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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Marketplace => Topic started by: Cammy on December 18, 2009, 10:11:57 AM

Title: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Cammy on December 18, 2009, 10:11:57 AM
Hello fellow Australians, if any of you are on the look out for a new LCD monitor for your Amiga, there may be a very suitable one coming out at Aldi next week (Monday 21st). I'm hoping that it's one of the models with a built-in flicker fixer, so it would be perfect to use with an RGB-S-Video adapter from AmigaManiac, or even better for Indivisions using HighGFX because it will hopefully show a 1024x768 screen without stretching it, provided you can switch it between 4x3 and 16x9. The native resolution is 1366x768, and it's a widescreen monitor.

I know a lot depends on how it turns out, but Aldi have a good refund policy so if it's no good you can take it back. It's just that every time they have a special this good, they sell out early on the day the sale starts.

Anyway, the monitors are 15.6" black, white or pink HD LCD TVs with built-in HD tuner, S-Video, VGA, HDMI, Component and AV inputs, they have a great energy rating, and they're only $199.

Here's more info if you wanna check them out, I'm planning on getting one so I can give back the monitor I've been borrowing for nearly a year. Thanks Gran for the Christmas money

http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/58_11302.htm
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: RedskullDC on December 18, 2009, 11:14:04 AM
Hi Cammy,

Thanks for the tip!
Can't go wrong at that price.

Cheers,
Red
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Rebel-CD32 on December 20, 2009, 09:53:32 AM
I'll be camping outside Aldi like it's a Star Wars premiere to get one of these at that price. I hope it works well with my HighGFX Workbench.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: mingle on December 20, 2009, 11:19:31 AM
Hi,

Sounds good, but I'm guessing it won't sync down to 15Khz to display native Amiga resolutions?

Cheers,

Mike.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Rebel-CD32 on December 20, 2009, 01:11:36 PM
I'm pretty sure it will, since it displays PAL video fine. If they do go on sale tomorrow (it appears to be the 26th they come out now) I'll report back on their compatibility.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: mingle on December 20, 2009, 02:51:06 PM
Cool...

Obviously it'll be able to display the Amiga's composite output fine, but I'm interested to see if the 15-pin VGA connector can handle the Amiga's analogue RGB output - I'd be very surprised if it did - but also very happy! :-)

Cheers,

Mike.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Rebel-CD32 on December 20, 2009, 02:58:49 PM
If I can find the appropriate cable, I'll try some VGA/Multiscan modes through it too. Since these things usually fix the flicker, running in Pal High Res Interlace through S-Video gives it a pretty nice display on the LCD, but because the resolution isn't native there'll always be pixel stretching and interpolation, just as there would be if you tried to run 640x480 or 800x600 through it.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Rebel-CD32 on December 20, 2009, 11:32:19 PM
Damn, it looks like they're definitely not out until the 26th. Aldi opens at 8am on Saturdays, so if anyone wants one it'd be a good idea to be waiting there when the doors open.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: gertsy on December 21, 2009, 01:27:11 PM
Quote from: Rebel-CD32;534647
Damn, it looks like they're definitely not out until the 26th. Aldi opens at 8am on Saturdays, so if anyone wants one it'd be a good idea to be waiting there when the doors open.


Keep us up-to-date with that 15k VGA input...

cheers

Gertsy
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Cammy on December 25, 2009, 11:12:35 PM
DON'T GET ONE!!!

They can pick up PAL and NTSC modes and they display nicely with no flicker in interlace, but every five seconds the whole screen shudders! I think it's a problem with the built-in flicker fixer, but it happens on both the TVs I tested.

It also can not pick up the Indivision's HighGFX mode so they're pretty much completely useless as an Amiga monitor.

Sorry everyone.


Okay, I have found out since that they aren't so bad afterall! They DO pick up HighGFX, but onlky when the Indivision is set in 1.25 mode, which means all your games will look bad through the Indivision, but Workbench will be okay. Composite works fine, and S-Video from a CD32 works fine too. It's only the output from the V1.0 RGB S-Video adapters that causes the screen to jump every five seconds or so.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Fingers on December 26, 2009, 07:27:22 AM
Sorry to hear that Cammy :(

Here is another option:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DELL-ULTRA-SHARP-2007FP-20-LCD-Screen-CHEAP-GX520_W0QQitemZ300380175515QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_comp_monitor?hash=item45f00dbc9b

I've purchased one & will report back after arrival/testing.

PZ.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: CLS2086 on December 26, 2009, 09:53:45 AM
Normaly, you can find in Australia the same monitors than those sold in England or in Europe ?
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Fingers on December 26, 2009, 10:21:02 AM
Quote from: CLS2086;535112
Normaly, you can find in Australia the same monitors than those sold in England or in Europe ?


If you are inferring the possibility of purchasing one with SCART input, then no...I managed to find one after a LONG search (it never worked with Amiga either), but SCART is quite uncommon here :(

PZ.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Rebel-CD32 on December 26, 2009, 01:32:27 PM
These monitors are perfect for CD32s, and not too bad for Indivision users.

I took a photo of the monitor running in HighGFX 1024x768 mode, in 4:3 (hence the black borders). The display is nice and crisp, it has the right amount of lines but there's still a small amount of interpolation horizontally, but nowhere near as bad as it was on a 1280x1024 monitor.

I picked out a faulty one, and didn't have time to take it back and exchange it before they were all sold out. It has a glowing spot on it, not like a dead pixel (which the one I got before this had, which I took back only to get this worse one). You can see the glowy spot down towards the bottom of the screen in the task bar area under EaglePlayer. Please excuse my GUI theme, it's a bit mixed up at the moment while I experiment with a few things.

(http://i49.tinypic.com/12333vb.jpg)
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: countzero on December 26, 2009, 01:35:59 PM
@REBELCD32

LOL @ the backdrop :) me want too ! :)
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Rebel-CD32 on December 26, 2009, 02:17:53 PM
You can get the backdrop from Cammy's Amiga Christmas Tree website http://amigachristmastree.condor.serverpro3.com/index2008.html
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: rkauer on December 27, 2009, 02:01:34 AM
Quote from: Rebel-CD32;535119
Please excuse my GUI theme, it's a bit mixed up at the moment while I experiment with a few things.

 I don't excuse you! Only if you send me the original model for it.

 It is really Cammy? OK! Sorry.

 I demand you to send me the model!

------------

On a serious note: don't know if the model is available outside China/America: Fujilink A1901TV (19" LCD) or even the A1901W (wide screen). Works without a scandoubler.:)
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: dreamcast270mhz on December 27, 2009, 04:40:37 AM
*cough* perv Just kidding if you bother to read that, I have Samus Aran as my backdrop so i can't really talk about yours being of Cammy.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: tokyoracer on December 27, 2009, 05:09:30 PM
There is a good reason why these LCD's are so cheap, it's called component quality (or the lack of in this case). Somethimes it's worth spending a few quid more on something with a proper name and that is genrally of a better quality.

Since it came from Aldi's, it really doesn't surprise me it isn't a good monitor. =/

P.s. @ Cammy, as for your back-drops, rather nice but I don't think my fiancée would approve me using it on any of my machines.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Fingers on January 04, 2010, 07:40:17 AM
Well, as for the Dell one I linked to...

It arrived today & will not accept S-Video via Amigamaniac adaptor or any composite input, be it from native RCA, Amigamaniac adaptor, A520 or DCTV.

So, don't bother :(

PZ.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Cammy on January 04, 2010, 10:02:13 AM
Hi Fingers, did you try setting Workbench into Interlace mode and see if it works in your monitor? Some LCD TVs won't accept non-interlaced S-Video signals.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Fingers on January 04, 2010, 11:34:12 AM
Quote from: Cammy;536199
Hi Fingers, did you try setting Workbench into Interlace mode and see if it works in your monitor? Some LCD TVs won't accept non-interlaced S-Video signals.


Nah Cammy, but I might try that later.

However, would this then mean that games won't display on it?

No matter though, as at least for now I've swapped it with a TV that works.

PZ.
Title: Re: Cheap Amiga-compatible LCD Monitor/TV in Australia
Post by: Fingers on January 04, 2010, 12:03:36 PM
Ok, so I gave it a shot with laced screen & it works...even displayed when I ran a WHDLoad installed game...BUT...BIG BUT...the screen cuts out every few seconds.

I don't mean shudders either like those TVs, but it goes completely blank for a second or two, so no good.

So, this monitor is actually fantastic as a display for my Indivisionised A1200 or even the CD32, but useless for anything else :(

PZ.