dpz@convex.com (David Paul Zimmerman) (01/02/90)
Howdy... I'm on the verge of buying an Amiga 500. I used to have an Amiga 1000 with the 1080 monitor, until a social disease with a TRS-80 tricked me into giving it up. Back then, I refused to live in any mode except primo interlace. I remember that interlace on the 1080 was barely tolerable, and that I had to play with colors a lot until I found a semi-comfortable combination. The standard monitor of today seems to be the 1084, and from what I see from Paul Anton Sop (rsingh1@dahlia.waterloo.edu), I should probably avoid it. The $64,000 question is, what to do? I see a couple of (possible?) options: - buy the 1084, put an optical screen/mesh on the front - buy a slow decay monitor - buy some mutant video-port-module/monitor combo What have YOU done that works for you? My price range tops out at about $400. If this problem is widespread enough, the answers might want to be included in the monthly comp.sys.amiga intro... David Paul Zimmerman dpz@convex.com CONVEX Computer Corp convex!dpz
portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) (01/02/90)
>>>>> On 2 Jan 90 06:47:13 GMT, dpz@convex.com (David Paul Zimmerman) said:
david> Howdy... I'm on the verge of buying an Amiga 500.
[comments about interlace flicker, and possible solutions]
david> What have YOU done that works for you? My price range tops out at about $400.
Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a
deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise
slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't
know if they are actually shipping a product yet. Check an Amiga
magazine for their address/phone, or maybe somebody could post it.
david> If this problem is widespread enough, the answers might want to be included in
david> the monthly comp.sys.amiga intro...
Interlace flicker should definitely be addressed in the monthly info.
--M
--
__
\/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc.
portuesi@SGI.COM Entry Systems Division -- Engineeringlphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (01/04/90)
In <575@sagpd1.UUCP>, monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) writes: >In article <PORTUESI.90Jan2104303@tweezers.esd.sgi.com> portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: > If so, are not the A500 and A2000 Denise's a different form/factor > then the A1000? no.. same chip, exactly. -larry -- "Cavett Emptor - Let the talk show host beware!" - Evan Marcus +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | // Larry Phillips | | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca -or- uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 -or- 76703.4322@compuserve.com | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) (01/05/90)
In article <PORTUESI.90Jan2104303@tweezers.esd.sgi.com> portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: >Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a >deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ >slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't ^^^^ What is the Denise slot???? Do you mean the video slot? if so there taint one on a A500 or an A1000. Do you mean the Denise chip socket? If so, are not the A500 and A2000 Denise's a different form/factor then the A1000? In either case it will not work on all Amigas. Monty Saine >know if they are actually shipping a product yet. Check an Amiga >magazine for their address/phone, or maybe somebody could post it. > >__ >\/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc. > portuesi@SGI.COM Entry Systems Division -- Engineering
portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) (01/05/90)
>>>>> On 4 Jan 90 23:47:49 GMT, monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) said: monty> In article <PORTUESI.90Jan2104303@tweezers.esd.sgi.com> portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: monty>>Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a monty>>deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise monty> ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ monty> >slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't monty> ^^^^ monty> What is the Denise slot???? Do you mean the video slot? if so there monty> taint one on a A500 or an A1000. Do you mean the Denise chip socket? Yes, I mean the Denise chip socket, and not the A2000 video slot. If I had meant the A2000 video slot I would have said so. monty> If so, are not the A500 and A2000 Denise's a different form/factor monty> then the A1000? The Denise chip socket is the same on all Amigas. Hence it will work on all Amigas. --M -- __ \/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc. portuesi@SGI.COM Entry Systems Division -- Engineering
peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna) (01/06/90)
In article <575@sagpd1.UUCP> monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) writes: >In article <PORTUESI.90Jan2104303@tweezers.esd.sgi.com> portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: >>Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a >>deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise > ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ >>slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't > ^^^^ > What is the Denise slot???? Do you mean the video slot? if so there > taint one on a A500 or an A1000. Do you mean the Denise chip socket? > If so, are not the A500 and A2000 Denise's a different form/factor > then the A1000? > In either case it will not work on all Amigas. I believe he is indeed referring to the Denise _socket_. And no, the Denise in the A500 and A2000 is not different in form factor from the one in the A1000, they're all the same. The form factor for Agnus was changed for the A500/A2000 to a square package (Fat Agnus) that was functionally similar. The new "Super Agnus" is a square package. The "Super Denise" is still the same size as always. (Super Agnus and Super Denise together comprise the ECS). In other words, the MAST product may well work on A500's and A1000's, though I've never seen it. > Monty Saine > >>\/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc. -- Peter Cherna, Software Engineer, Commodore-Amiga, Inc. {uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!peter peter@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com My opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of my employer.
dpz@convex.com (David Paul Zimmerman) (01/06/90)
portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: >Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a >deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise >slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't >know if they are actually shipping a product yet. Check an Amiga >magazine for their address/phone, or maybe somebody could post it. Sounds interesting. The Amazing Computing Guide to the Amiga, Fall '89 mentions it, but also says that it requires a multisync monitor. I wonder if it would physically conflict with other nifty internal stuff like the Imtronics Hurricane 500 (68020 + 68882 + 4M RAM board in 68000 socket). M.A.S.T. Memory and Storage Technology, Inc. 3881 Benatar Way Chico, CA 95928 (916) 342-6278 Imtronics, Inc. 12301 South West 132 Court Miami, FL 33186 (305) 255 9302 David Paul Zimmerman dpz@convex.com CONVEX Computer Corp convex!dpz
bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com (Bob Lindabury) (01/06/90)
In-Reply-To: message from portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com >>>>> On 2 Jan 90 06:47:13 GMT, dpz@convex.com (David Paul Zimmerman) said: > david> Howdy... I'm on the verge of buying an Amiga 500. > [comments about interlace flicker, and possible solutions] > david> What have YOU done that works for you? My price range tops out at about $400. > > Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a > deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise > slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't > know if they are actually shipping a product yet. Check an Amiga > magazine for their address/phone, or maybe somebody could post it. > > david> If this problem is widespread enough, the answers might want to be included in > david> the monthly comp.sys.amiga intro... > > Interlace flicker should definitely be addressed in the monthly info. > > --M > __ > \/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc. Seems to me that the best solution to interlace flicker is to wait for Commodore to release it's new Denise chip with the new Productivity 640x400 non-interlaced mode. I think purchasing any of these stop-gap devices that reduce flicker for a 500 or a 2000 is just a waste of money at this point. I imagine the Denise chip is going to be far less than one of these items anyway. Since prototypes are already out there to developers, I would think that the release date is just around the corner. -- Bob _______________________ Pro-Graphics BBS 201/469-0049 ________________________ InterNet: bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com | ProLine: bobl@pro-graphics UUCP: ..crash!pro-graphics!bobl | CServe: 70347,2344 ARPA/DDN: ..crash!pro-graphics!bobl@nosc.mil | Amer. Online: Graphics3D ___________ ____________ Raven Enterprises - 25 Raven Ave. Piscataway, NJ 08854
TSPLC@latvax8.lat.oz (Anjin_San, Hatamoto to Lord Toronaga) (01/07/90)
G'day, In article <978@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca>, lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) writes: > In <575@sagpd1.UUCP>, monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) writes: >>In article <PORTUESI.90Jan2104303@tweezers.esd.sgi.com> portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: >> If so, are not the A500 and A2000 Denise's a different form/factor >> then the A1000? > > no.. same chip, exactly. > > -larry > > -- > "Cavett Emptor - Let the talk show host beware!" - Evan Marcus > +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ > | // Larry Phillips | > | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca -or- uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | > | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 -or- 76703.4322@compuserve.com | > +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ will it be okay to use the new Super Denise in an Amiga 1000 _without_ the new Super Agnus chip? That is does Super Denise have a dependency on Super Agnus in any way? If not, which new features of the Super Denise chip will be available to Amiga 1000 users that upgrade to the Super Denise chip? {Apologies for less content than the included text, however someone may want Larry's mail address. Perhaps I should have queried you via mail Larry, however the answers could be of interest to others.} yours truly, Lou Cavallo {with greetings from Down Under! :-)}.
kudla@pawl.rpi.edu (Robert J. Kudla) (01/08/90)
>From: bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com (Bob Lindabury) >Seems to me that the best solution to interlace flicker is to wait for >Commodore to release it's new Denise chip with the new Productivity 640x400 >non-interlaced mode. I think purchasing any of these stop-gap devices that >reduce flicker for a 500 or a 2000 is just a waste of money at this point. I >imagine the Denise chip is going to be far less than one of these items >anyway. Since prototypes are already out there to developers, I would think >that the release date is just around the corner. Considering that Productivity Mode is basically the equivalent of EGA on the PC, it's not something I'm interested in. Whatever happened to the Super Video Board or whatever that was gonna be full 24-bit at 640x400 noninterlaced? -- Robert Jude Kudla <kudla@pawl.rpi.edu> "Famous? I'm not famous. People come up to me after a show and say 'Hey, Steve!'" -Jon Anderson
bob@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design) (01/09/90)
I'm sorry to inform you that Denise will not work in a A1000 without hacking.
There are two new pins on the the new Denise, one is the composite blanking
input, and the other is the clock CDAC*. These are no connects on a A1000
but were provided for in the A500 and 2000. If these were hacked in then a
A1000 owner would have the new genlock modes but not be able to use the higher
resolution modes(28MHZ pixel rate). Take this as an informed but not official
stance, since I do not know what my employer's upgrade policy will be. This
information is strictly a hypothetical answer to a hypothetical question.
PS: I designed the new Denise, but I have not tried hacking one into a A1000.
therefore I am unwilling to guarantee succes to someone adventurous
enough to try to do so.sasgwb@sas.UUCP (Gary Black) (01/10/90)
In article <4405@convex.UUCP> dpz@convex.com (David Paul Zimmerman) writes: >portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: > >>Memory and Storage Technologies (MAST) has announced the Flick-off, a >>deinterlacer card that works on all Amigas. It installs in the Denise >>slot and costs about $399. This info is about two months old; I don't >>know if they are actually shipping a product yet. Check an Amiga >>magazine for their address/phone, or maybe somebody could post it. > >Sounds interesting. The Amazing Computing Guide to the Amiga, Fall '89 >mentions it, but also says that it requires a multisync monitor. I wonder if >it would physically conflict with other nifty internal stuff like the >Imtronics Hurricane 500 (68020 + 68882 + 4M RAM board in 68000 socket). > >[old address] I wouldn't recommend MAST to my worst enemy. I have had some *extremely* frustrating experiences with them regarding another product, and am in the process of (hopefully) getting my money back. At any rate, if anyone wants to give them a try, they have moved. Their new address is: M.A.S.T. Inc. 1395 Greg St., Suite 106 Sparks, NV 89431 The phone number is 1-702-359-0444, and I would strongly recommend that before you send them ANY money, call them and get as much information about the Flick-off as you can. And write it down! It may come in handy later if you have any problems with them. Again, you'd probably be better off getting a similar product from another company.
dcr3567@ultb.isc.rit.edu (D.C. Richardson) (01/10/90)
In response to the devoloper of the new Denise:
I heard that there were a few problems with relibility with them (as wit
with the first shipments of the Fatter Agnes chips). Has this
problem(s) been solved, and we can reasonbly expect to be able to get
our hands on an "official" ECS soon, or are there going to get more
delays (from marketing?) ?
Thank you for the reply.
Daniel Richrdson
RIT-Mechanical Engineering
Formerly Microelectronic Engineering
(And knows that silicon can be like fiberglass in the
fingers!)
BTW: Does Commodore have any Co-Op jobs open for Bright, Intelligent,
and extremely energetic Engineers??