[comp.sys.atari.st] Info-Atari16 Digest V88 #300

"chaz_heritage.WGC1RX"@XEROX.COM (07/07/88)

In his 27 Jun 88 21:10:32 GMT Gregory Gibson writes:

>I want to connect my Atari color monitor to a VCR.  Where can a find a
 device that will perform this task?<

You can't. The Atari colour monitor is an RGB type, and has dedicated RGB
outputs from the ST. There isn't, as far as I know, any output from the monitor
at all.

What you should do is buy a spare Atari monitor plug and socket - you can make
these yourself from 0.1" pitch board, pins and sockets if you have to -  and
make a 'breakout box' for the composite video signal which is simultaneously
available. Take this signal (together with the line audio, if you need it) to
the line inputs of your VCR. A composite monitor can be connected to check the
VCR through signal if you like.

This won't work with a monochrome system because the sync rates are too
different from standard to work the VCR.

You can't feed the RGB signal directly to the VCR unless it's one of the very
expensive professional type which have RGB inputs. These are not very common.

>How good are the picture and sound quality?<

Picture not quite as sharp as RGB (because it's been through a coder and
decoder) but much better than using the modulator, which adds another batch of
noise (though if you're desperate hook modulator RF out to VCR antenna in and
tune of of the tuner channels to Channel-36 or whatever). Audio probably better
than the Atari monitor audio (which has a cheap little speaker).

If you get any problems email me and I'll try to sort it out. 

Regards,

Chaz
(Everyone's PAL)
Star Raiders Ace Class III