First post, by Scythifuge
- Rank
- Oldbie
Greetings,
Trying to find the right video display option for MS-DOS/Windows 3.x/Windows 9x VGA/SVGA/3D computers is becoming a challenge. I have a Gateway 19" CRT that is dim with the brightness turned up all of the way, and I read that maybe there is a knob inside that I can change in order to fix that. However, how long will that last? Buying a 19" or bigger CRT is an expensive choice these days.
Newer LCD TVs and monitors are no longer a solution. The first couple LCD TVs I bought had VGA ports and displayed video in 4:3 and worked rather well. Some games didn't work if they had weird resolutions (Dune 2000,) but they worked for me above 90% of the time. My current TCL has great colors and supports 4k. However, it will only display in 4:3 if the picture is 640x480 and up. MS-DOS text mode and VGA games stretch, regardless of the settings. My previous 4k TCL displayed text mode and VGA in 4:3, but part of the picture is cut off and there is no way to adjust (and the color engine leaves little to be desired.)
To make a long story short, I am seeking a solution that supports perfect 4:3 aspect ratio at 70Hz and with accurate, vivid colors and deep blacks. A decent contrast ratio would be nice, if possible. There is the O.S.S.C., though it doesn't change the Hz, and I don't know what a decent alternative would be that is affordable and available. I have been looking at projectors, especially ultra short throws. Many still include a VGA port and support 4:3 A.R. The problem is that there are so many to choose from and no way to test before purchasing. They always boast about the large screen size, but rarely is the smallest possible screen size discussed, and it needs to be affordable to maintain it in order to get as many years out of it as I can.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a solution? I love being able to play ms-dos games on a giant screen, though I would like to be able to shrink the picture down to 19-30 inches in order to get closer to an old school monitor/tv size for desk use (such as using an old-school desk with hutch and set up a screen at the back of the monitor portion of the hutch,) have it be a short throw in order to avoid picture issues as what happens when people walk in front of a projector, have a VGA port, and support games and apps which require 70Hz. In lieu of a projector, I am open to any modern monitor/TV/scan converter solution if it can meet my requirements. I know hat many of us still play MS-DOS games on a frequent basis while using original hardware (instead of dosbox/86box/pcem,) so what works for everyone?
Many thanks!
Scythifuge