Monitor options

[Hoopz]

Preface:  I understand just the very basics on monitors.  Be easy with my questions please.   

I have a Mitsubishi AM-3501R presentation monitor.  Here are the specs:

• 600 lines of composite video resolution
• 640 x 480 RGB resolution
• Accepts input signal 15.5kHz-35kHz horizontal and 40Hz-70Hz vertical
• Input configurations:
   3 Composite video BNC,
   1 S-video,
   1 RGBS BNC,
   Analog RGB D-sub 25-pin,
   TTL RGB D-sub 9-pin,
   8-pin VTR
• Composite one and RGBS BNC have looping outputs

I understand it has S-video and the composite video BNC.  My question is what else can I do here with my computer.  On the RGBS BNC, does that require a video card that outputs RGB?  And what is the Analog RGB D-Sub 25-pin?  I've searched the 25-pin connector and it appears it's an older or previous style to the 15-pin VGA standard now.  Is that the best quality option for this monitor?  The 8-pin VTR is definitely older technology.  What's the TTL RGB D-sub 9-pin?

My guess is that it just has a variety of ways to hook up a variety of different components.

I'm not necessarily looking to connect this via the ArcadeVGA.  That may be an option down the road but not now.  Just curious what else I can do here.

Thanks for any help.

-Hoopz

[MonMotha]

"VGA" is "RGB".  The terms are used somewhat interchangeably in some circles, though they don't really talk about the same thing ("VGA" is a full specification from VESA involving everything from video timings to electrical parameters to connectors while RGB is simply a colorspace that you can represent images in).

You can buy cables that have your HD15 VGA connector on one end and 5 or 6 BNC "RGB" connectors on the other end.  Since you only have 5, that means you have composite sync.  Many PC video outputs can do this, but not all.  A small external circuit can combine separate sync into composite sync if necessary.

Quality on any of the RGB inputs should be identical.

That monitor will do 640x480 but not 800x600, so you'll have to drop Windows or whatever OS down before hooking it up.  It will also do CGA and EGA timings commonly used by arcade games.  If you want these timings from a PC, you'll have to get them via a method of your choice (Soft15k, ArcadeVGA, other software/driver tricks, modeline in X, etc.).

If you have an actual arcade board, you'll want to hook it up to the TTL RGB input as arcade boards use those signal levels rather than the 1Vpp signal levels used by most other devices outputting RGB (including PCs on the VGA port).

[Hoopz]

"VGA" is "RGB".  The terms are used somewhat interchangeably in some circles, though they don't really talk about the same thing ("VGA" is a full specification from VESA involving everything from video timings to electrical parameters to connectors while RGB is simply a colorspace that you can represent images in).

You can buy cables that have your HD15 VGA connector on one end and 5 or 6 BNC "RGB" connectors on the other end.  Since you only have 5, that means you have composite sync.  Many PC video outputs can do this, but not all.  A small external circuit can combine separate sync into composite sync if necessary.

Quality on any of the RGB inputs should be identical.

That monitor will do 640x480 but not 800x600, so you'll have to drop Windows or whatever OS down before hooking it up.  It will also do CGA and EGA timings commonly used by arcade games.  If you want these timings from a PC, you'll have to get them via a method of your choice (Soft15k, ArcadeVGA, other software/driver tricks, modeline in X, etc.).

If you have an actual arcade board, you'll want to hook it up to the TTL RGB input as arcade boards use those signal levels rather than the 1Vpp signal levels used by most other devices outputting RGB (including PCs on the VGA port).

Thanks for all of the info.  I should have realized that the Analog RGB D-sub 25-pin and the 1 RGBS BNC would be the same quality as they are both under the same "section" on the back of the monitor that's labeled "RGB". 

A quick search did provide a number of cables that I can get to help hook up the PC via the RGB route.  It's already setup via S-video but I'd like to see the difference using RGB.

Thanks again!