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Hardware: Video

Video outputs, screen modes, graphics cards and video production.

What video outputs does the Amiga have?

Every Amiga has a 23-pin analog RGB port, which gives the best picture on a compatible monitor. The A500 and A2000 also have a monochrome composite output. The A1000 has a colour composite output, and the A600 and A1200 have colour composite plus a built-in RF output for connecting to a TV. The A500 can also use an RF modulator plugged into its RGB port.

For connecting to modern screens, see connecting to a modern monitor or TV.

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What screen modes can an Amiga display?

The standard modes are low resolution (320 pixels wide) and high resolution (640 pixels wide), with 256 lines on PAL machines and 200 on NTSC. Interlace doubles the number of lines, at the cost of flicker on an ordinary monitor.

ECS and AGA machines add productivity modes, such as 640x480 without flicker, but these need a monitor that can handle higher scan rates.

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What are flicker fixers and scan doublers?

Both convert the Amiga's 15kHz picture into a higher-frequency signal that VGA-style monitors can show. A flicker fixer also removes the flicker of interlaced modes. The A3000 has one built in; for other models it is an upgrade fitted inside the computer.

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What are graphics cards (RTG) on the Amiga?

Graphics cards plug into the expansion slots of big-box Amigas and add high resolutions and many more colours than the built-in chipset. Software systems such as Picasso96 and CyberGraphX, often called RTG (retargetable graphics), let Workbench and programs use these cards.

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What is a genlock?

A genlock synchronizes the Amiga's picture with an outside video source, so Amiga graphics can be overlaid on live video. It made the Amiga popular for titles and effects in video production.

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Frequently asked questions about the Commodore Amiga.

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