RenderEngine TC/VTV-2000
9 messages in this thread
Where can you buy an Amiga 3000 with 16 meg RAM for $1500? Do they have
Toasters for similar discount? Did I understand you correctly that this DCTV
does 24 bit animations with output to video at broadcast resolution in real
time for $299?
DL> Where can you buy an Amiga 3000 with 16 meg RAM for $1500?
Creative Computers is dumping the last of the Amiga 3000 with 5 megs and 105
meg hd for $1000. You only need to add 13 megs more. I upgraded an Amiga 3000
with just 2 megs of ram up to 16 megs for $575. So I think that I have numbers
just about right on this one. There is one catch, though on the Creative deal.
You have to buy the 1960 monitor along with the other stuff.
That costs another $600. It is a very nice multisync monitor that takes VGA,
RGB, and composite video inputs. It is very useful for video work because it
can double as a vcr monitor or it can display your genlocked output.
Toasters have not yet come down in price. But they are almost sure to in the
next month as the Toaster 4000 hits the streets. The catch with using the
original Toaster with the 3000 is that you have to drill a hole in the back of
the A3000 case to make room for one of the BNC jacks. It is a minor
alteration, but doing it voids the Commodore warranty. I am waiting for the
price drop on the old Toaster and then I am going to take the plunge (or maybe
hold out to see if Opal ever gets all their components to market).
Yes, the DCTV will output something that "looks like" 24 bit animation in real
time. It isn't as sharp as Targa output to Betacam, but it is amazingly good.
You must see it to appreciate it.
Compared to what .FLC and .FLI files look like, DCTV is light years ahead. If
you want I can send you a tape when I get my RBG output converter. It should
be here on Monday. My own position is a small startup video company in a very
unsophisticated market (where they have the Toaster but nobody bothers to
really learn how to use Lightwave).
Thanks for your reply to my questions.
<< Where can you buy an Amiga 3000 with 16 meg RAM for $1500?
Creative Computers is dumping the last of the Amiga 3000 with 5 megs and 105
meg hd for $1000. You only need to add 13 megs more. I upgraded an Amiga 3000
with just 2 megs of ram up to 16 megs for $575. So I think that I have numbers
just about right on this one.>> I still don't understand how 5 meg +2 megs for
$575 equals 16meg for only $500 more. I know I'm slow at times but it sounds
like one of those math puzzlers from Scientific American Magazine to me.
((575)(16-5))/2=3162.5 or is it "Amiga math" ie. 16-5=13, (13/2)575=500?? <G>
At any rate, my agenda for the toaster switcher is about a year away. I'm
looking to upgrade to Betacam SP later this year. My company is also a small
video post operation currently targeting a small vertical market and jus
recently trying to free lance 3D animation. I currently have the only
animation to VTR service bureau in town although there are about 50 small video
production houses. The Ad agencies go out of town for beta SP animation and I
believe this would be a good market to tap. I currently edit to 3/4 with three
feeder decks, VHS, 3/4,& Hi8. I'm using an A/B roll switcher with frame store
and TBCs. Full proc amp, vector and WFM. Next year, after the new Beta SP
editor and camera I will be looking at upgrading the switcher and so far the
toaster is my first choice, but I'm always open to new technology. Would
really like to have component capability. I still don't see the toaster in the
cards for animation and neither does my staff. 3D animation is about 7% of
gross sales and growing rapidly and I attribute that to the power of 3DSr2.
For 640×480 flc I use a Magni Pro and I still get requests for low cost
animations in 2D. Just landed two color cycling animations this AM, so 2D is
not dead yet.
DL> 3D animation is about 7% of gross sales and growing rapidly and I DL>
attribute that to the power of 3DSr2. For 640×480 flc I use a Magni DL> Pro
and I still get requests for low cost animations in 2D. Just DL> landed two
color cycling animations this AM, so 2D is not dead yet.
I really like 3ds also, I will probably never give it up. But I don't have the
bucks to buy the AG7750 or similar deck for single framing.
You have a lot more equipment than I do. That is what really divides our
strategies. If I had an old Sony 5850 lieing around, I would more likely pop
for a single frame controller and a Magni.
Where would you shop for used 3/4 inch equipment such as the Sony 5850?
BTW, regarding the Magni, I noticed that an Amiga based company called GVP has
just gotten into the VGA to NTSC market with a device that is based on
electronics licensed from Magni. Did you see their ad in the last Desktop
Video World?
<Where would you shop for used 3/4 inch equipment such as the Sony 5850?>
Some of the best deals are coming from the University market. I picked up a
VO-5600 a couple of years ago for $500. It was in mint condition. Added a
Hob-Nob and Dubit kit for $1000 and presto! a 3/4 feeder deck. Expect to pay
3800 for a good 5850 but be careful! these decks were real workhorses and may
have a lot of miles on them. I would not buy one unless I knew its origin.
Any industrial video production center would probably be good because they were
probably well maintained. Get to know a good jobber/consultant in your area
and work with him at locating a deck. Also, be advised that while a 5850 is a
quality machine for video it has sony parallel control and requires special
hardware to control for animation (DQ-50P) You'd be better off with a serial
RS-422 controlled deck even if it cost more.
Don, thanks so much for your detailed reply. The fact that it needs the
Diaquest controller ($2000?) makes it look like not such a great deal, unless I
can get the 5800 with it and make it my editing system.
I guess I could get the hang of fixing an old one, if I had the cover off for a
while. But as you say, it would be good to have a consultant help me shop for
one.
BTW, are you interested in seeing a few of my DCTV animations rendered on tape?
I am curious to see if you think the quality is adequate for broadcast. I
could make up a short S-VHS tape or a Hi8 tape and send it to you.
< I could make up a short S-VHS tape or a Hi8 tape and send it to you.>
If you care to I could play it back on a Sony R5u (SVHS) consumer deck and take
a look at it on the scopes. I also have a EVO9800 Hi8 deck. But, being
"adequate for broadcast" is more subjective to the power (political) of the
engineer and the importance of the subject matter (producer) as well as the
prejudices about the format than the actual signal quality. That has been my
experience.
Sorry I didn't get back sooner, I've been at comdex all week.
You think you're slow in responding, look at me. Yes, give me your address and
will send you a demo tape and you tell me what you think. I have just about
totally quit the PC platform at this point. I am looking at the Video Toaster
and other devices for the Amiga. Wish I had the time to go to Comdex.
Oh, BTW, Don, I had it wrong about needing to buy the monitor with the A3000
system. It is not necessary. Creative is selling the last of the A3000s for
$1000 with no strings. 5 megs, 105 hard drive. It is a very good buy.
I got my logo done today and it is incredibly smooth and full of colors
lacking in 256 color flicks. I did it with a black background, but when I get
my RGB output unit, I will use a time base corrector to supply freeze frame
video backgrounds.