Re: Sony CPD-1302 monitor -- IIGS cable?

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

"js@cimmeri.com" <js@cimmeri.com> wrote:

>Re: other monitor.   I recall now trying an Amiga 2002 monitor once,
>side by side with the Apple RGB, and found I really detested that
>greenish/gray screen tint compared to the Apple black.

    The black tinted screen makes a huge difference in any games or
demos that make use of empty black space. For example the Ninjaforce
Megademo looks incredible on the Apple RGB but drab and dull on the 
NEC. That true black just makes everything seem to pop out and colors 
more vibrant.

>Re: Nec 3D.   You've pleasantly surprised me by saying you can use a
>regular Mac-VGA adaptor to hook a 3D to the GS.   Is that saying that
>the GS video out is the same as the earlier Mac vid outs?     And if
>that is the case, why wouldn't ANY multisync VGA monitor work on the
>IIgs?     I have a few Nec Multisyncs (not 3D) and will try that out
>today.   Follow up later.

    The pinouts may be similar enough, but no, not any Multisync monitor
will work. Only those that can drop down to NTSC frequency, which is
15.75 kHz horizontal. Unfortuntely most VGA screens cannot go below
30 kHz which will _not_ work with the IIgs. The NEC MultiSync II and 3D
are the only NEC models I know of that can do this.

    Incidentally, I went to try out my NEC MultiSync 3D last night. I found
it looks much better if you set the video timings so the picture is roughly
the same size as the AppleColor RGB (if you scretch the GS border to 
the edges of the screen to lose the black space, you get heavy scan-
lines, a slightly scretched image and faded color).

    I have to say I'm rather impressed. It is countless times sharper than
the AppleColor RGB (for example the lines making up the letter "m" in 
the Finder desktop and 80 columns ASCII in ProTERM are clearly 
defined, not blurred together). It's very bright, clear and colors look
almost comparable to the Apple RGB. On the downside though color
in the 640 mode looks very grainy and patterned (not fully solid), the
black contrast is only average and the screen is notably curved.

    I think if I had to go back to using the IIgs as my day to day machine,
I'd probably stick with the NEC just because it's so much sharper and
easier to read text. For games and graphics the Apple RGB.

Mitchell Spector