I’ve seen these Sharp red monitors around for a while and they’re usually pretty pricy. They were produced for the X1 line and come in a cherry red and a wine red. I had imagined I would prefer the cherry red, but that’s neither here nor there; they’re both typically quite expensive.
But this kind of oddball auction came up. It included a wine red X1 monitor and a considerable amount of original and copied X1 games on tape. The weird thing about it to me is that it didn’t actually include an X1 and it seemed like the items would be better off on their own in that case, but perhaps for that exact reason, I got a pretty good deal on it. I can’t say which I like better at this point because I’ve only seen the wine red one in person, but it sure is a beauty. No regrets!
The monitor was tested to a TV static screen, which I generally take as a good sign. Tube is functional, no vertical or horizontal collapse, no pincushion problems, the only major cause for concern should be with digital RGB itself. Granted, that would be major, alright! But worth the risk. Sure enough, it worked!
It can connect via digital RGB, composite, or RF. Here it is, attached to my MZ-1500, playing Mario Bros. Special. The screen is super crisp. Great find! Problem is, there’s honest to God no room for it. Like, even when I whittle down my stuff to be auctioned, the only place to put it will be the floor. But it’s really pretty, so I am going to try to find a way!