Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!udel!mmdf
From: C503719@umcvmb.missouri.edu (Baird McIntosh)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: All this Flicker-Fixer/ECS discussion
Message-ID: <3241@lab.udel.EDU>
Date: 3 Nov 89 00:52:24 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 48

Several people have shown interest in buying MicroWay's Flicker-Fixer.  Then
someone else (Bob <....> of Pro-Graphics?) says the Flicker-Fixer fixes a
non-problem, namely interlace flicker.  I'd like to put the arguments for and
against the FF into perspective here if I may.  (and I may bunge it up anyway)

FLICKER-FIXER:
First of all, what do you get with the Flicker-Fixer?  You get flicker-free
400 vertical-line displays.  This could be 320x400 HAM, 320x400 normal (2-64
colors), or 640x400 hi-res (2-16 colors) OR any of those with your favorite
overscan resolution thrown in.  Now, the 16 colors in hi-res can be ANY of the
Amiga's 4096 colors;  for example a grey-scale.  This would be good for
people who need flicker-free multi-color CAD displays or a 16-color graphics
terminal (color X11?) or for desktop publishing.  Obviously, flicker is a
real feature when you're talking about video applications, but there are
times when one may need flicker-free 16-color hi-res.  MicroWay has released
a modification for the FF to allow the use of a genlock while the FF is still
plugged in (I assume this mod. just turns interlace back on).

To use the FF, you pay something like $450-599 for the actual board and then
you need a multi-sync monitor which costs maybe $500+ (not sure of price).

ECS:
On the other hand, with ECS you can have a Productivity Mode that gives a
screen res. of 640x480 (note: not 640x400!) like that of a Mac II, but you
are limited to 4 colors (2-bitplanes) out of a palette of 64 colors.  This
is great for a professional looking Workbench, but it may not be adequate for
hi-res CAD, DTP, or other multi-color work.  I would be interested if anyone
knows exactly which 64 colors (RGB values) the user can pick from to make the
4 color screen.  One final note:  I read in Amiga Sentry that the ECS also
supports a 1008x800 greyscale display.  I think that this is an interlaced
display (i.e. flicker).  The ECS also has many other special attributes that
will make it a must-have for video work.

To use the ECS you need to purchase it when it finally gets here ($ ?) and
you need a multi-sync or perhaps a Commodore bi-sync (less expensive but non-
existant right now).

QUESTIONS:
Does the flicker-fixer work with 1008x800 greyscale displays with the current
chips and a custom driver/monitor?  I thought that you could open a 1008x800
window with some custom drivers for a Viking monitor with the current chip
set.  Is this true?

I hope I have given factual info, and maybe someone with ECS knowledge
and/or knowledge of the 1008x800 resolution could answer the questions I have.

# Baird McIntosh  "Oh it doesn't seem like this Blue Sky's here for me..."   #
# INTERNET: c503719@umcvmb.missouri.edu <-or-> BITNET: c503719@umcvmb.bitnet #