Editing RF modulator (section)

== History ==
[[File:Tangerine Microtan 65 Main Board.jpg|thumb|The [[motherboard]] of an early [[microcomputer]], the [[Tangerine Microtan 65|Microtan 65]], showing the silver-cased ASTEC 1111EM36 UHF TV modulator at top left]]

Prior to the introduction of specialised [[video connector]] standards such as [[SCART]], TVs were designed to only accept signals through the aerial connector: signals originate at a TV station, are transmitted over the air, and are then received by an antenna and demodulated within the TV. When equipment was developed which could use a television receiver as its display device, such as [[Videocassette recorder|VCRs]], [[DVD player]]s, early [[Home computer|home computers]], and [[video game console]]s, the signal was modulated and sent to the RF input connector.

The aerial connector is standard on all TV sets, even very old ones. 

It also is common to have this type of RF output on [[video cassette recorder]]s (VCRs), early [[DVD]] players, early [[video game console]]s, and early [[home computer]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tanny|first1=David|title=Memories of Analog TV: The 90s and 00s|url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/san-diego-radio-views/2009/apr/22/memories-of-analog-tv-the-90s-and-00s/#|access-date=December 29, 2016|work=San Diego Reader|date=April 22, 2009}}</ref><ref name=Gaming>{{cite news|last1=Henry|first1=Alan|title=How to Connect Your Old School Video Game Consoles to a New TV|url=http://lifehacker.com/how-to-connect-your-old-school-video-game-consoles-to-a-1443675453|access-date=December 29, 2016|work=Lifehacker|date=October 11, 2013}}</ref>

[[First generation of video game consoles|First]]- through [[fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth-generation]] video game consoles commonly used this method to connect to the television, which was used as the audio and video device for the game. In many cases, an RF modulator was used to take the composite output from the game and modulate it before sending the signal to the television.

Since later television designs include [[Composite video|composite]], [[S-Video]], and [[component video]] jacks, which skip the modulation and demodulation steps, modulators are no longer included as standard equipment, and RF modulators are now largely a third-party product, purchased primarily to run newer equipment such as DVD players with an old television set.