Dull Image Using RGB

[chrisherbert]

I'm using a 27" NEC 3pg presentation monitor that, I believe, dates from the early 90s.  All in all, it's fantastic.  A full complement of RGB and video inputs, dozens of tiny little switches and options, and, sometimes, a truly spectacular picture.

The problem I'm having is that the RGB inputs give dull, low-contrast, low-color, generally blah picture quality.  This is true from a PC (using an orginal Radeon all-in-wonder) and from my component-to-RGB transcoder (vdigi VD-Z3).  The image isn't *horrible*, and if I'm just using it for the web, as I occasionally do, it's not even particularly noticeable.  But for games, I'd like COLOR and CONTRAST and PIZAZZ!

I'd just chalk the lame picture up to the monitor being old and weak, except for a couple of things.  1) Using s-video, the color and contrast aregreat.  2) The dreamcast, using the VGA box, also looks great.

So if things looks great through svideo, and the dreamcast seems to output an RGB signal that the monitor likes, is there anything that can be done?

The monitor does have an "RGB Gain" dipswitch that dramatically brightens the picture, but it also distorts the heck out of it.  This is meant to boost the signal for distribution to a second monitor using the RGB though out, so it makes sense that it messes up the picture if no second monitor is connected.

Am I just expecting too much?  Does the Dreamcast RGB output have some unique qualities that I can reproduce on my PC using Powerstrip or some such?

Thanks for the help!

[StephenH]

It could need a video amp.  See if your monitor is using 1 volt signals, or 5 volt.   PC Outputs 1 volt, and some monitors need 5 volt.