Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!icecave!roger_earl
From: roger_earl@icecave.wimsey.bc.ca (Roger Earl)
Message-ID: <roger_earl.6841@icecave.wimsey.bc.ca>
Organization: Animatrix
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Amiga Color Capabilities
Date: 30 Apr 91 00:05:12 PDT

alec_vondjidis@icecave.wimsey.bc.ca (Alec Vondjidis) writes...
>A friend of mine owns an Amiga and claims that it gives him 4096 simultaneous
>colors.  i then read messages that imply that the Amiga is only capable of
>showing 32 of these colors when outputing to a VCR.  Then I am told that
>Workbench can only show 4 colors at a time.  Then someone says text looks
>"lousy" on an Amiga because it is 320X200 non interlaced or 320X400
>interlaced, and then someone says the Amiga is a wonderful DTP machine
>because it is capable of resolutions of 2,000X2,000 (on what monitor BTW?)
>Could someone from Commodore, or some of you Amiga advocated, PLEASE post a
>message explaining resolutions and colors that the Amiga is capable of,
>under both Workbenches.

Hmmm, I'm that friend, and since you have posted this message I have explained
a little about the Amiga's HAM mode.  HAM is a graphics mode and not a
Workbench productivity display.
The text that 'looks lousy' is on 640x200 non-interlaced, with a flicker in
640x400 interlaced.  As far as WB2.0 and the Expanded Chip Sets go, with a 1
meg Agnus, 640x480 non-interlaced will be the norm (or so I am told) as long
as you have the monitor to show it (A VGA will do).  With a 2 meg Agnus
(A3000) productivity screens up to 1240x1240 are possible.
As far as colors go, there is no further limitations when outputting to a VCR
thru composite than using a monitor (the colors may bleed due to the nature
of composite, but the Amiga composite output is actually quite good).

I don't know the full details of what resolutions are possible with the ECS
and WB2.0, but I can imagine possibilities of a 1 meg Agnus.  I guess I'll
just have to wait for WB2.0 to be sure.

                                                __________
                                               |  ______  |
   ________                                    | |      | |
  | ______ |      'But that isn't a fair       | |      | |
  ||      ||       comparison.  People         | |______| |
  ||______||      like the Etch-A-Sketch.'     |          |
  | o    o |                                   | _ _ _ _ _|
  |________|                                  (|__________|\
                                              |     ________)_
Roger Earl                                   [^]   |          |
roger_earl@icecave.wimsey.bc.ca              [_]   |__________|