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Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 16:28:06 +0100 (BST)
From: David Hollway <[e-mail]>
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Subject: Re: VGA MONITOR
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On Mon, 10 Apr 1995, dux wrote to the amos-list:

> Hi!
[stuff deleted to save bandwidth]
>
> I guess the adapter I bought works equally well on all VGA-monitors.
> But it is merely a way to connect my amiga to the monitor-cable ( I think
> it converts the 23-leg cable to a 15-leg cable).

I don't know whether anyon'es already anwered this one, but I thought I'd
make an attempt to clarify this matter!
The "adaptor" referred to is, I guess, the C= 23pin->15pin one (or its
equivalent). This simply converts the Amiga's 23-pin RGB output into a
15-pin VGA pin-out, with a chip added to "tweak" the signal slightly.
 The adaptor will connect to any monitor that has a VGA plug; that is to
say, it's non monitor-specific. Whether it'll WORK with the monitor is
another matter, more of that in a moment..
> I have set up my workbench with the resolution Multiscan:Productivity 640*480.
> It works great and looks really nice. I Have an Amiga 1200 too.
> But however I admit I wrote the article before I received my new monitor -
> I just wanted everything to work when I got it. And unfortunately I must also
> admit that it only works perfectly with my workbenck and other programs from
> which I can choose the screen resolution.
>
Up until the release of the ECS and Workbench 2.0, all Amiga screenmodes
had a horizontal resolution of ~15KHz (vert. resolutions of 50Hz PAL or
60Hz NTSC). WB2.04 and above offers several screenmodes that have a
higher horizontal resolution, for example "Productivity" "DBLPal" and so
on; these modes require AGA (although some work with ECS).
 Most cheap PC monitors (S/VGA) can't display 15KHz modes, which means
that although your A1200+adaptor can use these monitors, providing
Workbench is told to use the new screenmodes, you won't be able to view
games or the "Early Startup Screens", which use 15KHz modes (Lowres,
Highres, etc). That's probably the cause of a corrupted display when you
connect an SVGA monitor to an A1200.. it's attempting (and failing)( to
handle a 15KHz mode.

> This means that I have now found myself unable to work with Amos Pro since
> it operates in low-resolution. What do you do?
> I read the in Preferences in Icontrol - the mode promoter should convert
> the low frequencies into high frequencies (i.e. VGA or something).
> But this does not seem to work very well - anyway it does not
> solve my problem with Amos Pro (I am desperate).

Commodore provided the "Mode Promotion" feature to enable people to use
more software with non-15KHz modes. Basically, when modeP is activated,
and a program (eg SysInfo) asks the O/S for a 15KHz new screen, the O/S
opens a screen in one of the new modes. This works well, but *only for OS
legal software*. Things like AMOSPro or games that use their own
screen-opening routines ignore modeP altogether. Annoying, huh?

> suggestions to me how to make me Able to use Amos Pro on my VGA monitor?

Unfortunately not. All I can suggest is:
a) keep a TV hooked to the RF port of your A1200 for games, AMOS Pro etc
   that insist on opening ugly 15KHz screens
b) buy a monitor that can handle 15KHz screenmodes.. these include:
   C=1940, C=1942, C=1950, C=1960, Microvitec 1438, Microvitec 1440,
   and possibly one or two more that I haven't heard about. I use a 1950
   myself and I'm very pleased with it.

I'm sorry if this isn't the ideal solution for you.. blame Francois
Lionet for not making AMOS more system-friendly :-(

> N.B. I also sent this letter to the Amos Mailing list
> I thought there might be some wise and expericenced people out
> there with the right answers - then please mail me.

I hope my answers are of help to you. I copied this to the amos-list too,
because I thought the info above might interest others..

Regards,

 David Hollway.

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David Hollway ([e-mail])   |   //Amiga 4000-040-SCSI-CDROM-PII-
Dept. of Computer Science, University of | \X/840MB "Amiga - Why Compromise?"
York, York YO1 5DD, ENGLAND.             | In Basel, Switzerland until 06/95
WWW Home: http://www.york.ac.uk/~dmh11/  | Tel: (010) ([phone]
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