Subject: Re: followup (was: wanted: answers)-- RGB vs composite color
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From: Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
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Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 07:16:09 -0500
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Obsbedia2 writes ...
> 
>> If the monitor is a composite color type, you can use an RCA type
>> cable to go from the IIgs composite video output to the video input
>> of the monitor.
> 
> I remember trying such a monitor at the Goodwill with an 8-bit Apple II.
> I wasn't too impressed, I'm sorry to say.  80-column was a bit blurry,
> as was DHR.  I passed on it.
 ....

     Come to think of it, I do not remember trying a composite color monitor
on our IIgs. Guess it would be a good idea.

     Okay; I disconnected the Amdek Color-1 from the II+, lugged it over to
the IIgs, plugged it in, and tried out the GS System Finder plus Elite (a
hires game), Air Heart (double-hires), Pirates!/gs (320-mode super-hires),
and Appleworks 5 (80-column Text).

     First-- no question about it-- the Finder (a 640-mode display) is much
sharper, better looking, and easier to use via the regular RGB monitor. On
the composite monitor you get 'banding' of the desktop background color and
lots of color in the Text. Still, Text is readable (except when
selected/highlighted).

     One nice thing about 80-column Text displays-- as in Awks 5-- is that,
on the GS, you keep your basic color settings although the composite display
is forced to monochrome. That is, you can get black Text on a white
background. This turns out to be a good deal more readable than the
white-on-black display you get as the usual default on other Apple II's.
(Actually, the GS black-on-white 80-col Text display is less 'contrasty' and
easier to read than the same display via other Apple II's-- not sure why.) 
The RGB display is better; but, the composite display is useable, though, as
you say, a tad "blurry".

     Pirates!/gs is sharper and the colors are richer on the RGB monitor.
However, the game looks okay on the composite display and the 320-mode Text
is easily readable.

     Both Elite (hires) and Air Heart (DHR) are better looking on the
composite monitor. The RGB display delivers 'hard' coloring for dots which
gives a contrasty look with what amounts to smearing because some dots are
over-emphasized. On the composite monitor the dots get the brightness values
intended in the original design of the graphics.

     The composite monitor did much better than I'd expected (and, really,
the Amdek Color-1 is not supposed offer the best dot resolution available
from color composite monitors).  Overall, though, the GS RGB monitor is
easily the way to go-- just the vastly better performance in 640-mode
super-res is enough to decide the matter.

     

Rubywand