Amiga M1764 Monitor

[kamiboy]

A few months back I attended a gaming event whose attendees, like myself, had a decided retro skew.

As could be expected there were quite a few CRT's present, mostly average consumer sets provided by the arrangers of the event, but also a handful brought in by the participants themselves.

There were the usual suspects, 20" PVM's here and there. Having been a CRT connoisseur for many years I've seen displays of all kinds and creed, so at this point it takes something quite special to turn my head and lock my gaze.

That lone Amiga M1764 present did just that. Weighing in at a paltry 17" it produced a 15khz picture that simply left my eyes spellbound. It simply just looked so good. I think it may have been the most pleasing CRT picture that I have ever seen with my own eyes.

Thing is, I struggle to understand why. What was it that made it so special?

Is anyone privy to the technical details behind this monitor's magic? All google can tell me is that it is a like a PC multisync monitor that unlike ordinary PC monitors can sync with signals as low as 15khz. Also the screen is a rebranded MicroVitec. But who were they, did they make their own tubes?

I am pretty sure the screen was grille based.

[BuckoA51]

If it's the same as the MicroVitec monitors that used to be available here they were considered very good monitors at the time and of course highly desirable for those of us, like me, that used Amiga as our main desktop PC. I always wanted one but never quite got one, in the end I settled for a early linedoubler/flicker fixer instead.

MicroVitec are a UK company and actually still exist and specialise in monitors for legacy hardware, though their range now is mostly multisync LCDs that can be used as drop-in replacements for CRTs.

[kamiboy]

UK based, eh?

I somehow doubt a small outfit like them could manufacture their own tubes. Likely they sourced them from some big player, and just married them with their own controllers.

Being UK based ot would be tempted to conclude that Phillips must have been their tube provider, but the image quality I saw makes me think the tube was of Japanese make, most likely SONY.

Though, I find the quality of 15khz content on multisync monitors not to be to my taste, but that Amiga monitor just looked so good.