{"id":24877,"date":"2021-04-02T19:00:19","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T17:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jungsi.de\/?p=24877"},"modified":"2026-06-11T10:34:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T08:34:34","slug":"binatone-tv-master-mk8-pong-konsole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jungsi.de\/en\/binatone-tv-master-mk8-pong-konsole\/","title":{"rendered":"Binatone TV Master MK 8 [Pong Konsole]"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is time once again to look back at the early days of home consoles\u2014specifically to England in 1977. Binatone is a British company founded in London in 1958 by brothers Gulu and Partap Lalvani; the name is derived from their sister Bina\u2019s first name. Between 1976 and 1979, Binatone produced the \u201cTV Master\u201d series of *Pong*-style consoles, which were successfully marketed across Europe.

The Binatone TV Master MK 8 (Model 01\/4923) features eight games: Football, Ice Hockey, Gridball, Basket Solo, Tennis, Squash Solo, Squash, and Basketball. I acquired the console\u2014complete with its original packaging\u2014at a relatively low price, and the main reason for the purchase was the device\u2019s futuristic design. There were other models in the TV Master series as well\u2014the MK4, MK6, \u201c4 Plus 2,\u201d and MK10\u2014with the differences lying in the number of games and the specific chip used. All models in the initial series output a black-and-white image. Binatone later released consoles capable of color output under the \u201cColour TV Game\u201d label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The text printed on the packaging read \u201cLicensed by Magnavox\u201d \u2013 and that was
actually true. The reason: Ralph Baer, \u200b\u200bthe inventor of the Magnavox Odyssey, held
fundamental patents for home video games. Consequently, many manufacturers who jumped on the *Pong* bandwagon in the 1970s had to obtain a license from Magnavox \u2013 including Binatone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with many other devices from that era, the heart of the system was a chip from General Instruments: the AY-3-8600, a true \"Pong-on-a-chip.\" Incidentally, the AY-3-8600 was used in over 200 different consoles worldwide\u2014which explains why many Pong consoles of that era look and play almost identically. In contrast, the more powerful sibling model, the AY-3-8610 (featuring additional light-gun support), is found in the MK10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n