Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!apple!vsi1!frame!glc
From: glc@frame.UUCP (Greg Cockroft)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: NewVista Graphics Cards for Mac II
Message-ID: <3544@frame.UUCP>
Date: 29 May 89 19:16:58 GMT
Reply-To: glc@frame.com (Greg Cockroft)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Frame Technology Corp. San Jose, Calif.
Lines: 44
Disclaimer: Author Is Responsibility For Contents


>I would like to hear from anyone who has used and/or programmed on a Mac II
>with a NewVista graphics card (from the same people that make TARGA cards).

I have recently done some consulting work with a new startup called
Avid Technology. The product is an offline video editing system, it 
uses the NuVista in a Mac to digitize video to disk at 30 fps, and also to
play back edited video sequences from disk at 30 fps.  The goal is not 
broadcast quality video, but the best quality you can get at 30 fps to 
disk using the current available hardware.

The NuVista has performed quite nicely. It has alot of registers, so programming
the thing directly is very difficult.  But, you can run the thing as a 
regular memory mapped Mac framebuffer, and never have to worry about 
programming the thing directly, unless you are doing custom software.
It feels a tad bit slower than the standard Mac color board in memory
mapped mode. But that is one users impression.


>6. What kind of software comes with the card (CDEVs for resolution control
>   digitization...etc)

A setup program comes with the board for downloading drivers to handle
different resolutions.


>7. Any recomendations on monitors?  Particularly large screen color or B&W
>   multisync.

I am using the NEC mutisync monitor, and have been very happy.

>8. If you want to digitize or record composite video on a VCR or TV set, do
>   you need an external encoder to convert RGB to composite?

TrueVision sells a Vid/IO box which converts both ways between NTSC & RGB.

I have only been interested in input from NTSC, so I haven't tried recording.

Personally I wouldn't buy the board as my only video card. I currently have
the board wedged playing around with 32 bit quickdraw, and a 32 bit driver.
In fact my Mac II won't boot with the card installed. 


	-greg.