Re: VGA and VIC chips

From: silverdr_at_wfmh.org.pl
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:05:16 +0200
Message-Id: <DB7613C2-1326-4982-9ED2-6CE6144C3986@wfmh.org.pl>
On 2013-09-12, at 22:30, Rainer Buchty wrote:

>> You can find little boxes on ebay that take CVBS or S-Video in and have VGA and/or HDMI output incl. upscaling. [...]
>> 
>> Problem is, not all of them produce a good picture with a C64, some are excellent and some don't like the C64 at all.
> 
> I was about to say ... Some time ago I bought an SVHS-to-VGA converter (1) which just doesn't work with the C64. Makes me wonder what the difference is between all those "modern" converter boxes (as opposed to stuff like the old Scanntronik TVGA converter).

I can't say about NTSC (haven't tried) but at least with PAL version some equipment gets confused with the non-interlaced output of the 64. This is really a hit'n miss type of game. For example I have one monitor with "all possible" inputs and when I connect the S-video from C-64 there, the picture is unacceptable. With distortions, colour bleeding and ghosting all over the screen.

Some time ago, when doing TV stuff and needing the 64 output I used to pass the signal through a TBC, which was the way to get really good result, palatable for the Betacam SP devices.

To get relatively good picture today (although still far from what you get on a good, CRT based S-Video capable display - I use studio monitors for that) I had success by converting and upscaling the S-video from C-64 to DVI via an AVerMedia box called "AVerTV DVI Box7"

http://tinyurl.com/qzsoa59

Not the cheapest but gives DVI and the ability to fine-tune the conversion with OSD adjustments. Results are OK but as I mentioned - not what you get on a good CRT due to a) difference in refresh frequencies (With PAL, shouldn't be a problem for NTSC) and conversion/upscaling latency/lack of perfect raster sync, etc.

-- 
SD!
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Received on 2013-09-13 12:00:03

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