC PROMPT" program.
The familiar blank C64 blue screen will come up.
To use the Joystick Keyboard:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 04), then
Hold down the Left Joystick Button.
The Joystick Keyboard appears.
Release the button and the keyboard disappears.
To type using the Joystick Keyboard:
Bring up the Joystick Keyboard (Tip 05), then
While still holding down the Left Joystick Button,
Move to the key you want to type using the Joystick, then
Release the Left Joystick Button.
The key you selected will appear on the screen.
Repeat.
The Shift Keys are "sticky". That is, when selected they will
stay in effect until you select them again.
(Consult an online C64 reference for an explanation of the C64's keyboard layout and functions.)
To list the programs in memory:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 03), then type (Tip 06):
LOAD "$",1[enter]
LIST[enter]
A huge list of programs will scroll by.
Hint: Hold down the Left Joystick Button to bring up the Joystick Keyboard as the list scrolls. This will temporarily halt scrolling (though it also obscures the bottom half of the screen...)
To load and run the "ENTROPY" demo:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 03), then type (Tip 06):
0 POKE1,55:LOAD"ENTROPY",1[enter]
RUN[enter]
The Entropy demo will load and run.
To page through different screens in the Entropy demo:
Load and run the Entropy demo (Tip 08), then
Hold down the A Button and move the Joystick to the Up position.
Hold for a couple of seconds and release.
The next screen will load and run in a few seconds.
There are 5 different screens.
To list programming info for the new graphics modes:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 04), then type (Tip 06):
LOAD"DOCVIEWER",1,1[enter]
RUN[enter]
The first page of info will display.
Scroll through more screens by hitting the Left Joystick Button.
To see the simple text Easter Egg:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 04), then type (Tip 06):
POKE53280,0:POKE53281,0[enter]
The screen will turn black, which makes some text (which was already there!) visible around the BASIC header at the top of the screen.
To see the slightly less simple text Easter Egg:
Go to C64 mode (Tip 02), then
Use the Joystick to move up to the line that says
0 BYTES FREE
and hit and release the Left Joystick Button.
You will see a name in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
Hit the button again and the name changes.
Repeat.
To see a picture of a Commodore Legend Drinking Beer:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 04), then type (Tip 06):
LOAD"1337",1,1[enter]
RUN[enter]
Voilą. A grainy picture of Jim Butterfield and friend.
To see a picture of the DTV Development Team:
Go to BASIC mode (Tip 04), then type (Tip 06):
LOAD"DTVTEAM",1,1[enter]
RUN[enter]
Voilą again. Jeri and friends.
External links
