B&W NTSC on a PAL A1200 - is this normal?

[dwburman]

Hi, I got my A1200 after C= went bankrupt and before Escom started making them again. I had to wait months before I got my machine, so I wasn't inclined to send it back if it had a problem.

It does have a problem, but I'm not sure if it's common or not. I haven't seen anyone complain about it (not that I've been around people who could), but when I use the composite video out in NTSC mode, I don't get a color picture. It's a PAL-native machine from the UK, and the PAL output is in color. Is it normal for the color to go out of the picture when switching modes? I don't remember the NTSC A500 or A600 doing that when I put them into PAL mode.

I'm in the US, so I don't have ready access to PAL monitors and the composite monitor that I do have doesn't seem to have a vertical hold adjustment, so I can't compensate for the time differences.

When this was my main computer, I used an adapter to run in VGA mode and just didn't bother with the lower screen modes. Now, however, I'd like to do the nostalgia thing and play some old games the way they were meant to be played, but I can't. Also, my '030 + RAM expansion card seems to have died, so I can't even use the main software I had on Workbench, so it's kind of down to playing old games which isn't as nice in grayscale.

Thanks.

[spaceman88]

I don't have a PAL 1200, but this is probably normal. A NTSC monitor expects to see the color info at 3.58 mHz, I don't think a PAL 1200 produces the color signal at the same frequency.

[Matt_H]

Yes,  this behavior is normal. (PAL composite on NTSC monitor, and vice versa). Keep an eye out for the Indivision AGA 1200 which will let you use a regular PC monitor with no issues. There are also a few (very few) modern monitors that work with a simple 23-pin-15-pin VGA adapter - the Dell SR2320L is one of them.

Brand new 030 accelerators are also available now - grab one while you can.

[XDelusion]

Samsung Syncmaster 711t is another monitor which supports many Amiga screen modes very well without a Flicker Fixer, though of course nothing beats just having a flicker fixer.

[desiv]

Yeah, as said, that's normal.

You have a few options.
If you want to use a computer monitor, you'll need a scan doubler.
Indivision AGA MK2, when it's re-released, is the top of the line.
There is another one being released soon (not sure when) also, the Scan Juggler.

If you're handy (even marginally) with a soldering iron, you can pick up a GBS82x0 on e-bay for $30 ish (and then less than $10 for a DB23 plug) and use that.  It's not as nice as some of the other scan doublers, but the price isn't bad. ;-)

And then there's various old scan doublers that show up on e-bay not too often.

Or, if you can find yourself an Amiga monitor (1084s, NEC Multisync 3D (there were a few other models, but not all NEC multisyncs will work), phillips made an Amiga monitor...) that will work with PAL or NTSC.

Good luck

desiv

[psxphill]

It's a PAL-native machine from the UK, and the PAL output is in color. Is it normal for the color to go out of the picture when switching modes?

While the Amiga claims to be able to switch between PAL & NTSC, it's not really doing this. It only affects the frame rate.
All you are able to do is switch between PAL & PAL60.
 
I don't know if an NTSC A520 modulator is able to cope with running in 50hz & 60hz, but that may be an option.
 
An RGB monitor would be better, but buying an NTSC Amiga 1200 may be cheaper.

[dwburman]

Thanks for all the info, guys.

Yeah, I remember some of the stuff about the multi-sync monitors, but never had one. I don't really have much money to throw at this stuff right now, but is good to know the options for when I do have it.