#NASA & Amiga
15 messages in this thread
NASA Select Tv is transmited in the clear (no scrambled picture) on Satcom
F2 Transponder 13. All shuttle missions and most launches at the cape are
carried live on it. They also run educational programs related to the space
program. special events and other space related activities.
To the best of my knowledge they do no fancy graphics so if you saw a
kickstart hand it was more than likely at the downlink end (the local cable
company).
Mike (dish owner)
Mike
The screen I saw wasn't something I though the local cable company would
have done. It was a workbench CLI with a batch file from Pro Video CGI
cutting out due to a silly user error. Someone in Virginia also reported
seeing what I reported, though I am unsure as to why it was there.
-Chas
Charles
I saw the same WorkBench screen here in Chesapeake, Ohio, so I would say
it definitely originated from NASA.
Don (Dish owner)
Lots of cable companies use amigas!!! Ours here uses one too and I have
seen the guru visit it more than once!!
Mike
There is a company that uses Amigas to produce a cable directory listing
which shows times & channels of shows that will be on that day. It is sold
to various cable comapnies to use on their systems, and works very well.
Every few minutes, graphic shots appear showing ads for local vendors. They
are created in Deluxe Paint, and are obvious Amiga style.
Joe that's most likely what I have seen here too. BUT as far as I know and
I am a heavy watcher of NASA Select there are no amiga graphics there.
I _have_ heard that NASA does use Amigas, as well as SDI for missile
attack/defense simulation, but I do not know how accurate those reports
are; CBM should publish a "fact sheet" about high-tech users and maintain
it on Internet and/or CIS as well as BIX!
Also, the Israeli Air Force uses them as part of their combat flight
simulators to maintain map info; I have seen pics of that setup (along with
an SGI workstation or two!) -Scott
I was only refering to the use of amigas as part of NASA Select TV. As far
as I've seen there are none there used as a part of the uplink.
I was wondering about the "factuality" of Amigas in use by NASA since I had
heard that they used them for _something_……any ideas where or how, if
at all? -Scott
None by me but NASA does have a BBS. I dont have the number here but I am
sure it's available in the space forum here on CIS.
Greg White is not around right now, or I have not seen him lately, but Greg
is a video consultant working in Houston. Some years back, he was working
with the video at NASA – was in charge of it, I think. He now works as a
consultant, and works with the people at NASA who are using Amigas. I know
that they have bought quite a few of them, and use them, but I don't know
for what. I do know that people from NASA seem to attend all of the Amiga
shows and conferences. I've met them there.
Betty
Betty! Thank you! I will keep my eyes open for Greg White….I am curious
about NASA….I suppose all of us who watched the moon walk on TV kind of
have a soft spot for space! I have seen pics around on BBS's here and
there that were supposedly made at NASA in conjunction with one project or
another, mostly visualizations of proposed space stations,etc. But they
have never been verified…. Thanx! -scott
How can you say that when the screen I see right now looks like it could
probably be an Amiga graphics screen. The text you are seeing is probably
done using the ProVideo fonts, etc etc.
While they do not use the Amiga for Bit-mapped images, it seems as if they
are using it as a character generator.
Anything is possible. All I am saying is that I watch the channel quite a
bit and in the direct downlink I have never seen the guru appear. On a
local cable rebroadcast of it's downlink then a guru is possible as I have
seen them here on our local cable link.
I was the one who reported seeing it, and it was through Media General
Cable company in Fairfax, VA. They have a channel that is nothing but
NASA orientated.
I doubt it was a cable shot. Now that the system is working, I can see text
titles and information which can very well be an Amiga displaying genlocked
text over the TV.