Can I get 50hz 288p out of my NTSC A1000?

[Blastfrog]

I've heard that it's difficult to get the NTSC A1000s to run in PAL mode, particularly earlier ones. I'm not sure exactly what kind of A1000 I have, but the FCC ID is BR99YB-1000 and the serial number is XM1111304.  Is it at all possible with my version? And if so, how difficult/inconvinient would it be? If it's possible and not too inconvenient, I'd rather mod my existing machine than buy a new one. If it's not worth the effort, I suppose I could grab one of those refurbished A1200s.

[Matt_H]

I don't know much about the A1000, but I think it's pretty hard to switch from NTSC to PAL and vice versa. Even if you were to get past the issues with the basic electronics, the Agnus chips of that era are NTSC- or PAL-specific.

Any Amiga with at least a 1MB ("Fat") Agnus chip, however, can be switched to/from NTSC/PAL in software. That category encompasses pretty much every other Amiga, except maybe some of the earliest A2000s and A500s. Some later 2000s and 500s might require some (relatively) simple motherboard modifications - cut one trace and solder another.

[AmigaClassicRule]

I've heard that it's difficult to get the NTSC A1000s to run in PAL mode, particularly earlier ones. I'm not sure exactly what kind of A1000 I have, but the FCC ID is BR99YB-1000 and the serial number is XM1111304.  Is it at all possible with my version? And if so, how difficult/inconvinient would it be? If it's possible and not too inconvenient, I'd rather mod my existing machine than buy a new one. If it's not worth the effort, I suppose I could grab one of those refurbished A1200s.

Are you not happy with your NTSC version?

[Blastfrog]

Thanks for the responses. I know I'm not a familiar face around here, but I hope to become acquainted over time.

Even if you were to get past the issues with the basic electronics, the Agnus chips of that era are NTSC- or PAL-specific. Any Amiga with at least a 1MB ("Fat") Agnus chip, however, can be switched to/from NTSC/PAL in software.

I'm pretty sure mine doesn't have 1MB of memory. I take it I'm screwed, then? Of course, if I can get it to work via software, that's certainly preferable. I just don't want to use weird exploits to get PAL exclusive software running in NTSC mode, I'd rather have the full view window and proper aspect ratio that the games were designed for.

Are you not happy with your NTSC  version?

Eh, kinda. I've always wanted to see how games were at  the higher resolution and lower refresh rate, but since I live in North  America I've never really had the chance. I've got a Sony PVM monitor  that I think is probably capable, and I'd like to be able to play PAL  games as they were meant to be seen without vertical stretching. Of  course, I don't want to lose the ability to use 60hz 240p, but I really  want to be able to use 50hz 288p as well.

[amiman99]

Easiest way to play PAL games is to get A500, very easy mod to get it running in PAL or NTSC. I have done the MOD and works very well in RGB mode.

I do wonder if you could change the Agnus/Denise in A1000 from the NTSC version to the PAL version??? I know that the Composite video would not work, but RGB could.

8361 NTSC AGNUS
8367 PAL AGNUS

[Matt_H]

@ Blastfrog

I think the A1000's Agnus chip can only address 512K of chip RAM and is not upgradeable. So no software switching.

The A1000 is not terribly versatile as an Amiga games machine these days, unfortunately. A lot of PAL games don't even function correctly on an NTSC machine, regardless of what the display looks like. You've got a great monitor already, so you just need a more versatile Amiga to match. An A500 will do well if you're content running from floppy just like the old days, otherwise an A600 or A1200 with a hard drive and WHDLoad will make a very nice self-contained system. The big-box Amigas will work fine, too, but are generally more expensive.

[AmigaClassicRule]

@ Blastfrog
  ..........The big-box Amigas will work fine, too, but are generally more expensive.

Tell me about it.........O_O   :crazy::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[Speelgoedmannetje]

I got my NTSC Apple II GS working on a PAL 1084S monitor using an RGB cable. If the monitor can handle 60hz, with RGB it'll work just fine.

[AmigaClassicRule]

I got my NTSC Apple II GS working on a PAL 1084S monitor using an RGB cable. If the monitor can handle 60hz, with RGB it'll work just fine.

Yeah but the thing is man...Apple II have always being NTSC and all software is developed with NTSC in mind. So really it was just a matter of getting NTSC signal working on PAL monitor or some such.

Amiga on the other hand is reversed. All software or 98% software library have PAL on mind and THEY BARELY work on NTSC version. Look at me for example...every time I make a game for the Amiga I work so hard to make sure it checks if it is NTSC or PAL system then if it finds out it is NTSC system it freezes the game and cuts that user out saying "Dude! Buy a PAL system." Why? Cause I can, :pissed:...er...erm..anyways...he needs to sell his A1000 (unless he wants to hang it on the wall for owning an A1000) and get himself an A1200 or A4000D/T. Two things come in mind when he does that:

1) He gets to experience AGA games.
2) He does not have to deal with floppy disks, all games put in the HD with WHDLOAD and he does not have to worry about PAL/NTSC anymore.

[Matt_H]

I got my NTSC Apple II GS working on a PAL 1084S monitor using an RGB cable. If the monitor can handle 60hz, with RGB it'll work just fine.

Yeah, with Amiga monitors the only practical  thing that's NTSC or PAL about them is the composite video port. RGB is the way to go and gets you past that issue completely.