[comp.sys.amiga.tech] Fixing flicker, now Amiga video

harald@leo.UUCP ( Harald Milne) (04/23/88)

In article <890@gethen.UUCP>, farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren) writes:
> Let me put this another way:  in interlaced mode, you are trading off
> the ability to update the display 60 times per second for the ability
> to put more lines on the screen.

	Agreed. However interlaced displays have twice the number of lines, and
therefore twice the amount of information.

	A hi-res interlaced display (640X400) versus a hi-res non-interlaced
display (640X200) also takes twice the amount of memory. So from interlaced
to non-interlaced, you lose half the information or more specifically
pixel data.

> There are 60 fields worth of information
> sent to the monitor each second, in either mode, and no information is
> lost.

	The number fields are the same, but the amount of information is not.
Actually, in the context of non-interlaced displays, the term fields doesn't
make sense any more. It takes 2 60hz odd/even fields to put together a
30hz NTSC RS170A video frame.

	In non-interlaced displays, you get two "fields" of the same
information.  So, in a 30hz time frame, you get the same information twice.
In an interlaced display, you get two different fields. You also get these
fields interspersed in such a way, they "fill" in a 30hz time period.

	Unfortunately, on short persistance monitors, this also creates
flicker. I even get flicker watching LaserDisks on a high resolution
monitor. So, it's not just an affliction unique to the Amiga. It's the 
NTSC standard.

> Alternate half-frames are not lost,  hey are simply displayed in
> the same space as the other half-frames.

	Perhaps now I understand the problems in this terminology. We are not
missing frames, just information.

> >	If you don't believe me, record Amiga video in Interlace and
> >Non-Interlace.  Interlace will look fine, where Non-Interlace will look like
> >sh*t. There is information absent.
> No.  There is NO INFORMATION ABSENT, except for one bit - the slight
> difference in timing between even and odd fields.

	This sounds like a timebase instability problem, due to erractic tape
motion. I'm not quite sure what you are refering to here.

> Vertical sync timing differs between the two, and that is the ONLY
> difference. 

	Vertical sync can't possibly be different. Look at what you said
previously. 60 fields a second. These fields are separated by a vertical
sync pulse. It's the only way you can start a new "field".

> Perhaps some 
> VCRs require the timing change, but the funny thing is that my own recordings
> of non-interlaced displays on a cheapo VCR look just fine.
> Maybe Beta VCR's just can't hack it :-)

	Now that's interesting.

	I've never tried that on a very low resolution VCR. 8^)
I believe the problem here (or the lack of one) lies in the bandwith
(or resolution) of the equipment you use.

	If you have a REAL el cheapo VCR (like so old, it has a wired remote)
you probably can't get even 240 lines of resolution. Since non-interlaced
without overscan is 200 lines, you propably can't see a difference if you
tried. The VCR just doesn't have the suck. NTSC is 330 lines. The Amiga
is somewhere around 480 maxed out with overscan.

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