[comp.sys.amiga] 1300 Genlock

mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) (01/06/89)

Go Amigo is having a closeout sale on the Amiga 1300 Genlock (A1000
only) for the low price of $99.

Is it worth purchasing, even at this price?  I have heard nothing but
nasty things about it; is it okay for the non-professional who wants
to produce videos with an A1000 and a VCR?  I'm talking about stuff
like promotional videos, nothing for broadcast.

Please send replies by email; I'll summarize if there is enough
interest.

			--M
--
Michael Portuesi / Information Technology Center / Carnegie Mellon University
INET:   mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu / BITNET: mp1u+@andrew
UUCP:   ...harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!mp1u+

"I'm very sorry, Master, but that WAS the backup system" -- Slave

ranjit@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Ranjit Bhatnagar) (01/21/89)

As the summary line says, you CAN use an Amiga 1300 genlock on
the 2000 - and it works beautifully.  I cannot compare the results
with any other genlock or with a 1300 on the Amiga 1000, but the 
combined picture I get is very close to the quality of the original
Amiga RGB signal.  

TO attach the 1300 to the 2000, turn the 2000 on its left side
and jam the 1300 into the video connector.  You may wish to
scrape off the cork foot nearest the connector.  The 1300 will
stick up in the air like a flag, but - by George, it works.  
I'm gonna buy another video cable soon, and place it between the
2000 and the 1300 - though I suspect it might fail due to timing
problems.  (Why else would commodore have made the genlock fit
so close to the case of the 1000, rather than just providing a
long cable?)  Question for those who would know: is this true?
I'll report the results.

Note that you not only get the Genlock effects, but color composite
output as well.  Since an RGB to NTSC composite converter costs
about $50 minimum, might as well spend another $50 to get the
discounted 1300.  Simultaneously, the Genlock is a composite to
RGB converter, if you ever need one of those (maybe to transfer
a VHS tape to professional RGB tape?) 

  -- hey! can this be exploited as a color-separator for Digiview
or other slow-scan digitizers?  Set the genlock on external
video only, and tap the R, G, and B lines to the monitor one
at a time, feeding them to Digiview.  Is it possible to get
red-only composite video just by somehow combining R and SYNC,
or is it more complicated than that?

Interesting phenomenon: when I give the Genlock a crummy 
external signal, such as a weak TV station, the clock speed
of the Amiga visibly slows down.  I'm not sure, but it sometimes
seems that even a very strong, healthy signal results in a slightly
lower speed.  IN any case, I always shut off the genlock before doing
any disk access!  Am I being paranoid?

Question: has Commodore created a new low-end Genlock for the
500 and 2000?  I haven't heard of it-- if not, what on earth
do the poor oafs who buy the 500 with free VCR, intending to
make movies, do?

	- Ranjit (watching Carson through the text in VT100)


   
"Trespassers w"   ranjit@eniac.seas.upenn.edu	mailrus!eecae!netnews!eniac!...
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pa1039@sdcc15.ucsd.edu (pa1039) (01/25/89)

Have you tried the 1300 with a A500?  Will it work?  A 1300 discounted is certainly cheaper that Amigen.  Considering that, is the savings of $50 worth it or is Amigen the way to go??

\/inh |_e