odd video issues

[Rockin' Kat]

I started a post in another forum on another website.. but since it seems to have gone from a "this sucks" thread, to an "I'm trying to figure out something weird" thread, I figure I oughta bring it over to a busier forum.

 

first message

 

My 800XL would appear to be defective. I just hooked up an s-video cable I bought on ebay so I could do away with the RF output... and what I got was black and white... yep, no chroma, just luma... so I thought maybe my cable was bad.. so I pulled out a boxed 130xe I had up on a shelf........ nope... cable is fine... 130xe gives color... so, I've put away my 800XL, with a sticker on it that says "defective, no chroma output"(I tag anything I put away broken).. and have my 130xe hooked up...

 

This sucks though... cuz the 130XE looks weird sitting next to the brown and beige tape and floppy drives... and finding tape and floppy drives which visually match t he 130XE is not very easy.

 

*sigh*

 

second message:

 

So weirdness ensues you see....

 

Cuz now when I turn my atari 130XL on.... I have to swich my Commodore 1084's source switch from separate(chroma/luma) to composite and back to separate to get color. And when I hook my little sony executoy mini tv to the composite output on my switch box, I get black and white.... normally the switchbox is able to take s-video inputs and put out an acurate signal on the composit output.... I mean it works for my 5200's video mod, and all my other consoles.. but these Atari computers are just being weird... I wonder if it's possible there's something wrong with the cable I bought.

 

A note: I have a request for a chroma/luma/audio cable up in the wanted section.

[Rybags]

Another forum?

 

What's the use? The only other forums with any useful A8 stuff aren't in English.

 

The rest of the Atari related forums around seem to either be ghost-towns, or concentrate on the ST exclusively (or worse still, focus on the modern Atari stuff).

 

First one's easy - most 800XLs didn't have chroma hooked up at the factory. Fixed by adding a resistor and length of wire to connect it on most machines.

 

Just tried 3 links and they're all dead - hopefully someone will have a link, or be able to provide you with the location to connect the other end of the wire.

[Urchlay]

That's not really weird... Atari, in their infinite wisdom, chose not to connect the chroma pin on the 800XL monitor jack. Not sure whether this was a mistake or by design, but the result is exactly as you describe: no chroma output. Nothing's broken...

 

4 choices you have:

 

1. Find the spot on the 800XL motherboard where the chroma signal can be tapped, solder a wire from there to the correct pin on the DIN jack. Hint: search for the Super Video 2.1 or Clearpic modifications. The directions for one or the other will tell you right where the chroma signal can be found, even if you're not going to do the full mod. (Sorry, can't be more specific because I can't remember now, was months ago I did this to my 1200XL, and it's different on an 800XL anyway). Anyway, it involves soldering one wire, so even if you're not real good at soldering, you should be able to do this.

 

2. Use the luma signal as-is, and use the composite video signal as though it were the chroma (rewire your cable or build a new one). Depending on the monitor you're using, this may work great, or may result in a crappy picture.

 

3. Forget about s-video and just use the composite output. Unless you're trying to do 80 column word processing or something, composite is generally good enough. In fact, you might prefer it for gaming, because with s-video you can't see the artifacted (false) colors that some games use (e.g. Ultima 4, Autoduel).

 

4. Do one of the Super Video or Clearpic mods (either one is good). This will not only give you a chroma output, it'll give you a much nicer-looking picture. Not recommended for people who are bad at soldering (like me... I did the Clearpic on my 1200XL, but it took me forever to get it right).

[Rockin' Kat]

Well I've edited my wanted post to be looking for a composite video/audio cable. I hate soldering. My hand always gets shakey and I end up making a big mess.

 

Though I think I might just stick with the 130XE in the long run.

[emkay]

This shows the problem that ATARI everytime had problems with international marketing.

For PAL XLs they really would have done better to use Luma/Chroma and remove the FBAS signal if they intended to use the "free slot" for a stereo pokey.

[+kheller2]

This shows the problem that ATARI everytime had problems with international marketing.

For PAL XLs they really would have done better to use Luma/Chroma and remove the FBAS signal if they intended to use the "free slot" for a stereo pokey.

 

Eh? Free slot?

[emkay]

 

It's said that Atari removed the chroma wire to have a "pin" at the AV connector free for a second pokey. Not sure whether it's true or not.

 

"Slot" wasn't the right term here? Sorry.