Video Help/GVP
6 messages in this thread
@ Anyone Video Help/GVP S11 RE; I am considering buying the GVP Impulse 24
video board. If anyone has had experience with this product please tell me
what you think. I am just getting started with video and know little. I
want something that will display 24 bit, allow live viewing of TV and VHS
with capturing of same, and record output of the Amiga on to VHS. Will
this product do this or is additional equipment needed. Any help or
opinions appreciated.
David
– via Whap!
David,
I bought a IV24 board from GVP back in October. I just upgraded from
version 1.2 ROM to 2.0, as well as some software upgrading. I haven't had
a chance to test out the new software much, but the firmware have made the
board extremely stable. Prior to the upgrade, the board was very heat
sensitive, and software setting which control the hardware had to be
modified to different setting as the computer warmed up from being off all
day, to its normal temperature after being on. Failure to do these
modifications caused a unstable video image (but now this problem is gone).
It is a very nice board, albeit expensive. The bundled software is
mostly a disappointment. CaligariIV24 is a crippled version of a program
that (in my opinion) is not as good as Imagine. The full function version
is sold to IV24 owners for a paltry $900! MacroPaint uses the 24 bit
screen, but the original gamma release was buggy as h*ll. I haven't really
had much time to test the latest version, but I can tell you that it isn't
as "user-friendly" as DPaint. Scala is also bundled with the board, but it
doesn't use the 24 bit function, and only works with the genlocking
feature.
As far as the board itself, the picture-in-picture feature is great.
Keep in mind that inorder to use this feature, you must be able to supply
the board with an RGB input signal (you would need a S-VHS or composite to
RGB converter inorder to use a VCR). The signal quality depends on the
signal source. The best results I have got, is with my Pioneer CLD-3090
LaserDisc. This player contains its own time base corrector, so the signal
is very good. VCR's do not have built in time base correctors, so the
quality of the tape is important. I have one SVHS tape that produces a
very stable signal. Other standard tapes give an adequate signal, others
produce severe "tearing" distortions and jumping of the entire screen.
When the board is set for genlocking (which must be done during a
warmboot), it is only as stable as the video signal that is being input
[ MORE ]
Roy, you say that you use a S-VHS signal with your IV24? I thought that
the board required a RGB computer signal for it's PIP features? Are you
running your CLD-3090 through a SVHS–>RGB converter? If so, where did you
find one? Thanks….
John,
My video converter can accept either composite or Y/C input (I prefer
the later, which is easily obtained from my S-VHS machine, a Mitsubishi
U-80, which supplies tape, tuner, as well as the Y/C signal pass-thru from
my CLD-3090. The converter is made by Harmonic Research (Tel #
201-652-3277), Model VC-101.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
-RSL-
That sounds like a real nice device (the Harmonic Research video–>RGB
converter). I'll keep their name/# around for future reference. Thanks
for the info.
–jp–seattle–
[ continuation ]
to it. If you give it a poor signal (or no signal), your monitor will be
unreadable, even if you are not using the picture-in-picture, or genlocking
at the time. The perfect solution is to wire a time base corrector into
the video input (but then, those devices cost $1,000).
In short, the IV24 board is a beautiful piece of hardware, but inorder
to make it FULLY functional, you will have to expend even more money after
having spent a good sum acquiring it!
If you have any other questions feel free to ask me!
-RSL-