nschultz@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Ned W. Schultz) (02/13/91)
Does anyone have a Colorburst board/device from MAST? Anyone familiar with it beyond what is in the ads and brochures? I'd like to hear comments about it along the lines of Harv Laser's quick overview of DCTV. As I understand it, Colorburst is 24-bit (while DCTV is not), Colorburst does not caputure (while DCTV does), Colorburst outputs in RGB (while DCTV does NTSC). Can anyuone expand on this or discuss the advantages/disadvantages, particularly in regard to using the device for making videotapes (static pix or anims)? Can anyone comment on the paint software that comes with Colorburst? Email if you like, but I think it would be interesting to see a discussion of the various high zoot graphics devices here... Ned Schultz nschultz@polyslo.calpoly.edu
Anthon_Pang@mindlink.UUCP (Anthon Pang) (02/13/91)
mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) writes: > Sounds like MAST marketing hogwash to me. 24bit RGB NTSC at 20 frames per/sec > is roughly 20MB/sec. I don't think so (or I'll believe it when I see it). > With a max memory configuration of 8MB, just what are you going to animate > with only 8 frames? If the ColorBurst lives up to its basic claims, it > will be a great product for a comfortably low price. But claims of 24bit > animation seem ridiculous. Isn't it a fallacy to assume that every frame must reside in memory, in whole? If they can get 20 frames/sec, surely they can use double buffering, and "blit" deltas in real time... The claims aren't so "ridiculous" when one considers that this is almost precisely the technique used by MovieSetter for "animation".
drtiller@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Donald Richard Tillery Jr) (02/13/91)
From: nschultz@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Ned W. Schultz) >Does anyone have a Colorburst board/device from MAST? I have been told I am the first on the list in America. MAST said they have over 1400 orders in Germany (or Europe in general) before me. I don't have one yet, so I feel I can safely say no one else does (except the FCC which is where the thing is as this time). > Anyone familiar >with it beyond what is in the ads and brochures? That's a good question. I have gotten just a little more info (just details about what the ads say) from MAST, but independent evaluation and information is non existent. I'm taking them at their word, which might not be the most intelligent thing considering their track record with the Infinity Machine and the Flick-Off board. > I'd like to hear >comments about it along the lines of Harv Laser's quick overview of >DCTV. As I understand it, Colorburst is 24-bit (while DCTV is not), True. >Colorburst does not caputure (while DCTV does), True. MAST says it will work directly with some digitizers but I got no more details. > Colorburst outputs in >RGB (while DCTV does NTSC). It is my understanding that NTSC refers to the scan rate, not the format of a video signal. Both DCTV and ColorBurst output NTSC, therefore, but CB is RGB and DCTV is composite. A simple A520 will convert the CB output to composite for video taping. It reportedly has the same 23 pin out as the Amiga so it will remain compatible with the 1080/4, A520 and external genlocks. > Can anyuone expand on this or discuss the >advantages/disadvantages, particularly in regard to using the device >for making videotapes (static pix or anims)? Anims appear to be most reasonably available in 12 bit format. 24 bit anims may be possible, but expansion memory will be a must to accomplish this (the CB comes with 1.5 Megs and is expandable to 8 Megs). Other than this the only other way to animate is similar to the Toaster: a single frame recorder (and a RGB->composite converter). > Can anyone comment on >the paint software that comes with Colorburst? Not yet, but expect a full report as soon as I get my ColorBurst. :-) Rick Tillery (drtiller@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu)
gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) (02/14/91)
I saw a spec sheet on colorburst, and based on my memory of it have some idea about what they are doing. What I can remember: 1) The device has 1 Meg of memory on board. 2) It is a TRUE 24-bit framebuffer that only plugs into the RGB port and spits out NTSC RGB. 3) It can animate 24-bit frames at up to 20 frames/second, and 256-color anims at 60 frames/second. 4) It has also a command set for letting you control your own 24-bit sprites and has its own sprite chip. #3 makes me ponder a bit. Here's my reasoning-help me see what may be wrong with it. Assume that we can get 60 frames/sec output from a very fast Amiga. As DCTV and HAM-E have shown, it is possible to decode this data in such a way as to get 60 frames/sec animation through the device. Now, if we point out that a 24-bit image has 3x the amount of data as the 256-color image (minus any palette information), and we noticethat the 24-bit frame rate is 1/3 that of the 256-color mode, we may think that. The colorburst buffers three frames from the amiga and uses the data from them to construct a single 24-bit frame. I don't remember anywhere in the spec sheet a claim that 24-bit mode would work with current show programs, so this may actually be the case. Of course, this is speculation. Comments? Flames? -- <------------------------------------------------------------------------------> < FRANK BRANHAM | "I exist; therefore I am." > < Georgia Institute of Technology | Stunning thoughts from the pen > < Internet: gt4662b@prism.gatech.edu | of August Derleth. >
mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) (02/14/91)
In article <21934@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) writes: >I saw a spec sheet on colorburst, and based on my memory of it have some idea >about what they are doing. >1) The device has 1 Meg of memory on board. >2) It is a TRUE 24-bit framebuffer that only plugs into the RGB port and spits >out NTSC RGB. >3) It can animate 24-bit frames at up to 20 frames/second, and 256-color anims >at 60 frames/second. Sounds like MAST marketing hogwash to me. 24bit RGB NTSC at 20 frames per/sec is roughly 20MB/sec. I don't think so (or I'll believe it when I see it). With a max memory configuration of 8MB, just what are you going to animate with only 8 frames? If the ColorBurst lives up to its basic claims, it will be a great product for a comfortably low price. But claims of 24bit animation seem ridiculous. %~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~% % ` ' Mark Thompson % % --==* RADIANT *==-- mark@westford.ccur.com % % ' Image ` ...!{decvax,uunet}!masscomp!mark % % Productions (508)392-2480 (603)424-1829 % % % ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
andyg@crash.cts.com (Andy Guevara) (02/15/91)
The San Diego Amiga User's Group had a Colorburst demo last week. I'm kinda
week on the technical details (most were over my head), but I do remember
the developer estimating shipment in the next four to eight weeks. Depending
on agency approvals and the like.
--
"If you are pregnant or nursing, | -= Andy Guevara =-
please seek the advice of a doctor | {anywhere}!crash!andyg
before using this information." |