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Re: PC TV-Out to Apple II monitor

The Wizard of Oz wrote:

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:25:31 -0800, Michael J. Mahon wrote:



The Wizard of Oz wrote:


On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 07:36:38 -0800, grimholtz@mailinator.com wrote:




Hi,

Like most modern PCs, mine has an S-Video TV-OUT video output. I
enabled it in the BIOS, connected an S-Video to RCA Video converter,
and plugged the RCA cable into my Apple II monitor. Nothing; no image.
I know the monitor works well because I use it with my Apple II.

Has anyone tried this? Green-screen Windows :)

-Eric



	Funny you should mention that...

	My PC runs Linux. I have an ATI 7000. Also has S-Video out. I'm not able
to drive a colour composite monitor or a green composite monitor. However
(this is the cool part) I can plug it into a VCR. From there I can plug
the VCR into a composite monitor and it works. Text mode is terrible. If I
didn't know what was on the screen I wouldn't be able to read it. Graphics
only works if I choose 640x480 or 800x600. Even then I wouldn't load up a
GUI. Which is to say I can play videos if I call up the program while in
text mode. I haven't tried any SDL (graphics from text mode) programs
apart from the video player. XWindows (the GUI) didn't work well for me.
The other thing to mention (at least with this card and Linux) is to make
sure ONLY the composite monitor is attached.
What have you set the PC resolution of the video output to? 


	Something like 1400x1080. On the M$ side (I only use it for games) I have
it set for 1280x1024.



The S-video
output is another monitor, and can be set up independently of the main
monitor. 


	I'm using Fedora 2.0 for an OS (5.0 is coming out RSN). The M$ (ME)
driver says it can handle up to three monitors (two PC monitors and one
from the S-Video) independently. I'm not sure if Fedora can. The last time
was when I tried under Fedora 1.0 and it didn't work.



I have a Media Center PC connected to an HD monitor using
S-video (I know, lowered expectations ;-) and I run it at 1024x768 and
get pretty readable results on the Windows desktop, though far worse
than with a VGA-connected LCD. 


	I was watching "Call for help" when they were doing their previews in
November. They said the best anybody can hope to do with an HD TV (as
opposed to a monitor) is 1024x768.


That's not true.  Many HD displays are now digital displays with
resolutions well above that.  But to use that higher resolution,
you'll need to use *at least* component input, and preferably a
digital input, like HDMI.

The distinction between HDTV monitors and computer monitors is
getting to be mostly physical size and gamma correction (plus
the tendency for HD monitors to assume a certain number of
vertical lines).


Using a component video connection is
almost as good as the VGA LCD.



	Depends on the monitor. I have some 15 - 20 year old monitors.


But I bet they don't have component video inputs.  ;-)

CRT monitors are limited in resolution both by the minimum electron
beam size they can maintain across the display area and by the pitch
of their color masks.  Older TV monitors often have quite coarse dot
pitches, which no amount of bandwidth can overcome.


The PC video card should be quite capable of driving a composite monitor
directly with the correct setup.



	Maybe. I'll just have to update the OS. Then again sticking to text mode
and one monitor means there is less stuff running in the background
resulting in less problems with videos (which is what I use it for). If
the OP is having the same problem he can still run it through a VCR.


Running it through a VCR should only have the effect of "standardizing"
the sync and blanking, which, with proper setup, the PC video card can
do by itself.

-michael

Music synthesis for 8-bit Apple II's!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
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