targa+
12 messages in this thread
Hello,
Since last week I'm the proud owner of a Truevision TARGA+ board. Can anyone
explain me how I can render AND watch 3DSR2 keyframer ani- mations on a monitor
and/or attached video tape recorder? I prefer not to use FLI/FLC format for
image quality reason (16 bit or higher) Is there any workaround to view the
animation who consists of several numbered TGA images, but without using a
expensive single frame control- ler ?
Thanks
Emmanuel
At this point there is no such option for the Targa+, or the PC for that matter
(unless you can shell out $15K for an Abekas or Gossett Graphics DDR). You
will need a frame accurate deck. The DPS Personal Animation Recorder, a JPEG
compression hardware playback device, will be available sometime this year (I
guess), but it will cost in the neighborhood of $5000 including special
harddrive.
Regards,
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
>> The DPS Personal Animation Recorder, a JPEG compression
>> hardware playback device, will be available sometime this
>> year (I guess), but it will cost in the neighborhood of
>> $5000 including special harddrive.
Based on ads in publications, I calculated that the Amiga DPS PAR could be
had for $2400 (including the disk). This does not include the TBC, as I
understand it. Is the PC PAR going to cost more? Or was that just a ballpark
guess?
I am following any discussion about the DPS PAR because I am very interested.
The PC version will be priced identically to the Amiga PAR – $1999
list for the board itself. On top of that you'll need a Seagate 500
meg IDE (forget the model no…but it's v. specific) at around $800
and if you want to video capture you'll need a TBC IV at about $900.
Total = $3700…tho' you might get a coupla hundred bucks cheaper
(the Amiga par is actually sold for about $1600).
I have had some contact with the Personal Animation Recorder and my
information says that list proce is about $1995 with an additional
$500 required for the dedicated hard disk. You won't need a TBC
unless you want to really make videos with the device (yuck!) My plan
here at GRAFX is to use the PAR to test and evaluate the video, then
if everything look ok, I take the original Targas to Pyros
partnership for laying out to Laser Disk. In otherwords, for about
$2500, you can have awonderful preview system, but I wouldn't try to
use it for real work.
Ok, it is good to hear that the IBM version will not have a higher
list price. While I can understand your intended use, I am wondering
where you are pegging the PAR in terms of quality. Are you
considering it as VHS, SVHS, Betacam quality, or it just does not
matter to you since its use is defined for your purposes?
Sometimes a deliberate lack of quality has a purpose. One or two
movies have been made in black and white for effect. If one lacks
budget, one could put the PAR stuff on TV and claim a rustic or
homespun quality for it <g>.
I trust you will expound upon it when you get it. Are you planning
to be one of the early buyers?
As far as I can tell, it is as good a quality as the others, but
doesn't have the added features of a system that wants to be a real
video system. Like the Bandit, for example. The video quality is
supposed to be similar, but the Bandit has lots of other features if
you really want to make videos. I just wanna preview so I don't have
to pay my video house (Pyros Partnership) twice. Now, I lay out to
laser once to check, then make changes and do it again. Arrrgh! With
a PAR-type system, I can check video color, etc. then just lay it to
real video only once. Unfortunately, I am already known as a
"high-end" house so an JPEG compression will not be tolerated by my
clients. I MUST do first-run TARGAs to LASER or BETA. As machines get
faster, SVGA FLICs may do the job for timing, but real video output
is still nice for color check and interlace issues.
I think you are right on the money concerning the DPS PAR. Looks like
the hardware on the PC version is ready but the software is a few
steps behind. I think it'll be a winner for the reasons you stated.
If I was to get one I would mostly use it for previews too, since it
should be far better than a flic and full-colour stills for that
purpose. After everything looks good I'd go the Exabyte/Abekas/D2 or
BetaSP route for best quality video. This seems to work out cheaper
and higher quality than going frame-by-frame to LVR or BetaSP direct.
Thanks for your informative response.
>> I just wanna preview so I don't have to pay my video house
>> (Pyros Partnership) twice.
Ok, that seems like what I am wanting/planning/wishing to do.
I await your message indicating that you have the PC PAR and are
busy using it with good result.
>> Unfortunately, I am already known as a "high-end" house so
>> an JPEG compression will not be tolerated by my clients.
I don't have that problem since I have done NOTHING and all
clients, if any, will be new and without any expectations.
Optional question: You seem to be doing well and the laser disc
could be considered almost commercially reasonable (maybe). So why
don't you have one of your own?
The DPS PAR will retail MSRP for 3k with HD, John. For another 1k you
get a TBC-driven board for real-time video acquisistion. Street
prices are probably gonna be quite a bit lower, I would imagine. I
talked to Brad Nogar over at DPS today and he said things are going
well. The Product Manager just got back from a 2-week vacation so
they should be getting ready for the last big push, I should think.
With any luck I'll be getting a beta/eval version next month sometime
so we can finally see what this baby can do!
I was including the TBC, but still got it wrong <g>! I can't wait to
see what it'll do.
Thanks, John for the information.