| What you want is an ANALOG RGB monitor, your Magnavox is probably of
the digital (RGBI) variety which is only capable of displaying 16
colors. The Amiga does provide RGBI compatible video outputs, so you
*could* use your old monitor, but you'd be missing out on the best
part of Ami's video prowess.
VGA uses a higher scan rate which a stock A500 cannot match, so that's
not what you want either.
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A smart choice would be a multiscanning (otherwise known as multisync)
type monitor. The current Amiga video signals will most likely be
upgraded in the future. A multisync monitor would handle the current
graphics modes, as well as any that might appear in the future.
Good choices are the NEC Multisync 3D or the Princeton Ultrasync models.
While these may seem much more expensive than a standard Comomdore
monitor ($500-$600), you are in fact getting a lot of value for your
money.
The models I mentioned can handle the display of an IBM VGA compatible
system, or even a Macintosh II system, should you ever decide to change
models.
If you search this conference by title you may find more references and
recommendations.
Ed.
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| Re .0:
> I now own a Commodore 64 and will soon be picking up an A500. I now own
> a Magnavox RGB monitor. My question is this: am I going to have to
> purchase a VGA monitor to use with the A500, or will I get by using the
> RGB?
As an A500 owner who has a Magnavox RGBA/RGBI monitor, the answer lies
in just WHICH monitor you have. As Bruce noted in .1, what you NEED is
an ANALOG RGB monitor (assuming you want to be able to see more than
the 16 pre-defined colors that an RGBI monitor can render 8^). My
monitor allows a choice between NTSC composite video (C=64/128
40-column mode), RGBI (C=128 80-column mode and PC CGA/EGA), and RGBA
(Amiga, in all modes).
Super VGA and multi-sync monitors cost more. The A2000 FlickerFixer
and the A3000's S/VGA port both produce output at the higher scan rate
needed to avoid the flicker that the rest of us see on "interlaced"
640x400 Amiga screens. There are conflicting reports about such
support in a new version of the Denise chip (which would imply that
even A500 owners would be wise to buy multi-sync monitors if they buy
anything), but what I've heard isn't coherent enough to act upon.
If you do buy a new monitor, I may be interested in your old one.
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| The enhanced Denise chip, which is currently shipping with the Amiga 3000
and will be available as an upgrade to Amiga 2000 and 500 owners, supports
new video modes, some of which require a VGA scan rate.
If you have the new Denise, you can use all of the current video modes
without any problems using the normal Commodore monitors. However, the
non-interlaced 400 line modes will not be usable unless hooked up to
a VGA monitor or a multi-frequency (multisynyc) monitor.
The drawback with a VGA monitor is that, although will it will display
the new non-interlaced 400 line mode, it will not display any of the
old Amiga video modes. This isn't too much of a problem if you have
a flicker fixer, as that card converts all of the old Amiga video modes
to the VGA frequency. (The Amiga 3000 has the equivalent of flicker fixer
built in, and you can either connect a monitor to its output, or to the
enhanced Denise output.)
The best solution, in my mind, is get a multi-frequency monitor. It can
handle any of the video Amiga output signals: normal, enhanced modes,
flicker fixer. The multi-frequency monitors cost more than the Commodore
fixed frequency monitors, but they are more flexible, and have much better
pictures.
One last selling point: eventually you will upgrade your system. If you
get a fixed frequency monitor now, the likelihood of being able to use
your current monitor with your new computer will be near zero. If you
get a multi-frequency monitor, you will have a fighting chance that your
monitor will outlive your current computer.
Commodore is selling a new multi-frequency monitor for the 3000. It looks
quite nice (far better than any other monitor sold under the Commodore
logo), and if I was monitor shopping right now, I'd give it serious
consideration.
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Also, bare in mind that an old VR241 (hitachi) colour monitor does the job if
you can get it cheap enough traded in on employee purchase or on loan
(free). It has a switch on the back to do both analog and digital (16)
colour RGB.
Thats what I'm using now. Doesnt have a speaker of course, but I use my
amp anyway off the other audio outputs.
Also, you have to make up your own cable for $30. For anyone
interested, do a DIR/TITLE="VR241" and you'll pickup my full how-to
on it.
Multi-synch is still way beyond my budget - thats halfway towards a
decent Ami hard disk.
Randall.
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