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General question - old-timey monitors.

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DreadStorm

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Greer, SC
I have a question.

Now, you all have helped me a great deal recently, and I hate to be a constant pest. Over the past 20-plus years, I've devoted myself to straight "standard PC" hardware and architecture. Recently, as you may know, I've begun accumulating a lot of those oldies I used to use. Problem is, I forgot most of what I used to know. But I'm trying to come up with a single "universal" video solution.

My question is two-fold, really. I'm looking for a monitor/TV or some other display that I can use that would support all my Commodore units, the Apple IIgs, the TI-99/4a, and (I'm debating on this one still) perhaps a TRS-80 Color Computer. This includes support for the C128's 80-column mode as well as the normal mode.

I've already planned on getting a mechanical switch box, and adapting several cables, going from that to a video converter (if needed, hopefully not) and to the monitor.

I'm wondering if there is a simpler way to go about this sort of thing. Or, perhaps, if someone can point me to a multi-mode monitor of some kind that can do all those inputs. Keeping in mind I have no problem making/rigging custom cables.

Any ideas?
 
If you like the glass variety, it's very hard to beat an older Mitsubishi DiamondScan unit. Does pretty much everything, from composite to RGB to EGA and VGA, digital and analog. Hard to find, but worth their weight in doughnuts.
 
DreadStorm said:
I have a question.

I'm wondering if there is a simpler way to go about this sort of thing. Or, perhaps, if someone can point me to a multi-mode monitor of some kind that can do all those inputs. Keeping in mind I have no problem making/rigging custom cables.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

The problem with the (rare) single multimode monitor is when it fails, you have no display for most of your collection. I keep mentioning this, but CRT's won't last forever. They have components with high failure rates that are no longer available.
 
That's the sort of thing that I'd prefer, really.

I was tempted to delve into an LCD TV/monitor I spotted on eBay, but thought better of it. Yet, to be truthful, I only have one LCD monitor (19" WS) the rest I have are all CRT VGA monitors. I was hoping to use one of them, but as I thought about it, it would be far too pricey to adapt.

I'm going to look that up and see if I can find one.
 
Some versions of the Commodore 1084 has CGA mode (RGB digital), Amiga mode (RGB analog) and composite mode (for the older stuff) and will do 80 column mode with the C128 (same digital mode as CGA). The problem is you need special cable for the unit with the round input connectors, and you need to flip switched to set which mode you are in. If you need VGA then that monitor is out.

Its not as easy as running multiple machines off of a KVM like you would a bunch of PC's. And like someone else stated when that monitor blows you are pretty much out of luck using anything.

I don't think I ever seen a Mitsubishi Diamondscan around here ever, some models were used on AVID video editing systems and I would want one just for that (20" model I think).

Still not happy my NEC 3Ds is starting to get fuzzy until it warms up (VGA and syncs to Amiga video at 15khz, also do ega and cga).
 
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