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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: broken on June 19, 2010, 04:24:19 AM
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Public Service Announcement for forum members that are in North America and want to run PAL hardware and/or software on a TV.
I have 2 Vizio LCD HD sets. 26 inch in the bedroom and a 47 inch in the living room.
Recently received another PAL A1200, and for shits and giggles plugged the composite video out into my 47 inch Vizio.
BY GOD IT SNYCS PERFECTLY TO 50Hz!! Full color and everything.
Then tried it on my 26 inch Vizio in the bedroom and it worked just as well.
Now, I was only able to test composite, but there is no reason to believe that it wouldn't also snyc to 50Hz with Svideo. I am going to pick up one of AmigaManiac's v3.0 S-video adapter and test it out.
If anyone needs a model number from my TVs I can check for you.
I would imagine if you had a RGB to Component video encoder it would probably work as well.
Course no straight RGB input on these (well, VGA), but composite, svideo and perhaps component should hold you over.
So, for US and Canadian folks looking for something they can buy off the shelf to plug their Amiga's into that will also handle 50Hz PAL signal, I would suggest checking out a Vizio. Sam's Club, Walmart and Target have them for cheap prices and they are honestly great tvs.
I have had lots of big name brand TVs over the years, and the Vizio models are the first I have had that would properly display PAL. If you bring up the menu and check the TV settings it will even tell you its displaying a 50Hz signal. Excellent.
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It's funny - people still paying high prices for Amiga gear, but then decide to skimp on a TV and complain when it is not compatible.
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Cheaper TVs mass produced for some faceless company by a Chinese factory have more chance of supporting everything regardless of which region a machine is sold in as HDTV is a single standard and they can't afford to make two different types of input/control board depending on if the legacy hardware to support is for PAL or NTSC regions.
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It's true...
I have a 32" Vizio LCD and on a whim the other month I plugged in my PAL CD32 and Commodore C116. I was surprised as heck to get a full color picture!
I wonder if Vizio makes a small 19" LCD I can use to replace my old 1084s...
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My TV engineer buddies tell me that it is common practise for generic control boards to be put in lower priced LCD TVs, and hence will have similar features in all similar brands.
This has been going on at least a decade, my first DVD player was some non-descript budget brand that was a licensed clone of a previous generation £350 Pioneer DVD that won many awards. And yes it was fantastic and had the bonus of being silver not black :) The menus looked less 'cool' but technically the picture quality was excellent for 2000/2001.