[comp.sys.amiga.tech] Interlace and Multiscan Moniters

mikela@tekig3.LEN.TEK.COM (Mike Larson) (08/18/89)

[]
I recently connected my A1000 to an Intec multiscan moniter (this moniter
is also marketed under the brand name Samsung) using an appropriate
cable (i.e. analog R,G,B, HSYNC, VSYNC, and 4 GND lines.)  The Intec is
a VGA-compatible moniter that accepts analog or TTL-level input.

This multiscan performed flawlessly when the Amiga was displaying a
non-interlaced screen.
An interlaced screen, however, showed an incredible amount of flicker, much
worse than my 1080.  Upon closer inspection of the CRT I realized that
the odd and even frames were being SUPERIMPOSED on each other rather
than being displaced by half of a scan line.

Question: do any multiscan moniters correctly handle interlace, or is it
just this particular brand that fails?  Or am I doing something else wrong?

The reason I'd like to get a multiscan is that I have to let go of my
1080, and I want a moniter that will work with my A1000 now and with any
future Amiga I get that may have a higher-scanrate output (like a
flicker-fixer or the enhanced chipset.)

Thanks,
Mike Larson
mikela@tekig3.LEN.TEK.COM

aduncan@rhea.trl.oz (Allan Duncan) (08/18/89)

From article by mikela@tekig3.LEN.TEK.COM (Mike Larson):
> I recently connected my A1000 to an Intec multiscan moniter (this moniter
 
> This multiscan performed flawlessly when the Amiga was displaying a
> non-interlaced screen.
> An interlaced screen, however, showed an incredible amount of flicker, much
> worse than my 1080.  Upon closer inspection of the CRT I realized that
> the odd and even frames were being SUPERIMPOSED on each other rather
> than being displaced by half of a scan line.

If the scan-lines were over the corresponding ones from the previous
field, you would not expect to get worse flicker, rather you have an
approximation of non-interlace.  If, however, there was a substantial
vertical offset between the odd and even fields, severe flicker would
appear.  If you had been feeding composite sync to the monitor (as used
by the 1080) there could have been interaction with the complicated
vertical sync region (designed for cheap valve sync circuits when I was
but a lad).  All I can offer is that the unit is iffy, OR it has
significantly brighter output.  Flicker is strongly brightness
dependant.

-- 
Allan Duncan	ACSnet	aduncan@rhea.trl.oz
		ARPA	aduncan%rhea.trl.oz@uunet.uu.net
		UUCP	{uunet,hplabs,ukc}!munnari!rhea.trl.oz!aduncan
Telecom Research Labs, PO Box 249, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia.

thomas@cbmvax.UUCP (Linda Thomas - QA) (08/21/89)

In article <654@rhea.trl.oz> aduncan@rhea.trl.oz (Allan Duncan) writes:
> From article by mikela@tekig3.LEN.TEK.COM (Mike Larson):
> > I recently connected my A1000 to an Intec multiscan moniter (this moniter
>  
> > This multiscan performed flawlessly when the Amiga was displaying a
> > non-interlaced screen.
> > An interlaced screen, however, showed an incredible amount of flicker, much
> > worse than my 1080.  Upon closer inspection of the CRT I realized that
> > the odd and even frames were being SUPERIMPOSED on each other rather
> > than being displaced by half of a scan line.
> 
> If the scan-lines were over the corresponding ones from the previous
> field, you would not expect to get worse flicker, rather you have an
> approximation of non-interlace.  If, however, there was a substantial
> vertical offset between the odd and even fields, severe flicker would
> appear.  If you had been feeding composite sync to the monitor (as used
> by the 1080) there could have been interaction with the complicated
> vertical sync region (designed for cheap valve sync circuits when I was
> but a lad).  All I can offer is that the unit is iffy, OR it has
> significantly brighter output.  Flicker is strongly brightness
> dependant.
> 

Some multi-sync monitors don't know how to interpret an interlaced signal. They
don't know which frame (or field, I always get the two mixed up) is even and
which is odd.  What happens is that the scan lines may not get drawn in the
same place from frame to frame (it's odd once, then even).  This does cause
an incredible amount of flicker and often makes text nearly illegible.

-- 
Linda Thomas, Commodore Amiga Test Engineering
UUCP  ...{allegra,rutgers}!cbmvax!thomas

jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith) (08/22/89)

In article <654@rhea.trl.oz> aduncan@rhea.trl.oz (Allan Duncan) writes:
>....  If you had been feeding composite sync to the monitor (as used
>by the 1080) there could have been interaction with the complicated
>vertical sync region (designed for cheap valve sync circuits when I was
>but a lad).  All I can offer is that the unit is iffy, OR it has
>significantly brighter output.  Flicker is strongly brightness dependant.

The problem as originally reported is probably a design in the monitor.
Some multisync monitors with RGB input can handle 262 lines in 1/60 second
yet refuse to do 262.5 lines per frame.

The place where Augnet meets has the opposite problem.  The large screen
monitor there has a composite input that gets all upset if the incoming
signal is not interlaced.  They have to use SetLace (or LaceTogl) to force
the interlace signal when showing 640x200 or 320x200 screens.
-- 
Joe Smith (408)922-6220 | SMTP: JMS@F74.TYMNET.COM or jms@tymix.tymnet.com
McDonnell Douglas FSCO  | UUCP: ...!{ames,pyramid}!oliveb!tymix!tardis!jms
PO Box 49019, MS-D21    | PDP-10 support: My car's license plate is "POPJ P,"
San Jose, CA 95161-9019 | narrator.device: "I didn't say that, my Amiga did!"

esker@abaa.uucp (Lawrence Esker) (08/22/89)

In article <7718@cbmvax.UUCP> thomas@cbmvax.UUCP (Linda Thomas - QA) writes:
>In article <654@rhea.trl.oz> aduncan@rhea.trl.oz (Allan Duncan) writes:
>> From article by mikela@tekig3.LEN.TEK.COM (Mike Larson):
>>> An interlaced screen, however, showed an incredible amount of flicker, much
>
>Some multi-sync monitors don't know how to interpret an interlaced signal...

This seems to be a common thread, oft repeated.  Anyone out there have
muti-sync monitors that do work with interlace?  I will collect a summary
and post it for the monthly introduction.  Please send email.  Since ECS
is about to happen, we all need to know so we don't get burned.
--
---------- Lawrence W. Esker ----------  Modern Amish: Thou shalt not need any
                                         computer that is not IBM compatible.
UseNet Smart: esker@abaa.uucp  or  abaa!esker@itivax.iti.org
UseNet Other: __!uunet!mimsy!rutgers!citi!itivax!abaa!esker
Nothing left to do but :-) ;-) ;-D