Conference 7.286::atarist

    
    Hi, This has been raised in the ST comics and in P.C.W. the only answer
    is to build an attenuator into the cable between the ST and the
    tele, try some low value resistors as a potential divider, try to keep the
    characteristic impedance to 50 or 75 ohms, whichever is right for your 
    tele, (i would guess 50 on the scart cable) 
    
    Pat K.
    

    I disassembled my SCART-cable and found a 150 ohm resistor in serial
    on each of the RGB-leads. I were using a Philips 21" earlier and didn't
    had any problems.
    Check your cable...
    							/jl

I've got a ST (2 meg) with a monochrome monitor and I want to run some software
that requires a colour monitor. I also have a Philips TV with a SCART input.

What kind of cable should I get ? 

Anything else I needs to do ? i.e. just hook up Atari to TV , switch both
on and then run the software ? The Atari detects a colour TV at the other end ?

Zayed 

    Zayed,
    
    Just go down your local Atari dealer and ask for a scart/euroconnecter
    cable.
    
    It runs from the Atari Monitor Output to Scart. Gives much clearer
    and better picture.
    
    Well worth it.
    
    Lewis.

OK, got the cable, went home and connected on end to the Atari, the other to 
my Phillips TV's Euroconnector (SCART), selected channel 0 (as it says in the
TV's manual), pressed the "source" button (input from Euroconnecter), booted
Atari with Flight Simulator.

When the program came up I could hear the plane engine on the TV. But the TV
screen was unusable. (This hard to put in words)It looked like the situation
in the old days when the  picture starts slipping off the screen and you'd turn
a little knob to steady it. Problem is this TV does all its own adjusting and
there's no such knob.

I looked at the frequency of the TV and the Atari: both are 50Hz.

Also tried this with the Atari "system" disk. Same problem.

Went back to the store thinking the cable was defective. They tested the cable
(plugge into a color monitor) and it worked. 

I don't want to haul my TV over to the store just to try the cable. Any ideas ?

Zayed (all this just to get to play SIMCITY - whcih requires a color monitor)

    Zayed,
    
    With my Phillips TV i had to place it on channel E-0.
    
    It had channels E-0 and E-1 for `E'uroconnector. Try to see if there
    is this channel available.
    
    On the remote control it used to look like a box with a left hand
    arrow in it.
   
      -----
    <-|-- |   So press this, then select channel 0 or 1.
      -----
     
    So if you have this try either E-0 or E-1.
    
    Good luck.                                          
    
    PS. If you get it working you may need a reflector screen. I found
    it too bright, even after adjusting the brightness right down!

>
>When the program came up I could hear the plane engine on the TV. But the TV
>screen was unusable. (This hard to put in words)It looked like the situation
>in the old days when the  picture starts slipping off the screen and you'd turn
>a little knob to steady it. Problem is this TV does all its own adjusting and
>there's no such knob.

Hi your problem might be that you TV is not able to synch on the signals from
the Atari. 

I actually has another TV set, Grundig, and it somethimes behaves strangly with
symptoms like yours. I found that if you unplugg the regular antenna cable from 
your TV set, and tries switching you TV set on and of it might be easier for
the TV to synch.

It works on my TV but I really don't known if it will work for you. I suspect
that the Atari send's some signals in the SCART connector that the TV really
don't like that much. You could propably cut some wires in your SCART connector
cable. But I don't known which. Maybee somebody else knowns ?

Good luck.

/Stefan

    What I had to do when I was using the SCART input was add a 300 Ohm
    resistor on one of the sync line.  Then I had no problem...
    
    Chris

Checked the "buttons" i'm supposed to press. Looks like 
I'm doing the right thing. And I *do* get sound !!

I'm more inclined to agree with Stephan's syncing explanation.

>    What I had to do when I was using the SCART input was add a 300 Ohm
>    resistor on one of the sync line.  


Where's this sync line ? Is that on the TV, on the cable ? 

>    Then I had no problem...

What kind of a problem were you having ?

Zayed

    
    The picture was too bright abnd scrolling.  I cant remember which
    line I attached the 300 Ohm to.  I will look this weekend and let
    you know...
    
    Chris

    I messed about with this too - the GREEN line carries the sync.
    Jim Burke

Hi,

This looks like the right place to ask a similar question.

I've just bought a second hand Atari ST. I've connected the monitor socket
to the TV SCART connector, and I get sound but no picture. The TV does 
detect that its getting a SCART signal, because it switches from the tuner
to SCART input.

I've also tried this via the video recorder (which is what I ultimately
want to do), and have the same problem.

The Atari works correctly via a TV direct connection (however, I can't
use my TV as the PAL standards are incompatible), the cable worked for
the original owner, and I use the video recorder/tv SCART inputs for 
other sources with no problem.

Is there any variation between wiring between different makes/countries/
whatever of SCART connectors that might be causing this problem? Any other
ideas?

Thanks,

Graham.

    Hi,
    either your SCART cable or your TV set may not be wired for RGB inputs.
    
    Check this.
    
    Klaus

                      <<< Note 507.13 by SUOSW4::HAMANN >>>
                               -< RGB enabled? >-
    either your SCART cable or your TV set may not be wired for RGB inputs.
    
Klaus,

I think this is what is happening. All the other inputs to the video/tv
are composite video, but I think the Atari is putting out RGB. The SCART
cable is wired for both.

Does anyone have a pointer to a conversion box of some sort, from
RGB to composite?

Cheers,

Graham.

    Re: -1
    
    Humm ...     The author of .12 says that a TV direct connection works.
    
    I understand it as an RF (aerial) connection implying that this 
    1040 ST?? is provided with an RF modulator. 
    
    In that case the monitor jack should have the VIDEO composite signal
    on pin 2, so the Scart cable could be used even if it has no RGB leads.
    
    Graham, could you confirm if you have modulator, and also tell us where
    you are from (i.e. what Color system you are using). I don't see what
    you mean with incompatible PAL standards. Can you clarify ?
    

	I am not sure it is relevant, but there has been non-standard SCART
	implementations that required an external 12 Vcc power supply.
	It's an old problem that no longer happens on new TV sets but maybe

RE: PAL standards - the TV is French but the Atari is English. The
PAL standard used on mainland Europe differs from that used in the UK,
the audio has a different separation from the video.

I don't have a manual for the Atari, so I couldn't see what the 
connections should be at the DIN plug end. 

I'm away from home at the moment, so I won't be able to look
at it again until the weekend. I'll see if pin 2 goes to the
composite video SCART pin.

Cheers,

Graham.

The French use a system called SECAM, NOT PAL, however some of their sets are
multi-protocol. There is only one PAL system (Germany use it too)

The Atari should be outputting RGB and composite video on its video connector
it is a matter of connecting this up correctly to your SCART socket. I had to
put attenuating resistors in my setup as the ST was driving the levels higher
than the TV needed.
I used the Composite video signal to provide the sync signal for the RGB input
this was easier than combining the Horizontal and vertical sync pulses.

Brynn.

    
    re .18 
    
    It is true that France uses SECAM, however it is incorrect to say there
    is only one PAL. There are at least 2 variants PALi used in the UK and
    PAL g(?) used in Italy, Germany and many other places. There are also
    variants of SECAM depending upon if you are in Rsussia or some parts of
    Africa.
    
    I use a French ST with a SCART cable to a JVC multistandard TV, it
    works very well.