CompuServe Messages

DL not sure DL I agree about using the toaster for porting animation to NTSC since DL> the PC has a very nice complement of hardware for broadcast quality. No, not the Toaster. It has nothing going for it in terms of real-time playback of animation. DL> Talk to me. Why is the Amiga better DL> at porting to video vs. a targa+ system? Don, a Targa+ is very nice, but how can it help you get 24 bit graphics to animate in real time? Once you drop below 24 bits, you have palette and dither processes to contend with and these lead to problems with images tearing. Right now I have a VLB 24 bit card in my 486-33. I checked out a program called F16 by Rainbow Technologies that enables you to play back 16-bit anims in real time. What did I see? As long as the delta values are low, all is well, but when large areas of the frame change between frames, the images do not flow smoothly. To get it right at this point, you need a single frame capable VCR like the Panasonic AG7750. (cost $4800 plus you need the TAO editizer or some similar device (add another $1500). Plus the Targa card ($1400). On my Amiga 3000, I use a little 24-bit display device that sells for (get this!) $299 called DCTV. It is a device that is totally unique to the Amiga platform and it works without any JPEG or MPEG compression. It uses a special 4 bitplane dispaly technology that enables huge amounts of video data to be coded into very small files. A DCTV full oversan animation file that lasts 120 frames with a moderate level of change between frames might be as small as 4 megs. The best part of it is that you can playback from RAM in real time and get over 30 fpsin anim7 format. It is a wonderful device. So, I record something that looks a helluva lot like 24-bit animation on my $970 AG1960. And they are good enough for most local TV and industrials. Get some Amiga buddy to show you the DCTV in action. I have been using strictly clones for the last 7 years and I was on the