My TV is dying....oh no's!

Amplitude · March 2014

So I'm thoroughly enjoying my return to Spectrum life at the moment. But something is becoming clear to me. Or to be more exact, clearly fuzzy to me.

My TV is dying. :(

It's a 14 inch Sony Trinitron and it's around 20 years old. My Spectrum's are all showing jumpy image tendency's. Re tuning the TV doesn't work (when using old UHF cable). Even the SCART signal appears less than 100% clear. It's the same on my other 8bit computers as well.

So to meet my current (and future) 8bit needs, I thought about getting a cheap-ish flat screen TV and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SCART-HDMI-converter-convert-connect/dp/B0092IAA3I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395705733&sr=8-1&keywords=scart+to+hdmi

Has anyone had any experience with this device? Is this what I should be getting? Also, does anyone know what I should be looking out for TV wise? Will a modern LCD or LED take the odd resolution's of 8bit computers? Thanks in advance.

joefish · March 2014

Get someone with a soldering iron to go through your TV, re-soldering all the contacts and maybe sticking some new capacitors in.

Muig · March 2014

If your Speccy is still using RF output (That is, it hasn't been modded to use a composite video cable), then the closest I can think of to what you need is this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gadmei-Ultra-XGA-Game-Box-Wii-XBOX-PS3-on-PC-TFT-TV-/350883931044?pt=UK_VideoGames_VideoGameAccessories_VideoGameAccessories_JN&hash=item51b24fe3a4

It can tune in to analogue input from a telly aerial and output it to a VGA monitor. Obviously your TV would need a VGA port.

Pierre · March 2014

I know this more expensive, but I purchased a few of these modules which I use with old LCD screens. I have a few LCD screens lying around which I salvaged from faulty notebooks and LCD monitors of which the controller boards have failed. It has VGA, AV, HDMI and Tuner input as well as audio outputs. You just flash the module worth the correct configuration file for your LCD module model using a USB flash drive

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121085303937?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

As with the old Sony, joefish is absolutely correct with dry joints and electrolytic capacitors, unfortunately on these old sets, there are many caps that you will need to replace.

Pierre

ramsrc · March 2014

If the picture looks slightly out of focus, the the likelihood is that the HT voltage is down on the tube. Normally a sign that the voltage tripler is on the way out. To be perfectly honest, it is probably not economically worth repairing.

My suggestion would be to get hold of a cheap LCD television with a composite video input (most have one) and modify your Spectrum to output composite video. The picture will be better anyway.

I'd save buying the converter box, and go for a TV that has all of the inputs that you will want. I bought a small TV a while ago, and it had composite video, HDMI, SCART and VGA.

1024MAK · March 2014

Amplitude wrote: »

My TV is dying. :(

It's a 14 inch Sony Trinitron and it's around 20 years old. My Spectrum's are all showing jumpy image tendency's. Re tuning the TV doesn't work (when using old UHF cable). Even the SCART signal appears less than 100% clear. It's the same on my other 8bit computers as well.

So to meet my current (and future) 8bit needs, I thought about getting a cheap-ish flat screen TV and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SCART-HDMI-converter-convert-connect/dp/B0092IAA3I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395705733&sr=8-1&keywords=scart+to+hdmi

Has anyone had any experience with this device? Is this what I should be getting? Also, does anyone know what I should be looking out for TV wise? Will a modern LCD or LED take the odd resolution's of 8bit computers? Thanks in advance.

I have one. I got mine from eBay, item 331100962220

It works brilliantly with an Acorn BBC B micro and a Sinclair QL (using SCART leads from retrocomputershack). However, when I tried my +2B and +3, I got a double image (like a very sharp single ghost image overlaid on the first sharp image). I think this may be a problem with how the SCART lead feeds some of the control signals to the converter box, but I have not investigated further.

Mark

1024MAK · March 2014

How well a modern LCD TV works with 8 bit computers depends on three things:

The actual 8 bit computer.
The method of connection / SCART lead used.
The actual TV used.

I have a Sharp Aquos that works with all my 8 bit (and 16/32 bit) computers.

Oh and most "LED" TVs are just LCD TVs that use LEDs for the backlight (behind the LCD) instead of CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Tube).

Are your Spectrums standard and unmodified?
Which models?

Mark

Pierre · March 2014

I have found that my issue 2 motherboards are having problems to synch properly with my LED (LCD with LED backlight as explained by Mark) TV, where issue 3 and on will synch better. All issues however works well with the composite mod. All of the issue 2 board were re-capped, including the 9V PSU and the video signals adjusted to the standard values.

Amplitude · March 2014

Hi all, and thanks for the responses.

joefish wrote: »

Get someone with a soldering iron to go through your TV, re-soldering all the contacts and maybe sticking some new capacitors in.

Ahh well, that would be me with the soldering iron. It will be a good bit cheaper than a new TV. But the weight and space it takes up are beginning to make storage problematic. I'll try this first I think this coming weekend.

Muig wrote: »

If your Speccy is still using RF output (That is, it hasn't been modded to use a composite video cable), then the closest I can think of to what you need is this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gadmei-Ult...item51b24fe3a4

It can tune in to analogue input from a telly aerial and output it to a VGA monitor. Obviously your TV would need a VGA port.

That might be worth a try. But no SCART input, which is a bit of a no no. All my computers (BBC Master, C64 (yes, I know....), ZX Spectrum 128k, +2, and shortly to be two working +3's) have cables for SCART connections. I'd like to keep them at that, or as close as I can to it. I've already got the kit you see. All the machines do have RF output, with varying degrees of success (mostly poor), as does my Spectrum +. So I'm as yet undecided on this at the moment. I might take a gamble.

Pierre wrote: »

It has VGA, AV, HDMI and Tuner input as well as audio outputs. You just flash the module worth the correct configuration file for your LCD module model using a USB flash drive

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121085303937...84.m1497.l2649

As with the old Sony, joefish is absolutely correct with dry joints and electrolytic capacitors, unfortunately on these old sets, there are many caps that you will need to replace.

Now this might be a soldering mission too far, and as you say a little expensive. Only if my revived soldering skills can make the +3 repairs a success would I attempt something on this scale. So the checking of the Sony TV contents will be my first choice.

ramsrc wrote: »

If the picture looks slightly out of focus, the the likelihood is that the HT voltage is down on the tube.

You know, it does a bit. But gets better when it heats up. It could be a bad joint somewhere. But the disparate hardware types I use are an issue. I tried one old-ish LCD TV with my 8bit collection, and the results were less than perfect. Artifacts from the BBC Master and Spectrum's, huge lines on the C64 (yes, I know....).

1024MAK wrote: »

I have one. I got mine from eBay, item 331100962220

It works brilliantly with an Acorn BBC B micro and a Sinclair QL (using SCART leads from retrocomputershack). However, when I tried my +2B and +3, I got a double image (like a very sharp single ghost image overlaid on the first sharp image). I think this may be a problem with how the SCART lead feeds some of the control signals to the converter box, but I have not investigated further.

That's good to hear about the other hardware types. I wonder if the voltages of the +3 output signals over SCART are a little different in some way. I might try throwing myself and a multimeter at my working BBC Master or C64 (yes, I still know....), and compare them to my +3 signals. Just for investigative purposes. Good way to spend a Saturday afternoon if your me. :)

So I think I'll try a poke around inside the TV first. Safely of course. Check the joints etc. Thanks for all your inputs.

Antiriad2097 · March 2014

There's always the old skool option: connect the Spectrum to an old VCR and tune the vRF on that, using its Scarf output to connect to the telly.

1024MAK · March 2014

Here's a link to the photos of the QL and Beeb HDMI pictures.

Mark

RobeeeJay · March 2014

Looks pretty good! Can you keep the original aspect ratio or do you have to force that through the TV?

1024MAK · March 2014

All I did was connect it up and power on. It took a few seconds, then the picture appeared. I don't know if the converter can change the aspect ratio. The converter does not come with any instructions :(.

When I can get near the family TV again, I will see what tinkering I can do...

Mark

Amplitude · March 2014

1024MAK wrote: »

Here's a link to the photos of the QL and Beeb HDMI pictures.

Mark

That looks very nice indeed. Very impressive.

My TV is dying....oh no's!

Comments