CompuServe Thread

#Passport 4000

15 messages in this thread
#174279From: Sam YatesNov 26, 1994 9:54 AM
G'day, >> Else the Amiga will be nothing more than a Toaster machine And not even that on this side of the pond, as the Toaster only works in "MickeyMouse'Ovision" 🙂 Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au
#174284From: Troy BarlowNov 26, 1994 11:18 AM
I hear ya. I for one don't use or care about the Toaster. However it seems that it's the one big reason the Amiga is still around. And I don't think it's because of Lightwave since there are better 3D packages around that run on other platforms.
#174423From: Sam YatesNov 27, 1994 1:54 AM
G'day, The only toaster I use cooks bread. Can NewTek's thing do that? No? What good is it then? 🙂 Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au
#174464From: Troy BarlowNov 27, 1994 10:00 AM
My toaster cooks bread, pop-tarts, waffles, and has enough channels to handle 4 inputs that are not time base corrected. Very simple user interface, but does not support ARexx. It has a control to adjust the amount of effect you want, and all output is in true color! And it only cost me about $20 🙂 -Troy PS: Don't use it to dry your old 8-tracks 🙂
#174708From: Sam YatesNov 28, 1994 9:07 AM
G'day, >> PS: Don't use it to dry your old 8-tracks 🙂 I think you just dated yourself with that one 🙂 Better get the Carbon-14 count to make sure though 🙂 Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au
#174509From: Daniel J. McCoyNov 27, 1994 1:44 PM
I don't know about the rest of the Video Toaster users out there but I DID have one Video Toaster that could have very well toasted bread! Darn near took the rest of my computer with it! I had NEVER seen a PCB fry like it did! The smell of fried circuitry fill my room and clung to my cloths for weeks afterwards! The rest of the system still ran perfect after I removed the charred remains of a Toaster (which Newtek replaced lickedy split). I'll never forget that day walking into a smoke filled room with the 3000's fan running half speed and the power LED dim… Dan Daniel J. McCoy // CIS – 73742,3072 AP Engaged! \X/ Render 'till ya drop!
#174532From: Eulogio (DJ) GarciaNov 27, 1994 3:43 PM
Well, Dan, that's one board that did NOT pass the proverbial smoke test B-) DJ On AP from Queens, the thrill and excitement of the Big Apple Where a little paranoia keeps you healthy and sane …
#174687From: Trent K. JohnsonNov 28, 1994 3:21 AM
Yikes! I had a capacitor pop once in my T4000, but wow! Talk about heart failure! Trent/ReAnimators
#174709From: Sam YatesNov 28, 1994 9:08 AM
G'day, >> I'll never forget that day walking into a smoke filled room with the >> 3000's fan running half speed and the power LED dim… Ouch. I know that feeling (not as expensive though). Plug in…. *POP* …Please let that have been a screw landing on the floor….. Smoke gently wafts in the breeze… Become a blubbering mess in the corner 🙂 . >> The rest of the system still ran perfect after I removed the charred >> remains of a Toaster (which Newtek replaced lickedy split). Those Amigas are tough, no doubt about it! I saved up hard and bought an A2000. I got it home and preceeded to install a ROM switcher, but when I was putting it all back together I plugged the power connectors into the wrong pins (shifted up 1 or 2 pins). I turned the power on……nothing, My brand new Amiga was dead. Swearing profusely 🙂 I opened it up and put the connectors onto the right pins and bingo, 1 fully operational Amiga, no worse for wear. Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au
#174323From: henry tellerNov 26, 1994 2:08 PM
Just to update the technology – the Pastport 4000 provides Toaster input and output in all formats, including PAL and SECAM. Hank/Videology – Where you get all the P.O.M.P. under all Circumstances
#174420From: Sam YatesNov 27, 1994 1:54 AM
G'day, >> Just to update the technology – the Pastport 4000 provides Toaster >> input and output in all formats, including PAL and SECAM. I think I remember reading about that, but blacked out when what I thought was an international direct dial telephone number turned out to be the price. 🙂 OBTW, that device only converts the NTSC input/output of the toaster from/into PAL or SECAM, it doesn't make the toaster work in PAL or SECAM resolution. Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au
#174457From: Jeff WalkerNov 27, 1994 8:27 AM
> doesn't make the Toaster work in PAL or SECAM resolution Could you explain this comment for me? This is the way I understand the Passport 4000 works (and I've had my hands on it): It receives the 50-frames-a-second PAL signal five frames at a time (every tenth of a second). Because the Toaster is expecting six frames at a time, the Passport 4000 duplicates the fifth frame, thus making six frames, which it then feeds to the Toaster. The Toaster then applies your effects to those six frames. On the way out, the Passport 4000 throws away the sixth frame to give us back the five frames. So in one second we get 50 frames from the source, 60 frames in the Toaster, 50 frames to the destintion. The Passport 4000 is not a standards converter, all it does is the very simple job described above. Jeff Walker.
#174707From: Sam YatesNov 28, 1994 9:07 AM
G'day, >> Could you explain this comment for me? Certainly. PAL has more pixels (specifically, lines per picture) than NTSC. (You've caught me at a bad time, my brain has gone south on me and I can't remember the exact broadcast resolutions at the moment) An Amiga example: NTSC Amiga Hi-res interlace = 640 x 400 PAL Amiga Hi-res interlace = 640 x 512 The ratio's are the same with the broadcast signal. ie. When you put the PAL signal in, you have to throw out approx 1/5 of the picture. When you get the signal back from the toaster you'll have to pad out the picture by repeating every 4 line of the frame (or whatever method you use. You have to add 1/4 of the NTSC picture as padding) >> The Passport 4000 is not a standards converter, Isn't it? So if you have to buy a stadards converter as well ($$$$$) why would you want the passport 4000? Doesn't a standards converter do the frame rate conversion too? Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au
#174599From: henry tellerNov 27, 1994 8:43 PM
I'm afraid you're right on that – so I suppose the system isn't the best approach for European markets – but it works
#174710From: Sam YatesNov 28, 1994 9:08 AM
G'day, >> I'm afraid you're right on that – so I suppose the system isn't the >> best approach for European markets – but it works True, it's much better than nothing but I'm not sure that PAL broadcast stations would allow it to be used on air (unless they are low budget stations) I understand that TV stations in Australia (and probably overseas) operate internaly at much higher than PAL resolution anyway, and that the signal is cut down to PAL before broadcast. Anyone work for an Oz TV station who knows? Sam Yates Montrose, Victoria, Australia. samyates@werple.apana.org.au samyates@ozemail.com.au