boissier@irisa.fr (franck boissiere) (04/12/90)
Here are the answers I received from an earlier request for video hardware
for Sun. A **BASIC** summary can be:
- Parallax has a VME card supporting live NTSC video and has announced
PAL support. It was supposed to be Sun Video.
- RasterOps has announced Sparcstation products yet to be seen (at
least for me)
- Datacube has a whole set of cards oriented towards image processing
- RGB Technology has a *BOX* not a card which is HW independent
Excerpts from the answers:
***************************************************************************
Sun does support video-in-a-window through Parallax Graphics VideoView Board
(formerly SunVideo). Contact your local sun sales office or Parallax at
(408) 727-2220 M-F 8-5 PST. VideoView does not support Pal or Secam, it
was designed for 525 line system use only. You may also want to check with
Raster Ops in Santa Clara california. They have a frame capture solution
for the SPARC1 family of desktop computers.
***************************************************************************
PARALLAX GRAPHICS, INC. sells VIDEOVIEW, video capability for
SUN workstations. For technical details, pricing and availability,
contact me, HOLLY REED @ (408) 727-2220 or her@parallax.com or
FAX (408)980-5139.
***************************************************************************
Hi there!
We have a Parallax 1280 (Viper's predecessor) running on a Sun
3/160. The system comes with an X and NeWS server and permits one real
time video window to be up and running on your display (multiple still
video windows can be open at any time but only one in real-time). You
can drag the window and move it anywhere in the screen (the window manager
takes care of it for you). All in all it is a good product. The only
problem we've had with it so far is that every once in a while it
accumulates enough dust to affect the display of color images;i.e., the
video appears in the screen in black and white. So, we have to open the
box and blow the dust away with some compressed air. I understand that
the SunVideo product was designed an its manufactured by Parallax for
Sun. We have no experience with this. We are also installing a Viper
on a i386 based system (AT bus). I'll have to wait until the instalation
process is over before commenting on this.
care of it for you).
-- Jose
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ + +
+ Jose Pedro Diaz-Gonzalez + +
+ GTE Laboratories, Inc. + Tel: (617) 466-2584 +
+ MS-46 + email: jdiaz@gte.com +
+ 40 Sylvan Rd. + +
+ Waltham, MA 02254 + +
+ + +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
***************************************************************************
I've used the earlier version of what is now the viper board and it
works great. Parallax has a version of NeWS that runs on there board
that is integrated with the video features thay provide in a
*very nice* way. it will do all you ask for above and a lot more
***************************************************************************
I have a Parallax board installed in a 4/260. I haven't had it long,
but my initial impressions are very favorable. I use it in NTSC mode,
and near as I can tell from the documentation, PAL/SECAM are not
supported. 2 bits appear to have been reserved for specifying input,
and they are all used in allowing NTSC, YC3.58, YUV, or RGB as input.
I don't know if Parallax has a PAL/SECAM version or not.
***************************************************************************
You should call/write RasterOps (their phone number is in any of their
plentiful ads in popular Macintosh mags like MacWorld). If you can
determine their AppleLink ID, you can mail to them by mailing
to <applelink-id)@applelink.apple.com.
They've got some video functionality which perhaps could help.
They're the only other folks that have stuff out for the Sun that I know of
except for RGG Spectrum, 2550 9th St, Berkeley, CA 94710 (415) 848-0180.
RGB's stuff is widely known to be the very best for transfering computer
graphics to NTSC or PAL for videotaping. They're pricey, about $10,000.
I don't think they can import video, though.
Parallax makes the Sun Video product. At least, they make the recently
announced Sun product that lets you capture video and display it on
the Sun monitor. If you try and order that video card from Sun, they'll
refer you to Parallax. Sun's deal to market it under their own name
apparently fell through. We ordered it, and that's what happened to us.
***************************************************************************
Dear Sir,
Under separate cover, you will find complete information about our
distributor in France (Alfatronic) as well as a complete literature
package. Please e-mail me (mike@datacube.com) or fax me (USA (508)-
535-5643) if you have any technical questions.
The MAXVIEW-MEMORY and MAXVIEW-D/A boards are typically used in
conjunction with a sun-windows environment as they allow the mixing
of video in a high-resolution window. The DIGIMAX or MAXSCAN module
may be used to digitize video as well as a future color digitizing
product to be announced soon.
***************************************************************************
We are using a system-independent hardware for integrating
live video on the SUN (the HW works also with MAC)
The RGB/VIEW 2000 is a product of a company:
RGB Technology, 2550 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710,
Fax (415) 848-0971. Tel. (415) 848-0180
We bought it in Munich: APE, Leopoldstr 17-19, 8000-Munich,
Tel: +49.89.6018051
It is easy to use, window system independent HW.
Price ca. US$ 16K
***************************************************************************
--
Franck BOISSIERE boissier@irisa.irisa.fr
Prototyping Lab Manager boissier@ccettix.UUCP
C.C.E.T.T. B.P. 59 boissier%irisa.irisa.fr@uunet.uu.net
35512 CESSON SEVIGNE CEDEX FRANCE