Help Connecting C64 To A VGA Monitor - Vintage Computer Forum

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Help connecting C64 to a VGA monitor

• Thread starter Thread starter superultragman
• Start date Start date Apr 6, 2017

S

superultragman

Member

Joined Feb 12, 2017 Messages 21 Location New York I bought a Commodore 64, all the stuff came in, and i have it powered, attached to the S-video to VGA converter, and have that connected with the monitor, but all the monitor does is display a dark blue screen. I disconnected the converter from the unit, and the screen still shows blue, so it is most definitely the converter that is the issue. how do i make it stop doing that? N

njroadfan

Veteran Member

Joined Jan 20, 2011 Messages 1,706 The "s-video" output of the C64 is non-standard, the output level is very high compared to a real s-video device. Its also a progressive scan signal that may trip up an upscaler. Have you tried the composite output yet? S

superultragman

Member

Joined Feb 12, 2017 Messages 21 Location New York

njroadfan said: The "s-video" output of the C64 is non-standard, the output level is very high compared to a real s-video device. Its also a progressive scan signal that may trip up an upscaler. Have you tried the composite output yet? Click to expand...

well theres the RF output, which i guess a composite cable CAN plug into, i just thought it gave off a different signal than composite. C

ClassicHasClass

Veteran Member

Joined Mar 22, 2013 Messages 2,200 Location (not so) sunny (No) So Cal The RF output is indeed RF, not composite. If you only have a 5-pin video cable, you can't get composite off that, but on an 8-pin port (most common) the composite output is pin 4 -- see https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/A/V_Jack . There are Commodore video cables with four leads out there if you don't want to build your own. Q

Quagmire

Veteran Member

Joined Sep 23, 2008 Messages 7,526

superultragman said: well theres the RF output, which i guess a composite cable CAN plug into, i just thought it gave off a different signal than composite. Click to expand...

I have a C64 that I connect to 15" Dell VGA (1024 x 760) with the exact adapter as indicated below. Works fine - no hoops to jump through. http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?40905-My-new-64C&highlight=VGA+Adapter (#10) http://www.miniinthebox.com/high-re...p318775.html?pos=ultimately_buy_2&prm=2.3.5.0 Last edited: Apr 6, 2017 Z

Zippy Zapp

Experienced Member

Joined Dec 13, 2014 Messages 272 Location USA:CA

ClassicHasClass said: If you only have a 5-pin video cable, you can't get composite off that, but on an 8-pin port (most common) the composite output is pin 4 -- see https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/A/V_Jack . There are Commodore video cables with four leads out there if you don't want to build your own. Click to expand...

You probably meant you cant get separated (s-video) from a 5-pin. You most definitely can get composite from a 5-pin it is also on pin 4. There is also a way to get sudo separated on a 5-pin too. But it only works with the rear jacks of a 1701/1702. VGA converters are very tricky and it is tough to find one that works with the C64s signal. Q

Quagmire

Veteran Member

Joined Sep 23, 2008 Messages 7,526

Zippy Zapp said: VGA converters are very tricky and it is tough to find one that works with the C64s signal. Click to expand...

Not tricky at all. Take a look at the above URLs. Works for me. G

geoffm3

Veteran Member

Joined Oct 8, 2009 Messages 1,281 Location Huntsville, AL

Agent Orange said: Not tricky at all. Take a look at the above URLs. Works for me. Click to expand...

Does that adapter support PAL?

KC9UDX

Space Commander

Joined Jan 27, 2014 Messages 7,468 Location Lutenblag Oddly I have a box that looks identical to that one (same labelling and everything), which converts in the other direction. Q

Quagmire

Veteran Member

Joined Sep 23, 2008 Messages 7,526

geoffm3 said: Does that adapter support PAL? Click to expand...

I don't think so. S

superultragman

Member

Joined Feb 12, 2017 Messages 21 Location New York Well thanks for the help, turns out i had to mess with the buttons and it works now. I dont know what I did but im sure not going to press anything on that thing ever again! C

Cyberjank

New Member

Joined Mar 28, 2006 Messages 3 There had to be at least one hoop to jump through..... How does the C64 plug into this device? Did you wire something up to go from the Commodores din plug to the s-video plug on the device? R

rlauzon

Experienced Member

Joined Feb 18, 2018 Messages 291 Location Grand Rapids, MI

Agent Orange said: I have a C64 that I connect to 15" Dell VGA (1024 x 760) with the exact adapter as indicated below. Works fine - no hoops to jump through. http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?40905-My-new-64C&highlight=VGA+Adapter (#10) http://www.miniinthebox.com/high-re...p318775.html?pos=ultimately_buy_2&prm=2.3.5.0 Click to expand...

I have one of those on my C-64 now, but it produced a rainbow artefact at the top of the screen. G

giobbi

Veteran Member

Joined Dec 23, 2012 Messages 1,014 Location São Paulo country, Brazil I'm using an 8 pins connector (audio and S-Video) and a C=64 PAL version with a common Video & S-Video to VGA adapter, using the S-Video input. It works fine. I also modified a VIC-20 to get the S-Video (separated chroma and luma), using the same adapter. No problem even with the VIC-20, and the resulting image after the mod is really better (very simple mod IMO). R

rlauzon

Experienced Member

Joined Feb 18, 2018 Messages 291 Location Grand Rapids, MI I have the S-Video cable for my C-64, but that setup doesn't work. But I don't know if it's the C-64, the cable or the S-Video to VGA box. In any case, I purchased a better quality Composite to VGA adaptor. We'll see what happens when that arrives. G

giobbi

Veteran Member

Joined Dec 23, 2012 Messages 1,014 Location São Paulo country, Brazil

rlauzon said: I have the S-Video cable for my C-64, but that setup doesn't work. But I don't know if it's the C-64, the cable or the S-Video to VGA box. In any case, I purchased a better quality Composite to VGA adaptor. We'll see what happens when that arrives. Click to expand...

if you have any TV with composite Video (or S-Video) input you could try to make a cable and check if the video out is coming correctly from the C=64: https://ilesj.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/c64-av-pinout.png See the above link for the DIN connector pinout. you can use pin 1 and 6 for S-Video or pin 4 for Composite, and pin 2 (GND) G

giobbi

Veteran Member

Joined Dec 23, 2012 Messages 1,014 Location São Paulo country, Brazil

rlauzon said: I have one of those on my C-64 now, but it produced a rainbow artefact at the top of the screen. Click to expand...

I'm using the same converter (at least it seems to be; nobody can say if they're identical inside), it works fine, no artifacts or rainbow at all. R

rlauzon

Experienced Member

Joined Feb 18, 2018 Messages 291 Location Grand Rapids, MI

giobbi said: if you have any TV with composite Video (or S-Video) input you could try to make a cable and check if the video out is coming correctly from the C=64: Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I don't have such a device any more. We upgraded our TV a couple years ago and those ports weren't on the new TV. R

rlauzon

Experienced Member

Joined Feb 18, 2018 Messages 291 Location Grand Rapids, MI

giobbi said: I'm using the same converter (at least it seems to be; nobody can say if they're identical inside), it works fine, no artifacts or rainbow at all. Click to expand...

I've had other people say that they have the same rainbow. I wonder if they **look** the same, but are built by different manufacturers and/or have slightly different hardware in them. You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Facebook X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link

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