A Commodore 64 video upgrade usually starts with a familiar compromise: remove the original RF modulator to make room for a replacement board. In a new 43-minute video published on 7 November 2026, TheRetroChannel takes a different route with RFON, a board intended to improve the C64’s video outputs while leaving the RF modulator in place.
The useful part of the demonstration is its breadth. The creator installs and tests RFON across several C64 board revisions, showing results with different VIC-II chips and a Kawari video replacement. The video also walks through an optional chroma modification for five-pin video connectors, configuration jumpers, and a 5 V jumper for a particular longboard/shortboard VIC-II combination. Those details matter: a video-output fix that works on one machine is not automatically a drop-in answer for every C64.
This is a hands-on look at an alternative to a destructive modulator swap, not an independent measurement of picture quality. If you are considering the modification, watch the original RFON installation and comparison video for the relevant board revision and jumper settings before reaching for the soldering iron.
