1084s Monitor as a preview video monitor on PC. Possible?

[Matt_H]

In a pinch you can use an S-Video to composite converter. The image quality will be bad, but it'll work - and it's an off-the-shelf part.

I did something similar on my C64: used a standard RCA y-cable to merge the C64's Luma/Chroma signals into a single plug. Functional, but not pretty!

[orange]

composite can be ok. still, I think you should try RGB with VGA->SCART.
there's a program called "SciTech Display Doctor" that might enable PAL modes on your video card.
Linux can do it too: http://www.nexusuk.org/projects/vga2scart/

I have no idea if VGA2SCART works, but that would be best quality, so I'd try it out.

[tone007]

The adapter in the schematic gertsy posted is available here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Video-Monitor-Adapter-RCA-M-DIN-Commodore-64-128-New-/130619779983?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item1e698bab8f

I made one with parts from Radio Shack, wasn't hard at all and provides a much better picture than composite.

[psxphill]

I see..., A year ago I build an Arcade Machine that uses an arcade monitor (15khz) with a PC. I remember I've used a little app called Soft15khz to output the signal. So maybe I had to do a similar work on the 1084s.

Yes that would probably work fine & the image quality will be much better than composite or svideo.

[kedawa]

I just use a male DIN -> female RCA (the other way around would have worked better) adapter I bought at the surplus store.  The colour codes don't match up and I had to connect a set of RCA cables between the adapter and the monitor, but it works perfectly.
I used it with my mac mini for a few months when I had no proper monitor, and it worked fine.

[CodeHunter]

I am about to embark on converting a S-Video cable to dual RCA. The question is, how do I determine if my PC can output 15KHz screenmodes.

Do you know any Video card (ATi or nVIDIA) that are capable of this? Better yet, can my existing IBM ThinkPad T22, which sports a S-Video OUT connector do the job?

Thanks!

[Jope]

S-video is always 15kHz, the hardware in the video card does the conversion for you.

You only need to set a 15kHz screenmode on the PC if you want to connect the 15kHz monitor via RGB.

[CodeHunter]

Thanks for the quick response. The thing that I don't understand on gertsy's diagram, is that the S-Video to Dual RCA, already comes with, well...Dual RCA, so why do I still need to perform any cuttings?

I mean the S-VIDEO connector goes to the back of my PC (video card/IBM ThinkPad), and the other end, the two RCA each need to go to Yellow (Luma) and Red (Chroma), so why do I need to do any cuttings then?

He says: "The best way to do this is take an existing svideo cable and chop one end off rewiring it to 2 x RCA as per the schematic.", well, if I get a S-VIDEO to Dual RCA, then do I still need any cuttings?

[fishy_fiz]

Ive not seen a video card with tv out that cant output to 15khz. Not just this, but 1024x768 non interlace 15khz as well (this varies card to card, but at least 800x600 is pretty much guaranteed). Lower than 640x480 though might require creating a custom screenmode (not difficult, both nvidia control centre and catalyst drivers have inbuilt tools by default for doing this).
PCs and associated hardware are pretty darn flexible for video work these days.

[CodeHunter]

Yes, the more I re-read gertsy's post, the more convinced I am that if I use a S-Video to DUAL male RCA, then there is not need fro any cutting.
(I don't know why kedawa mentioned female RCA!?)

Is this that simple then?

p.s. my goal is to connect my PC/IBM ThinkPad, to 1084S-D1, and play MAME and other emulators, since they look pixalated on my LCD/Laptop screens (no matter what filter/smoothing features I turn on), and the jaggies tend to soften off (anti-aliased) naturally and much better on an older monitor such as 1084S-D1.

So the question is, would a cable like this, would do the job (no cuttings of course):

http://www.showmecables.com/images/catalog/product/s-vhs-y-cable.jpg

[Zac67]

It is that simple. Gertsy was referring to a standard S-video cable with two mini-DIN plugs. You chop of one of them and replace it with two RCAs.

Usually, you can also use a cable like this for composite only, just unplug one of the RCAs (and possibly move the one plug left over) and reset the video mode. Composite may look better for gaming if you like that 'smudged' look.

[CodeHunter]

Usually, you can also use a cable like this for composite only

When you say composite, you mean the other end also should have two RCA (instead of S-Video), right?

[Digiman]

Thanks, too technical for me, I wish there was a 'ready-made' off-the shelf that I could buy!

They sell these cables at places like Maplins.

Also an S-video to phono plug is available but you will need to set the output to composite in the advanced prefs of display options in Windows on T22.

[Zac67]

When you say composite, you mean the other end also should have two RCA (instead of S-Video), right?

No, the exact same cable. You plug one of the RCAs (which one depends on the hardware) into CVBS/composite and leave the other one dangling. Of course you can also use a straight RCA cable and the mini-DIN-to-RCA adapter that came with your graphics card.

[Jope]

Of course you can also use a straight RCA cable and the mini-DIN-to-RCA adapter that came with your graphics card.

.. but that's for a 7 pin mini-din with the composite signal in the center pins, please don't bring those into the discussion ..

[CodeHunter]

"and leave the other one dangling. "

So if I connect just one RCA, then it becomes a composite, and if I connect both an S-Video cable then? (sorry for n00bie questions!)