• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Tandy CM-8 - Analog or Digital RGB?

W

WimWalther

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Messages
449
Location
St. Paul, MN
Hi folks,

I'm coming across conflicting info as regards the Tandy CM-8. Can anyone confirm whether these are analog or digital monitors?

I think this model was sold with the CoCo 3. It has a 10pin (2x5) DuPont style female connector.

Thanks!
 
Alright, then.. it's basically a CGA monitor with a non-standard video connector?

So there's nothing stopping me from either making an adapter or just changing out the extant connector to a DE-9 male and using this monitor with my Tandy 1000EX?

For those who might not know, the 1000EX is an XT / CGA-type machine with the extended 16 color graphics of the IBM PC Junior. It also has the 4-voice sound hardware of the PC Jr.
 
WimWalther said:
Alright, then.. it's basically a CGA monitor with a non-standard video connector?

So there's nothing stopping me from either making an adapter or just changing out the extant connector to a DE-9 male and using this monitor with my Tandy 1000EX?

For those who might not know, the 1000EX is an XT / CGA-type machine with the extended 16 color graphics of the IBM PC Junior. It also has the 4-voice sound hardware of the PC Jr.
Click to expand...

CGA is digital RGB. The CM-8 could be used with the Apple IIgs (which has analog RGB) if I remember correctly, but not with CGA, without an adapter to convert digital to analog RGB.
 
You could also probably get it to work with an Amiga but, yes, “Analog” means *not* CGA compatible. Back in the day the third party CoCo magazines would often recommend you buy a multi-input monitor like a Commodore 1084 instead of the CM-8 because not only did the lack of digital RGB limit the options for sharing the monitor it not supporting Composite either made it bad for running old CoCo games that relied on artifact color.

You can buy/make digital to analog converters that could make it work, people use them to hook CGA up to arcade scaler boards and TVs with SCART connectors. Look for one that has circuitry to properly handle the intensity line and the “brown” special case.
 
Drat. I thought there was some reason that the CM-8 wouldn't work with the 1000.. but I'd forgotten that CGA was / is digital RGB.

OK, CM-8;is available! Time for a new home.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top