Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!bu-cs!bloom-beacon!oberon!nunki.usc.edu!raddison
From: raddison@nunki.usc.edu (Richard Addison)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Taking the plunge
Summary: A versatile monitor for that 2 computer & VCR setup
Keywords: VCR,EGA,VGA,Multisync
Message-ID: <2867@nunki.usc.edu>
Date: 28 Feb 89 09:29:24 GMT
References: <almsa-1.arpa>
Reply-To: raddison@nunki.usc.edu (Richard Addison)
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 45

Back on Jan-25-89 jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) asks:
>2 - Can a multi-sync monitor be reasonably rigged so it can be switched
>between a VGA card and Ami's RGB?  I do not need the cost of two hi-res
>monitors?
...and...
>One last off the wall question.  Which, if any, nulti-syncs will also
>directly accept input from a VCR to allow direct viewing of pre-recorded
>video materials.  This would be a nice spin-off since we wish to convert a
>large library of slides and home movies to video tape before age gets them,
>and we do not have and do not want a TV (even though it might be cheaper).

Sounds like a Mitsubishi Diamond Scan (AUM1371A) fits your bill quite nicely.
It has three separate video connectors:  IBM style 9-pin CGA/EGA digital RGB,
a catch-all 25-pin analog RGB, and an NTSC (composite) video input.  A single
three position slide switch on the back selects the input.  Furthermore, it
is possible to control the input selection through a couple of pins on the
25-pin analog RGB connector.  The monitor also supports a built-in gen-lock
type function between the analog RGB and NTSC signals if the NTSC signal
is _already_ synchronized with the analog RGB signal.

The Diamond Scan is great for watching video tapes.

Note that the 9-pin digital RGB input does not support VGA.  The VGA signals
have to go through the 25-pin analog RGB input.  If you can settle with EGA
(or a third party EGA with VGA resolution) than this monitor makes the
switching between video signals easy.  I know, because this is what I do.
Someday I'll make it more convenient by wiring a remote switch through the
25-pin analog RGB input to select the mode.

One last advantage worth noting:  The image size is very flexible on the
Diamond Scan, so I run my Amiga in 704 by 470 overscan most of the time
(using morerows).  I can hardly dream of using a standard size screen.
Yeah, I'm always using interlace.  But the Diamond Scan has a reasonably
long persistance phosphor so that flicker is hardly noticeable.

Connecting the Amiga to the Diamond Scan does require some buffering for
the sync signals, but I think that has been covered in comp.sys.amiga.tech.

Sorry that this is a bit long and sounds a lot like a commercial, but I am
happy with this product and am in no way affiliated with Mitsubishi.

Contact me through email if you need details on the cable.

Richard Addison
"On a clear disk you can seek forever."