frazier@cti.UUCP (02/25/87)
In article <611@calma.UUCP>, ho@calma.UUCP (Sidney N. Ho) writes: > From my understanding, there are 3 kinds of monitors (only at the start): > 1. Monochrome > 2. Composite > 3. RGB > > Monochrome refers to the kind of monitor that has a 5-pin small D-shaped > plug. The plug must plugs into a MONOCHROME (no graphics) card. > > There is only one other kind of monitor card - the Color Graphic Card. > The color card has 2 outlets. The composite outlet is just a hole with 2 > contacts (the hole wall and the bottom). You plug in a pin-shaped connector > into it. Your pin-plug connected to a COMPOSITE monitor or a TV set. However > (confusion starts here) there can be a COLOR COMPOSITE monitor or a > MONOCHROME (meaning one color) COMPOSITE monitor. Both monitor can do > graphics. > > Lastly there is the straight forward RGB monitor that also uses the 5-pin > D-shaped connector to plug into the color card. RGB means Red-Green-Blue. > Hence it's always in color. > OK, You've got a lot of information in your posting, but you may be a BIT misleading about the way some of it was presented, particularly to those who may not be familiar with monitors and video in general. Monochrome refers to a display that is a single color (most people call this "black and white", even when talking about a green or amber colored display) and incapable of displaying other colors. Composite is a reference to the manner in which the monitor is driven, but many people incorrectly use it as an identification of a composite color monitor. As you stated, you CAN have either type, and normally, you can plug either a monochrome OR color composite monitor into a composite signal output. To further muddy the waters, not every manufacturer uses the same signal sense (polarity) for the horizontal and vertical sync signals in a composite output, though "most" do. RGB indicates the monitor uses discrete Red, Blue and Green inputs (color) but there are two "types" of RGB. Digital RGBI (which is normally just called RGB in the IBM-pc world, because it is the "standard"), uses the three r, g, and b bits plus an Intensity bit. The Other Type of rgb monitor is ANALOG RGB and is used in such systems as the Commodore Amiga. The ability of any monitor to do graphics is a function of the controller card, not the monitor! Unfortunately, all too many people talk about the combination of the monitor and controller as "the monitor", which is a real problem when you have a novice pc-user talking to a "typical" novice pc-salesman. User walks into the local store and says "I want to buy a monitor that'll do graphics", and silly salesman sells him one, and the card to drive it. User gets home, and often finds out that the controller card would have been all he really needed. User not happy 'cause he feels the salesman "ripped him off", when salesman was not really knowledgeable enough to sell the right thing. Now, if you can get a GOOD salesman, fine, but all too many are part time guys with little knowledge...... --rick -- DISCLAIMER: The foregoing is the result of a brain frazzled by the effects of insufficient sleep and a noisy phone line, and in no way reflects the opinion of my employer, friends, or enemies. I'm not even sure I really wrote it. UUCP: {decwrl,pyramid}!sun!cti!frazier DDD: 408-734-8533