Old TVs only had one input. They had a coaxual cable that would connect to your antenna or cable provider. The TV has a tuner to select channels.
Because there is only one input, the only way to display a console is to spoof the broadcast signals the TV expects to get from the antenna.
To set this up, you connect both the console and your antenna to an RF converter box. This replaces channel 3 or 4 with your console so you can play games while still being able to watch TV.
Once consoles and VCRs became an established thing, TV makers started adding other plugs. But in the early days, this was the only way to play consoles on home TVs.
Even when RCA jacks were added, you would sometimes have to tune the TV to channel 2 or 3 to use them. The TV we had when I was a kid worked like that.
Old TVs only had one input. They had a coaxual cable that would connect to your antenna or cable provider. The TV has a tuner to select channels.
Because there is only one input, the only way to display a console is to spoof the broadcast signals the TV expects to get from the antenna.
To set this up, you connect both the console and your antenna to an RF converter box. This replaces channel 3 or 4 with your console so you can play games while still being able to watch TV.
Once consoles and VCRs became an established thing, TV makers started adding other plugs. But in the early days, this was the only way to play consoles on home TVs.
Even when RCA jacks were added, you would sometimes have to tune the TV to channel 2 or 3 to use them. The TV we had when I was a kid worked like that.