My Review on the Amiga 500

[Zerotech]

Technically it's a 2nd review since the 1st amiga I got was damaged, but since then I've managed to get a 2nd amiga computer and it works like a treat.

What I will decide on the other one that is undergoing repairs is that I will either sell it or donate it.

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[Zerotech]

UPDATE: My testing of the sound capabilities
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R-Type Demonstration
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[IanP]

The Amiga 500 does have built in colour output, in the form of RGB analogue video. This is similar to VGA (although at TV video frequency) as used by most computers to attach to monitors in the pre-digital interconnect era. Your TV may not have RGB video input but just about every TV in Europe does in the form of a SCART connector. For Televisions with SCART only a few resistors are required to build a video lead with excellent picture quality. Please do not recommend the use of the video modulator to those that don't require it. Your problem with sound over RF could be due to the wrong type of modulator as PAL has many variants that have different sound carrier spacing.

The mono composite video output built in to the A500 is there to allow use of a high persistence monochrome monitor with interlace video modes for reduced flicker.

[Hewitson]

Please don't recommend a modulator to those who do require one either. An RGB SCART to YUV converter will give you a far better picture.

Why on earth are you using RF?

[Zerotech]

Well the point of an RF is to use it on TV's that only have an RF Output. I realised that it was a bad idea. My TV does not have a scart connection there I cannot use a scart cable.

I only said that you don't use the rf output when you have av composite available, what I would complain is that the av output built-in from the amiga 500 should be in colour so we don't have to use the Amiga 520 adapter. So in a way you have to use the adapter if you want colour on composite.

In Australia we don't have scart tvs or connections to it but you can import them but at a hefty price.

[turrican9]

I have actually aquired two 14 inch CRT TV's for the purpose of my retro stuff. One of them gives a superb picture using a Scart RGB cable. The other one does not show a perfectly still picture. I have ordered a couple of modified scart cables to try on that one. To do Amiga games justice you really need CRT. btw, back in the days I actually was using a 14 inch CRT TV with scart connection, while my friends where using a TV modulator RF connection. RF looks like crap compared to scart. Scart is almost as good (providing you get a perfectly still picture) as an old Amiga monitor, like the 1084S.

I am using an ECS Scandoubler on one of my 500s together with a 19 inch LCD screen. Even if I use scanline emulating, when comparing it to my 14 inch Scart RGB TV it is totally inferior. One could just aswell just use Winuae on a PC. For the most part I will stick to my two CRT TV's with scart. 14 inch CRT TV's with scart is perfect as they are the same size as the old Amiga monitors. I wouldn't want any bigger CRT TV's than this. Of course, if I get hold of a Commodore 1084S I would use that one, but I would not spend to much time trying to get one. Amiga games was made for CRTs, simple as that.

Edit: Got hold of a 14 inch CRT monitor from a 1998 PC today. Looks good when connected to my scandoubler. But not sure if it's better VS my Scart to RGB connected TV. TV has very strong and sharp colors.