Monochrome vs. Color Monitor Cables

[zolli]

Hello,

 

I'm a recent addition to the proud ranks of Atari 8 bit computer owners. I've never owned an Atari 8 bit computer before, but after seeing all the active users still out there, decided to get into the a8 scene. I bought a 130xe, some game cartridges, SIO2PC, tried to buy a couple 1050 drives (still waiting on that) and... a video cable to hook the machine up over a composite connector.

 

Unfortunately, the composite cable only outputs black & white.

 

Here's the eBay seller's description of the cable:

 

6 Foot Long A/V Monitor Cable for the following Atari Computers: 600XL, 800, 800XL, 1200XL, and 130XE. Connects to any Monitor, TV or VCR that is RCA ready. New never used. May not be compatible with PAL systems. Note * these cables are made for monitor use. The use of this cable on some color TV's will result in a black and white picture. Shipping and handling is $4.99 to anywhere in the world. Shipping for each additional similar size item purchased from my eBay store is $.99 to anywhere in the world. I ship every Monday AM.

 

My newbie question: is it even possible that this cable -- which does display only black & white when connected to a monitor through composite input on my XRGB-3 -- could have output color at all, or was I misled to make a buck?

 

Thanks in advance.

[+bob1200xl]

Unless the guy is talking about some kind of PAL kinkiness, the cable either is COMPOSITE or LUMA. LUMA is b/w - always. COMPOSITE is color - always. It cannot be both. How many plugs on the cable? Just two? It's undoubtedly a LUMA connection. (the other plug is sound, right?)

 

I would guess that 'monitor use' means a monochrome monitor.

 

If enough color signal leaked over to the LUMA circuit and if the color TV had a lot of AGC gain for the color signal, you might see color on that plug. Probably look terrible, but color.

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

Hello,

 

I'm a recent addition to the proud ranks of Atari 8 bit computer owners. I've never owned an Atari 8 bit computer before, but after seeing all the active users still out there, decided to get into the a8 scene. I bought a 130xe, some game cartridges, SIO2PC, tried to buy a couple 1050 drives (still waiting on that) and... a video cable to hook the machine up over a composite connector.

 

Unfortunately, the composite cable only outputs black & white.

 

Here's the eBay seller's description of the cable:

 

6 Foot Long A/V Monitor Cable for the following Atari Computers: 600XL, 800, 800XL, 1200XL, and 130XE. Connects to any Monitor, TV or VCR that is RCA ready. New never used. May not be compatible with PAL systems. Note * these cables are made for monitor use. The use of this cable on some color TV's will result in a black and white picture. Shipping and handling is $4.99 to anywhere in the world. Shipping for each additional similar size item purchased from my eBay store is $.99 to anywhere in the world. I ship every Monday AM.

 

My newbie question: is it even possible that this cable -- which does display only black & white when connected to a monitor through composite input on my XRGB-3 -- could have output color at all, or was I misled to make a buck?

 

Thanks in advance.

[supercat]

I would guess that the cable is probably just outputting the luminance signal from the Atari. I had a Commodore rather than an Atari, but the Commodore at least had both composite and luma-only outputs (I think the 128 had a chroma-only output as well). Connecting the composite output up to a monochrome monitor would not give nearly as good a picture as using the luminance output (on early C64's the composite output, viewed on a monochrome screen, was downright crummy). Most cables that just had one video output plug would output the composite signal, but I've seen some which would just output luminance.

[+orpheuswaking]

Do you have any way of testing what pin the Video plug is connected to on the DIN5 ? That way we can see what signal it's running fromt the Atari

[zolli]

Ok. So here's what I've been able to track down. According to "pinouts database" (http://www.pinouts.org.uk/index.php?page=Atari_Monitor), in order to have a "composite video cable" pin 4 must be connected. The cable I bought has pin 1, which is "composite luminance". Here are the pinout assignments:

 

3       1
5     4
   2

Pin 	Function
1 	Composite Luminance (not on North American 600XLs)
2 	Ground
3 	Audio Output
4 	Composite Video
5 	Composite Chroma (not on 800XL,1200XL; grounded on 600XL)

 

My guess is that the cable I bought is actually for monochrome monitors. Thanks for the suggestions all. I'll look elsewhere for a monitor cable, or solder one together myself.

[+orpheuswaking]

Ok. So here's what I've been able to track down. According to "pinouts database" (http://www.pinouts.org.uk/index.php?page=Atari_Monitor), in order to have a "composite video cable" pin 4 must be connected. The cable I bought has pin 1, which is "composite luminance". Here are the pinout assignments:

 

3   	1
5 	4
   2

Pin 	Function
1 	Composite Luminance (not on North American 600XLs)
2 	Ground
3 	Audio Output
4 	Composite Video
5 	Composite Chroma (not on 800XL,1200XL; grounded on 600XL)

 

My guess is that the cable I bought is actually for monochrome monitors. Thanks for the suggestions all. I'll look elsewhere for a monitor cable, or solder one together myself.

 

Or Resolder the one you have