[comp.sys.amiga.advocacy] A Complete Atari/Amiga Video Mode Comparison

ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) (04/06/91)

   I am going to increase my use of charts and spec lists in order to provide
a more informative and fact filled comparison of the Amiga, Macintosh, and ST
computer lines. You can look forward to a complete feature list of the Mac
Classic versus the Amiga 500 in the near future, along with prices. I will
also be giving a spec list comparison of the TT and Amiga 3000 line, complete
with pricing information too. What follows is a list of the video modes found
in the Amiga as compared to the new Atari line. Any words inside of brackets
are my own...
 
[The following list came from page 28 of the February 1991 issue of Atari's
Start magazine. It is the complete video mode list from a review of the TT.]
 
ST Modes: [Old ST mode list]
320x200   16 colors        ST Low Res (Color)
640x200    4 colors        ST Med Res (Color)
640x400    1 color         ST HighRes (Mono) [Requires a monochrome monitor]
 
New TT Modes: [Found in the new STE and TT computers]
320x200   16 colors
640x200    4 colors
640x400    2 colors (Duochrome)
640x480   16 colors
1280x960   1 color  TTM194 monitor required [What the A2024 is to the Amiga]
320x480  256 colors Many-color-mode from a palette of 4,096
 
[The following Amiga video mode list was compiled by Joe Smith (jms@tardis.
Tymnet.COM) and has been reposted for this comparison.]
 
Question: What display modes does the Amiga have?
Answer: Lots.
 
Mode                      NTSC      PAL   ECS Hfreq Colors Palette
--------------------    -------- -------- --- ----- ------ -------
Lores                    320x200  320x256 no  15KHz    32  4096
Lores-ExtraHalfBrite     320x200  320x256 no* 15KHz    64  4096 (restricted)
Lores-HAM                320x200  320x256 no  15KHz  4096  4096 (restricted)
Hires                    640x200  640x256 no  15KHz    16  4096
Super-Hires             1280x200 1280x256 yes 15KHz     4    64 (35 nanosecond)
Lores-Interlaced         320x400  320x512 no  15KHz    32  4096
Lores-EHB-Interlaced     320x400  320x512 no* 15KHz    64  4096 (restricted)
Lores-HAM-Interlaced     320x400  320x512 no  15KHz  4096  4096 (restricted)
Hires-Interlaced         640x400  640x512 no  15KHz    16  4096
Super-Hires-Interlaced  1280x400 1280x512 yes 15KHz     4    64 (35 nanosecond)
VGA-ExtraLores           160x480   same   yes 31KHz    32  4096
VGA-Lores                320x480   same   yes 31KHz    16  4096
Productivity             640x480   same   yes 31KHz     4    64
VGA-ExtraLores-Interaced 160x960   same   yes 31KHz    32  4096
VGA-Lores-Interlaced     320x960   same   yes 31KHz    16  4096
Productivity-Interlaced  640x960   same   yes 31KHz     4    64
A2024-10Hz              1008x800 1008x1024 no special   4    16 shades of gray
A2024-15Hz              1008x800 1008x1024 no special   4    16 shades of gray
 
Notes:
 * Some early A1000's did not have ExtraHalfBrite.  It is easy to upgrade.
 * The 2nd 32 colors of EHB mode are restricted.  They are the same as the
   first 32 colors with the red, green, and blue values reduced to one half.
 * HAM mode (Hold And Modify mode) allows all 4096 colors to be displayed,
   but has restrictions affecting adjacent pixels of differing colors.
 
 [Please also note that the above mode list is not showing their perspective
values in overscan, meaning- most of the above resoulitions will increase
their X and Y values simply by using overscan. IE: A 640x400 mode can go to
704x440 or higher in overscan. Also note that a new mode has been created via
some recent software tricks: 704x440 in 4096 different colors. These are true
colors and not "shadings" or "blendings".]
 
   Tom
 

--
       Why purchase a MAC when an Amiga with the same CPU will run 99% of all
    __ MAC software..and FASTER at that?! The same can be said of the IBM and
 __/// Atari computers, and I can run those in a window. IBM's greatest sales 
 \XX/  tool is ignorance on the consumer's part. Only the Amiga! DEVO Anyone?