Stock CD32 -- PAL only?

[VnllaThndr]

Is a Stock CD32 PAL only? what would I need for it to display in NTSC or VGA? I'm completely ignorant to the platform and have the opportunity to pick one up.

[Hyperspeed]

What country are you in and what country's CD32 do you have?

Not sure how to access the Early Boot Menu on CD32, if there is one. On other Amigas you can swap between PAL/NTSC by holding both mouse-buttons on startup.

[InTheSand]

As far as I know, the CD32 was sold in the usual places... The video output will match that of the country where that particular CD32 was originally sold.

The CD32's hardware is capable of outputting to a VGA monitor in the same way as an A1200 or A4000, via a simple 23-pin to 15-pin adaptor. However, CD32 games software will almost certainly use 15KHz screenmodes, so you won't be able to display these unless your monitor syncs down very low.

AFAIK, the CDTV was based on a 1.3 Kickstart, whereas the early startup screen only started appearing from 2.x. The CD32's 3.1 Kickstart will display in the same way as any other 2.x/3.x Amiga.

 - Ali

[Zener]

If you hold the two mouse buttons on booting you will enter the early start menu where you can select the display mode.

If the CD32 is from USA the default display mode will be NTSC.

[Hyperspeed]

The CD32 had Kickstart 3.1 so it might be possible somehow...

As for VGA, did the CD32 have a 23-pin video port? I thought that came with the SX32 and that it just had RF, Composite phono and S-Video/S-VHS?

The long way around would be to get an SX32 and a Scandoubler/FlickerFixer for VGA output.

[InTheSand]

Hyperspeed wrote:
As for VGA, did the CD32 have a 23-pin video port?

Oops, no it appears not! My mistake! :python:

 - Ali

[Hyperspeed]

I've just edited my posts a million times - the CD32 is indeed a vague creature.

We need photos of it's rear end, minus any expansions. Nothing indecent though, the expansion cover must be there!

[Hyperspeed]

Read just now that the SX32-Pro expansion for the CD32 has a 23-pin Amiga video out and a 15-pin VGA out inbuilt.

Strange that the standard unit didn't come with the 23-pin port though, consoles like the Sega Megadrive/Genesis allowed for RGB from a DIN socket next to the RF out.

Does the CD32 have a yellow composite phono output though, if not then some kind of S-Video/SVHS-SCART cable might be needed.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

My current telly is able to displays both NTSC as well as PAL, and it's already some 15 years old. Maybe it's a good idea to get a second hand telly wich is also capable to display both resolutions? Also beseen the fact that most cd32 games are PAL....

[rockape]

Hi,

see: http://amiga.resource.cx/photos/photo.pl?id=cd32

There pictures are of a rev 3 - and a rev 3  4.1 - CD32 Motherboard by Michael Rubisch.

The Photographs show Ports, Chips and the expansion edge connector.
 
Regards, Michael

aka rockape

[HardStep]

Can you hack the NTSC  CD32 to boot by default in Pal?
I recall something about cuting some pin loose from the mobo   and even possibility to add a switch to schoose the mode.
Now nothing about the detailes tough.  

[alenppc]

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:
My current telly is able to displays both NTSC as well as PAL, and it's already some 15 years old. Maybe it's a good idea to get a second hand telly wich is also capable to display both resolutions? Also beseen the fact that most cd32 games are PAL....

...which is no wonder considering that your TV is a PAL model. Almost every PAL TV can cope with an NTSC signal, or at least the screenmode. The opposite is not true. I have a fairly recent (3 years old) Panasonic 27" NTSC TV with all sorts of features but there is no way for it to cope with any 50Hz signal, let alone the colour coding system. So if you live in an NTSC country and haven't got a monitor for the Amiga it is strongly suggested that you find an NTSC model because you won't be able to view PAL unless you force the machine into 60Hz mode, but even then the display will be only b/w.