An idiot writes

[InTheSand]

The A1200 can be connected to a modern PC monitor, but the screen modes used by games won't be compatible with it.

Where abouts are you? If you're in Europe somewhere, your best bet is to get a cheap-ish telly with a SCART socket, then get an Amiga to SCART lead. You'll then get a pretty reasonable display quality.

Or you can look out for a second-hand multi-sync monitor, though due to their age, the reliability might be questionable.

Or you can still buy the Microvitec Desk-Scan 1402 brand new, which will display all of the A1200's screen modes (as well as PC display modes up to 800x600).

 - Ali

[InTheSand]

@MattH:
[color=ff0000]OUCH![/color][/b]  :-o

Stuff that! I guess there's now a very small market for such monitors...

Oh well, a telly is probably your cheapest option then! Though I see you've quoted a dollar price, and am guessing you're in the US or Canada - so SCART is out of the question, meaning you'll have to use good ol' composite video if you go the TV route...

 - Ali

[InTheSand]

@DomN76:
1. The picture on a modern PAL TV via an RGB SCART connection is pretty good, and IMHO usually better than an old Commodore 1081 monitor.

Composite video is a different thing entirely - it's OK for games but if you're planning to do anything other than that, e.g. spend any amount of time where you need to read small text and icons such as in Workbench, you really won't want to be using it for any length of time. Composite works by combining the red/green/blue, brightness and h-sync/v-sync components down a single lead, resulting in a picture with a "mushy" appearance...

2. Flicker fixers / scan doublers are stupidly priced - take a look on eBay from time to time as that's the only semi-reliable source. Again, due to age, hardware reliability may be an issue.

3. Composite to VGA converters are OK in their own way (and won't require a separate flicker fixer) but as you're using composite as the source, you'll have the same problems with a poor display for anything other than game use.

 - Ali

[InTheSand]

DomN76 wrote:
So if I understand you correctly

A1200 > Composite to VGA converter > VGA switch > My Monitor

and this will let me use a decent 19" monitor with both the a1200 and my PC

Yep, it should work fine. The picture quality from the VGA converter will be adequate for game use. For more information, you might be interested in this review as it contains some screenshots of some A1200 games through such a converter.

Alternatively, see this thread for discussions on higher quality (and much more expensive) RGB to VGA converters.

 - Ali

[InTheSand]

DomN76 wrote:
Thanks Ali

That XGA converter looks like it'll do the job nicely :-)

No worries! It's as cheap as chips once you convert that $40 to £!

 - Ali

[InTheSand]

Hmm! The $40 came from the price quoted on the review...

 - Ali