does a Betson multisync remember EVERY geometry setting for EVERY AVGA res?

[rockin_rick]

I know that the digital Betson tri-res multisync will remember and recall different geometry (screen size, screen location) settings for different resolutions, but does it remember EVERY setting for every resolution?

IOW - does it only remember a few (perhaps CGA, EGA, and VGA) geometry settings, or can it when used with a ArcadeVGA remember separate geometry settings for EVERY AVGA resolution?  (IIRC, there are about 12 different CGA resolutions)  So would it remember and recall settings for each and every CGA resolutions?  Or does it only recall one CGA setting?

Thanks,
Rick

[Joystick Jerk]

It should, but you can probably only find out by calling them. It depends on how much memory they've equipped the monitor with. The more memory, the more settings it can remember.

[rockin_rick]

I got a PM regarding this:

No. They have a set number of 'modes', and many resolutions will be grouped within various modes. There are also 'user' modes. All of these will be somewhat different depending on the type of monitor. I don't know if the manufacturer (or, in your case, distributor) gives this information out, nor if it's in any kind of spec sheets available.

I highly doubt that Betson would know this since this is not the intended use of this monitor and since they are not the mfg.  I've never seen it in a spec sheet...

Can anyone with firsthand experience with this comment on this?  Does it work out good with the different CGA outputs of the AVGA?

Thanks,
Rick

[Joystick Jerk]

Who sent you that? It doesn't really explain anything at all. The modes the person is talking about are the 15, 25, and 31khz modes. All resolutions the monitor is capable of performing fall into one of those modes. BUT, a digital monitor can remember resolution settings for multiple resolutions, no matter what mode they may fall into.

And Betson should know absolutely everything about their monitors, down to every diode, chip, and capacitor on the circuit boards. If they can't tell you something as simple as how much memory the monitor is equipped with and how many resolutions that allows the monitor to keep settings for, well then they're probably not worth buying from.

[MonMotha]

Betson just OEMs this monitor from Kortek.  It's a KT-2914F.  They don't make them, though they do somewhat support them.

The memory on the monitor is basically one for each pair of horizontal/vertical sync pairs, bracketed into ranges.  Pretty much, you get one memory for standard res, one for medium res, one for VGA, and one for SVGA at 50-66Hz, then you get another set of memories for each resolution running at 70-75Hz, then another set up in the 75-85 range (at which point it will not longer be able to do 800x600).  I've found it way easier to just tweak the geometry to be "reasonably correct" for all my games, then only adjust brightness contrast.

Note that the monitor has NO CLUE what the horizontal resolution is (there's no way for it to know), only how many lines are being displayed and at what rate.

Also: it only has one brightness and contrast setting memory.  This doesn't matter when coming from a PC as all video signal levels are normalized to PC standards, but it does matter if you're swapping hardware.

[rockin_rick]

Who sent you that?

Someone with 0 posts.  Not sure why he didn't just post here - shy?!?  I do appreciate him taking the time to send that, but you're right, it was a pretty general statement...

Betson just OEMs this monitor from Kortek.  It's a KT-2914F.  They don't make them, though they do somewhat support them.

The memory on the monitor is basically one for each pair of horizontal/vertical sync pairs, bracketed into ranges.  Pretty much, you get one memory for standard res, one for medium res, one for VGA, and one for SVGA at 50-66Hz, then you get another set of memories for each resolution running at 70-75Hz, then another set up in the 75-85 range (at which point it will not longer be able to do 800x600).  I've found it way easier to just tweak the geometry to be "reasonably correct" for all my games, then only adjust brightness contrast.

Note that the monitor has NO CLUE what the horizontal resolution is (there's no way for it to know), only how many lines are being displayed and at what rate.

Also: it only has one brightness and contrast setting memory.  This doesn't matter when coming from a PC as all video signal levels are normalized to PC standards, but it does matter if you're swapping hardware.

Thanks for the info.  So that means that you end up with one setting for AVGA generated CGA modes, right? (none go above 70Hz, IIRC).

Rick

[MonMotha]

If you're doing things "the right way", it'll run at whatever the native mode for the game you're emulating is.  Usually this means that things will be in the 60Hz range.  Though some go lower (MK2 and other Midway T-Unit based games come to mind), I've never seen anything appreciably higher.  This means that you'll probably only get one setting for "standard res" and one for "medium res".

I'm not sure if MAME has an option to re-center things horizontally.  That's possible without affecting visual accuracy.  There are also tricks you can play with adding lines to re-center things vertically, but again I'm not sure MAME supports any of that.

[ahofle]

Well, I just tried a test with my Betson.  I ran a 256 line game (1942) and adjusted the vertical position all the way to the bottom.  I then ran a 256x240 game and the screen was centered normally.  I reran 1942 and the vertical position was recalled to the bottom correctly.  So there is definitely more than 1 CGA memory setting.  Unfortunately I don't have the time to find out how many settings there are, but I can say that I've NEVER run into a problem with one mode's settings being ruined by another. 

[MonMotha]

Hum, all I can say is that all of my standard res games seem to show up with the same geometry.  I've got TMNT, MK2, a Neo-Geo, a couple Golden Tees, and NBA Jam TE.  Fortunately I can adjust all of them reasonably well.  It's possible that these all happen to run with the same number of lines, but I know for a fact that MK2/NBA Jam is weird.

I know that I do have an older monitor.  It's possible that the (Philips/NXP, IIRC) chip that is used to handle all that has been upgraded.