#New Monitor Drivers!
21 messages in this thread
I got the new monitor drivers in the mail today from that guy in Salt
Lake City! _INCREDIBLE_ is all I can say. DoubleNTSC now goes to
720×455, NTSC (which I can't really use, sniff, since my monitor
doesn't support it) goes to 724×241, and _MULTISCAN_ now supports
overscan, going up to 656×481. True, the overscan on the multiscan
modes isn't enormous, but it's a start. And what's more interesting
is that there's a new multiscan mode – 640×240, at 58Hz and
29.29kHz. Is that wierd or what?
Furthermore, there's a new "Super72" mode – Euro72 Productivity –
that offers a maximum resolution of 656×401 non-laced or 640×802
laced at 69Hz and 29.32kHz. The Super72 800×600 modes go up to
912×614, though I don't know what they did before because they did
and still do use the _idiotic_ horizontal scan rate of 23.21kHz. And
then there're the Euro36 and DoublePAL modes which I never used and
won't now but which have undoubtedly changed.
I'd be happy to upload the update – I just don't know whether it's against
forum policy or something. Could someone tell me? (I have a feeling
plenty of people will.)
So there's the scoop, right from the horse's mouth. Or at least from the
mouth of one of his close relatives. Well, kind of close.
Paul
I checked with CATS specifically on this — any monitor drivers that
did not ship with the version of 3.0 that came with the 1200 or 4000
are beta test versions and not for distribution. Anyone caught
distributing them can expect to be hearing from CBM's legal
department. For further information contact CATS at 215-431-9100.
Ah, I see. Oh well. They're still very nice, even if I "don't" have
them. Rats.
Any idea when 3.1 is coming out?
Paul
Thats interesting… the updated monitor drivers I have came *from*
CBM. I still have the disk down at the store in the CBM mailer.
Perhaps the support person at CBM didn't have authority to release
them? It wouldn't be the first time that one part of an organization
didn't know what the other was doing.
Many times the support people don't have the authority to do what they
do — they're being "good guys" and it's very commendable, but their
jobs are on the line if they get caught.
The problem with beta material being distributed is that there is no
guarantee that it'll work as expected. If the user doesn't know he's
using an untested program, and it messes up his system, causes gurus,
or whatever, CBM gets blamed for shoddy system software. It's
neither fair to CBM or to the user.
The new drivers were just recently released to dealers.
According to my conversation with CATS this afternoon that is not the
case (or at least not for public distribution). As Denny said, the
left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Since CATS is
the originator of those drivers and they are part of the beta 3.1
distribution, I'm going to go with what they told me.
CATS doesn't provide end-user support but support to developers.
Engineering could concievably release something to the end-user
support channels without CATS knowing it. I believe that is the case
with these drivers.
That could very well be — it was just that the denial was so strongly
stated. Guess I'll call them again on Monday.
I am a direct Commodore dealer, and they have *not* released to us any
new drivers.
This is from Spencer Shanson, the programmer at Commodore who actually
writes the monitor drivers (my question is quoted by him):
> Apparently many dealers have a disk with newer monitor files. There are
> arguments on CIS about its legitimacy. Someone called CATS (who might
> well not know what has been given to dealers) and was told that no way
> has anything at all been released to anyone other than developers. I
> figured you would have the definative scoop.
..this disk is probably the 1942 upgrade. The 1942 is our new
low-cost 1960 replacement monitor; to take advantage of it, we sent
out a monitor update disk which contains the latest Beta monitors
(and iprefs) for better picture centering. That's it. Strictly
speaking, it should only be distributed to buyers of 1942s. If it's
not the 1942 update disk, then CATS are correct.
I appreciate the extra information on this. However, the Commodore
1942 monitor has not been released in the United States-yet.
Denny is probably right on the right knowing what the left hand is
doing. It may not supposed to be distributed, but many of the
dealers I know or have heard of are giving customers the newer video
drivers.
And once again the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is
doing… Commodre did release a driver update disk to dealers. Also,
new systems are shipping with newer monitor drivers, and there's
nothing illegal about getting a copy of those from your dealer.
However, I'm quite sure thatit's possible that CATS doesn't know
about this.
The software originates from CATS — they know what they've released
and what they haven't. You might give them a call (I did) — the man
with the definitive answer is John Campbell.
There is disk that's being distributed via bbses and other networks
— ParBench. It was put together by a CBM sales rep (I was told
today that he's no longer with the company). It is a distribution
disk in .DMS format. It contains most of the files from a 1.3.2
Workbench disk. Electronic distribution of these files are
forbidden. You're right, the left hand may not know what the right
hand is doing — but in this case, I believe you've been talking to
the wrong "hand". Call CBM for confirmation.
Paul,
Those monitor drivers came with the 2.1 upgrade that I recieved the
other day. Didn't everyone get them?
-Sean
Hmm… Maybe they're shipping w/ the 2.1 upgrade, but I didn't get them
with 3.0 – and a lot of the enhancements are AGA only.
C= has to get on the ball here. This is ridiculous.
Paul
Paul,
I think you're right about C= getting on the ball. They even mentioned
datatypes in the manual and then went on to say that they were only for
use with 3.0. What's up with that? I don't think it was written to be a
common manual between the two OS's.
-Sean
That's strange. Of course, my "unprofessional" 1200 didn't even come with
ARexx and AmigaDOS docs.
Paul
Paul,
Maybe C= is trying to eek a few dollars more out of all the 1200
purchasers. "Send us $25 with your proof of purchase (of course) and
we'll send you the new drivers." -Commodore (Lurkers, they didn't
really say that.)
-Sean
Neither did mine, but a quick call to C= Express fixed that…
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
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