Possible Cheap Scandoubler/FlickerFixer!

[alexh]

http://static.tigerdirect.com/pdf/Kworld_KW-SA230WP_UserManual.pdf

It's only got composite / svideo input. This is a crap scandoubler for an Amiga.

It does have a 50Hz to 60Hz scan rate converter, which means PAL demo's will run on LCD panels that cannot display 50Hz (at the sacrifice of smooth scrolling)

VGA input is just passthrough.

[alexh]

There is no perfect solution. However there are better scandoublers than the one you chose.

There is Roy Justace's scandoubler ($65 for external RGB scandoubler) being promoted on this website and there are the Cypress CM-337 and CM-345S.

http://www.cypress.com.tw/product.php?PId=87936
http://www.cypress.com.tw/product.php?PId=90518

They all take 15KHz RGB input and produce 31KHz RGB output. Both also can scanrate convert to 60Hz for LCD panels.

Non are great but all are better than a scandoubler with composite video input and like a lot of scandoublers, I think they are all 16-bit.

The Cypress products are about the same price as yours (About $90)

http://www.ambery.com/rgbcgatovgac.html

Yours works, the quality is good enough for you, the price was within your budget, the availability was good. Who care's what a$$holes like me think? :-)

[alexh]

Unfortunately you are in the USA but for us PAL users there is a simple and quick mod you can do to an A520 modulator to make it output SVIDEO.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~davem2/overclock/a520.html

Take a look through this photo gallery by someone who did the mod:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/84441860@N00/2147322623/in/photostream/

[alexh]

This is the same product as the Orange box thingy just a different name.

The "out of the box" Amiga compatible inputs are composite video or (worse) RF. Both of which will give suboptimal results.

IMHO you should keep your money and wait for something better.

Agafaster wrote:
havent found any detail as to whether its 565 16 bit, or 888 24 bit

That is because it has no RGB input ;-)

[alexh]

If you have an A1200 then you probably don't have an A520.

[alexh]

http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35527

Jens Schoenfeld has ended speculation on what the best scandoubler for the A1200 is

Schoenfeld wrote:
Well.. time to release some info on my forthcoming unit:

- A1200 internal, plugs over Lisa, no other chip-connections (other internal flickerfixers used an additional Alice-adapter)
- might fit in A4000T, but will not fit in A4000D or CD32.
- full 24 bit colour depth for all screenmodes and output frequencies
- all OCS/ECS/AGA screenmodes displayed and scan-converted, output is always over 60Hz and flicker-free
- fallback to legacy flickerfixer-type 49,9Hz modes at the user's choice
- optional scanline emulation for retro-feeling
- re-configurable design, new screenmodes can be added with a software upgrade
- Genlock compatible (Toaster/Flyer)
- no fiddling with adjustments, just plug in and use
- low power consumption, no heat problems (3.3V design, 2.5V core voltage)

http://think42.com/A1200_Flifi_proto.jpg
http://think42.com/A1200_Flifi_eingebaut.jpg
http://think42.com/PAL_SHires_lace_49Hz.jpg
http://think42.com/PAL_SHires_lace_62Hz.jpg
http://think42.com/High_GFX1.jpg
http://think42.com/High_GFX2.jpg

Production start by the end of this month, availability in summer, target price 129,- EUR each. Versions for A4000D and OCS/ECS Amigas coming up when the A1200 version started selling and some money is made back.

This flickerfixer breaks three rules in one product:
- 16 bit is not the limit in colour depth
- 50Hz is not a "must" when flickerfixing PAL screens
- SHires can be perfectly displayed and flickerfixed

The design uses only up-to-date parts and is moving more than 300 Megabytes of data per second.

Individual Computers: Good hardware or good computers.

Jens