hrlaser@crash.cts.com (Harv Laser) (03/09/91)
In reading notices posted here by non-DCTV owners who seem somewhat confused about what DCTV is and how it interfaces to your Amiga, as a DCTV owner for a month now (and having no relationship with Digital Creations), I'll try to clarify a couple points of confusion: 1) DCTV's display is NTSC. This is color television. If you like the way color television looks, then you'll like the way DCTV looks. 2) DCTV can digitize from any color NTSC source. Such sources would include, but not necessarily be limited to: color cameras, color camcorders, VCRs, LaserDisc players, Still Video camers (Xapshot, etc.). 3) DCTV is a "slow scan" digitizer, not a framegrabber. You cannot grab from a running video tape. Your NTSC color source has to be either frozen or paused solidly for 6-10 seconds in order for DCTV to digitize it. 4) DCTV connects to your Amiga's RGB output port and its connector has a passthru on it to which you connect your Amiga's RGB monitor. If you want to digitize with DCTV you also connect it via a 2nd cable (supplied) to your parallel port. If you don't, you don't. 5) DCTV's NTSC color OUTPUT is fed via a cable from the DCTV box back to the "composite IN" or "video IN" jack on the back of your standard Amiga 1080/1084 type monitor. If your particular monitor doesn't have composite/NTSC video IN then you'll need a second monitor which does, or a TV set with video input. For 1080/1084 owners it's trivial to switch between normal Amiga RGB display and DCTV's NTSC display, once you're all hooked up, with the switch behind the door in the front of the 1080/1084 monitor. 6) DCTV's software comes in two flavors. If you are short on memory you run two smaller programs - the digitize/process program OR the paint program. If you have memory aplenty then you run the larger version of the software which combines ALL f unctions into one larger program. Both versions of the software are supplied in every DCTV package. 7) Color "banding" is almost impossible on DCTV. Ray Trace fiends will love the results of the IFF24 output of their ray tracers when imported to DCTV and displayed. Fans of scanned or digitized pijnup errr pinup art will too. You don't need dithering to make up for a lack of colors when you have millions of colors with which to work. Smooth areas of human skin in digitized pictures take on a whole new life, as it were, when you have millions of colors to play with. 8) DCTV can import *ANY* Amiga graphics file format but results will be the BEST with IFF24 files simply cuz they contain so much more color information than a HAM picture or a 16 color picture. All the best Amiga graphics software now outputs IFF24 files and with educated use of ASDG's art Dept Professional you can also convert many "alien" graphics file formats into IFF24 for import to DCTV. DCTV's display cannot, honestly, compare to the FireCracker 24. If you see them side by side I think you'll agree. FireCracker 24 is a high-res 24=bit Analog RGB Display board capable of crystal clear, razor sharp 16million plus color display on a standard Amiga monitor. However comparing a $499 (retail) NTSC color device which can digitize with a $1600 (retail) Analog RGB 24 bit display card is wrong since these two devices, although they both provide an "extended" color display on an Amiga are not identical in form nor function. Each does what it does with great results - look at both and let your eye and your wallet decide which is for you. Until ColorBurst from M.A.S.T. actually SHIPS and mortals can actually BUY them, any accolades about that device are advertising hype.