Options for IIe color video

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Options for IIe color video

 

Howdy,

 

I've scoured the internet and cant find any options for an Apple IIe => HDMI  video adapter. 

My Apple IIe is a platinum version, and I think the color NTSC signal may only work with a special Apple Color monitor, but I'm not sure (I'm very new to rediscovering the Apple II).

I tried a couple of compositive to HDMI adapters from Aliexpress.  Only one of them 'works' reliably, and that is only when I'm displaying text.  During color display, the converter cannot sync 

properly and colors are not displayed either.

 

I made some enquiries about the VIDHD which looked perfect -- but they are out of production with no plans to build any more -- so unless anyone reading this knows where I can source one, I think Im out of luck.

 

Are there any other options out there? Other than attemping to source an old Apple CRT monitor

 

Cheers, Nick

 

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A couple of questions: 1.

A couple of questions:

 

1. Does your Apple IIe have a separate RGB output (or some type of card that gives you RGB output), or do you only have a composite NTSC?

2. Do you live in North America or in Europe (or elsewhere)?

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One of these two options

One of these two options should work for you:

 

https://www.reactivemicro.com/product-category/apple-video/

 

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I used a very inexpensive

I used a very inexpensive AV2HDMI converter and it worked fine for me.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-DIGITNOW-Composite-Supporting-Blue-Ray/dp/B087TR4M23/

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While there are many options

While there are many options available for a display on a iie, the truth is that you must decide what quality video you're looking for.

Most options come with problems.

Oh, while the VidHD has the highest quality video output, you'll have to make sure you do not use a real 5 1/4" floppy drive. Perhaps a 3 1/2 floppy drive too.

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profdc9 wrote:I used a very
profdc9 wrote:

I used a very inexpensive AV2HDMI converter and it worked fine for me.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-DIGITNOW-Composite-Supporting-Blue-Ray/dp/B087TR4M23/

 

Those kind of converters can be hit or miss.  I have a couple of them that work great with a //e or IIgs but not so well with a ][+ or clone, especially not with output from Videx type 80 column cards.  Others will work fine with just about any Apple II.  Some won't work with Apple II video at all because of the Apple II video not quite adhering exectly to the NTSC spec.

 

If that one works, then it is a great low cost option.  The one Reactive Micro sells looks similar except for the color of the box.  For $11, I'd probably take the chance on it especially with the cheap and usually reasonably fast shipping.  if it doesn't work you could try a couple of different ones and still be less than the $40 that Reactive Micro wants for theirs...  On the other hand, the one Reactive Micro sells is pretty likelty to work. without question.

 

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I have one of these (the

I have one of these (the white one) and it is absolute crap in terms of picture quality.

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CVT wrote:I have one of these
CVT wrote:

I have one of these (the white one) and it is absolute crap in terms of picture quality.

 

Bought through Reactive Micro or one that came from Amazon or Aliexpress or wherever?  I've seen different ones of these that look pretty much the same other than the color of the box or slight differences in the markings that give widely different quality of picture.

 

As I said, I've got one that works great with a //e or IIgs that the picture quality is not great on a ][+ or clone, especially my PineApple.  It's almost unusable on that one.  But another converter I have does a little better.  Still not as good as it works on a //e.

 

These things are kind of hit-or-miss in general.

 

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Mine is almost OK while the

Mine is almost OK while the picture is static, but once it starts moving - forget about it! Do you have a video how it looks on yours on something that has animation?

 

I think the best approach is to use a CRT TV with SCART input that can do 240p without any conversion. If you are going to upscale, you need something that can at least do 50% scanlines, otherwise it looks bad on a high resolution modern monitor even if the picture is perfect. Upscaling to VGA instead of HDMI also might be a better option if the machine has RGB output and old VGA CRT monitors are readily available where you live.

 

If we are talking North America, I would just get a 13" Sony Trinitron with a video input.

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20220815_094840.mp4
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That's not a great video --

That's not a great video -- shot with my phone and there is a lot of glare, etc.  That's also not the best of the 3 different converters I have.  This particular one was bought off Amazon and it works OK with a //e but not well at all with a ][+ or clone.

 

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Actually this not bad at all

Actually this not bad at all!

Here is how it looks on my 14" Sony Trinitron TV - no conversion, just straight NTSC signal out of the Apple II+ and into the composite input of the TV:

(If there is a Moiré pattern, it is a result of the picture being resized in the browser.)

 

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Go to your local thrift store

Go to your local thrift store and you might find an early LCD television.  About 14 or 15 inches.

It will have the correct 4:3 aspect ratio and will most certainly have a composite input.

This migh tbe your best bet to get  flat screen videpo for a IIe.

 

I'd forget using an HDMI monitor - the only option that's out there is the VidHD card and it is not easy to get.

Alternatively you could build something with a fglat panel display and controller (there are a bunch available on ebay) that have A/V inputs (read: composite video)

 

 

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baldrick wrote:Go to your
baldrick wrote:

Go to your local thrift store and you might find an early LCD television.  About 14 or 15 inches.

It will have the correct 4:3 aspect ratio and will most certainly have a composite input.

This migh tbe your best bet to get  flat screen videpo for a IIe.

 

I'd forget using an HDMI monitor - the only option that's out there is the VidHD card and it is not ea

I agree, get an old TV (lcd or tube) with it's own composite input.  I emailed regarding VidHD and was politely updated "we are sold out of the VidHD boards at this time and do not have an estimated date as to when or if we will have more in stock in the future."

 

I own a nice VGA upscale converter (XRGB 2+) which works with a magnitute of inputs (SCART, D-terminal/component, composite, s-video) and does a good job upscaling to 480P (this is an old unit which makes 240P RGB look insanely good on a 480P tube, i.e. an IIgs to a modern VGA PC monitor). Right now I am using it to use a PAL Amiga 600 on a VGA display in America, but I have a quality video source feeding the converter. Anyway... even that upscan converter isn't a big fan of the Apple II's composite video, and in 40 column mode has some curl at the top of the screen. Normally it's OK quality with composite like an NES, especially with scanline emulation enabled. 

 

There are other quality upscalers if you need HDMI output such as the retrotink series but I have not tested firsthand this series of upscalers with Apple computers. 

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There's always the A2Heaven

There's always the A2Heaven VGA scaler (which is excellent) but availability is also sparse.

Sometimes an email to Plamen Vasilyov (info@a2heaven.com) will get him to build a few to sell.

 

 

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I use the VidHD 

I use the VidHD

 

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That's some kind of Raspberry

That's some kind of Raspberry Pi on the VidHD, isn't it?  I wonder if the software for it could be adapted to tjboldt's Apple2-IO-RPi  card?

 

https://github.com/tjboldt/Apple2-IO-RPi

 

 

 

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I think it's some version of

I think it's some version of the Orange Pi.

 

Regardless it's unavailable right now...

 

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Thanks for the replies, I

Thanks for the replies,

My Apple 2e only has the composite output -- no RGB card installed -- is there such an available thing?

 I tried two of the 'AV2HDMI ' adapters (from Aliexpress) not realising they were the same (I assume) adapter  -  one was in a black plastic case, the other white.

The white case one works for monochrome / text output quite nicely, but as soon as you enter a graphics modes, the picture periodically moves around a bit and the converter seems to lose sync plus there's no color..

The black case one is extremenly hit and miss even on text modes....and not worth playing with, need to plug and unplug a dozen time to gety it to work once.

So basically I dont know it if is the Apple 2e or the junk converters...so not keen to risk buying another 'white' case variant AV2HDMI from reactive micro yet.

Maybe I'll try hitting up the guy about the VGA scaler, I'd just need to source a VGA to HDMI adapter for that...or use an smaller older VGA monitor I already have guess...

Thanks, Nick

 

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 Nick Parker wrote:Maybe I'll

 

Nick Parker wrote:

Maybe I'll try hitting up the guy about the VGA scaler, I'd just need to source a VGA to HDMI adapter for that...or use an smaller older VGA monitor I already have guess...

 

Using an older 4:3 VGA monitor with a VGA scaler is the way to go.  A 16:9 HDMI screen, while nice for modern computing will lose 40% of its screen real estate on the Apple because of the narrower aspect ratio of the Apple II video mode.

 

 

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baldrick wrote:There's always
baldrick wrote:

There's always the A2Heaven VGA scaler (which is excellent) but availability is also sparse.

Sometimes an email to Plamen Vasilyov (info@a2heaven.com) will get him to build a few to sell.

 

 

Plamen right now has an RGB card kit that he has put on a local bulgarian site for about $30, but I am not sure if he would ship it internationally since I did not see it in his online store or on eBay. Here is the link, just right-click to translate: click!

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VGA Scaler
baldrick wrote:

There's always the A2Heaven VGA scaler (which is excellent) but availability is also sparse.

 

 

I recently bought and received the VGA Scaler.

I haven't tried it yet, but it's my intention to do that this weekend.

 

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RGBtoHDMI

Hi everyone,

 

Have a look at RGBtoHDMI

https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI

https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI/wiki

 

You will need a Raspberry PI Zero

 

Have a nice day,

Nicolas

 

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softwarejanitor wrote:profdc9
softwarejanitor wrote:
profdc9 wrote:

I used a very inexpensive AV2HDMI converter and it worked fine for me.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-DIGITNOW-Composite-Supporting-Blue-Ray/dp/B087TR4M23/

 

Those kind of converters can be hit or miss.  I have a couple of them that work great with a //e or IIgs but not so well with a ][+ or clone

I have this same Amazon AV2HDMI converter that I use with my IIe.  B & W looks terrific, but color has a lot of bleed at the color boundaries, so I'd agree, they are a hit and miss, and I'm feeding the HDMI into a VIZIO  V405-H19 flat screen.

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flaith wrote:Hi everyone,
flaith wrote:

Hi everyone,

 

Have a look at RGBtoHDMI

https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI

https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI/wiki

 

You will need a Raspberry PI Zero

 

Have a nice day,

Nicolas

 

That's very interesting, but it doesn't look like it has direct support for Apple II yet.  I wonder how well it would work without that?  And if not well, I wonder what it would take to add it?  Unfortunately //e and older typically don't have RGB output.  There are ways to add it with a plug in card but they aren't that commonly available, although I know someone who has reerse engineered one of the vintage RGB cards for the //e (not sure if it will work in older machines).  I think that card needs to be in slot 7.  There are a number of options for the //e that work in the AUX slot and provide RAM, or piggyback into a RAM card in the AUX slot.

 

There are a number of IIgs specific RGB adapters, but I doubt this would work with most of those because I think the IIgs is analog RGB and this says digital RGB.

 

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