Has anyone here ever used another monitor other than the
stock Apple "green" mono-monitor or the Apple RGB monitor
on their computers? If so, what did you use? How well did
it perform? What hardware/software changes did you have to
make, if any? And lastly, why? The original "green" screens
leave a bit to be desired. Lots of others were/are easier
on the eyes, better contrast, etc.
Has anyone adapted "newer tech" such as LCDs or VGA?
Comments? Suggestions?
I've hooked a IIc up to a new television before and that worked fine. I also used to have a pile of generic monochrome monitors. I like the green but amber was a little less striking. I think there are a couple of hacked IIgses out there using those 5" NTSC screens that car instalations are using (really cheap too, I've seen a number under $50)
g3head;
Interesting! Where are these available and how do they wire
into the Apples? Is it a straight-up thing? Or do I need to
construct an adapter?
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Some people march to a different drummer... I have a 52-piece orchestra playing just for me!
one way to attach a VGA monitor is to use a external Scandoubler (Used on many amigas) and wire an adapter from the IIgs video port to the amiga video pinout. or you can just buy an old multisync monitor and just wire up an iigs to vga adapter the monitor must support an 15khz sync signal
I successfully used an Amiga 1080 monitor on my GS for years. Could have used the 1080's Composite video in, but I used it's RGB in, instead. Made myself a little adapter that allowed me to use the GS' RGB cable on it, without hacking up my good cable. Still have the pin-outs for both around here somewhere
There are many color LCD video monitors that take a simple RCA video input. All of the Apple ]['s (except for possibly the IIGS) can plug directly into that.
That's why the earlier responder mentioned that his modern TV can work. Most of the old 8-bit computers could use a TV as a monitor, the Apple II's, Atari's, Commodore's, Texas Instruments 99-4A, and the TRS-80's.
You only run into resolution problems if you try to use 80-column text or fine detail in Double Hi-Resolution Graphics (DHGR) with an old CRT TV. I've used an LCD monitor though and everything was crisp.
By the way, I'm running a TiPowerbook, and since Powerbooks have come standard with two monitor support built in (that's side by side not mirrored "desktop" space) , and mine has "S" video out with an adapter to RCA line out video . . . I run my color Apple //c monitor as a secondary one for low res tasks like playing Backgammon or cards. So that's a twenty year span of Apple equipment that functions perfectly together. Can any other computer company make that claim?
Mutant_Pie
That "screen shot" was from before I had the kinks worked out and found out the "snow" wasn't supposed to be there. IIRC, it was my Laser 128's output displayed in a window w/AVP on my 20" monitor. The window comes up empty because the Mac's video buffer is clueless as to the content of the Video System Card's direct feed, I had to paste in a VidCap still to show it.
I don't think so, but it might have been my IIgs . . . dunno . . . the aim of the test was to eventually have the IIgs hooked into the single ADB KBD/Mouse on the KVM Switch setup for my Macs.
jt
One monitor that I have successfully used with my //e
is a Panasonic Dual Mode Computer Display. This monitor
has both 75 and 300 ohm inputs and displays in color
and black&white selectively. My color display looks a
lot like the above screenshot without the "snow" dots.
The resolution/sharpness is not as good in color as in
B&W but it is better than an AmDek composite color monitor.
It seems that the only way to get truly clear resolution
with a color monitor is to use a seperate color type of
video card. I have an AmDek card that fits into the AUX
slot in my //e that allows me to use an AmDek CGA monitor
or comparable.
I want to hook my Apple ][e to my TV. Do I need an adapter or can I just go straight to the input of my TV like a VCR? The jacks are the same so I was wondering if it is possible. then I could have the advantage of color and a big screen.
Yes, you can use the standard RCA video input from the the IIe to the TV. (Bonus points if you can name where the quote in my subject line came from.)
I've hooked my Apple //e to a TV on occasion
but the resolution was not as good as I expected.
I am using an 80-column card. You may have a
bit better luck with 40-column resolution on
a TV. Just a thought.
I have a couple of Apple L-TV devices that take the DB15 video in and spit back out RCA and S-Video as well as DB15. These devices were designed to support presentation systems and mirror the video. I have not had a chance to see how well they work yet.
--DDTM
I usually use a color composite monitor with pre IIgs Apple IIs though I do have a RGB card for my IIe. Color composite monitors in color mode are great for games and graphics but they are poor for text. Still all the color composite monitors I've seen have a switch that lets you swich to monochrome when you need to see crisp text.
Wayne
I just purchased an Ambery AV-1C "15Khz RGB CGA YUV Component Video YCbCr to VGA Converter Scaler" to use with an LCD screen on a IIGS. Cost was about $90 video looks great in 40 col. Will not give results in other modes yet as I was having problems with the home made cable. Suffice it to say that it was passable though not exactly the same as the Apple Color monitor. The converter will take seperate H & V sync, combined H+V sync or sync on green. I could not find a way to select which sync to use. I will continue testing.
I have a GBS-8220 on order from Jammaboards. I will post a side by side comparison on these devices when I have tested them thoroughly. I will be testing them on the IIGS, Apple //e with Applied Engineering RGB and a IIc+.
Hello,
You can take a look at this blog.
This guy deals with Apple IIGS RGB video to Component converter.
Just wanted to see what the final results where here.
I'm trying to determine the best way to hook my IIGS up to a LCD.
thanks!
there are really a lot of possible solutions out there depending to the availiable output of the specific models...
with the apple II´s up to my experience the best results came with the connection from RGB card to philips RGB monitor from the model row 88xx-II - it has chinch input for BAS signal and 15DB for analog RGB... and a switch to determine the input... so displaying games and 40 column out put with RGB Card and /or 80 column card output to the philips chinch input is great and if the philips is switched to monochrome the 80 column display is realy good too...
the same philips monitor connected by the IIGS RGB output with DIY-cable to the 15 DBinput of the philips generates a very crisp and clear display in all modes including desktop from OS6.01....
there are several units out there to be used as adaptor with reproducing sync-signals and output to VGA standard monitors and they realy have a wide spread in quality... i´ve treid several ones and usually it always needed some adjustment-work to reach a rather acceptable quality.... sometimes there was the need to get access to the intermal adjustments too - but that should only be performed by somebody with technical knowledge due to the fact that within monitors some voltage lines are potentialy lethal ( up to 2000 Volts or more ! )
Unless that knowledge isn´t availiable its a good decesion to look for multiscan monitors with as much as possible adjustment access leaded to the outside backpanel.... the more adjustment trimmers could be accessed from outside the less the need to open the case and getting close to lethal dangerous powerlines...
few months ago i just even found a converter to display old ZX81 output at the VGA with crisp display ... its realy a trail of try and error...
Amber monitors acquired with some Apple II clones
2 Taxan RGB monitors
What kind of results dod you get with the
Taxan Monitor? Are these still available?
I had a couple "back in the day" but now
they are gone (got rid of them when I
moved).
Any other RGB/coler monitors still around
that are compatible "off the shelf" with
an Apple //E system? (Using the RCA output)