#A1200 video questions
7 messages in this thread
What is important to look for when choosing a monitor for the 1200? It
seems to have lots of video modes – how can I tell which ones will work
with a given monitor? Are there certain monitors which are known to be
particularly good matches for the 1200? Or will any PC-type multiscanning
monitor work well? Is Commodore's own monitor one of the better choices,
does it have any unique benefit over other monitors one can attach to the
1200?
Also, Is it possible to connect an RGB monitor and a composite monitor
simultaneously?
Thanks, ===Scott
Scott,
I really like Commodore's 1960. First decent monitor they've put out since
the 1702, and it does all AGA modes.
The spec to look for is a horizontal scan rate of 15.75kHz through
31.5kHz. Most PC multiscanning monitors won't scan down to 15. A monitor
that scans this range will work with all modes.
A monitor that won't scan down to 15.x kHz won't let you play most games,
or access the boot screen.
You can connect RGB and composite simultaneously, yep. So you COULD get a
high-scan-rate-only multiscan monitor and then use the composite for
games, the boot screen, and programs that don't support mode-promotion
deinterlacing.
Will the 1960 also work with an MS-DOS machine running Windows at VGA, 800
x 600, and 1024 x 768 resolutions? Are there other monitors as well-suited
to AGA as the 1960 is? ===Scott
Scott,
Yep, the 1960 supports all those resolutions–it's rated up to 1024×768.
There are a number of monitors that work just as well with AGA, such as
the Mitsubishi AUM-1381 Diamondscan, but it seems that many of these are
out of production….
Yes and Yes. I don't consider the 1960 a good monitor for anything. Buy a
Sony 1302. You will be very happy with it.
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – via Whap!
Scott,
A suitable monitor for the A1200 must be able to scan over a fairly wide
frequency range. You'll want something that can scan from 15.75 to 31.5
kHz at least. Most games, especially ones that dispense with unnecessary
frills like the operating system <g>, insist on displaying at 15.75 kHz.
The Amiga's Alert screens, such as the one you see when your machine
crashes, also require this rate.
As an aside: future AGA modes (the chips are programmable and are capable
of higher resolutions than those currently implemented) may require higher
scan rates like 38 or 48 kHz.
There aren't too many multiscanning monitors still being made that can
scan down to 15 kHz. C='s 1960 is one…it's a little pricey, though.
Idek makes a number of monitors that will work…again, they're not cheap.
If you can find an NEC MultiSync 3D or a Mitsubishi DiamondScan 1381 (or
1391), definitely give either one a good look. Both monitors are now out
of production, but you can still find 'em for sale, often at $350 or less.
I own a DiamondScan 1381 and use it with my A1200…works great and can
display all current AGA modes.
It is definitely possible to connect an RGB and a composite monitor to the
A1200 at the same time. My DiamondScan has a composite input…I have
both composite and RGB output going into it and can switch between the two
quite easily. The 1200's composite output is pretty good.
-Dave (via AutoPilot)
Scott,
Take a look for MONINF.LHA in the AmigaUser libraries. It is a list that
contains multi-sync monitors that scan the 15.75 kHz horizontal scan rate.
Other info is also provided, including Mfgr, Size, Vert Scan rate and list
prices.
Chris