Commodore C64 A/V Adapter

Commodore 64 A/V Adapter – S-Video, Composite, Audio (Stereo)

Connect your Commodore 64 to a modern TV, monitor, or converter using common, easy-to-find cables — no need to hunt for rare dedicated DIN leads.

The adapter plugs directly into the computer’s A/V port and breaks the signals out to standard connectors:

• S-Video (4-pin mini-DIN) – the best picture quality from the C64, sharper and cleaner than composite
• Composite (RCA/cinch, yellow)
• Audio L / R (RCA/cinch, white and red)

Key features

• Adjustable chroma attenuation – the board includes a 330 Ω resistor on the S-Video chroma line. This helps prevent overdriving and “smeared” colors on many TVs. If your display requires the full signal, the resistor can be bypassed with a jumper.
• Stereo-ready – an optional second audio output from pin 7 of the A/V port (for example with Stereo SID, FPGA SID, ARMSID, etc. modifications) can be routed to the right channel. By default, both channels carry the same mono sound, so the adapter works immediately with any C64.
• No special cables required – standard S-Video and RCA cables are all you need, whether you already have them at home or buy them from any electronics store.
• 3D-printed enclosure – the board is housed in a neat, custom-fit PETG enclosure that protects the electronics and makes plugging in and removing the adapter easier.
• Proven design – based on the open hardware design by Sven Petersen (Rev. 2), well regarded in the retro computing community worldwide.

Compatibility

• Commodore 64 (breadbin and C64C) with an 8-pin A/V port – full functionality, including S-Video.
• The earliest C64 units with a 5-pin A/V port do not provide a chroma signal — in that case composite and audio work, but not S-Video.
• Not for VIC-20 or C128 – on these computers the adapter blocks adjacent connectors (the VIC-20 expansion port / the C128 IEC bus). Separate adapter versions are available for those models.

Project:

Sven Petersen, GPL-3.0 license — sources available at github.com/svenpetersen1965/C64-A-V-Adaptor