Connecting an Amiga or a Spectrum to a modern TV
These machines were made for 1980s televisions and monitors. With the right cable, or a converter, the picture can look better than it did back then.
Difficulty: EasyTime: 20 min
⚠ Before you start
- Don't open CRT monitors or televisions: they hold high voltage for a long time after being switched off.
Amiga
The Amiga's best output is analogue RGB, on the 23-pin connector, at 15 kHz. On a TV with a SCART input, a SCART RGB cable gives a very sharp picture. The A500 also has a composite video output, but it is monochrome; the A600 and A1200 have colour composite.
VGA monitors and most recent TVs don't accept 15 kHz. For those, the solution is a video converter that takes the RGB signal and outputs HDMI, such as the OSSC or the RetroTINK models. A Commodore 1084S monitor is still an excellent option.
Spectrum
The 16K, 48K and Spectrum+ only have an aerial (RF) output, which many modern TVs no longer tune in well. A common modification is to switch the signal to composite video, bypassing the RF modulator; the picture becomes much cleaner.
The 128, +2, +2A and +3 have an RGB output which, with the right cable, connects to a SCART input or to a converter.
When to bring it to us
We can do the composite video modification on the Spectrum, make up the right cable for your model and test the picture before you take it home.
Request a repairThese guides are for information. Working on old electronics carries risks: do it at your own risk, with the machine unplugged, and never open power supplies or CRT monitors. If in doubt, bring the machine to us.