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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: horde5150 on July 01, 2015, 11:36:36 PM
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I have an A600 that I've installed Kickstart 3.1 into.
I hold down the mouse buttons on boot to get the Amiga Early Startup Control screen.
I can enable and disable PAL with any key.
In the Display Options, I choose PAL, click Use, and then click Boot.
The machine returns to NTSC and never boots in PAL.:angry:
I hope someone can help!
Otherwise, is there a way to install a switch like on the A500?
Thanks!
Chris
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What monitors do you have in the SYS:Devs/Monitors folder?
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Are you booting to a game, or booting to Workbench? If the latter, the early startup control option is going to be overridden by what monitor you've selected in Screenmode Prefs. Select a PAL screenmode instead.
If a game, well... what type of monitor do you have connected? You're certain it supports PAL?
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I recommend Degrader if trying to run games, or to force the Amiga into either PAL or NTSC:
http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/Degrader
TUDE has more options and abilities. But for 50/60Hz switching, nothing beats Degrader.
http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/TUDE
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What monitors do you have in the SYS:Devs/Monitors folder?
I have:
NTSC
PAL
(and corresponding .info files for the icon data)
in Sys:Devs/monitors
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Are you booting to a game, or booting to Workbench? If the latter, the early startup control option is going to be overridden by what monitor you've selected in Screenmode Prefs. Select a PAL screenmode instead.
If a game, well... what type of monitor do you have connected? You're certain it supports PAL?
This is when I am attempting to boot trackloader disks like demos/games/etc.
At one point yesterday, I managed to boot Gem'X in PAL using the same method. (It would show no graphics in NTSC, only music). It doesn't appear that it wants to accomplish this most of the time.
The monitor is a Commodore 1084SD-1, fully PAL-50Hz capable. Trying the WB PAL HiRes screenmode now.
Same situation. WB will now load in PAL, but if I go back to the Early Startup and choose to boot PAL, it returns to NTSC after clicking the Boot button.
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I have:
NTSC
PAL
(and corresponding .info files for the icon data)
in Sys:Devs/monitors
You are still not providing enough info to give you a proper answer.
Are you booting to Workbench or to a game disk? If you want your Workbench to be in PAL mode and also any games you run from Workbench to be in PAL mode, you'll probably have to both select PAL in early startup, and the PAL screenmode from the preferences. But there's so many additional factors, such as if you're using WHDLoad, if you're running some type of "Mode Promotion" or Degrader software, what type of display you have, etc.
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I recommend Degrader if trying to run games, or to force the Amiga into either PAL or NTSC:
http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/Degrader
TUDE has more options and abilities. But for 50/60Hz switching, nothing beats Degrader.
http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/TUDE
Ah! I remember Degrader. It was quite useful on my A500 when I had 3MB ram. I loaded KS+WB 3.1 that way. :)
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This is when I am attempting to boot trackloader disks like demos/games/etc.
At one point yesterday, I managed to boot Gem'X in PAL using the same method. (It would show no graphics in NTSC, only music). It doesn't appear that it wants to accomplish this most of the time.
The monitor is a Commodore 1084SD-1, fully PAL-50Hz capable. Trying the WB PAL HiRes screenmode now.
Same situation. WB will now load in PAL, but if I go back to the Early Startup and choose to boot PAL, it returns to NTSC after clicking the Boot button.
It does this when you're booting a PAL game disk, or directly into Workbench?
If you want your Workbench to load in PAL, and any games you run from Workbench to also be in PAL, you'll need to select PAL from early startup as well as PAL in screenmode prefs. I'm assuming you're running at least WB 3.1. But there's still so many factors to consider, such as if you're using any kind of "mode promotion" or degrader software, WHDLoad (which you an set a tooltype in the icon to PAL or NTSC), etc.
I'd start with the basics first: Put your system in PAL through early startup then load a PAL game off a floppy disk. Does that work?
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Just to clarify, from Early Startup, when I enable PAL and click Boot, the change reverts back to NTSC before the Floppy Drive or HDD is accessed.
Further, I removed the HDD to take WB out of the picture. Still, clicking "Boot" from Early Startup switches 50Hz to 60Hz upon click. Maybe a buggy KS?
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from Early Startup, when I enable PAL and click Boot, the change reverts back to NTSC before the Floppy Drive or HDD is accessed
Probably a dumb question, but how can you tell? Just tested it on my Amiga's, when I click PAL and then click Boot, I get a black screen until the OS is almost loaded. At which point it comes up with a NTSC screenmode, because that's what I have specified in my ScreenMode prefs, but if I run SysInfo I can tell the system is operating at 50Hz (see attached screenshot).
Are you running a straight 3.1? Not anything like 3.9 or any of the "LoadModule" or "LoadResident"-type commands that can trigger a double-reboot, correct? (in which case you would have to select PAL on the second reboot)
Remind us again what it is you're trying to do? Specifically, what software are you trying to force into PAL mode?
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Just to clarify, from Early Startup, when I enable PAL and click Boot, the change reverts back to NTSC before the Floppy Drive or HDD is accessed.
Further, I removed the HDD to take WB out of the picture. Still, clicking "Boot" from Early Startup switches 50Hz to 60Hz upon click. Maybe a buggy KS?
Genuine Kickstart roms? When you say you removed the HDD, do you mean you physically removed the drive? Also, I'm assuming you have no floppy in the drive too...which should take you to the purple screen / tick logo - which you're saying is reverted back to NTSC yes?
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Probably a dumb question, but how can you tell? Just tested it on my Amiga's, when I click PAL and then click Boot, I get a black screen until the OS is almost loaded. At which point it comes up with a NTSC screenmode, because that's what I have specified in my ScreenMode prefs, but if I run SysInfo I can tell the system is operating at 50Hz (see attached screenshot).
Are you running a straight 3.1? Not anything like 3.9 or any of the "LoadModule" or "LoadResident"-type commands that can trigger a double-reboot, correct? (in which case you would have to select PAL on the second reboot)
Remind us again what it is you're trying to do? Specifically, what software are you trying to force into PAL mode?
I was thinking this too, but he states in the original post that he can see the display change when he presses a key in the Amiga Early Startup Control.
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My apologies for all the confusion! I first noticed this Boot Pal issue when I brought the Amiga to work to display. In my excitement to take up less space, I purchased a Gotek Floppy Emulator. The machine is running a real Kickstart 3.1 version. Also WB 3.1 is the OS installed (to continue testing, I disconnected the HDD to test this issue)
But yes, with no floppy inserted (original floppy drive), and I boot PAL, it boots to the purple KS "Insert Disk" screen, still in PAL (awesome!).
Not using any loaders - I physically removed the HDD. Just trying to boot disks and disk images.
I'm using a CRT, so it is much easier to tell when PAL is enabled (attached). I adjusted my CRT's V-Height so that NTSC has black bars, and when switched to PAL, it will fill the screen.
However, I am now thinking it is the particular software being booted. Using the Early Startup method, the Amiga stays in PAL to run Gem'X.
When I try something else, like Kefren's Desert Dream, (among certain others) it forces back to NTSC. Almost like my telling it to switch to PAL was just overwritten by the demo/intro/trackloader.
It's a bummer because most everything I want to run (Scene demos, games) simply will not run or run correctly in NTSC. On my A500 I began using an impossible to find command called Palcon by Nico Francis (If I remember correctly?) before installing a hard switch. Can't find that app anymore.
I may just have to try a different disk release when I see this happening (or find a sweet hookup on a PAL machine! :D )
Again, sorry for all the confusion! I just wanted to boot some games/megademos in the proper refresh/resolution. :)
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Maybe a stupid answer but many of Amiga games/demos were made
so they fit in both PAL and NTSC (black borders on the bottom) but
those made just for NTSC sometimes wouldn't work.
I remember switching to NTSC to get fullscreen for many games but
it sometimes made music play faster :)
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My apologies for all the confusion! I first noticed this Boot Pal issue when I brought the Amiga to work to display. In my excitement to take up less space, I purchased a Gotek Floppy Emulator. The machine is running a real Kickstart 3.1 version. Also WB 3.1 is the OS installed (to continue testing, I disconnected the HDD to test this issue)
But yes, with no floppy inserted (original floppy drive), and I boot PAL, it boots to the purple KS "Insert Disk" screen, still in PAL (awesome!).
Not using any loaders - I physically removed the HDD. Just trying to boot disks and disk images.
I'm using a CRT, so it is much easier to tell when PAL is enabled (attached). I adjusted my CRT's V-Height so that NTSC has black bars, and when switched to PAL, it will fill the screen.
However, I am now thinking it is the particular software being booted. Using the Early Startup method, the Amiga stays in PAL to run Gem'X.
When I try something else, like Kefren's Desert Dream, (among certain others) it forces back to NTSC. Almost like my telling it to switch to PAL was just overwritten by the demo/intro/trackloader.
It's a bummer because most everything I want to run (Scene demos, games) simply will not run or run correctly in NTSC. On my A500 I began using an impossible to find command called Palcon by Nico Francis (If I remember correctly?) before installing a hard switch. Can't find that app anymore.
I may just have to try a different disk release when I see this happening (or find a sweet hookup on a PAL machine! :D )
Again, sorry for all the confusion! I just wanted to boot some games/megademos in the proper refresh/resolution. :)
Some of your disks may be using the 'system-configuration' file. Have a look on your disks for this file. It usually resides in the root directory, but could be in L or Devs. You could edit them with a 1.3 Preferences editor (to change screen position, interlaced or not, colours, printer prefs, mouse prefs etc). I'm not sure whether pal/ntsc is anything to do with it, but it just may be.
Also, I recommend you start to use degrader to force pal or to force ntsc.