wayneck@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp) (08/08/88)
Okay, I'll bite. Just why do so many Amiga people think that overscan is
such a big deal for desktop video? The big guys like PIXAR don't seem
concerned about overscan. So why shouldn't desktop video mirror the big guys.
Okay so you what NTSC. Fine a lot of TV's out there won't even show the
fancy overscan stuff (that is why it is called overscan). Also note, by
using overscan you use a LOT more memory per frame of video, which means
you can't have as many frames for animation. Unless of coarse you have
big bucks and can afford a single frame VCR that can support SMPTE timimg.
(Talk about Mac ][ being expensive -- take a look at stdio quality VCR's)
So it seems the cheap solution is record frames on to film. Well if you
do that you don't care about overscan or even having NTSC level resolution.
(By the way the Amiga can change colors much faster than you can with NTSC,
which causes all kinds of color smearing, so things like dittering aren't
very useful for NTSC recording)
So if you what to really get outstanding animation done on your desk, you
will probably want to use a camera of some sort to record the highest
resoulition with the most colors the Amiga can produce. Then your finished
film could be recorded into video format, but you would probably keep the
film as a master.
I think the Amiga is becoming a outstanding desktop video machine in the
near term. Long term depends on C=. It the Amiga doesn't improve there
could be trouble from the Reds and Blues a year or two down the road. I
just have trouble believing the "overscan" is a lock out feature in the
desktop video market. So what do you all HONESTLY think?
Wayne Knappjackm@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (Jack Morrison) (08/08/88)
In article <3118@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> wayneck@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp) writes: >Okay, I'll bite. Just why do so many Amiga people think that overscan is >such a big deal for desktop video? > >Okay so you what NTSC. Fine a lot of TV's out there won't even show the >fancy overscan stuff (that is why it is called overscan). Also note, by Simple: FCC *requires* overscan for "legal" NTSC for broadcast. It's expensive to zoom/stretch non-overscan video to legal size. >So it seems the cheap solution is record frames on to film. Quite true, and then overscan is unnecessary. But I thought you were talking about desktop video, not computer animation! -- Jack C. Morrison, Jet Propulsion Laboratory "How am I typing? Call 1-818-354-1431, or mail jackm@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov"
keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (08/10/88)
In article <3118@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> wayneck@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp) writes: >I think the Amiga is becoming a outstanding desktop video machine in the >near term. Long term depends on C=. It the Amiga doesn't improve there >could be trouble from the Reds and Blues a year or two down the road. I >just have trouble believing the "overscan" is a lock out feature in the >desktop video market. So what do you all HONESTLY think? If you want to genlock your graphics over live video you HAVE to have overscan, as otherwise you can't even cover up the entire video signal if you need to. Yes, overscan is most definitely a show-stopper in Desktop Video. Another advantage of desktop video is quick turnaround, which you don't get when you have to go to film. When they say "film at eleven" they are usually in the back room editing it together at that moment, and don't have time to send their titling overlays out to have the film processed. Keith Doyle # {ucbvax,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd Contel Business Systems 213-323-8170
dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) (08/10/88)
>Okay, I'll bite. Just why do so many Amiga people think that overscan is >such a big deal for desktop video? The big guys like PIXAR don't seem >concerned about overscan. So why shouldn't desktop video mirror the big guys. Broadcast video. Ever notice that the image on a standard TV channel fills the entire TV screen? Also, the actual satallite (broadcast) signal is LARGER than what you see on the TV. This is quite a bit over the standard 640x200 resolution, which makes overscan ideal for controlling the *entire* (or almost all) of the video bandwidth you are mixing with your broadcast video (or whatever). Also... having an extra 60+ pixels horizontally and 60+ pixels vertically is *nice*. For instance, full 80 column windows WITH BORDERS. -Matt
mikb@stcns3.stc.oz (Mike Benson) (08/12/88)
In article <3118@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> wayneck@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp) writes: > >Okay, I'll bite. Just why do so many Amiga people think that overscan is >such a big deal for desktop video? The big guys like PIXAR don't seem >concerned about overscan. So why shouldn't desktop video mirror the big guys. > I can think of one good reason for having overscan, besides any arguments about the quality of the picture. Amigas are not only sold in the USA, but also in far-off places like Germany and Australia. These countries use a color coding method known as PAL (Phase Alternate Line) for televison and video (the Germans use PAL because they invented it, the Australians and many others use PAL because it's better). Amigas sold in Australia are PAL-compatible (rather loses the point of the A500 if you then have to spend 60% as much again to buy an NTSC monitor), and by a curious quirk of engineering, have a maximum resolution of 640x512. Most commercial software for the Amiga is written in the USA. Without overscan, what you get is an inch of black at the bottom of the screen. This totally unacceptable for DTV. WE *NEED* OVERSCAN. Besides, I think the image looks better if it can be made to fill the whole screen - then it looks like video not like a computer screen. >I think the Amiga is becoming a outstanding desktop video machine in the >near term. Long term depends on C=. It the Amiga doesn't improve there hear! hear! >just have trouble believing the "overscan" is a lock out feature in the >desktop video market. So what do you all HONESTLY think? > From where I sit, it's a lock out feature, no question. > Mike Benson > Wayne Knapp Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an art. +----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+ | Mike Benson | ACS: mikb@stcns3.stc.OZ.AU | | Alcatel-STC Pty Ltd | ARPA: mikb%stcns3.stc.OZ.AU@uunet.UU.NET | | 11th Floor, 5 Blue St | UUCP: {enea,hplabs,mcvax,uunet,ukc}!\ | | North Sydney NSW 2060 AUSTRALIA | munnari!stcns3.stc.OZ.AU!mikb | +----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+