connecting PC monitor to Amiga 4000

[wizard]

My amiga monitor is giving up the ghost, fading to black at odd intervals.  I would like to use the monitor I am currently using with my PC.
  I have a Commodore adapter, sn#390682-01.  This is a 15 pin miniD to 23 pin D Mail-Maile connector.  I think it may be for making the desired connection by doubling the frame rate from the Amiga standard 15 to 30 fps.  Can someone confirm this?  If not, do you know where I can get an appropriate part?

[InTheSand]

Hi,

Most of the 23-pin to 15-pin adaptors simply make the relevant electrical connections between the relevant pins of each socket. I'd make a 95% sure guess that the adaptor you've got isn't a flicker fixer / scan doubler.

Your A4000 can be used with a PC monitor if you use the "Productivity" and "DoublePAL" / "DoubleNTSC" modes, but this will only work with system-friendly software (e.g. games/demos that bash the hardware directly will still open on the standard 15KHz modes).

Your choices are to either get a scan doubler / flicker fixer, which will be expensive and potentially difficult to locate (they appear from time to time at outrageous prices on eBay) or to get a replacement monitor for your Amiga that can sync down to the 15KHz modes.

Microvitec still makes 14" monitors that go up to 800x600 and sync to all the Amiga's 15KHz modes. The "Desk-Scan 1402" would do the job.

Alternatively, you might find a TFT screen that will sync to 15KHz modes, especially those that double as a TV or have composite video inputs in addition to VGA.

 - Ali

[spavatch]

Another option is buying a VGA card dedicated for A4000, like the Cybervision64 for instance. You'll be able to use a standard VGA screen at resolutions as high as 1600x1200 with a 24-bit colour palette and get a dramatical performance improvement as well :-).

[KThunder]

i would recommend trying to find a monitor that would sync at 15. ffsd's are great (3000's is built in) i had a 1200 and tryed to use the vga modes but there is way too much software that wont work. same with a video card really unless it scan doubles the amiga video as a passthrough. i got an nec 3d monitor and everything was just about perfect. then i sold it all to build an a3000 system. there are good monitors out there that can sync to 15.
you already have the vga adapter that you would need, and it soulds like you need to buy a new monitor anyway

[Piru]

@spavatch

1600x1200 with a 24-bit colour palette

Not with Cybervision64.

[xaccrocheur]

InTheSand wrote:
(...)
Microvitec still makes 14" monitors that go up to 800x600 and sync to all the Amiga's 15KHz modes. The "Desk-Scan 1402" would do the job.
(...)
 - Ali

Yeas, I remember those. They used to be sold Amiga-branded, here in Fr. But I seem to remember a 17' ! Did I dream ? @microvitec's I'ts not even listed as "discontinued" !?
Do you know where I can buy a "Desk-Scan 1402" online ? I that really the last that exists ? No more 15Hz-capable monitor above 14' (apart from ebay, that is) ?

If any user managed to make a current PC (read cheap), preferably 17', non-microvited monitor cope w/ 15Hz, I'm *really* (you have no idea) interested !

[zipper]

 No more 15Hz-capable monitor above 14' (apart from ebay, that is) ?

What about Microvitec 18" 15kHz - 80 kHz flat panel? At least on microvitech.de such thing seems to be available.

[amigadave]

Not many monitors left that will display the 15kHz of an Amiga.  One of the best and largest was the Toshiba TIMM 20" Monitor/TV (which I am lucky enough to own two of and would gladly get another if I found one at a reasonable price.  The TIMM will display 15kHz to 31kHz @ 800 x 600 pixels maximum and in TV mode it is 181 channel cabaple.  Let us all know is you find a good price on any 15 kHz LCD flat panels.