Atari Video Music and box

It was 1975 and Bob Brown (originator of home Pong) was looking for another consumer (home) product to design. Mega stereo systems (multi-component setups that were usually designed with a mixture of futuristic metal and rec room woodgrain) were all the rage. Bob decided to make another component that would take advantage of Atari's video display technology and act as a bridge between the television set and the stereo system. The result was the Atari Video Music, which Atari released on it's own in 1976.


Examples settings on the Video Music and their results!

By selecting any 4 predefined shape modes and further adjusting the horizontal and vertical displays as well as the color and contour knobs, you were able to create psychedelic displays on your television. Legend has it that while on a tour of the home pong manufacturing facilities, the Sears people were shown the Video Music prototype. One of the people from Sears asked what they were smoking when they designed it, and one of the technicians stepped out from the back room and produced a lit joint.

Today, the AVM is extremely scarce, and consider yourself one of the select few owners should you get lucky enough to find one. It also doesn't help that the Video Music looks like an amplifier, and most folks will pass it up not knowing it's a product made by Atari. Fans of the Jaguar CD's Virtual Light Machine who check out the VLM's distant relative will get a major trip for sure! Don't expect anything better than archaic 2600-type stuff, however. This is 1976 we're talking about. Any receiver or amplifier can be attached to the Video Music via RCA style jacks. From there, you simply connect the Video Music to the television to produce the desired effects on your TV. As with most high voltage products from this area, to guard against static electricity and other problems make sure it's completely grounded before plugging in the jacks.



Reproduction of any content, pictures or images, in whole or part,
without prior express written consent of AGH is strictly prohibited.

AGH is in no way affiliated with Atari or Infogrames Entertainment
Copyright © 1995-2005 Atari Gaming Headquarters
All Rights Reserved