[comp.unix.amiga] Video resolutions

hjalmar@cbmswe.UUCP (Peter Hjalmarsson) (05/19/91)

In article <434a32w161w@nstar.rn.com> tbissett@nstar.rn.com (Travis Bissett) writes:
>rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) writes:
>
>> 
>> 	Is it possible to get the Amiga video chips to do 800x600 monochrome?
>> 	How about 4 or 16 color? I'd like to be able to have at least 512
>> 	points in the Y direction under X with stock hardware. I suppose
>> 	I'll just end up growing spider webs till the A2410 is available. B^(.
>> 
>
>It is possible to get 1008x800 mono from the Amiga video chips (A1000 thru 
>A2000 old) if you use the Viking Moniterm. Sorry...don't recall the CBM 
>designation for that monitor. It has special circuitry to grab the screen in 
>four pieces and paste it back together into a display. 

"Commodores designation" is the A2024. It is not exactly the same monitor
however. While the Moniterm Viking is full-size 19", the A2024 is only 14".
Much lower price, though, about the same as a VGA screen.

The internal workings is not important, what is important however is that the
monitor will give you 1008x1024 (or 1008x800 in NTSC) in four gray scales.

If all you want is 512 pixels in the Y direction you could try something else:
Switch your A3000 to PAL with the PAL/NTSC jumper. You would probably also
have to edit some files under UNIX to get the OS to understand that you have
switched settings. That will give you 640x512 pixels in X.

>
>Of course, you also must know by now that the latest Denise chip -- the one 
>in the A3000 -- when working with deinterlacer and a multisync monitor can 
>display 4 (8?) colors up to 1200x800 (interlaced). 

Not really, it can do twice the normal horisontal resoultion, but you _must_
switch the de-interlacer off manually, and besides I dont think UNIX supports
that mode. Also, you have no use for a multi-sync in that mode.
>
>So I guess either way the answer to your questions is "yes".

Rather it is "Yes, but..."

>
>Travis -- tbissett@nstar.rn.com
>
>
>--
>Travis Bissett       NSTAR conferencing site       219-289-0287/317-251-7391
>internet: tbissett@nstar.rn.com              1300 newsgroups - 8 inbound lines
>uucp: ..!uunet!nstar.rn.com!tbissett            99 file areas - 4300 megabytes
>---  backbone news & mail feeds available - contact larry@nstar.rn.com  ---


Peter Hjalmarsson, Amiga Support, Commdore Sweden
{uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmehq!cbmswe!hjalmar
Std.disclaimer: All the above is the opinion of the employee and not the
                employer.

rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) (05/20/91)

	Is it possible to get the Amiga video chips to do 800x600 monochrome?
	How about 4 or 16 color? I'd like to be able to have at least 512
	points in the Y direction under X with stock hardware. I suppose
	I'll just end up growing spider webs till the A2410 is available. B^(.

	By the way, what's the best book for finding out exactly what
	memory registers to tickle to access video and sound on the
	Amiga? Don't seem to be many .h files with helpful hints. B^(.

		-Rob
-- 

Rob Healey                                          rhealey@digibd.com
Digi International (DigiBoard)
Eden Prairie, MN                                    (612) 943-9020

tbissett@nstar.rn.com (Travis Bissett) (05/22/91)

rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) writes:

> 
> 	Is it possible to get the Amiga video chips to do 800x600 monochrome?
> 	How about 4 or 16 color? I'd like to be able to have at least 512
> 	points in the Y direction under X with stock hardware. I suppose
> 	I'll just end up growing spider webs till the A2410 is available. B^(.
> 

It is possible to get 1008x800 mono from the Amiga video chips (A1000 thru 
A2000 old) if you use the Viking Moniterm. Sorry...don't recall the CBM 
designation for that monitor. It has special circuitry to grab the screen in 
four pieces and paste it back together into a display. 

Of course, you also must know by now that the latest Denise chip -- the one 
in the A3000 -- when working with deinterlacer and a multisync monitor can 
display 4 (8?) colors up to 1200x800 (interlaced). 

So I guess either way the answer to your questions is "yes".

Travis -- tbissett@nstar.rn.com


--
Travis Bissett       NSTAR conferencing site       219-289-0287/317-251-7391
internet: tbissett@nstar.rn.com              1300 newsgroups - 8 inbound lines
uucp: ..!uunet!nstar.rn.com!tbissett            99 file areas - 4300 megabytes
---  backbone news & mail feeds available - contact larry@nstar.rn.com  ---

es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) (05/22/91)

In article <1991May20.165654.10048@digibd.com> rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) writes:
>
>	Is it possible to get the Amiga video chips to do 800x600 monochrome?
>	How about 4 or 16 color? I'd like to be able to have at least 512
>	points in the Y direction under X with stock hardware. I suppose
>	I'll just end up growing spider webs till the A2410 is available. B^(.
>
	732x480 is the maximum screen size with overscan without
using the non-deinterlaceable interlaced ECS modes.

>	By the way, what's the best book for finding out exactly what
>	memory registers to tickle to access video and sound on the
>	Amiga? Don't seem to be many .h files with helpful hints. B^(.
>
	Get the Rom Kernal Manuals. Simple.

>		-Rob
>-- 
>
>Rob Healey                                          rhealey@digibd.com
>Digi International (DigiBoard)
>Eden Prairie, MN                                    (612) 943-9020


Now the world has gone to bed,		Now I lay me down to sleep,
Darkness won't engulf my head,		Try to count electric sheep,
I can see by infrared,			Sweet dream wishes you can keep,
How I hate the night.			How I hate the night.   -- Marvin

mmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) (05/23/91)

In article <1991May22.001929.1579@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes:
>In article <1991May20.165654.10048@digibd.com> rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) writes:
>>
>>	By the way, what's the best book for finding out exactly what
>>	memory registers to tickle to access video and sound on the
>>	Amiga? Don't seem to be many .h files with helpful hints. B^(.
>>
>	Get the Rom Kernal Manuals. Simple.

For Amiga Unix, you probably want the Amiga Hardware Ref.  'Libraries and Devices'
would more than likely not do an Amiga Unix person much good, as they relate to
AmigaDos/Exec instead of the hardware goodies that Rob wants.  What kind of
arbitration of the hardware is done under Unix?  The reason I ask is because
I am sure that most of the same restrictions apply under Unix as under AmigaDos.
(ie: no banging the hardware if the System owns it)

>>		-Rob
>>-- 
>>
>>Rob Healey                                          rhealey@digibd.com
>
>Now the world has gone to bed,		Now I lay me down to sleep,
>Darkness won't engulf my head,		Try to count electric sheep,
>I can see by infrared,			Sweet dream wishes you can keep,
>How I hate the night.			How I hate the night.   -- Marvin

--
Michael M Morrison              /|                             |\
mmm@reaper.chi.il.us <or>      | |     Cold Steel on Ice       | |
reaper!mmm@miroc.chi.il.us      \|                             |/

billsey@agora.UUCP (Bill Seymour) (05/23/91)

In article <1991May20.165654.10048@digibd.com>, Rob Healey writes:
> 
> 	Is it possible to get the Amiga video chips to do 800x600 monochrome?
> 	How about 4 or 16 color? I'd like to be able to have at least 512
> 	points in the Y direction under X with stock hardware. I suppose
> 	I'll just end up growing spider webs till the A2410 is available. B^(.
> 
	Sounds like you want an A2024 monitor... That's the one from Commodore
that displays 1008x800 monochrome. It's about the same price retail as an
A1950 is... ($750 range)

> Rob Healey                                          rhealey@digibd.com
> Digi International (DigiBoard)
> Eden Prairie, MN                                    (612) 943-9020

  -Bill Seymour     nesbbx!billsey@agora.uucp or nesbbx!billsey@agora.rain.com
*****   American People/Link  Amiga Zone Hardware Specialist   NES*BILL  *****
Bejed, Inc.     NES, Inc.        NAG BBS         NES BBX BBS    Home Sometimes
(503)281-8153   (503)246-9311   (503)656-7393   (503)640-9337   (503) 640-0842

billsey@agora.UUCP (Bill Seymour) (05/23/91)

In article <434a32w161w@nstar.rn.com>, Travis Bissett writes:
> 
> It is possible to get 1008x800 mono from the Amiga video chips (A1000 thru 
> A2000 old) if you use the Viking Moniterm. Sorry...don't recall the CBM 
> designation for that monitor. It has special circuitry to grab the screen in 
> four pieces and paste it back together into a display. 
> 
> Of course, you also must know by now that the latest Denise chip -- the one 
> in the A3000 -- when working with deinterlacer and a multisync monitor can 
> display 4 (8?) colors up to 1200x800 (interlaced). 

	Close anyway... The SuperHighRes modes (1280x200 and 1280x400) don't
require a special monitor. The 1080 I have on my 2000 works just fine. Better
in fact than running it through one of the deinterlacers, since the monitor
seems to do just fine with 35ns pixels. the modes that require a multisync
or VGA monitor are the Productivity modes, 640x480 and 640x960 interlaced.
With either of these types of modes you get at most 4 colors from a palette
of 64. And with overscan, even on an NTSC machine, you can push the size by
quite a bit. (1440x482 on mine... :-)

> Travis Bissett       NSTAR conferencing site       219-289-0287/317-251-7391
> internet: tbissett@nstar.rn.com              1300 newsgroups - 8 inbound lines
> uucp: ..!uunet!nstar.rn.com!tbissett            99 file areas - 4300 megabytes
> ---  backbone news & mail feeds available - contact larry@nstar.rn.com  ---

  -Bill Seymour     nesbbx!billsey@agora.uucp or nesbbx!billsey@agora.rain.com
*****   American People/Link  Amiga Zone Hardware Specialist   NES*BILL  *****
Bejed, Inc.     NES, Inc.        NAG BBS         NES BBX BBS    Home Sometimes
(503)281-8153   (503)246-9311   (503)656-7393   (503)640-9337   (503) 640-0842

es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) (05/23/91)

In article <mmm.1437@reaper.Chi.IL.US> mmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) writes:
>In article <1991May22.001929.1579@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes:
>>In article <1991May20.165654.10048@digibd.com> rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) writes:
>>>
>>>	By the way, what's the best book for finding out exactly what
>>>	memory registers to tickle to access video and sound on the
>>>	Amiga? Don't seem to be many .h files with helpful hints. B^(.
>>>
>>	Get the Rom Kernal Manuals. Simple.
>
>For Amiga Unix, you probably want the Amiga Hardware Ref.  'Libraries and Devices'
>would more than likely not do an Amiga Unix person much good, as they relate to
>AmigaDos/Exec instead of the hardware goodies that Rob wants.  What kind of
>arbitration of the hardware is done under Unix?  The reason I ask is because
>I am sure that most of the same restrictions apply under Unix as under AmigaDos.
>(ie: no banging the hardware if the System owns it)
>
	Whoops! Forgot what newsgroup I was in! Sorry...

>>>		-Rob
>>>-- 
>>>
>>>Rob Healey                                          rhealey@digibd.com
>>
>>Now the world has gone to bed,		Now I lay me down to sleep,
>>Darkness won't engulf my head,		Try to count electric sheep,
>>I can see by infrared,			Sweet dream wishes you can keep,
>>How I hate the night.			How I hate the night.   -- Marvin
>
>--
>Michael M Morrison              /|                             |\
>mmm@reaper.chi.il.us <or>      | |     Cold Steel on Ice       | |
>reaper!mmm@miroc.chi.il.us      \|                             |/


Now the world has gone to bed,		Now I lay me down to sleep,
Darkness won't engulf my head,		Try to count electric sheep,
I can see by infrared,			Sweet dream wishes you can keep,
How I hate the night.			How I hate the night.   -- Marvin

rhealey@digibd.com (Rob Healey) (05/27/91)

In article <192e9876.ARN0116@nesbbx.UUCP> nesbbx!billsey@agora.UUCP writes:
>In article <1991May20.165654.10048@digibd.com>, Rob Healey writes:
>> 
>> 	Is it possible to get the Amiga video chips to do 800x600 monochrome?
>> 	How about 4 or 16 color? I'd like to be able to have at least 512
>> 	points in the Y direction under X with stock hardware. I suppose
>> 	I'll just end up growing spider webs till the A2410 is available. B^(.
>	Sounds like you want an A2024 monitor... That's the one from Commodore
>that displays 1008x800 monochrome. It's about the same price retail as an
>A1950 is... ($750 range)
>
	Nope, I don't want a 2024 'cause I already got a 1950 that displayed
	864x624 when attached to a 386 running Herr Roell's PD X server
	for 386 UNIX and a SVGA card at work... B^(. It ain't the monitor's
	fault...

	Anyways, the end result is I'll keep many spiders busy till C=
	decides that it's safe to let the A2410 out into the hands of
	us peasants. B^(.

	Someone suggested a PAL tweek to get 512 lines, I'll probably
	go with that for now.

	I assumed there was a way to get a $6K+ Amiga to do something a
	$200.00 card on an IBM can do. I was unfortunately wrong. B^(.

	So, WHEN is the A2410 going to be released? I suppose when AmigaDOS
	2.x can support it...

		-Rob
-- 

Rob Healey                                          rhealey@digibd.com
Digi International (DigiBoard)
Eden Prairie, MN                                    (612) 943-9020