A Crystal clear image from my Atari 800XL after installing a Sophia 2 Graphics Board
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- čas přidán 9. 02. 2024
- When I turn on my Atari XL computer, I'm always a little shocked by the quality of the composite video signal. I also often use an Atari 8-bit emulator and then the image is always sharp and clear. But you can now also get this image quality on an original Atari with the Sophia 2 Video Board. In this video we take a look at this extension and install it in one of my Atari XL computers.
Thanks for watching!
Gespy
Sophia 2 at AtariAge: forums.atariage.com/topic/307...
#atari #atarixl #atari8bit #8bit #retrogaming
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Background music: BlueFoxMusic.com - Věda a technologie
the 800XL deserves the award for best looking 80s 8-bit computer
Totally agree!
The 800XL is up there but I think the Memotech MTX500 has it beat.
Very nice video. The Sophia 2 provides an excellent picture. I put one in my original Atari 800 which also has an Incognito board about a year ago and i love it.
Seeing an 800 produce such a perfect image makes it even more special.
800XL was my first computer...
Mine was a Timex-Sinclair TS1000 (Sinclair ZX-81 with 2KB RAM instead of 1KB), the 800XL was the second. And I still have both.
@@machf00 I still have my 800XL my ST collection and my Falcon...
That 800XL was also my first computer.
My first computer too!
Sophia 2 rulez!
It really is a high-quality piece of technology.
Somehow I've missed that new batch of Sophia 2 boards are being in production. I wonder if they are still available.
I had had the Sophia for a while. I just now got around to installing it.
Do you use an AVG or a SUBcart? No need for OS switches or memory upgrades. They take care of these "issues" plus in the case of SUB you also get a Stereo Upgrade!
I had made the two mofications to the 600XL in the 1980s. Did the AVG or SUBcart already exist then?
Nice results. Is the board expensive?
How about artifacting? some games would rely on that to achieve some color effects (try Choplifter, for example, and look at the US flag).
I never thought of using a vise to close those connectors on flat cables... usually I'd hammer them on top of a carpet!
There are indeed a number of games that assume there is artifact. You probably can't play it properly on this screen.
its about 90euros. On a modern tv you won't see any artifacting. Only on a crt.
You can play choplifter XE which has much more colors from the original release.
Too expensive @@nickolasgaspar9660
Good video but soundtrack sucks , i just loathe these generic audio backdrops , i rather have just voice audio
After watching it again, I also got the feeling that the music was a bit too much. Next time I turn the volume down I no longer add music everywhere. I'm still learning.
@@gespyI think some of us are too tired with infomercials and tik tok videos, and we just want some good educational video with peace and quiet 😂
its far worse to have a video without audio backdrops, even bad ones. Narrating videos without some type of music feel cheaper.
@@nickolasgaspar9660 I love narration without music. As long as audio is good and doesn't sound like it was recorded from a camera mic, ie it doesn't have room echoes
Your still going to end up with blocky, pixelated images if not using a CRT monitor. "Garbage in, garbage out" as we say in the computer world. And modern HDTV monitors are garbage for displaying classic computer or arcade games because they lack the abilities of classic CRT screens which besides giving the games a great artistic look to them, also smooth out the edges of the limited graphics abilities. Programmers specifically designed their games to take advantage of the CRT. A lot of people seem to forget that today connecting to modern displays.
Since the Sophia 2 offers RGB video, you would get an improved picture if you connect the board to an analog RGB monitor if you can get the pinout for it. The Amiga 1080 or Atari ST color monitors would probably be a good choice.
I run my Atari 8 bit games emulated on my PC to a 19" CRT RGB arcade monitor. I still have my Atari 1200XL, but I don't ever want to go back to a composite picture or settle for an HDTV display.And I hope after my comment, many viewers wouldn't either once their aware of the difference.
I agree with you that such a computer should actually be connected to a CRT monitor. Due to lack of space, I got rid of all my CTS screens a while ago. Now that I am limited to LCD screens, I go for the sharpest image.
Connecting the Sophia 2 to a CRT via RGB would indeed be a nice solution. If I still had a CRT monitor, I would definitely try that. Thanks for the tip!
@@gespy The way I look at it, if your not going to use a CRT, why bother with the original hardware at all? It's not staying too original if not using a CRT. They look totally different. Emulation of the games on a PC is much closer to how the original hardware ran than a modern display is to a CRT, which are drastically different.
I've actually gotten to the point where I prefer software emulation, but I still insist on using a CRT except for testing stuff on my laptop or HDTV for testing.
@@classicarcadeamusementpark4242 I would agree with you since I have ~8 Atari 8bit machines each one hooked on it own CRT, but I do have a Sophia2 installed in one of them and I run an hdmi cable to a big modern screen overtowering the setup. Its always great to look at a crisp digital image in addition to the forgiving image of those CRTs.
So many holes. I could not and did not cut holes in any of my computers. I am also not a fan of removing modulators etc. Thats a orginal part. You say youll put it aside but it will eventually get lost. Part of the appeal to me is using original connections and using it as it was. In my opinion mods devalue the computers. I have already seen people on you tube showing off their latest purchase with retrobright discoloration. The most valuable computers will be unmodified and not bleached.
I made those holes in the 80s, during my youth. I would never do that today. That's why I didn't want to remove the modulator from the 600XL. I was also very disappointed when I found out that after installing the Sophia, the RF shielding no longer fits. I always prefer to leave the RF shield in place..
@gespy Yes I understood you were a hole cutter in the 80s. ;). My point was I around then too but no way could I do that back then either but I know people did. Reset switches and video out.