The monitor signal is analog which means you'ld need a three-channel ADC to get it captured. might be able to do it with 4 or 6 bits per channel on a single rp2040, but you're probably getting into small FPGA (ice40?) territory there.

Maybe an pi5 could handle all three channels in 8-bit, depending on how the RP1 actually works. I'm hoping that it can handle a 40msps 10-bit ADC - a Domesday Duplicator hat would be wonderful.

The other option would be to find a vga->hdmi convertor that likes the signal coming out from this board, then you could plug that into anything modern.

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When I first saw this I thought it was about an actual 9" classic mac, which I guess would be useful but IMO those are really designed around the CRT too much to make a replacement 'fit' well.

RGBtoHDMI will convert the classic mac video to HDMI https://tinkerdifferent.com/threads/my-little-guide-on-rgbto...

It is also useful for several other kinds of machines such as the Amiga

My approach would just be to sample one channel, like green, with the ADC and generate the sync signal, avoiding digital processing of the video itself. Just pass it through with any necessary level shifting in analog.

That'd definitely work.

Interesting read, albeit the comments seem to suggest it's clickbait and a thought exercise, rather than a PoC or working solution. I was thinking more about an MCU that supplements the LM1881, not replaces it.