EGA on VGA?

[Jedinovice]

Another daft question.

I have a number of EGA graphics cards and I would like to use them on my 386. But, there are no EGA monitors left in the UK. They've all died. Except those on some Amstrad 1640's with loud fans and power supplies included!

I know that CGA and EGA cards use a different refresh cycle speed that VGA monitors do not (naturally) support. So you can't just us a cable.

BUT!!! The same things was/is true of the atari ST with it's refresh rate but I was able to buy acble for use on that with, with just a couple of capacitors (or something, I don't do electricals) in the cable I was able to get high res on an SVGA monitor.

Surely there should be something equivalent for an EGA display. BUt when ever these discussions come up it involves expensive, bulky cards.

So I ask (one more time) is it possible to rig up a cable to get an EGA card to display on a VGA monitor? It must be, surely?!

 

[mikey99]

There are several older MultiSync monitors that will attach directly
to a CGA or EGA card. One I'm sure of is the NEC 3D. I think the
NEC 2A will also work. There is some information about multisync
monitors at this link :

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/monadapt.htm

 

[modem7]

So I ask (one more time) is it possible to rig up a cable to get an EGA card to display on a VGA monitor? It must be, surely?!

No.

Apart from sync timing/polarity issues, there is the fact that EGA video is digital whilst VGA video is analogue.
Some form of electronics is required to convert the TWO DIGITAL signals for each colour in EGA, into the SINGLE ANALOGUE signal for each colour in VGA.

Electronics is required - end of story. Either that electronics will be in an external EGA/VGA converter unit that you'll need to buy (if you can find one), or per mikey99's post, you'll need to find an old VGA monitor that supports EGA as well.

 

[Jedinovice]

Ahh, yes, I'd forgotten about the whole digital to analog thing. Good point. OK, VGA it is then. Shame. I like EGA and emulation isn’t the same!

 

[Starshadow]

EGA was pretty nice. It didn't have many colors, but they were quite sharp. I had an old EGA Tetris game that looked as good as most VGA Tetris games. Also, the GameBoy Color was very similar to EGA ( lower res due to smaller screen) and some of its titles didn't look too bad ( Alone in the Dark had some really nice stillshots)