CompuServe Thread

#PAR

13 messages in this thread
#106476From: denise hippJun 8, 1994 9:52 AM
All PAR users…the more I read about DPS – PAR, the more I want to get one myself. Do you need a fast hard drive (how fast, I have a Seagate 16ms SCSI HD 440MB) and a fast video card to get real time animation using the PAR??? My video card is &*#$% and I want to get another, what card will allow live video to be applied (chroma Keyed?) onto an animation background (blue)? Thank You, Denise
#106483From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Jun 8, 1994 10:01 AM
Denise, << .. interested in the PAR.. >> Download PAR_FA.txt from the Hardware/Sysop/Video section of the lib for more details. jonas[adesk]
#106524From: Ted BoardmanJun 8, 1994 2:32 PM
Denise You need a dedicated IDE hard drive and I think only the Micropolis drives are recommend right now and it doesn't matter which graphics card you have as the PAR is independant of it. It is great! TedB !^NavFont01F0007MGHHGAA18BB
#106584From: Don LandisJun 8, 1994 10:50 PM
The DPS PAR requires a dedicated IDE hard drive. The Micropolis 2210A and 2217A are the only two worth having although there is a Seagate on the approved list it will not work as efficiently as the Mic's. The PAR runs with software from the DOS screen so any VGA card will do that supports 16 colors at 640X480. Regarding chroma keying 24 bit animations, when you figure out how to do that with current day low end hardware let me know. I can do it here but it requires my FAST video machine to do. That has a starting ticket of $4000 for the lite version. If you want to chroma key 256 color animation flcs then your in luck. there are many cards on the market. These are called genlock VGA overlay boards. I use a Magni VGA Producer PRO here. It will output at 640×480 res. and with a signal stability that meets broadcast standards (RS-170(a)).
#106610From: Tom Lansford [ARTIST]Jun 9, 1994 3:14 AM
Hi Don, How do you like your FAST board? Can you tell me what are some of the other comprable boards on the market? Thanks, Tom
#106850From: Don LandisJun 10, 1994 4:56 AM
I'm still evaluating the thing, I landed three infomercials editing that I'm putting the thing to test with. I can tell you one thing that I found many surprises in the package. Both good and bad. While it has taken me a quantum leap into easier scripting of video projects, it certainly is no time saver over conventional editing. A lot easier to use than the toaster as it does deck control. While I think the Matrox Studio has more edit flexibility with additional video channels, I think, the two people I spoke with were switching to the VM because they said the Studio just works 20% of the time. Of course I heard the same thing about the FAST from some but it seems some of these people would have trouble running Notepad in Windows. <G> Plain and simple I don't think there is anything to match the FAST VM for quality, features, and upgradeability. While I have had several disappointing discoveries of the limitations in the FAST they have been offset with discoveries of " GEE I didn't realize I could do that!" The biggest disappointment of all is a well documented feature doesn't work in the VM's SC box. That is the control L inputs. FAST is working on this one. Check back with me in a month and I'll let you know how I feel about it then after I see what kind of response I get on the problems.
#107359From: Tom Lansford [ARTIST]Jun 13, 1994 3:21 AM
Thanks for the info Don. I saw some presentations from FAST here in Germany and am interested in how it really works for a user. Good luck with the work. BTW, where are you located? Tom
#107571From: Don LandisJun 14, 1994 12:28 AM
I'm in Jacksonville, FL
#106627From: Andrew SinagraJun 9, 1994 7:07 AM
>>The DPS PAR requires a dedicated IDE hard drive. Does this mean I can not use my Micropolis 2217AV external drive? It is a SCSI-2 drive, and the primary reason I purchased it was because I was under the impression I could use it with the PAR. Please say it isn't so!!! Andrew
#106659From: ROBERT RITGERJun 9, 1994 10:06 AM
Andrew: PMJI Sorry to bring you the bad news: The PAR currently supports only IDE drives. These drives are connected directly to the PAR card so they are not controlled by your host adapter. However, (Possibly good news) the Micropolis 2217A is on the list as being supported by the PAR. The confusion is now about whether your drive is actually a SCSI-2 drive, are you certain about the model number (your message mentions the 2217AV as opposed to the 2217A), is the PAR manual incorrect on its model number, or is it some other cosmic reason not yet considered? Bob
#106732From: Andrew SinagraJun 9, 1994 3:54 PM
My drive is a SCSI-2 drive. There is a differece between the 2217A and the 2217AV. The 2217A is the IDE drive, the 2217AV is a SCSI-2. Good news though, the drive was new (only one week old) and the place I purchased it from agreed to exchange it for the IDE since I was originally told this drive would work. I guess they didn't know the difference. Andrew
#106784From: ROBERT RITGERJun 9, 1994 9:43 PM
Andrew: Great to hear you'll be able to swap the drives. Wait'll you get the PAR, animation gets seriously fun. Bob
#106851From: Don LandisJun 10, 1994 4:56 AM
>>Please say it isn't so!!! OK! It isn't so that you can use the SCSI-2 drive with the PAR. The PAR uses IDE drives, not SCSI-2