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From: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: CDTV News
Message-ID: <13648@uwm.edu>
Date: 1 Jul 91 02:08:46 GMT
References: <1991Jun30.233052.6568@news.iastate.edu>
Sender: news@uwm.edu
Reply-To: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
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Originator: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu

From article <1991Jun30.233052.6568@news.iastate.edu>, by barrett@iastate.edu (Barrett Marc N):
>    That is a pack of lies straight out of hell.  For one thing, the 
> MAC IIci, IIsi, and LC all have VERY nice 8-bit graphic cards built-in.

No, they don't.  They have nice output, but the way they get there is
bad.  Almost any 8-bit nubus card can beat the pants off of them.
That's pretty much common knowledge.  The cards built onto the
motherboards stink.

> I don't see how you can say that the cards aren't any good, as the graphics
> are VERY sharp and vibrant on the Apple color monitors.  Also, Apple

Fine and dandy, yes.  But the way they get there sucks.  Slower than
almost any other card out there.

> currently produces the 8/24GC graphics card which does do impressive
> animations in full 24-bit color on a 640x480 non-interlaced display.

And how much would that be???  Not the cost of a single chip, that's
damned sure.  You say you want "cheap 24-bit graphics".  Don't expect
it to cost less than it does on any other platform.  What exactly is
your idea of cheap?  600 bucks????  That would be about how much it
would cost, bare minimum.  Let's take a peek at reality and how much
can actually be put onto a chip.  Are 24bit graphics cards one chip?
Not exactly.

>    Similar, but better.  First, CD-I had DYUV first.  Secondly, on the
> CD-I machines, DYUV can be combined with other graphics modes, to produce
> striking effects.  I think Mr. Darling once mentioned something about how

Playfields, my friend, it's called playfields.  And I suppose that if
the chipset itself supported it, it would be possible.  But I don't
expect to see DYUV chipset.  Probably ham, more likely.  DYUV is extra
chips, and that would mean a redesign, and a loss of compatibility,
and therefore less market penetration, resulting in software that
probably wouldn't support it.  It's got to fit on one chip, don't
forget.  Everything you want, on one chip.  Otherwise, it's not a
direct replacement, and it will be an add on card.  And for that,
you'll need DIG, and chips on that card that can replicate the current
graphics modes, and that would be an ideal situation.  DIG is
important in that respect, because you wouldn't be able to drop 4
blitters into an amiga now.  And the cost of it would be pretty damned
expensive, not to mention the probable fact that they'd have to be
designed to work together...

> ieasy it would be to produce a 256,000-color background with a 32,000-
> color animation overlaid, along with transparency effects to boot.  This
> is not possible with DCTV, or any of the other Amiga third-party products
> for that matter.  

ColorBurst can handle it, only in real 24-bit RGB.  Once it's out, it
has planned software support in the productivity realm.  Something
like ColorBurst can do MORE than what the CD-I stuff is.  And it would
be in RGB, not DYUV.

Greg

-- 
Socrates:  "I drank WHAT????"
LMFAP:  "Next time you see me, it won't be me."
Wubba:  "A dream is nothing more than a wish dipped in chocolate and sprinkled
with a little imagination." (From my poem, "A Dream")			-Wubba