LCD Monitor & Scandoublers

[Zetec-S]

I am considering getting a LCD monitor to use with my CD32/SX32, as it will take up less space than my old M1438S.

I have a friend who is going travelling for a year and is willing to sell me his DCE scandoubler.

I have searched the forums on Amiga.org and come up with the following questions.

i) Does anybody use a scandoubler with a LCD monitor, if so which combinations work?

ii) Has anybody tried using a Sega Dreamcast VGA box with an Amiga?

This appears to be a scandoubler for the Dreamcast, difference being its lowest rate is 31KHZ, rather than the Amiga Scandoublers normal rate of 30KHZ. Hence should improve compatibility with VGA monitors.

Thanks in advance

Zetec-S

[Castellen]

I use a PicassoIV GFX card which has a built in scandoubler for motherboard video.
The input specifications of a Philips 151AX monitor suggested it should work, but on the scandoubled video, it would only say something like incompatible video signal.

Worked OK on a PC CRT monitor, and all the Picasso96 modes displayed OK on the LCD.


I currently use a Mag Innovision LT565 which correctly displays the same scandoubled video, and all the P96 screenmodes perfectly.  It's a really nice monitor.
You need to use it mostly in it's native resoloution (1024x768), otherwise the image is not very good, as with all LCDs.

Wrote a magazine review on it a while back.  Available here in FinalFriter97 format if you want a read:
http://amiga.serveftp.net/Temp/LCDmonitorReview.FW

[Stedy]

Hello,

I've used the DCE scandoubler with a Samsung Syncmaster 171S, it works OK but there is a problem. It will not sync down to 640x256 PAL (50Hz) range so it is no good for games. It is fine for workbench though.

Note some TFT monitors will not sync below 55 Hz Horizontal, check before purchase.

The Dreamcast VGA box will not work with the Amiga, the Dreamcast had the Scandoubler circuitry built in, this adapter just enabled it.

[Zetec-S]

I have been thinking that one option would be to use a WinTV box plugged into my Wintel Laptop and plug the picture output from the CD32 into that.

This would still achieve an LCD screen, just with a laptop keyboard stuck out in front of it.

[Slash]

I use a scandoubler in my A4000 which is hooked up to an AOC 17" TFT.

System friendly games work fine, but for 50Hz PAL games it's no good. The funny thing is the monitor displays the picture fine but I get a small warning "floating" around the screen stating that the mode isn't supported.

I've since come up with two solutions:

1) Use WHDLoad (which I do) and force the game to use NTSC, which is 60Hz and will display on most (if not all) TFT monitors. Most games work, some don't.

2) Buy a ViewSonic TFT monitor. They sync down to 50Hz and should display all those 50Hz PAL games. I haven't got any idea if it displays 320x200 sized resolutions but it should. No guarantees on this one though.

[Acill]

Check with several monitors forst too. Many LCD ones can display 15khz modes if you just look for them.

[Zetec-S]

Slash wrote:
2) Buy a ViewSonic TFT monitor. They sync down to 50Hz and should display all those 50Hz PAL games. I haven't got any idea if it displays 320x200 sized resolutions but it should. No guarantees on this one though.

Just had a look at the TFT screens on Viewsonic's websites and they do indeed appear to work as low as 50Hz and also 30KHz so would appear to be perfect.

Anybody out there actually use one?

[spirantho]

Myself I use an Iiyama 4636AS I think its codename is - it's an 18.1" TFT.

Either way, the more expensive Iiyamas support SVGA Analogue, SVGA digital (DVI), 15KHz S-Video and 15KHz composite, switchable from the monitor's menu system.

Dunno if that helps any, but that's what I did. They're also exceedingly nice monitors...