Amiga CD32, the SX-1 and marvelous possibilities

[leirbag28]

@ArchM

First off........since your in USA..I highly recommend you get an NTSC CD32.....it plays PAL games in color....versus you getting a PAL CD32 which will show up as B&W on your TV

What brand is your TV?  if it is PHILIPS/MAGNOVOX or Panasonic...chances are it will show PAL.   All Amigas have a bootup menu to let you choose PAL or NTSC.some games only run in PAL or run funny in NTSC mode if they were created for PAL only....which many were!

If you can get an SX32...the PRO version (like I have) get it! as its more integrated and has  a 68030 50mhz processor versus the 14mhz one in the plain CD32/SX-1.....this means you can Play games like DOOM, Breathless, Virtual Karting, FEARS, Alien Breed 3D 2, NEMACIV, TRAPPED 2 and such.

SX32's are SUPER hard to come by.and so are SX-1's.there is also the ProModule which is like an SX-1...also rare.

out of all of these...the SX-1 and ProModule have a space to allow you to plug in the FMV card at the same time....that lets you watch VIdeoCD (VCD) movies on the CD32.............in my experience the CD32 is the Best VCD player in the world.

but FMV cards are harder to come by than SX32's hehe.  Sad I sold mine. I sold it because you cant plug it in with an SX32. I used to have an SX-1 with it......so Awesome!

if you really want a larger amount of games.then I would recommend and A1200 with a 68030 processor instead...........it can play CD32 games and all other Amiga games from Harddrive!  using WHD Load..the A1200 has Video OUT just like a CD32..........so it works on a TV.

again get an NTSC 1200 not a PAL one if you want to use it normally on a TV.

unless you can find a CD32/SX-1/SX32 combo.the A1200 is a much better option for games. Amigas are all really games consoles.......secretly hidden in a computer case with an added keyboard..........so dont be put off thats it looks liek a computer.   a CD32 is actually an A1200/A4000 minus the Keyboard.  and it will play all 16bit Amiga games too!

get WHDload! and JST.

From what I know.I probably have the most hooked up CD32 in the world:

1) CD32/SX32 Pro 50mhz 128mb RAM  40 gig HD  OS3.9
2) 4 CD32 original Joypads.
3) Original CD32 keyboard (SUPER SUPER SUPER DUPER Rare!)
4) 4 Player adaptor (lets you plug in 4 joypads)
5) TVi  Remote control/Modem (infraRed remote to play CDs)
6) MASPlayer MP3 decoder  (lets you play MP3's through (hardware)
7)SCALA Echo EE100 (Control Video and DV cameras serial port)
3 Sony PS1 LCD screens attached for VJ-ing and DJ-ing at clubs
9) Mr Myza PS/2 Mouse adaptor (Can use PC mice)
10) Mr hardware PC keyboard adaptor (can use PC keyboards)
11) ChromaKey+  (Blue screen Video effects with this)
12) SuperGen SX (Credits and gfx over home videos and CD+G)
13) Sega Genesis Joy extension cables
14) Sega Joypads (4 of them)
15) CDTV keyboard
16) Floppy Drive attached (can read PC disks)


and Soooo much more.......my 40 gig HD is loaded with MP3's, animations for Video, Applications galore to do almost anything even chat on AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Jabber, IRC, ICQ, email...etc...

I am hoping to add an internal DVD-RW combo drive internally soon via the IDE pot on the SX32...(this will be a laptop DVD drive that will go internally under the SX32)

[leirbag28]

Magnetic is Back!  hehe


@ArchM

Yep!   ALL Amigas have Composite Video OUT.except the A4000, A3000, A2000 (some have only B&W OUT)

THis is what made Amigas so special in the 1980's and 1990's...........they displayed Video directly and the RGB signal is closest to TV signal.....the resolutions are the same.


but even if they didnt have Video OUT, all you had to do was get an RF modulator from eBay...fairly common and go for about $5. although the image isnt all that great.

there are some RF modulators that have S-Video OUT.get one of those if you can...thats if you want S-Video...................but a plain A1200 is perfect for Video Composite OUT for games.  You can even record to a VCR with it.

it outputs  320 x 200, 640 x 400, and 720 x 480....which are all REAL video out........not like PC's that stretch the video or squeeze it....then antialias it to video...........looks awfull!

anyway...dont expect to do Word processing if you only have Composite OUT. however.S-Video is almost as good as RGB.

the CD32 and CDTV are the only ones with S-Video OUT.



EDIT:  by the way........I recently sold the SEGA Genesis Module for the Pioneer LaserActive for really cheap...can't remember how much....but for like $20 or so.  Interesting device :-)   it plugged into the LaserActive and let you play Genesis games nativley...........the device I had came with  a SEGA 6 button compatible pad made by Pioneer.