Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mailrus!ames!lll-tis!oodis01!uplherc!esunix!blgardne
From: blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: What is a good monitor?
Message-ID: <1129@esunix.UUCP>
Date: 2 Dec 88 20:01:02 GMT
References: <584@wuphys.UUCP>
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Lines: 71

From article <584@wuphys.UUCP>, by lel@wuphys.UUCP (Lyle E. Levine):
> I'd strongly recommend a Multisync II.  I use one here in the lab with
> an Amiga 2000 and I have one at home with a Flicker Fixer.  The video
> looks much better than on the 1080, 2002, 1080, or Sony monitor/tv

I've got the Multisync I (I guess you'd call it), the original one made
by NEC, the model number is something like JC-P1401 as I remember.

I agree, the fine dot pitch really makes a world of difference. On the
negative side: there is no useful width adjustment (that switch is a
placebo :-), and the HV regulation is nearly non-existant (flipping the
screen color from black to white causes a very noticable size increase
in the picture). Still, the overall picture is great, and it's quite
possible that the Multisync II has fixed these problems.

> combo.  To hook it up, just buy a cable from just about any mail
> order place or a local dealer.  For best results, get a flicker fixer
> and build a little T-switch box to switch between FF video and
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Have you actually done this? I've been toying with the idea, but also
wondering if running video through a switchbox mess would degrade the
image quality. The motion breakup doesn't bother me much on most
software, but there are a few games (especially Emerald Mine) that
really suffer from it.

If it's really as easy as hooking up a DB-9 switchbox, I'll do it in a
second!

> standard video.  It works GREAT! I have heard people say you can't
> use an NEC Multisync with interlace but I have done it with
> 3 multisyncs and 2 Amigas. Works fine. They also have this setup
> at one of the local dealers.
> 	I do know that improper cabling will confuse the multisync
> and cause it to miss behave in interlace mode but a properly made
> cable (available by mail order) works perfectly.  Should cost
> under $20.

I've been one person grousing about the Multisync not working in
interlace, but again, this is the original model, now discontinued. It's
not a cabling problem, I tried every combination of sync signals with no
effect at all. It looks like NEC corrected their error in the new
design.

I would definitly recommend a multi-sync/scan/etc monitor to anyone that
is even toying with the idea of buying a flickerFixer. If you're
planning to just use the non-interlace mode in the unavailable Enhanced
Chip Set, I'd also suggest that you buy a multi-frequency monitor from
NEC, Sony, or another known name instead of buying Commodore's announced
multisync monitor. The Amigas are great, but the Commodore monitors
leave a LOT to be desired.

On the flickerFixer, I don't think I can really say it was worth the
$450 or so I paid for it. I think it's worth about $250-350, but not
$450-600. On the other hand, the image is beautiful, and I love having a
usable 704x470 Workbench screen. And you'd never get me to give it up
and go back to flicker and 200 line screens, so maybe it IS worth the
money after all.  :-)

The only _real_ problem I've found with the flickerFixer is that I now
use a lot of 400 line screens, so I burn up a lot of chip RAM. I _NEED_
a 1 meg Agnus badly!

(Trivia: Did you know that if you don't have enough Chip RAM to display
a picture "Display" reports that the picture is not an ILBM? Strange and
confusing error message!)
-- 
Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland    580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
Here: utah-cs!esunix!blgardne   {ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!esunix!blgardne
There: uunet!iconsys!caeco!pedro!worsel!blaine (under construction)
"Nobody will ever need more than 64K."    "Nobody needs multitasking on a PC."