CompuServe Messages

DCTV is still useful, even after AGA. It's a terrific animation system (DCTV anims are fast, high quality, and take up modest space), and it certainly lets the OCS/ECS Amiga play with high-quality imagery. Plus, a lot of software like Vista Pro, Imagemaster, etc. directly support DCTV. And, after all, it comes with a great paint program/conversion utility and a solid slow-scan video digitizer. Much life left in the product. I notice that Digital Creation's new venture, Play Inc., has brought out a DCTV-type device for PCs called Snappy. If you can find a DCTV RGB Converter at reasonable cost (say $150 or less), buy it. It will add tremendous new versatility to the device. Lets you output DCTV stuff via genlocks, mixing standard Amiga graphics, and also lets you see DCTV imagery directly on the Amiga RGB analog monitor, even mixed DCTV/standard Amiga screens. Finally, DCTV isn't a subculture. There are many of them around and they are used quite a bit by professionals. Indeed, you will see Toaster users who still rely on DCTV to get decent Lightwave animation output at a low price, without upgrading to the newest Toaster gear. At minimum it's a good prototyping tool. — from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, via Amiga AUTOPILOT v1.78 [the only way to fly cyberspace]