Minimig question

[CommodoreRock]

Hello.  I have a few questions about Minimig.  I'm about to buy one, and I want to be sure it will play on my LCD television via VGA input.  I live in the US.  For all intents and purposes, the TV is a 1080P computer monitor.  I don't know if the barriers created by PAL vs NTSC still exist or if they would be a non-issue.  I know that when I run C64 emulator CCS64 in PAL mode, on my Windows laptop, there is no discernible issue with the display, but I don't know if there are concerns with Minimig VGA output to my LCD TV/monitor.

Could anyone weigh in on this?  Thanks!

[gaula92]

Hello CommodoreRock, and welcome

If you set your Minimig to NTSC chipset emulation, it will display in a standard VESA-compliant 60HZ mode, so it's almost sure your monitor will handle it nicely.

BUT Amiga was big in PAL territories, so you'd better set it to PAL mode. Now this mode will use a 50HZ mode a lot of TVs and LCD monitors will support, but it's not standard so maybe you could be out of luck. I had very bad experiences with 16:9 full-hd tvs in 50HZ...Then again I hate those things and I use 4:3 LCD and CRT for Minimig & Chameleon.

Your best option would be trying before buying, I think.

[Darrin]

Post the name and model of your TV and we can look up the supported frequencies.

[tribz]

Hello.  I have a few questions about Minimig.  I'm about to buy one, and I want to be sure it will play on my LCD television via VGA input.  I live in the US.  For all intents and purposes, the TV is a 1080P computer monitor.  I don't know if the barriers created by PAL vs NTSC still exist or if they would be a non-issue.  I know that when I run C64 emulator CCS64 in PAL mode, on my Windows laptop, there is no discernible issue with the display, but I don't know if there are concerns with Minimig VGA output to my LCD TV/monitor.

Could anyone weigh in on this?  Thanks!

I might be wrong but if your going in via VGA it shouldnt make a difference. My minimig connects via VGA fine. I dont recall it being a "PAL" or "NTSC" model minimig!

[persia]

Most TVs come out of the same chinese factories.  The only difference between them is whether they had a DVB/T or ASTC tuner in them.  With VGA it shouldn't matter.

[mikej]

It does.
When you set the output to PAL, it is still 50Hz refresh rate - even though it may be scan doubled from ~15K to ~31K line frequency.
Many monitors will not sync down to this on the VGA input.
My TV for example will accept this on the SCART input (15K) or on the HDMI input, but not the VGA.

NTSC(60Hz) is fine on the VGA, as it 720p60 (1280x720) which is my new fav output standard.
/MikeJ

[Darrin]

Most TVs come out of the same chinese factories.  The only difference between them is whether they had a DVB/T or ASTC tuner in them.  With VGA it shouldn't matter.

Oh, but it does!  The Minimig core is PAL and the TV needs to sync at 50Hz in order to display it.  Back in the early days there was a 60Hz PAL core, but it was later dropped (I know, I tested it).  The net result is that if you live in the USA you CANNOT be 100% certain that your LCD TV or Monitor will display a PAL Minimig screen.

It is for this reason when I send anyone a preconfigured Minimig HD setup that I always set it for a NTSC Workbench mode.  They can test it on a PAL mode and then save it if it works.

So, if you're buying an LCD TV or Monitor then simply check the specs and look for 50Hz.  I've had good luck with Viewsonic models, but you have to check to be certain:

For example, look at this one which states a vertical refresh rate of 50Hz-75Hz.  This one would be good for PAL and NTSC
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1363221&CatId=2775

However, this one just states a 60Hz refresh rate:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1140173&CatId=5987

[CommodoreRock]

Thanks everyone.  New to Amiga.  Long time Commodore C64 user, but never made the jump to Amiga.  Attempting to make up for lost time.  

My TV is a Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR2.

I am a bit impulsive, and I have already ordered the Minimig.  Hopefully it works.  Still, I appreciate any input for peace of mind.

On another note, what is my best way to legally obtain game ADFs?  For example, I know Factor 5 allows download of the Turrican games as long as one owns the originals.  I'm sure that is on the honor system, but still, I want to be on the level.  Should I just look out for deals on ebay or is there a store online I can order them?  I am going to purchase Amiga Forever for the kickstarts and the games pack, but is there a good resource to acquire others not included?

[Mr_DBUG]

I have a small 20 inch Dantax LCD tv that says it can do 56-75 hz ... any hope for PAL vga ? Im running a CDTV and a C64 on the SCART inputs.