PAL A1200 in the US?

[mr_a500]

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you'll also need to worry about a power converter (220V to 110V). EDIT: you beat me to it, tonyvdb ;-)

I was also wondering about this because NTSC A1200s are damn hard to find. You should check out www.amigakit.com. Check out the A1200 "build-to-order" option - there's an option for NTSC. Maybe it's just wishful thinking - you select that option and it says "sorry out of stock" or something. Maybe I'll try to order one.

You shouldn't have a problem running PAL stuff on an NTSC A1200. I run PAL demos and games all the time on my NTSC A500.

[mr_a500]

The website shouldnt say out of stock as we have NTSC Amiga 1200's currently in stock at the moment.

That is shocking and amazing. And they are new? How is that possible? I think I'll order one right away and change my name to mr_a1200. ;-)

[mr_a500]

Running PAL software on an NTSC Amiga with an NTSC 1084, the extreme top and bottom of the screen will be cut off. So for example, in Fire&Ice the score at the top can barely be seen and in Babeanoid the "bat" at the bottom of the screen can't be seen. This is only a problem in the few games and demos that put things on the extreme edges.

On some 1084 monitors, you can adjust the V-height and "squash" the screen so everything is seen.

This makes me wonder - is the PAL 1084 physically taller or is the screen just "squashed" to fit?

[mr_a500]

NTSC4NTSC won't help with WHDload installed games. And I just tried it with BabeAnoid and it doesn't open an autoscroll screen. (tried USEAUTO and FORCENTSC)

So that makes NTSC4NTSC useless for me. I use Degrader to open PAL screens for non-WHDload games and demos - and ModePro to promote or change screenmode of others.

[mr_a500]

Why not put in a hardware PAL/NTSC switch and forget the software. It's just a matter of wiring a SPDT switch to a pin of Agnus.

Using software to switch to PAL mode is not a problem. It works fine. The problem we were discussing was PAL screens being "cut off" at the top and bottom when viewed on an NTSC 1084. A hardware switch on Agnus would not help this.

[mr_a500]

Doesn't your 1084 have enough adjustability to show the complete screen? I never had a problem on my A500 + 1084S.

That's a 1084S and I think those (and later 1084) have a V-Height knob on the front. Both of my 1084 monitors just have a screwdriver hole on the back and a very delicate knob deep inside for V-Height and they don't adjust very far. Even turned all the way, it wasn't enough - and I carefully tried turning a bit farther and the damn cheapo thing bent (and possibly screwed the monitor).

I wouldn't want to have to turn my monitor around, get the screwdriver and flashlight and carefully adjust it for a PAL game, then when finished, do the whole thing again to fix the aspect ratio for NTSC (otherwise screen looks squashed) every single time.

So I guess the moral of the story is: get a 1084S and make sure the V-Height knob is on the front!

[mr_a500]

But what About Techno SOund Turbo? Protracker? Klondike? Fantastic Dreams/Elastic Dreams? MASPlayer software and hundreds of other Apps hat only com in PAL?

Trust m NTSC4NTSC is the best I have seen so far. it is instant unlike the hassle of Degrader in which you have to reboot.

Of those, I only use Protracker and there is an NTSC mode for that.

You don't have to reboot with Degrader. Typing "degrader 50hz 50hzsystem noeditop" will switch to PAL mode. With PAL programs, if ModePro can't change modes for me, I make a script file (run with iconx) where I switch to PAL and when the program is finished, switch back to NTSC.

So my script file for BabeAnoid is like this:

c:degrader 50hz 50hzsystem noeditop
BabeAnoid.exe
c:degrader 60hz 60hzsystem noeditop

I've also got two ABCdir buttons for running Degrader - one for PAL, one for NTSC so I can do fast switches.

[mr_a500]

I already mentioned two games as example of being off the screen (and I don't know why nobody saw it):

So for example, in Fire&Ice the score at the top can barely be seen and in Babeanoid the "bat" at the bottom of the screen can't be seen.

When I say Fire&Ice score, I mean the word "Score", the bottom of which can be seen if you look up and behind the monitor casing. The actual score can be seen. On the 1084 I'm using now, you can't see the Babeanoid bat at all. On my last 1084 (the one I adjusted the V-Height with screwdriver), you could see the top of the bat if you looked from above down the inside of the monitor case.

[mr_a500]