The Spectravideo SV-318 was a Z80A home computer shown at the Winter CES in Las Vegas in January 1983, built around a Microsoft BASIC in ROM and a red plastic joystick that clips into its keyboard.
Why it matters
The SV-318 packed a Z80A, a TMS9918 video chip with 32 sprites and an AY-3-8910 three-channel sound chip into a $299 machine, and it had a joystick built into the keyboard. That was a competent parts list for 1983. Samdal’s history says Microsoft delivered the BASIC late, so Spectravideo missed the holiday sales period. The company floated at $6.25 a share in May 1983 and was down to 75 cents by December. Its biggest effect was indirect: ASCII’s Kazuhiko Nishi built the MSX standard on the SV-328 design, which shares the SV-318’s hardware. Spectravideo’s own first MSX machine, the SVI-728, followed in May 1984. The SV-318 itself is not MSX-compatible, because its BIOS, I/O ports and disk format differ. Over 130 games were released for it, according to Wikipedia.
What to check before you buy
- Ask what power supply comes with it. The original gives 9 V AC and 16 V AC on a 4-pin connector, and replacements are hard to find, so a machine with its own adapter is worth more.
- Check the memory. Failing 4116 RAM chips are a documented fault, and a no-picture machine may only need them replacing. Ask whether any have been swapped for 4164s and who did the work.
- Press every key. The rubber Chiclet keyboard can be mushy, and cleaning it helps a bit, so some resistance is normal. Dead keys are not.
- Look at the red joystick stick on the right-hand cursor pad. One restorer called theirs unreliable, so confirm it is present and that the pad itself works in all directions.
- Confirm the model. The SV-328 looks similar but has a full-travel keyboard and more RAM, and the SVI-728 is an MSX machine, so check the label before paying.
- Check for the cassette lead and any expansion gear. The SV-603 adapter ($70 when announced) played ColecoVision cartridges, so ask whether one is included.
