Description

The Philips CM 8833 is a computer monitor from Dutch manufacturer Philips. The 8833 CM was a 14-inch CRT monitor with a 4:3 aspect ratio. It had a maximum resolution of 640×480 pixels and supported both interlace and non-interlace display modes. This meant it was suitable for displaying higher resolutions with an interlacing effect as well as standard resolutions without interlacing.

Colour reproduction was one of the special features of the 8833. It supported a palette of 4096 colours, which was impressive for the time. You notice this when comparing the monitor to other monitors of the period. The colours really pop off the screen. The monitor also had adjustable picture parameters, such as brightness, contrast and saturation, which allowed users to adjust the display to their preference.

The 8833 CM is a versatile monitor. It is capable of connecting multiple retro gaming consoles simultaneously. It has an RGB Scart connection, an RGBI TTL Din 8 connection, and a composite connection. The RGB connections in particular allow it to generate razor-sharp images. Even though, TTL connections are less common. At home, I only have an RGB Videopac that has this connection option. Besides the various connections, the monitor also features two stereo speakers that produce surprisingly good sound.

The monitor was a popular choice for users of Commodore Amiga computers. Commodore even rebranded a version of the monitor and renamed it the Commodore 1084s. The Commodore 8833 was a popular choice for both professional use and gaming because of its good image quality and wide compatibility. Today, the monitor is still very popular with retro gamers.