Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!masscomp!calvin!mark
From: mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: 24 bit color output
Message-ID: <61530@masscomp.ccur.com>
Date: 11 Dec 90 16:49:15 GMT
References: <9613@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: news@masscomp.ccur.com
Reply-To: mark@calvin.westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson)
Organization: Concurrent Computer Corp. Westford MA.
Lines: 39

In article <9613@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> morgan@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Alan Morgan) writes:
>I have been reading comp.sys.amiga on the various 24 bit graphics
>cards available for the Amiga and I notice that some people have
>been saying "xyz doesn't give 24 bit output, it just stores colors
>and manipulates them with 24 bits internally".  Is there anything
>for the Amiga that outputs 24bit color to the screen thus giving
>16.4 million colors on screen at once, or do I just misunderstand
>what I read (not an uncommon occurance :-) ).

OK, here is the bottom line on 24 bit frame buffers:

Firecracker: 24 bit frame buffer with 24 bit output in RGB
Toaster: 24 bit frame buffer with 24 bit output in NTSC composite
Color Burst: 24 bit frame buffer with 24 bit output in RGB
MediaMaster32(?): 24 bit frame buffer with 24 bit output in NTSC (RGB?)
HAM-E and DCTV are not 24 bit frame buffers.

RGB outputs will always give you better color than NTSC, HOWEVER, this
does NOT mean a board with NTSC outpt is not 24 bit output. It merely
means that you cannot truely see the full color fidelity that RGB
gives you. Therefore, the Firecracker will give you a better picture
than the Toaster, but the Toaster still has 24 bit output (NTSC just
can't reproduce it).

Each of the above products has its own application.

Firecracker & ColorBurst: High quality true color COMPUTER graphics
Toaster & MediaMaster32: True color broadcast VIDEO graphics
HAM-E & DCTV: Low resolution near true color allowing animation!

Note that both the ColorBurst and MediaMaster32 are still both vapor.

Hope this clears things up.
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|  Mark Thompson                                                           |
|  mark@westford.ccur.com                                                  |
|  ...!{decvax,uunet}!masscomp!mark   Designing high performance graphics  |
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