Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!mmdf
From: S36666WB%ETSUACAD.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu (Brian Wright)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: What is DCTV?!!? (was Re:DCTV from Digital Creations)
Message-ID: <30299@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 13 Sep 90 12:01:30 GMT
Sender: mmdf@ee.udel.edu
Lines: 72

On 12 Sep 90 05:35:05 GMT you said:
>(I'm sure I'll be flamed if I'm getting this wrong, but I don't care. =)
>
>Isn't DCTV the box which gets 256 screen colors by intercepting a 640x400
>16 color screen and combining each pair a pixels (4 bits each) into one
>8-bit pixel?  I know there is a box like this. In this case, all well and
>good, you get 256 out of 16million (I think) colors, but only in 320x400
>(or variations... not 640 mode at any rate).  This could be a consideration.

No it isn't.  That is Ham-E you are thinking of.  DCTV is a Full NTSC
color palette frame buffer.  DCTV is reliant on Amiga's chip ram for it's
display.  Since DCTV isn't based on a BITPLANE configuration, but rather a
proprietory compressesion/decompression display technique using Amiga's
Hi Res screen for display and the decoder box for decompression of image.
This technique will also allow for REAL-TIME painting in "24 bit"
color using almost the FULL NTSC palette.  From the ad that I have seen in
the October AmigaWhirled it looks to be an up and coming frame buffer.
The person I spoke with at Digital Creations tried to convey to me the
power of their REAL-TIME FULL NTSC palette paint package.  He said that it
was really powerful in features.  DCTV hooks between your RGB port and your
parallel port.  The reason for the parallel connection, according to DC, is
for the 24 bit digitizer built into this WUNDERBOX.  Software will include the
paint package as described above as well as conversion programs from all of
the popular 3D 24 bit formats to DCTV format.  The BOX has an RGB port pass
for your RGB monitor and an NTSC connection for your VCR or composite monitor.
The composite connection will display the correct DCTV format Image while
turning all other screens black.  The RGB monitor will show correct
windows and icons, but not show the DCTV image other than a green mush.  A
promised RGB adapter will allow for viewing of 24 bit images on an RGB
monitor while keeping the other screen's imagery visible as well.  Essentially
becoming another native painting mode on the Amiga.

As I mentioned above, DCTV also includes a digitizer/framegrabber.  Because
of the limitations on the parallel port the image will be required to be
still for about 6 seconds for a complete still.  DCTV also digitizes those
images in 24 bit color.

Some other software included is conversion utilities for HAM->DCTV and
DCTV->HAM.

The only problem that I can forsee with this product is the proprietory
compression/decompression of imagery and the imbeded codes within the image.
DCTV images will have to be manipulated following the conventions of DCTV
in order to remain viewable ALL the time.  In other words, neither DPAINTIII,
Photon Paint, nor Digipaint will do for editing DCTV's image format.  If these
packages pick up the format it will be possible.  That is providing DC will
allow for support of their image format.  I would expect that they would.

I think I have saved the best for last.  The price...  The Ad price of this
product is listed at $495.  Creative Computers has it listed for just under
$400 in the October issue of AmigaFluff.  Now, I just CAN'T wait to SEE one in
person. :-)

>I saw the box that did this at the World of Amiga and it did quite a good
>job. The actual screen in 640x400 16 color looked pretty funny though... (=

I'd like to see Ham-E too.  But I think it is a bit more limited and I don't
think it is a digitizer...

>Ceej
>aka Chris Hillery
>ceej@pawl.rpi.edu

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||___________________________________               ---UNKNOWN---      ||
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||---Brian Wright                    |     / /                         ||
||---s36666wb@etsuacad.etsu.edu      | \ \/ /  Only Amiga              ||
||---Commercial Artist and Amigaphile|  \/\/      Makes It Possible!!  ||
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