+Polaventris A lot of the excess stock was sold off here in Australia at Kmart stores, arranged by my boss at the time. It really surprises me that you don't see these pop-up on Australian eBay, but I haven't seen one in over a year at least.
+samwyse2006 I think Finland seems to have a few of the 738 models as well, as I have seen quite a few for sale from there as well. They were good machines, they just did not get much software support outside of Japan.
Hi there. It was my very first computer which my parents had brought for me for charismas 1986 here in South Africa. I had written programs on it and had learned basic programming on it . My computer and all its games gotten stolen back in 1991 or 1992. I was a nice computer. The SVI 728 user manual could have been a bit more user friendly. I had the following computer games: Moonlander, Mini Golf, Harrier Jump Jet and a couple other programs which I don't remember.
They really were a great machine, really well put together and lots you could do with them. I keep on finding games for MSX that I have never heard of or seen before, so it's fun (although getting expensive) to collect for. Very sad your unit was stolen, maybe you can find another at some stage, there seem to be a few people in SA that have both the original and MSX Spectravideo machines.
Another nice addition to the collection, and one I don't really know much about hahaha. I have heard of and seen another Spectravideo before but not this one until now I think.
+KITT171 It seems to be the one with the least visibility, as other MSX brands were known more in different parts of the world. More known here due to Spectravideo being Hong Kong based i.e. close distribution.
Greetings from a Finn with a Spectravideo SVI-728 :) As someone mentioned already some 6 years ago (found this video only now, hence the late comment), those different style keys are original. The first SVI-728 computers we got here were localized like that. I've got one of those in the original box in my basement as well, unfortunately it is not the same one I got in June 1985 as my very first computer. As far as I recall, SVI-728 was launched in Finland in May (or perhaps in April?) 1985. However, not very long after that, most likely in the autumn of 1985 I saw otherwise similar SVI-728 in a computer shop here with "normal" keys, i.e. similar style as all the rest of those. In other words, I guess your computer must be from the first batch of the Finnish SVI-728s. While C64 dominated the market here in the mid 1980s, MSX'es and espcially Spectravideo 728s were rather popular here too. So were SVI-328s too although their sales stopped when 728 was introduced. We had even quite a few SVI-318s with the built-in joystick too. SVI-738 was considered as quite expensive, I knew only one kid who had that. And the later MSX-2 computers were just about non-existent over here.
Cool, it's always good to hear from someone who also grew up with the Spectravideo computers. They were a great machine, that got me started programming. I am hoping to get more of my game room back soon (storing a lot of stuff for one of the daughters at the moment), then as we get into summer I am going to renovate/clean up everything, and was thinking of doing some more Spectravideo history/review videos.
@@electricadventures Incidentally, the only time I've got paid from programming was with that SVI-728. Made one "this fits all my needs" program which had anything from a simple notepad to editing floppy disks sector by sector. It was published in one MSX book and got some money from it. ;)
One of my favourite machines. Pity that the Z80 is missing and the keyboard not 100%. This is always one of my fears when buying on eBay. At least it arrived in one piece. Cheers
+Big G from SA The seller has offered to send the enter other machine, so hopefully I will be able to make a working one out of the two. I do regret selling my original one, but I also don't regret getting the 738 instead as it got used a lot. I actually probably regret selling the external 5 1/4 drive that was able to read about 30 different CPM, MSX, MS-DOS and original Spectravideo discs more.
The keyboard is the original! It came with nordic keyboard layout. I have a Swedish with the same keys and I'm the first and only owner of the computer.
Hello from Finland. I used to have the same model back in the 80s. I'm sure the keys are correct as I had the same kind. Must have been a localization thing. I also have the same keys in my Finnish SVI-738 I got recently.
@@electricadventures Another Finn here.. I had a 318, Dad brought it from Singapore back in the day in 1984 or 83. My neighbour had 738 and one mate had X'Press, dude in our class had 328.. yeah, those definitely were popular over here. Currently I am rocking a SONY F900, oh yeah baby.. it still has both 3.5s working too, but I'm using flash storage with it these days. Fantastic machines. :)
The jump in Crunch! lol But as you said for a good little basic game, not too bad! Hope you get something sorted with the seller! I'm so unfamiliar with the MSX hardware and software, so thanks for these vids!
+WatchReadPlayRetro Crunch was pretty impressive for a game written in Basic, quite liked that one. Seller is looking at sending me the keys off another dead machine, and I will try and get some Z80 chips from China and see how I go :)
I'm looking into modding some old vintage keycaps for a modern custom keyboard, you pointed out some of the replaced keys and I was really hoping you'd show what it looks like underneath. Good video overall though!
I am working on a new series called 'My Retro Computing Journey', and the 728 will be covered as part of that, I will make myself a reminder to show the keyboard mechanism as I go. The 728 was my fourth computer (after TI-99/4, SV-318, SVI-328 Mark II).
@@electricadventures Good news, I did see another video using the same base model and the keys in fact look extremely similar to standard Cherry style stems ("+" shaped) and I believe they may work as-is. I am going to order one very soon unless the other MSX models I am looking at also match up.
I really hope that, you get it all sorted out. I have never played or ever seen a MSX computer. An interesting computer that, I would like to see in real life and have a go on one.
+Atari Fitness There are a couple of guys doing the rounds of the expos in the UK i.e. they were at Manchester, and are going to try and go to some of the smaller ones. They have a display with several different MSX machines (and generations) and some of the better software titles. So if you ever get a chance would be well worth seeking them out. I mean I am of course biased but I really do have a strong fondness for the MSX machines, they were quite capable machines, just marketed outside of Japan very poorly.
Total bummer about the computer - hoping that it can be salvaged (even if it's not a primary one). Always interesting to see some of those early vendor titles - like the Turtle one, plus that castle one at the end.
+hellfire64 Hopefully have another unit to try and make a whole system soon. Always nice to look at some of these early titles, the range Spectravideo brought out for MSX was no where near as good as the games they made earlier for the Spectravideo (and Coleco).
Very nice. Good thing nothing got ruined in the mail. Sending stuff without screws in the mail. Maybe it was press-fitted with the box :D Anyway, very nice.
+bwack If it hadn't of had the proper polystyrene I think it would have been damaged quite a lot, there was nothing holding the computer together and nothing other than pressure from the case holding the two circuit boards in place as well.
it happened to me when i bought my st and monitor with games off ebay . i plugged it in and would not load discs thought it was a dirty disc drive turns out a load of wires was missing inside
+TimeTeam1982 Oh damn, that's no good did you get it working in the end? STs are great machines to play with and the disc reading is a lot more reliable than the Amigas as well.
very cool shame the missing chip . the turtle looks like software my primary school used to control a small robot in the class and it drawed on the screen that was about 86/87 maybe 89
+TimeTeam1982 I am going to order some cheap Z80 chips from a China supplier, but there will probably be other issues. It looks like two pins are lifted on the VDP as well.
I cant remember seeing those Spectravideo machines over here. The computer seems a lot nicer than the cheap joysticks Spectravideo was famous for over here. Strange that they sent it without a CPU. The Z80A should not be too hard to get, but annoying anyway. At least it's socketed. Collecting MSX machines is addictive, there are so many different cool and weird looking machines to get. I wonder where the cursor keys are on the Spectravideo. I remember all MSX machines I saw so far had that huge cursor block and I can't find it on that one. Btw... it looks like the 'Turtle' game is some sort of 'Logo' programming language.
+Theshadowsnose The Spectravideo machines were always very well built, not a lot goes wrong with them, unless they have been poorly treated of course. Their joysticks are another matter, lots of designs but it took them a while to get ones that don't fall apart with little punishment :) It is quite interesting the different approaches to the MSX machines and yes so many of them that are interesting to collect.
+electricadventures I'm looking forward to see the machine working. I probably stopped buying their Joysticks before they managed to make them rugged enough to endure Decathlon for more than a week. I had quite a few of them back in the days and besides their cheapness, I mainly remember their sometimes really weird designs. I bought quite a few of them when I was a kid because they were cheap and I hadn't found the 'optimal' stick for me. I remember the Quickshot IX (I think). the one that looked like a huge trackball, but the "orb" was actually the actuator for the Joystick. I should still have my original one somewhere, but could not find it when I seached the last time. They probably also make interesting videos.
Joysticks are another thing that I did not have very many of, but I think I have got at least one or more joysticks with every system I have bought over the years and have quite a collection now, especially of the Spectravideo ones. It's probably worth a video in it's own right :)
The Finnish models seem to come up the most often and sell around the 50-70 Euro mark. They do have a slightly different key layout and symbols and a different rom though. Australian ones sell for around $100-150 when they come up.
That's bizarre that they sent you a computer without a cpu and screws. If you bought it off ebay, you will get your money back. Looks like a nice machine, hope you get it working !
+StigsWorld If it hadn't of had the original polystyrene it would have been an even worse disaster, that was all that held the case together and the case was the only thing stopping the two circuit boards from flopping around in the case. I'll order some cheap Z80's but I am sure it will have other items to fix. I can see two pins lifted on the VDP, not sure about those. The board does look responsibly clean. I can burn a new BIOS rom if I need to as well, we shall see.
I remember these computers being mentioned in the earliest 1986 computer magazines I got. They disappeared very fast though when C64 took over here.
+Polaventris A lot of the excess stock was sold off here in Australia at Kmart stores, arranged by my boss at the time. It really surprises me that you don't see these pop-up on Australian eBay, but I haven't seen one in over a year at least.
I'd guess this was the most popular MSX model in Finland. Two people I knew had one. The C64 absolutely dominated the 8-bit market though.
+samwyse2006 I think Finland seems to have a few of the 738 models as well, as I have seen quite a few for sale from there as well. They were good machines, they just did not get much software support outside of Japan.
Hi there. It was my very first computer which my parents had brought for me for charismas 1986 here in South Africa. I had written programs on it and had learned basic programming on it . My computer and all its games gotten stolen back in 1991 or 1992.
I was a nice computer. The SVI 728 user manual could have been a bit more user friendly. I had the following computer games: Moonlander, Mini Golf, Harrier Jump Jet and a couple other programs which I don't remember.
They really were a great machine, really well put together and lots you could do with them.
I keep on finding games for MSX that I have never heard of or seen before, so it's fun (although getting expensive) to collect for.
Very sad your unit was stolen, maybe you can find another at some stage, there seem to be a few people in SA that have both the original and MSX Spectravideo machines.
Another nice addition to the collection, and one I don't really know much about hahaha. I have heard of and seen another Spectravideo before but not this one until now I think.
+KITT171 It seems to be the one with the least visibility, as other MSX brands were known more in different parts of the world. More known here due to Spectravideo being Hong Kong based i.e. close distribution.
Greetings from a Finn with a Spectravideo SVI-728 :)
As someone mentioned already some 6 years ago (found this video only now, hence the late comment), those different style keys are original. The first SVI-728 computers we got here were localized like that. I've got one of those in the original box in my basement as well, unfortunately it is not the same one I got in June 1985 as my very first computer. As far as I recall, SVI-728 was launched in Finland in May (or perhaps in April?) 1985. However, not very long after that, most likely in the autumn of 1985 I saw otherwise similar SVI-728 in a computer shop here with "normal" keys, i.e. similar style as all the rest of those. In other words, I guess your computer must be from the first batch of the Finnish SVI-728s.
While C64 dominated the market here in the mid 1980s, MSX'es and espcially Spectravideo 728s were rather popular here too. So were SVI-328s too although their sales stopped when 728 was introduced. We had even quite a few SVI-318s with the built-in joystick too. SVI-738 was considered as quite expensive, I knew only one kid who had that. And the later MSX-2 computers were just about non-existent over here.
Cool, it's always good to hear from someone who also grew up with the Spectravideo computers. They were a great machine, that got me started programming.
I am hoping to get more of my game room back soon (storing a lot of stuff for one of the daughters at the moment), then as we get into summer I am going to renovate/clean up everything, and was thinking of doing some more Spectravideo history/review videos.
@@electricadventures Incidentally, the only time I've got paid from programming was with that SVI-728. Made one "this fits all my needs" program which had anything from a simple notepad to editing floppy disks sector by sector. It was published in one MSX book and got some money from it. ;)
That’s pretty cool, which book was it, a Finnish one?
@@electricadventures Yep, "Huvia ja hyötyä MSX" in Finnish, "Fun and benefits [from] MSX" in English.
One of my favourite machines. Pity that the Z80 is missing and the keyboard not 100%. This is always one of my fears when buying on eBay. At least it arrived in one piece. Cheers
+Big G from SA The seller has offered to send the enter other machine, so hopefully I will be able to make a working one out of the two. I do regret selling my original one, but I also don't regret getting the 738 instead as it got used a lot.
I actually probably regret selling the external 5 1/4 drive that was able to read about 30 different CPM, MSX, MS-DOS and original Spectravideo discs more.
The keyboard is the original! It came with nordic keyboard layout. I have a Swedish with the same keys and I'm the first and only owner of the computer.
Hello from Finland. I used to have the same model back in the 80s. I'm sure the keys are correct as I had the same kind. Must have been a localization thing. I also have the same keys in my Finnish SVI-738 I got recently.
+Antti Takala There seems to have been quite a following of Spectravideo in Finland, did you have the original 318 & 328 models there as well?
Apparently Spectravideo had about 10% market share whereas Commodore had 70% in the mid 80s. No clue about the early models.
@@electricadventures Another Finn here.. I had a 318, Dad brought it from Singapore back in the day in 1984 or 83. My neighbour had 738 and one mate had X'Press, dude in our class had 328.. yeah, those definitely were popular over here. Currently I am rocking a SONY F900, oh yeah baby.. it still has both 3.5s working too, but I'm using flash storage with it these days. Fantastic machines. :)
They really were great machines and still fun to play with now, especially with so much new stuff coming out for them all the time.
The jump in Crunch! lol But as you said for a good little basic game, not too bad!
Hope you get something sorted with the seller!
I'm so unfamiliar with the MSX hardware and software, so thanks for these vids!
+WatchReadPlayRetro Crunch was pretty impressive for a game written in Basic, quite liked that one.
Seller is looking at sending me the keys off another dead machine, and I will try and get some Z80 chips from China and see how I go :)
I'm looking into modding some old vintage keycaps for a modern custom keyboard, you pointed out some of the replaced keys and I was really hoping you'd show what it looks like underneath. Good video overall though!
I am working on a new series called 'My Retro Computing Journey', and the 728 will be covered as part of that, I will make myself a reminder to show the keyboard mechanism as I go. The 728 was my fourth computer (after TI-99/4, SV-318, SVI-328 Mark II).
@@electricadventures Good news, I did see another video using the same base model and the keys in fact look extremely similar to standard Cherry style stems ("+" shaped) and I believe they may work as-is. I am going to order one very soon unless the other MSX models I am looking at also match up.
I really hope that, you get it all sorted out. I have never played or ever seen a MSX computer. An interesting computer that, I would like to see in real life and have a go on one.
+Atari Fitness There are a couple of guys doing the rounds of the expos in the UK i.e. they were at Manchester, and are going to try and go to some of the smaller ones. They have a display with several different MSX machines (and generations) and some of the better software titles. So if you ever get a chance would be well worth seeking them out.
I mean I am of course biased but I really do have a strong fondness for the MSX machines, they were quite capable machines, just marketed outside of Japan very poorly.
Today, I will be going to a Retro Market Event in Leeds. Hopefully, I will see one at least in the flesh.
Total bummer about the computer - hoping that it can be salvaged (even if it's not a primary one).
Always interesting to see some of those early vendor titles - like the Turtle one, plus that castle one at the end.
+hellfire64 Hopefully have another unit to try and make a whole system soon.
Always nice to look at some of these early titles, the range Spectravideo brought out for MSX was no where near as good as the games they made earlier for the Spectravideo (and Coleco).
Very nice. Good thing nothing got ruined in the mail. Sending stuff without screws in the mail. Maybe it was press-fitted with the box :D Anyway, very nice.
+bwack If it hadn't of had the proper polystyrene I think it would have been damaged quite a lot, there was nothing holding the computer together and nothing other than pressure from the case holding the two circuit boards in place as well.
Finish air goes well with a SVI-728! :)
+lactobacillusprime Would have to be even cleaner than Tassie ai I reckon :)
My mom and her brother had one of these, I am trying to find the cables for it so we can test if it works.
My favourite computer (of course) hopefully you can find the power supply the video hookups are fairly standard ones
@@electricadventures Yeah, hopefully the power supply cable is in the same box as the msx, i have loads of the video cables
it happened to me when i bought my st and monitor with games off ebay . i plugged it in and would not load discs thought it was a dirty disc drive turns out a load of wires was missing inside
+TimeTeam1982 Oh damn, that's no good did you get it working in the end? STs are great machines to play with and the disc reading is a lot more reliable than the Amigas as well.
yer but needs more servicing which i.m not good at .
very cool shame the missing chip . the turtle looks like software my primary school used to control a small robot in the class and it drawed on the screen that was about 86/87 maybe 89
+TimeTeam1982 I am going to order some cheap Z80 chips from a China supplier, but there will probably be other issues. It looks like two pins are lifted on the VDP as well.
they got back to u
the seller
Sort of, I have suggested them sending the keys off another definitely broken system they have to make amends.
I cant remember seeing those Spectravideo machines over here.
The computer seems a lot nicer than the cheap joysticks Spectravideo was famous for over here.
Strange that they sent it without a CPU. The Z80A should not be too hard to get, but annoying anyway. At least it's socketed.
Collecting MSX machines is addictive, there are so many different cool and weird looking machines to get. I wonder where the cursor keys are on the Spectravideo. I remember all MSX machines I saw so far had that huge cursor block and I can't find it on that one.
Btw... it looks like the 'Turtle' game is some sort of 'Logo' programming language.
+Theshadowsnose The Spectravideo machines were always very well built, not a lot goes wrong with them, unless they have been poorly treated of course. Their joysticks are another matter, lots of designs but it took them a while to get ones that don't fall apart with little punishment :)
It is quite interesting the different approaches to the MSX machines and yes so many of them that are interesting to collect.
+electricadventures I'm looking forward to see the machine working.
I probably stopped buying their Joysticks before they managed to make them rugged enough to endure Decathlon for more than a week.
I had quite a few of them back in the days and besides their cheapness, I mainly remember their sometimes really weird designs.
I bought quite a few of them when I was a kid because they were cheap and I hadn't found the 'optimal' stick for me.
I remember the Quickshot IX (I think). the one that looked like a huge trackball, but the "orb" was actually the actuator for the Joystick. I should still have my original one somewhere, but could not find it when I seached the last time.
They probably also make interesting videos.
Joysticks are another thing that I did not have very many of, but I think I have got at least one or more joysticks with every system I have bought over the years and have quite a collection now, especially of the Spectravideo ones. It's probably worth a video in it's own right :)
It was rather popular MSX machine here
There seem to be quite a few around and they are a lovely solid machine and my 1st MSX back in the day.
Svi 747 & 727 new in box is worth more than 50e a piece?
They have definitely increased in value and are a very well built system.
@@electricadventuresso how mutch i can sell both total? Now i have got 125e offer total
@oontero1947 I think on the current market you could get more than that
Hello, i m looking to buy this one but i don t know the market price.
The Finnish models seem to come up the most often and sell around the 50-70 Euro mark. They do have a slightly different key layout and symbols and a different rom though.
Australian ones sell for around $100-150 when they come up.
@@electricadventures Hello. Thanks you.
I hope you get some of your money back Tony! that's disgraceful!although as you say the box and the expansion pack are still ok
Waiting to see, he has promised to make amends. But yeah the box and the expansion pack themselves are quite rare, so it's not a total loss.
I have a SVI 728 for sale in Germany
I already have a couple of 728's but I am sure you will find someone who will want it.
That's bizarre that they sent you a computer without a cpu and screws. If you bought it off ebay, you will get your money back. Looks like a nice machine, hope you get it working !
+StigsWorld If it hadn't of had the original polystyrene it would have been an even worse disaster, that was all that held the case together and the case was the only thing stopping the two circuit boards from flopping around in the case.
I'll order some cheap Z80's but I am sure it will have other items to fix. I can see two pins lifted on the VDP, not sure about those. The board does look responsibly clean. I can burn a new BIOS rom if I need to as well, we shall see.