5 ms·

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smStEPSRKBs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smStEPSRKBs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_monitor https://en.wikipedia.org/w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smStEPSRKBs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smStEPSRKBs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_monitor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_monitor

pmarreck 3y ago
I know what that is. The scan lines I see are horizontal. An actual vector monitor would NOT leave horizontal scan lines as it would ACTUALLY be drawing the ACTUAL image (and not a rasterized version of it) I'm not sure why everyone's jumping to (unnecessarily) correct me instead of actually zooming in on, say, the 2nd photo to see what I'm referring to. Here, let me try to screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/PwWpRg7 https://imgur.com/a/PwWpRg7 Do you not see the horizontal scan lines here? A vector monitor has free reign over the beam's direction and would then not need to rasterize EDIT: Ah, duh, in order to produce color it necessitates differently colored phosphors and a shadow mask, which might explain what I'm seeing. I was presuming single color vector display and no shadow mask, which is of course incongruous with the fact that Tempest is full-color.
- Tempest1981 3y ago
  Perhaps the CRT shadow mask? And RGB phosphors? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_mask https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_mask
  - pmarreck 3y ago
    Oh. You're right. Appropriate username btw!
- Luc 3y ago
  What you're seeing are not 'scan lines'. This pattern is typical for a color vector monitor and is visible on real hardware (source: I own a Tempest arcade machine). On a monochrome vector monitor, like an oscilloscope or Asteroids, there is one electron beam that draws on the single-phosphor screen, without obstructions between the beam and the screen, leaving sharp lines. There are no pixels as such (though the hardware in arcade games may be limited to moving the beam to discrete locations), the glass is just covered with a smooth layer of phosphor. On a color vector monitor however there are three beams, and the screen has an RGB pattern of color sub-pixels. In between the electron guns and the screen is a 'shadow mask'. This is basically a plate with holes, positioned such that the 'blue' beam can only hit the blue subpixels, and likewise for the other colors. What you see in the pictures is the result of the beams sweeping over that mask and interacting with the small dots of colored phosphor on the glass. The CRT of a color vector game is just a standard television CRT. The electronics are very different however.
  - pmarreck 3y ago
    You're right. I see it now. Thanks for the clarification.
- sixothree 3y ago
  If this was a single color that might not be present. But that’s how color CRTs work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smStEPSRKBs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smStEPSRKBs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_monitor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_monitor

pmarreck 3y ago

I know what that is. The scan lines I see are horizontal. An actual vector monitor would NOT leave horizontal scan lines as it would ACTUALLY be drawing the ACTUAL image (and not a rasterized version of it) I'm not sure why everyone's jumping to (unnecessarily) correct me instead of actually zooming in on, say, the 2nd photo to see what I'm referring to. Here, let me try to screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/PwWpRg7 https://imgur.com/a/PwWpRg7 Do you not see the horizontal scan lines here? A vector monitor has free reign over the beam's direction and would then not need to rasterize EDIT: Ah, duh, in order to produce color it necessitates differently colored phosphors and a shadow mask, which might explain what I'm seeing. I was presuming single color vector display and no shadow mask, which is of course incongruous with the fact that Tempest is full-color.

Tempest1981 3y ago
Perhaps the CRT shadow mask? And RGB phosphors? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_mask https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_mask
- pmarreck 3y ago
  Oh. You're right. Appropriate username btw!
Luc 3y ago
What you're seeing are not 'scan lines'. This pattern is typical for a color vector monitor and is visible on real hardware (source: I own a Tempest arcade machine). On a monochrome vector monitor, like an oscilloscope or Asteroids, there is one electron beam that draws on the single-phosphor screen, without obstructions between the beam and the screen, leaving sharp lines. There are no pixels as such (though the hardware in arcade games may be limited to moving the beam to discrete locations), the glass is just covered with a smooth layer of phosphor. On a color vector monitor however there are three beams, and the screen has an RGB pattern of color sub-pixels. In between the electron guns and the screen is a 'shadow mask'. This is basically a plate with holes, positioned such that the 'blue' beam can only hit the blue subpixels, and likewise for the other colors. What you see in the pictures is the result of the beams sweeping over that mask and interacting with the small dots of colored phosphor on the glass. The CRT of a color vector game is just a standard television CRT. The electronics are very different however.
- pmarreck 3y ago
  You're right. I see it now. Thanks for the clarification.
sixothree 3y ago
If this was a single color that might not be present. But that’s how color CRTs work.