michael@hubcap.UUCP (Michael John Miller) (10/07/87)
I just got my Amiga 2000 yesterday, and it works great except for one problem: the video display is diseased. :-( I have difficulty describing the problem, but will try. One example is with windows using the stock colors of white on blue. To the right of a window's title bar, there is a faint streak of white that continues for about two inches or so, narrowing off like the tail of a comet. It looks like a cartoon where the window is speeding to the left :-). It seems that any long band of bright color followed by a dark color will produce this effect, and the sharper the contrast, the more pronounced the effect. Moving the mouse pointer around over the distortions causes them to waver slightly; because the pointer contains bright colors, I guess. With a busy display (lots of open windows, etc), my screen looks like is has leoprosy. The circuit board in the A2000 is a rev 4.1 B2000 (no Buster Tower that I could see). I have the A2000 attached to the same Sony monitor that did (and still does) work with my A1000. The monitor and the system unit are both plugged into the same outlet-strip, but this was also the case when I was using the A1000. Also attached to the A2000 is an external 3.5 inch floppy drive. One suggested possibility is faulty grounding, which I am going to look into in any case. The apartment I live in is fairly old, and I have not checked the wiring thoroughly - yet. However, the A1000 works just fine from the same outlet with the same monitor and same external drive. Now that I have the machine in my greedy little hands, I don't want to let go of it. Also, I got it through mail order (Computer Mail Order) so there isn't a local dealer's lap to dump it in. However, if it is truly broken, back it goes. By the way, I could not find a phone number in the supplied manual for calling Commodore about the problem. Also, if I do need to send the machine somewhere should I send it back to the mail order company or to a 'regional repair center' assuming one exists. Please send replies to one addresses below, or post them to the net if you think others will find them useful. Thanks for any help or advice you can give. I wait with worms on my tongue (baited breath). Thanks again ... Michael Miller, Clemson University Computer Center michael@hubcap.clemson.edu ...!hubcap!michael BITNET: michael@clemson
rick@oresoft.UUCP (Rick Lahrson) (10/13/87)
In article <548@hubcap.UUCP> michael@hubcap.UUCP (Michael John Miller) writes: >It seems that any long band of bright color followed by a dark color >will produce this effect, and the sharper the contrast, the more >pronounced the effect. Moving the mouse pointer around over the >distortions causes them to waver slightly; because the pointer contains >bright colors, I guess. > [...] >One suggested possibility is faulty grounding, which I am going to look >into in any case. The apartment I live in is fairly old, and I have >not checked the wiring thoroughly - yet. However, the A1000 works just >fine from the same outlet with the same monitor and same external >drive. Sounds like a classic case of a distorted video spectrum -- the low frequency components (big things) being amplified a lot better than the high frequency components (sudden changes). Take a look at the left side of those title bars, and see if they're a little dim at the extreme left. That would be the counterpart of the right side not going dark instantly. Suspect your Amiga's video amplifier. Don't worry about your power grounding. That won't cause what you've got. Any pertinent problem with grounding would be in the computer-to-monitor cable, and that _is_ a possibility. I recently read something here (I forget in what context) regarding too hefty a ferrite bead on the RGB lines. If that was a problem with the 2000 (I don't recall), that could be your problem right there. -- Rick Lahrson ...tektronix!oresoft!rick Disclaimer: If I ever speak for anyone but me, I'll warn you in advance.
grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) (10/19/87)
In article <548@hubcap.UUCP> michael@hubcap.UUCP (Michael John Miller) writes: > > I just got my Amiga 2000 yesterday, and it works great except for one > problem: the video display is diseased. :-( > > I have difficulty describing the problem, but will try. One example is > with windows using the stock colors of white on blue. To the right of > a window's title bar, there is a faint streak of white that continues > for about two inches or so, narrowing off like the tail of a comet. It > looks like a cartoon where the window is speeding to the left :-). > > It seems that any long band of bright color followed by a dark color > will produce this effect, and the sharper the contrast, the more > pronounced the effect. Moving the mouse pointer around over the > distortions causes them to waver slightly; because the pointer contains > bright colors, I guess. Something is surely broken. I would take you machine back to the dealer and seek warranty repairs and/or replacment. One users reported a cold solder joint on the video connector, perhaps this or something similar is the a case here. You might want to take your monitor and check it on another A2000, just to make sure it isn't some peculiarity in your cable, although I can't imagine what would be wrong, since the video pinout is the same... -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|rutgers|allegra}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: out to lunch... Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)