Others have posted in the last couple of year about using a 19” Insignia TV from Best Buy as an inexpensive monitor for Apple II composite video output but for some reason I’ve been unable to find their posts. I want to thank them for calling this option to my attention and to add that although the posts mention an LCD TV, the current model is an LED one. I’m pleased to report that it does an excellent job of displaying 80-column text using my Apple IIe’s composite video output.
I just got my early-model Apple IIe working again after close to 40 years but no longer have a CRT monitor for it. It has a Rev. A motherboard and already had the enhanced chipset and an Apple extended 80-column 64K RAM expansion card installed at the time I acquired it.
I first tried an old 20” LG LCD TV with a composite video input as a monitor and found that it worked to a degree. The 40-column text display was pretty good but 80-column text for the Apple Pascal operating system was disappointingly blurry. Reading these forums I found out that the reason was that the Apple IIe has a non-standard NTSC composite video output which isn’t handled well by most digital TVs. My experience with the LG TV confirmed that.
However several LCD TVs and computer monitors were reported to handle the composite video output much better than others and the 19” Insignia LCD TV was on the list as in expensive option.
As mentioned above the current model carried by Best Buy has an LED display rather than an LCD one but I suspect has the much the same electronics.
When I tried this TV the 80-column text display was much better than on the LG. By making a few adjustments I was able to improve it a little more. The settings I settled on are: wide aspect ratio, game mode, brightness 28%, sharpness 100%.
This image compares the appearance of 80-column Apple Pascal text on the 20” LG LCD TV (left) and the 19” Insignia LED TV (right).
That seems to be a great option for a good price: $90.
I purchased a 9" Naxa LCD portable TV from Fry's for not much less late last year and I am very disatisfied how it works with my Apple //c and my MacMini2,1.
I may just pick this us and pack up the other one and sell it on eBay.
Nice post!
Great stuff!
Can you give us a model number or weblink to the Insignia television?
The model number for the 19" Insignia LED TV is:
Model NS-19D310NA21
Hi landahl,
the model number 19” Insignia LCD TV you reported has only an HDMI video input. Is that correct?
If so please tell me which converter you use from cbas to HDMI?
Thank you
Kind Regards Boris
Product IdentifiersBrand InsigniaMPN NS-19D310NA21UPC 0600603261374Model Insignia NS-19D310NA21
Product Key FeaturesRefresh Rate 60 HzAudio/Video Inputs HDMIMaximum Resolution 720p (HD)Manufacturer Color BlackColor BlackScreen Size 19 inDisplay Technology LED
sorry i do not get it showing here in table form :-(
Best Buy Insignia
MichaelLAX is correct. In addition to the HDMI inputs, the 19" Insignia LED TV has an AV input on the back so it can be connected directly to the composite video output of the Apple IIe with a standard RCA cable.
Super, thank you all for clarify this.
Kind Regards Boris
For anyone interested, this TV is on sale today at Best Buy in the U.S. A daily deal.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-19-class-led-hd-tv/6394757.p?skuId=6394757
What a great tip!
It arrives tomorrow; shipping free!
Now my handyman gets my 9" Naxa as a gift for all the good work he does for me.
Thank you again.
Mine arrived yesterday and it is a beauty on my MacMini2,1.
I will try my Apple //c soon, but I expect similar results!
Good tips all around.
I packed up the 9" Naxa and am giving it away as a present! :)
This post deserves a bump.
Got my Insignia NS-19D310NA21 19 inch from Best Buy last week. It is the best composite renderer I have found yet for my Apple IIe. Displays 80 column text crisply as in the screenshots above. Hi-res is great with only a very small amount of fringing. Be sure to use the composite AV input.
For $69.99 for the Insignia, you can't go wrong.
Bill
Someone must have gotten wind of this television and casued a run on them - the price is now $99.99 for some reason.