Atari SM124 vs. SM125

[blakespot]

So, what's the difference between these two screens? I've owned an SM124 in the past, circa 1987.

 

 

bp

[Zogging Hell]

SM125 has a stand and a outside control to adjust the width of the screen (not the height, I could be wrong and it could be vice versa). The SM124 screen has to adjusted internally to actually remove the black borders, and this stresses an internal component eventually leading to failure. It does seem to have better sound with volume control. My SM125 seems silent, although occasionally I hear the monitor make a faint sound, so maybe I just never found the volume control! Quality wise I would say the screen output quality is about the same.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Zogging Hell

[blakespot]

Is the SM125 phosphor as nicely "blue" shaded (un-warm) as the SM124?

 

 

 

 

bp

[Zogging Hell]

I'll check, I've got both next to each other, so sometime today I'll have a look and get back to you..

[Zogging Hell]

Ok having looked at them both together showing the GEM desktop, I would say the SM125 has a crisper whiter picture than the SM124, it is slightly harder to compare as my SM124 has a unexpanded picture, so the areas of white are quite small and I didn't have time to fire up any apps. When I did have another expanded screen SM124 I remember the picture seeming whiter, so I'd imagine that expanding the screen size may also effect the blueness you're talking about. Also the SM125 has a slightly less reflective (shiny) screen than the SM124. The differences are pretty minor though, they both give really good output. Personally I prefer the 125. I should mention after checking, it is the vertical height you can adjust on the 125, and there is no sound adjustment either, I'm not even sure there is meant to be sound (although I do definitely here key clicks and bells from it occasional very quietly which is odd!

[+wood_jl]

I don't think there's any speaker, sound input, amplifier in the SM125. There's also no apparent explanation of how you're suppose to retrieve your ST sound, since the SM125 cable hogs the monitor port, where the sound is.

 

I suppose they expect you to buy a "Monitor Master" then and retrieve your sound from it, via your own speakers?

 

STe at least has the RCA outputs already.

[Zogging Hell]

Yeah it is an odd arrangement, I suppose it is aimed at serious users, who are unlikely to need sound output as much (even if you're using cubase I guess), so it's not so important. You could always do a mod on the ST to take the sound output from the monitor output to a RCA port I suppose, but not exactly ideal. All Atari's monitors seem to have minor flaws, the SM124 has a small, unadjustable (without opening it up) screen and no stand, the SM125 has no proper sound and the screen can only be adjusted on the height, and the SM144 has solved both these issues, but doesn't have the same quality screen output. Choices, choices!

[Barbarian_bros]

On 3/4/2012 at 2:49 PM, wood_jl said:

I don't think there's any speaker, sound input, amplifier in the SM125. There's also no apparent explanation of how you're suppose to retrieve your ST sound, since the SM125 cable hogs the monitor port, where the sound is.

 

I suppose they expect you to buy a "Monitor Master" then and retrieve your sound from it, via your own speakers?

 

STe at least has the RCA outputs already.

SM125 has sound. I've tried Ishar (one of my my few 'hi-Res' compatible games).... and it has the intro music and ingame sounds. But it's mono.
On my SM125 the sound level is set by the front 'lower' wheel (under the screen). It actually has a 'contrast' icon but set sound.

So no way to set the contrast, but IMAO it's already perfect.

 

 

[Zogging Hell]

On 11/13/2019 at 4:35 PM, Barbarian_bros said:

SM125 has sound. I've tried Ishar (one of my my few 'hi-Res' compatible games).... and it has the intro music and ingame sounds. But it's mono.
On my SM125 the sound level is set by the front 'lower' wheel (under the screen). It actually has a 'contrast' icon but set sound.

So no way to set the contrast, but IMAO it's already perfect.

 

 

 

Ah that explains my very quiet key clicks (I thought I was going mad). Seriously though, a contrast icon!?!?! I had twiddled that wheel many times with no visible effect on the picture and as it was on my serious ST I hadn't noticed it controlled volume.

[bfollowell]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2012 at 7:49 AM, wood_jl said:

STe at least has the RCA outputs already.

I wouldn't have revived this old thread to ask this, but since you guys already have...

 

I've always known the STE has those stereo RCA jacks on the back. I don't know why I never thought of this before, but does the STE still have regular mono sound out through the monitor port as well, like the older models, or does it only have sound out through those RCA jacks?

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by bfollowell

[Zogging Hell]

At least one Atari monitor had stereo speakers afaik, but the monitor output is in mono even on the STe I believe, so presumably you needed to hook up the RCA jacks somehow to get it to work on that model.

[+SoulBuster]

A tweety board would be useful with that monitor.  I have one, but not external like the link shows.  Mine is internal.  The RCA Jacks are routed to the outside near one of the ports that has a gap big enough to allow the ribbon cable through.

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/30773/Tweety Board/

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by SoulBuster