[comp.sys.amiga.hardware] 3000 and Mistsibushi

n350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) (08/27/90)

I have just got a 3000 and a Mitsibushi 1381 Diamand-Scan.
When I try to use PROUDCTIVITY MODE, the screen becomes dark grey, the 
wb and icons are there, but the background color changes to a grey so dark
as to make it almost unusable.  Is this a config or hardware problem?
Also, I think the crt maybe misaligned or something, as I cannot get a 
true overscan image, one side or the other reaches the edge of display.

drtiller@uokmax.uucp (Donald Richard Tillery Jr) (08/27/90)

If I am not mistaken, the productivity mode is only available on the 3000
through the 23 pin connector.  This is because it must bypass the de-interlacer
(this may also be possible through the other connector if you throw the switch
to disable the de-interlacer).  NOTE:  Why, with the de-interlacer do you even
care about the productivity mode?  It eats bus time so everything slows down,
and it limits on screen colors to 2 or 4 of 64 vice 2, 4, 8, or 16 of 4096!

As for the boarder problem, that is the fault of the monitor (not bad, almost
all VGA and multi-syncs have the boarder).  I have the 2000 and just got the
Flicker-Fixer and was mad as hell about that boarder.  One of the boons to
owning an Amiga was that we could cover the entire screen with video.  I didn't
pay $1000 (monitor + FF) to look at a boarder!  I had a DiamondScan at this
point (less than a week old) and promptly returned it for a 1950 which allows
me to get almost overscan (2-3 pixels on each side).  When your (and I'll do
this to mine too) monitor goes out of warranty (not use voiding it) you can
take it to a computer or TV repair shop and have them adjust the horizontal
so that you can have true overscan, if you want (I certainly do). 

This brings up a question:  The Flicker-Fixer actually only displays about
719 of the 750-768 hi-res pixels generated by the Amiga starting from the
left edge.  What this amounts to is that the lost pixels are all at the right.
Any standard disk (game etc.) with normal preferences, sits the normal 640 by
200 WB screen to the right edge of the display video.  I CAN just adjust prefs
to the left, but then when I display overscan HAM pix, I lose the first few
pixels and have nasty rainbow fringing on the left side.  Not to mention that
my adjustments don't matter for self booting programs.  I called the designer
to see if there wasn't a way to split the loss of pixels between the left and
right sides so the video that was there was at least centered (and maybe the
GURU wouldn't sit over to the right either).  He said that was rather
difficult from an engineering standpoint, but said he was working on extending
the pixels to the right side.  What I'm curious about is whether the
de-interlacer in your 3000 has similar limitations.  In 1.3 does a GURU sit
to the right edge of your grey video area? (of course the 1.3 in the 3000 is
NOT the same as that I'm running and they could have moved the GURU to the
new center so this may not be conclusive)  Any observations you might have
would be appreciated since my friend with the 3000 has been rather busy as
of late. 

Hope I've helped.
 
 _______              __________
  _/____) '  __  /_/       /  '  /  / __  _      "N.I.N.J.A.J.I.S."-Me
  /  \___/__/___/ |_      /__/__/__/_/_-_/__/_/  The Displaced Razorback.
  ___________________________________________/   Founder:  IDGAFF Ltd.
The Amiga Computer - "...a more fiendish disputant than the Great
Hyperbolic Omni-Cognate Neutron Wrangler of Ciceronicus Twelve..."
-D.Adams;  Well, almost.

n350bq@tamuts.tamu.edu (Duane Fields) (08/28/90)

I tried disabling the enhancer, but to no avail. I considered the 1950, but
I am a college student and I MUST have composite input for my VCR :)
so the Mitsubishi won out. How much does the 1950 run now? I realize I could    
have gotten it for about $400 more with my CPU through the educational discount.
But since that is a little late now, how much would I have to pay?

Duane Fields

drtiller@uokmax.uucp (Donald Richard Tillery Jr) (08/28/90)

I paid $599 for mine through mail order but I DON'T recommend that route: I've
ordered over $10,000 worth of merchandise through the mail that I couldn't get
locally since 1985.  Out of 7 monitors sent to me, only 4 were functional upon
arrival.  A 1080, and a 1084 arrived fine.  My first 1950 was screwed out of
the box and with the run around C= gave me on the phone I swapped it for a
Mitsubishi.  The first one had interference on the screen and completely died
in a day.  The second worked, but then I got the Flicker-Fixer and didn't want
the boarders so I risked going back to the 1950.  The 1950 arrived D.O.A.  I
took it the the then a week old local authorized repair center and they first
told me that since I had mail ordered it, it was not under warranty.  C=
straightened this out (the first positive response from them) but the shop
nor C= had the part needed so C= sent me another one.  This one works fine and
_almost_ has overscan licked.  I'd suggest you go to a local dealer.  Amazing
computers in Dallas had a sale a couple of weeks ago for $589 (yeah I know
cheaper that my mail order but I originally ordered it 3 MONTHS ago).  That's
about what it should be going for down there in College Station.  Good luck!
 
 _______              __________
  _/____) '  __  /_/       /  '  /  / __  _      "N.I.N.J.A.J.I.S."-Me
  /  \___/__/___/ |_      /__/__/__/_/_-_/__/_/  The Displaced Razorback.
  ___________________________________________/   Founder:  IDGAFF Ltd.
The Amiga Computer - "...a more fiendish disputant than the Great
Hyperbolic Omni-Cognate Neutron Wrangler of Ciceronicus Twelve..."
-D.Adams;  Well, almost.