gonzalez@bbn.com (Jim Gonzalez) (03/20/91)
I'm contemplating getting an Amiga 500. Since this is strictly a toy for me, I can't justify plunking down a *lot* of money right now. One cost-saving option I'm considering is to hold off on the 1084s and try to live with an RF modulator (part of the 500 package now offered by Software Etc.) and an old color TV I have. Considering that I can't afford a Flicker Fixer and will therefore not be using the hi-res (for now), will this arrangement really cost me anything in display quality? -Jim.
peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (03/21/91)
In article <63328@bbn.BBN.COM> gonzalez@BBN.COM (Jim Gonzalez) writes: > >One cost-saving option I'm considering is to hold off on the 1084s and >try to live with an RF modulator (part of the 500 package now offered >by Software Etc.) and an old color TV I have. Considering that I can't >afford a Flicker Fixer and will therefore not be using the hi-res (for (you probably mean interlace ^^^^^^) >now), will this arrangement really cost me anything in display quality? Yes, it's not as good as on an RGB monitor. The reason is the way such a TV signal is modulated. It simply does not provide enough bandwidth to provide high color resolution. Additionally not all colors are allowed in full saturation, so you will get bleed (sp?) effects for some intensive pure colors. So, if you can avoid it, avoid it. -- Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
john_rogers@outbound.wimsey.bc.ca (John Rogers) (03/22/91)
>One cost-saving option I'm considering is to hold off on the 1084s and >try to live with an RF modulator (part of the 500 package now offered >by Software Etc.) and an old color TV I have. Considering that I can't >afford a Flicker Fixer and will therefore not be using the hi-res (for >now), will this arrangement really cost me anything in display quality? Yes it will cost you dreadfully in display quality. I did what you want to do when I first bought my amiga. What you save on the monitor you lose on headache remedies. Check with your local dealers for consignment deals or something but do not torture yourself with an RF modulator set up. If you decide to ignore this I can sell you an Rf Modulator cheap-like. ___________________________________________________ | | | uucp: john_rogers@outbound.wimsey.bc.ca | | | | GEnie: j.rogers24 | |_________________________________________________|
phoenix@ms.uky.edu (R'ykandar Korra'ti) (03/22/91)
In article <63328@bbn.BBN.COM> gonzalez@BBN.COM (Jim Gonzalez) writes: >I'm considering [holding] off on the 1084s and trying to live with an RF >modulator... and an old color TV I have. [Notes about not using HiRes/Interlace mode] >will this arrangement really cost me anything in display quality? Yes it will - no question. You'll have to work at it to get a readable display. The best I found for text on a TV when I was playing around with it (I had a monitor, but it was monochrome; fortunately, those days are gone!) was black text on a light blue screen. Blue doesn't have as many of the chroma problems which plague NTSC, and black doesn't have any chroma at all, of course. :-) Anyway, combined with a good font (say, pearl.font, which is a clean san serif 80 column font which I prefer strongly over Topaz), you will get a readable Workbench screen. If all your applications live there, you'll be alright. It won't be great, but it'll be readable. Anything that changes colours on you, however, could result in unreadable text. Red is particularly awful. Peter remarks about interlace; I found on some televisions that turning on interlace _without_ increasing resolution (saying in 640 by 200, but adding double-scanning) actually improved picture quality without adding mentionable flicker. (Use SetLace for this; it's not included with the system, but is available here and there) In one case, it was required; the TV wouldn't handle the RF signal without interlace turned on. However, regardless of what you do, it won't be as pretty as it should be. If your TV isn't of a particularly high resolution, it'll look awful. Good luck. - R'ykandar. -- R'ykandar Korra'ti | Editor, LOW ORBIT Science and Fiction "I hate you, you timepiece from Hades." - Plucky Duck phoenix@ms.uky.edu | editor@lorbit.UUCP | ukma!lorbit!editor
cpc@czaeap.UUCP (Chris Cebelenski) (03/24/91)
In article <63328@bbn.BBN.COM>, Jim Gonzalez writes: > I'm contemplating getting an Amiga 500. Since this is strictly a toy > for me, I can't justify plunking down a *lot* of money right now. > > One cost-saving option I'm considering is to hold off on the 1084s and > try to live with an RF modulator (part of the 500 package now offered > by Software Etc.) and an old color TV I have. Considering that I can't > afford a Flicker Fixer and will therefore not be using the hi-res (for > now), will this arrangement really cost me anything in display quality? > > -Jim. Uh, yes. Color's bleed, 80-col text is all but impossible to read, and if everything isn't shielded properly you get all sorts of interference. The only time I break out my A520 is when I need to record to tape. I used to have a 1702 and a C-view cable, but I gave that up when I eyes started to water a lot... ========================================================================== Chris Cebelenski UUCP: portal.com!gdc!aminet!czaeap!cpc The Red Mage : cpc@czaeap.UUCP // "Amiga - The way REAL people compute" \X/ Sex, and Drugs, and Rock and Roll-Playing! (DEVO RULES) ========================================================================== NOTE: When replying to me, if you get "cpc@aminet.gdc.portal.com" or somthing like that as an address your mailer is BRAIN-DEAD, and the address must to adjusted.