Video modes

The standard video modes are :

Mode 0: 160×200 pixels with 16 colors (4 bpp)
Mode 1: 320×200 pixels with 4 colors (2 bpp)
Mode 2: 640×200 pixels with 2 colors (1 bpp)
Mode 3: 160x200 pixels with 4 colors (2bpp) (this is not an official mode, but rather a side-effect of the hardware)

The Video modes are known to display pixels with different sizes.

Mode 0 graphics

Mode 0 graphics are blockier thanks to the "2x1" ratio.

Yet the good amount of colours allows to use AntiAliasing technics to soften the shapes.

It is the mode that made CPC a Colour Personnal computer.

The pixels are square, but the only 4 colours a bit... few.

Yet a massive amount of horizontal "split rasters" allows to multiply the number of colours displayed on the screen.

It's like using the colour attribute specificity (as on ZX spectrum) but with horizontal limitations.

The pixels are 1x2, extremly slim.

This mode is difficult to use in a coloured way.

Better used as a Text Mode, yet it can be included in a splitted screen (games).

The border allows 1 another additionnal colour to be displayed on the screen with no tricks.

The Amstrad Plus display the same modes, but 15 more colours can naturally be displayed thanks to the Hardwired Sprites.

This means 32 colours per screen with no tricks (including Border).

Les Sucres en Morceaux the French site from supersly, shows many exemples and technics to use the different Video mode of the amstrad CPC.