Amiga Spotted!!!
15 messages in this thread
Amiga Spotted *twice* in the same day!
While flipping around on our cable TV system here in the desert of southern
California last Wed., I spotted a show on our education channel that was
most definitely using Amigas. Matter of fact, they were showing how they
used the computer in the production of their show (CG's and the like). The
show appeared on the channel "ME/U" — Mind Extension University. What
they were airing was made out of the University of Arizona in the major of
Library Sciences. The instructor even made sure that everyone out there
knew they were using and Amiga computer!! The program spent about 20
minutes detailing the operation of creating CG's with DPaintIV and then how
to use it in a production.
I also spotted the Amiga again that same day. After an apparent power
loss, the Cable TV came back on line. While flipping again through the
channels (I do _love_ my remote 🙂 I saw… egads, what's this??? The
boot-up screen for an Amiga under AmigaDOS 1.3!! After the program the
channel had was done booting, come to find out the channel (and the Amiga)
is used for their on-air Cable Program Guide.
For any of you out there, the cable company is "Total TV", and the program
they used for the channel guide works pretty nice.
Kudos for Total TV and to U of A's Library Sciences division!! 🙂
I think a lot of city cable companies use the Amiga for their graphic
ad/PSA channels. The company in Madison does.
Yeh! the Company in Lawton Oklahoma does too!
Rodger
– via Whap!
PREVUE GUIDE is compiled centrally and sold to many cable TV stations by a
company whos name slips my mind. There # is 800-331-4806. The software,
they told me, was developed in house by their tech people. (not sure if I
believe that or not…)
Michael
….from the north coast
Yeah, I know on the Prevue Guide in my area (Pittsburgh, PA) they use
Amigas. I found this out one day while flipping throught the channels and
saw a flashing red GURU box on the top of the screen. I wonder if they use
more than one Amiga for the Prevue Guide. It took me a second look to
realize it was an Amiga GURUing on the screen. Pretty wild if you ask
me…
Frank… several months ago I walked out of my office (in the house) late
one night, bleary eyed, and went in to my bedroom… my wife had fallen
asleep with the tv on the PREVUE channel, and there staring me in the face
was a 1.3 shell window… I thought I'd walked in to the Twilight Zone.
<g>
Michael
….from the north coast
That Prevue guide software must be buggy as hell. Here in Columbus I've
come accross a GURU screen more than a few times.
Nick
My guess is that when you see the guru, they were attempting to display the
info live (why, I dunno). The buggy software I would guess is Dpaint or
its equivalent.
Today must be Monday. I never could get the hang of Mondays.
I can beat seeing the guru and Workbench on cable. A couple years back, I
flipped on the public access cable channel here in Milwaukee and watched an
unseen Amiga user working on a project in Oxxi's "Lights! Camera! Action"
presentation software. The user was putting together a Christmas slide show
and evidently was unaware (or didn't care that) he was on-line. Since I had
a copy of the program unused in my collection, I flipped on my VCR and
recorded a "tutorial"! >>>> Ron Legro / Milwaukee via WHAP!
"Wherever you go, there you are!"
Michael,
Yep, your 1.3 Shell window from the Twilight Zone was what I felt
like. Thought for a minute there I left my computer on whith the genlock
hooked up… or maybe it was gremlins!
The software they had looked to be custom made… I have seen nothing like
it anywhere else out here. I tried to catch some of the startup info that
was sputtering across the screen, but was unable to make any sense of it.
With all the channel flipping I do, I don't recall seeing any GURU
messages. Only those darn power outages seem to cause all the trouble.
Here in the desert, we lose power about once or twice a month. Plays heck
with the VCR clocks (and the cable company's Amiga).
Now if I can just get the cable company to get an Amiga as part of our
Information Channel (ya know, weather updates, local happenings, etc…).
The CG machine they have right now is _really_ cheesy. Worse than what we
are using here in our production facility (can't wait for them Toasters!!!)
Whap!ing it up in the desert — Mike Huttinger
Mike…
If'n you'd like to see your cable co REALLY use their Amiga, call NewTek
and have them send a Video Toaster Video (demo tape). Could be the sart of
a nice relationship 🙂
Michael
….from the north coast
_Which_ software? The folks I worked with were using DPaint II (til I got
em to upgrade… they may have a HD by now, even :). Sure looked stock to
me. I believe they fed it out to tape via the RF modulator they had, but
I'm not sure. It was a long time ago.
Today must be Sunday. I never could get the hang of Sundays.
Yes, that's nationwide, I think. Cox Cable in OKCity hired me to show them
how to use their Amiga for titling and graphics on the preview guide, and
they told me that their system (A500, two floppies.. 1.2! and a tv for a
monitor) was given to them, as I recall, as part of a nationwide system.
After tripping out here to SoCal, I saw evidence again of Amiga graphics on
the preview guide. So, if you want to see Amiga graphics… check out what
shows are coming up on cable :).
Today must be Sunday. I never could get the hang of Sundays.
Eet… are you serious? Prevue Guide provided their client stations with
only 500's? I surely hope that they provide more than that today! I would
think that if Prevue guide is not showing their clients how to use the
Amiga to enhance operations that a door has been opened for some of the
more talented Amiga videoo people out there to start a new business!
Michael
….from the north coast
Yup, sho' am serious, Michael (as serious as I ever get). I guess they
_really_ wanted to get by on the cheap.
Today must be Monday. I never could get the hang of Mondays.