The 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System is a second-generation

home video game console A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...

released by European company Audiosonic in 1978. It is part of a group of software-compatible consoles which include the Interton VC 4000 and the Voltmace Database. The 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System included its power pack inside the console instead of an exterior power pack.

Specifications

* CPU: 8-bit

Signetics 2650 The Signetics 2650 was an 8-bit microprocessor introduced in July 1975. According to Adam Osborne's book ''An Introduction to Microprocessors Vol 2: Some Real Products'', it was "the most minicomputer-like" of the microprocessors available at ...

AI at 0.887 MHz * Programmable video interface: Signetics 2636N at 3.58 MHz. This chipset was less powerful than the later model Signetics 2637N used in the

Arcadia 2001 The Arcadia 2001 is a second-generation 8-bit home video game console released by Emerson Radio in May 1982 for a price of US$ 99, several months before the release of ColecoVision. It was discontinued only 18 months later, with a total of 35 g ...

. * Data

Memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

: 43 bytes

Graphics

* Sprites: 4 single colour sprites (1 can be 8 colours) * 1 score line displaying 4 BCD digits * Background consisting of a series of alternating lines

Misc

* The early games cartridges used a 2 KByte ROM, later ones, such as Activision branded ones, up to 8 KBytes * Very basic arcade machine sound

User programming

An expensive (£49 in the UK in 1977) Hobby Module was available which gave 6.5 kb of user-programmable memory and had a 5 pin DIN socket to allow software to be saved to a cassette tape player. This converted the unit into a halfway house between a home computer and an ordinary gaming console. The user had to be familiar with programming in Signetics 2650 assembly language and the unconventional ways and register architecture of the Signetics 2650 processor.

Released versions

The console was produced by different companies and sold with different names. Not every console is compatible with others due to differences in the shapes and dimensions of the cartridge slots (but all of the consoles are software compatible). Here's a table of the consoles grouped by compatibility family (due to the slots).

Games

Although, not much information is known about the release dates of the cartridges, the total number of the games should be 59 (33 games released by Radofin between 1977 and 1978, 19 games for the Interton VC 4000 and compatibles after 1978, and 7 more games released around 1980).

References

External links

IGDB.com entry
& 1292 APVS games list (With accurate explanation for misconception of the earlier 1976 release)
SHAMELESSLIFE wordpress blog entry
for details for 1292 APVS & Interton VC 4000

for the 1292 APVS / VC 4000 family
Arcade Italia entry
for MAME compatibility
Museo del Videojuego
Radofin 1292 and 1392 information and game list in Spanish {{Home video game consoles Home video game consoles Second-generation video game consoles Products introduced in 1976