Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Discussion about displays and related hardware including MiSTer filters and video settings.
Swainy
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Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by Swainy »

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So the above picture is my CRT set up. As you can see I have 2 CRT TV’s to take care of my vertical & horizontal needs and a CRT monitor on the right for the AO486 core.

Obviously I have to swap Scart connections between my 2 TV’s but I don’t want to have to keep swapping the VGA to Scart cable out from the MiSTer whenever I want to use the monitor for the AO486 core as I’m worried about stressing the VGA port on my MiSTer. So I was wondering if anyone had come up with a switch box which could handle a VGA to Scart signal as well as a standard VGA signal?
akeley
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by akeley »

Never heard of one but it's probably something that could be built. If you're really worried about that port, perhaps you could get a short VGA cable extension and connect to that. Also, ao486 can now be used on CRT TVs...

EDIT: http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/evilt ... /index.htm ???
MiSTer_Kirk
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by MiSTer_Kirk »

Couldn't you use the HDMI port, with a HDMI to VGA adapter, for the VGA Monitor only ?
FoxbatStargazer
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by FoxbatStargazer »

Yeah with non-PC cores you can do all kinds of fun scaling and rotation with HDMI->VGA too while the original analog is shown over SCART. You can also use a high resolution in your menu core for playing with scripts.
rcade
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by rcade »

I've got a cheapo 2xDB15 VGA switchbox from the Far East that works fine. I had to go in and resolder all the connections, but it works fine now.
That plus a very short cable from the box to the MiSTer works great.
Higgy
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by Higgy »

Don't most Cores have scandoubling? So you could use the PC monitor instead of the horiz TV.
What I like about PC monitors is they have lots of easy to access picture controls. On my Panasonic TV I have to open it up to change screen position :(
thorr
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by thorr »

Instead of the analog board, you could use the HDMI output for everything and use an HDMI splitter to send the signal to all three. You will obviously need to successfully convert the HDMI to component.
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by FoxbatStargazer »

Higgy wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:57 pm Don't most Cores have scandoubling? So you could use the PC monitor instead of the horiz TV.
Scandoubler isn't going to help you with rotation on most arcade cores. You need to use the scaler, which yes you can pump to your PC monitor in a variety of ways at fairly high resolutions.
Swainy
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by Swainy »

Turns out that an old VGA switch box that I had in a drawer works perfectly.
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darksakul
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Re: Any ideas about a switch box for a CRT TV to a CRT monitor?

Unread post by darksakul »

I would ether use a Scart Switcher or a VGA Switch Box.
There are Open Source plans now for a VGA to Scart adapters (and Vice versa)

Please note they only adapt the connector, and combine and attenuate Sync
They don't change resolution.

There are Composite and Component to VGA adapters out there
You could also try a HMDI to Component with a Component splitter
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