Was There Ever A Radiation Scare For Consoles (early 1990's)?

[oldgamerz]

I can't find nothing online but. I remember my grandparents taking about something like this. When I was a child and that was one excuse my folks that (I lived with) had against TV Video Game Consoles. In which is why I was not able to get  console until I was older and even was able to pay for it myself.

I am not referring to a console that has internet/WIFI capability. the ones I lived with growing up got me a PC instead but. I am not upset about this anymore, because my friends would have stolen all my games and consoles I'm sure looking back now but.

I can't find anything on the internet that is not full of pop up ads so, maybe can someone on here remember, some kind of Radiation scare of the early to mid 1990's. My folks were even afraid of Nintendo, yet were fine with my playing Duke Nukem 3D

[Cartagia]

[oldgamerz]

As strange as the story it is true, but I only heard this from my grandparents back then, nobody else, and I never watched the news, or ever seen it on the news either.

All I know is my grandparents were paranoid about even NES and Genesis, they were paranoid about the controllers or something? @Cartagia is probably right, because I have a bunch of retro consoles today and they never hurt me either

[azure]

Videogame Console radiation made me the man I am today, for better or worse.

[kamikazekeeg]

People tend to view technology in very weird ways sometimes.  I never heard of radiation being a worry with consoles, but then again there are people that think 5G is going to microwave your brain or be a health hazard, or far more nuts things than that despite having no proof beyond half-assed youtube videos and facebook posts.

[sworddude]

didn't old microwaves and the really old black & white tv's have x-ray radiation.

Not much that it was harmfull fortunately but it was still there just a little pretty sure. Still even with those really old devices you'll probably never suffer any negative effects, it's minimal.

Consoles I'm pretty sure not, along with them crt tv's at the time.

[tripredacus]

When CD reading devices became popular, people were made well aware to not look at the laser or the lens (where the laser is emitted) of an optical disc drive. Documentation in video game consoles would refer to this hazard as "radiation exposure" and you can find this verbiage in any console documentation that had an optical drive in it. Here is one for the Wii:
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Wii/Safety-Information/Health-and-Safety-Precautions/Health-and-Safety-Precautions-243009.html

"Caution: Making adjustments to or performing any procedures on the Wii console that are not detailed in the Operations Manual may result in hazardous radiation exposure."

Radiation is, a generic term and does not equate to being bad. It is the process in which energy flows. In reality, staring into an optical drive laser is just slightly less dangerous than staring into the Sun.

"Despite the great increase in the use of man-made optical sources, the sun remains the principal source of optical radiation exposure for man." - http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc23.htm

That is the only thing I can think of in regards to the timeframe in question. The revelation that some televisions emitted higher than expected x-ray radiation was in the 1960s and radiation limits in technology have been regulated since the 1970s.

[wolff242]

There was never a radiation scare. However, lots of things in your home emit radiation, none of it is dangerous. Bananas, Carrots, and peanut butter all emit radiation....Microwaves use radiation to cook your food. Light bulbs emit radiation that allow you to see in the dark. Wifi and Radio waves emit radiation. You get exposed to radiation every time you walk out under the sun (More dangerous than anything inside if you are exposed too long). You can'r escape radiation, you just don't want to expose yourself to high doses of it.

[shawndude82]

I remember my dad bought me my own tv for my room when I got my very first video game console (NES) and made me promise to never play on the family tv.  My parents were worried that it would mess up the tv somehow.

[oldgamerz]

I remember my dad bought me my own tv for my room when I got my very first video game console (NES) and made me promise to never play on the family tv. My parents were worried that it would mess up the tv somehow.

Same here too
 
I have heard of video games consoles doing it, and even PC monitors, once needing a screen saver. In which was a timed video like software in windows PC's of the 1990's that moved pixels on the screen. In case you left the computer on for a long time. (it could be set or unset on a timer to go off) on the PC's CRT monitor to prevent the stationary (non moving screen) from burning into the PC's Monitors of the 1980's and 1990's

(edit) Consoles didn't have screen saver software.


here is a thread from atari age in which this was a thing for some vary old televisions of the 1980's
https://atariage.com/forums/topic/58702-using-atari-2600-on-a-big-screen-tv/

[matimo]

Lol no.

[pzeke]

There are paint smears on everything I own
The vapor rub is lying on a table of filth
Christmas cards to which I never reply
My eyeballs absorb only blue filtered light

TV casualty, TV casualty
We're all right
TV casualty, TV casualty

I wish they'd put Prince Namor on the tube
Hold on I think I have to puke
There's a spot in the corner where I always go
I like to feed the flies that I know

But please don't feed my television screen
TV casualty, TV casualty
We're all right
TV casualty, TV casualty

Babies in prison, they call it a womb
Nine month sentence, no parole
Slivers of steel stuck in your lungs
Breathe deep we need a donor for blood

Jaguars at the cemetery
Cadillacs grazing at your grave
Zeniths grazing at your grave
Sonys grazing at your grave

TV casualty, TV casualty
We're all right

[98dgreen]

Guess you just listened to all the Misfits albums.

[oldgamerz]

There are paint smears on everything I own
The vapor rub is lying on a table of filth
Christmas cards to which I never reply
My eyeballs absorb only blue filtered light

TV casualty, TV casualty
We're all right
TV casualty, TV casualty

I wish they'd put Prince Namor on the tube
Hold on I think I have to puke
There's a spot in the corner where I always go
I like to feed the flies that I know

But please don't feed my television screen
TV casualty, TV casualty
We're all right
TV casualty, TV casualty

Babies in prison, they call it a womb
Nine month sentence, no parole
Slivers of steel stuck in your lungs
Breathe deep we need a donor for blood

Jaguars at the cemetery
Cadillacs grazing at your grave
Zeniths grazing at your grave
Sonys grazing at your grave

TV casualty, TV casualty
We're all right

Guess you just listened to all the Misfits albums.

Seether Marvelvscapcom2 and Pzeke former Lordscott and are likely the same person, whoever this person is is probally laughing up a storm. I am not amused

[pzeke]

Seether Marvelvscapcom2 and Pzeke former Lordscott and are likely the same person, whoever this person is is probally laughing up a storm. I am not amused

Yes, I'm definitely "laughing up a storm", as you say, but your brilliant deduction isn't exactly the reason why.

Be careful, I think that tinfoil hat is a bit too tight.