From: logan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Logan Shaw)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.animation
Subject: Realtime broadcast quality (Re: Hardware for non-realtime animation)
Date: 28 Sep 92 22:47:35 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <1992Sep22.155818.12558@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com> jgrimm@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com (Jeffrey Grimmett 9999) writes:
>In article <1992Sep21.173732.23378@sco.com> brianm@sco.com (Brian Moffet) writes:
>>jgrimm@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com (Jeffrey Grimmett 9999) writes:
>>a single frame-recorder.  The Amiga, no matter how good a machine it might
>>be, cannot handle 30 fps at what could be considered NTSC resolutions
>>of complex images. 
>
>Personally, I'd PREFER to go to a single frame recorder.  I certainly wouldn't
>want to carry my computer around on my back to show my animations, and while
>it might be nice to go real-time to tape, it's pretty ludicrous to assume
>that anyone that can afford a higher-end system like that couldn't afford
>a good SF recorder.
>
>Besides -- unless you're talking a stock A500/2000 with 1/2 meg graphics
>momory and 7 MHz clock speed, Amigii are very capable of spinning out 30fps
>animations direct from the hard drive, at high res (interlace) and 4K+ color
>mode.  Please don't turn this newgroup into a computerwar forum.  I had
>*hoped* that misinformation could be left for the .advocacy newsgroups.

An article appeared recently in comp.sys.amiga.announce that I thought was
relevant.  The body is included here in its entirety.  (There is another
article in comp.sys.amiga.announce on the other product referred to in the
quoted posting.)

-------beginning-of-included-posting-----
>From ut-emx!cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!ucdavis!toadflax.cs Mon Sep 28 17:27:32 CDT 1992

(below is the text from the flyer handed out at the WOC by DMI.  Any typos
are the result of using OCR software to get it into computer format, but
I'm pretty sure I caught them all.  Content-free hype has been removed
where possible)

Digital Editmaster

- Full-motion JPEG Technology
- Real-time 30fps Video Capture
- Real-time Video Display & Recording
- Frame-by-frame Recording
- Direct 32 bit Pixel Bus
- Full Screen Non-linear Editing
- SMPTE Time Code Read & Write

The Digital EditMaster system from Digital Micronics,  Inc. allows you to
edit and produce professional quality video productions on your Commodore
A2000 or A3000.  It is the only video editing system for the Amiga that lets
you capture in real time full-screen NTSC, PAL and SVHS video to a standard
Amiga hard drive at 30 frames per second (25  fps for PAL), edit your
production and then output the final results in real time to a standard
video tape recorder.

REAL-TIME VIDEO CAPTURE - DMI's Digital EditMaster system records NTSC, PAL
or SVHS from a video camera or VCR directly to the standard hard disk drive
in the Commodore Amiga.  The heart of the system is the video compression
board which digitizes, compresses and stores video segments onto the hard
drive in real time.

REAL-TIME VIDEO DISPLAY AND RECORDING - DMI's video compression board
decompresses the stored video segments from the hard drive in real time,
delivering full screen, broadcast quality video frames to an NTSC, PAL or
SVHS recorder or monitor.  Making the final master of the production is as
simple as hooking up a VCR or Laser disk recorder and pressing record. 

COMPUTER ANIMATOR'S DREAM COME TRUE - The Digital EditMaster system is a
Computer Animator's  dream come true. Typical animation frames can be
compressed and stored to the hard drive on a frame-by-frame basis. The
animation can then be played back in real time, directly to tape, without
the aid of an expensive frame-by-frame recorder.  Video clips and computer
animations can be combined very easily to produce a final production.

NON-LINEAR EDITING SOFTWARE - Stored video segments can be edited, modified
and played back to tape.  DMl's Digital EditMaster software allows instant
access to any number of video segments stored on the hard drive, giving
complete creative freedom and flexibility to the editor.

THE DMI BUS - Supports the DMI 32-bit pixel bus which allows direct 32-bit
connectivity with DMl's Vivid 24 (TM) graphics co-processor for complete
digital transfer of data to and from the Digital EditMaster compression
board.

AUDIO - The Digital EditMaster system and sound  boards from SunRize
Industries are fully integrated using SMPTE time code for simultaneous
digitizing and editing of  both the audio and video tracks.

Based on full motion JPEG technology, using the LSI Logic chipset, the
Digital EditMaster system works in full screen, real-time NTSC (30 fps), PAL
(25 fps), and SVHS broadcast quality resolutions.  The digital video
compression  board digitizes the analog video signal, from any standard
NTSC, PAL and SVHS format video device, and then compresses the digital
frames to the hard drive in real time.  Video compression ratios are user
selectable, from between 15:1 and 70:1.  Editing is done on an NTSC, PAL, or
15kHz-capable RGB monitor.  The final edited production is decompressed,
encoded back to a composite signal and recorded to any standard NTSC, PAL or
SVHS format video device.

Suggested List Price: $2495.00

Digital Micronics, Inc.

2075 Corte del Nogal, Suite 'N'
Carlsbad, CA 92009
(619)931-8554 FAX: (619)931-8516

Specifications and prices subject to change without notice.  Commodore and
Amiga and registered trademarks of Commodore Amiga, Inc.  Digital EditMaster
is a trademark of Digital Micronics, Inc.

--
Please see monthly postings for the disclaimer, the introduction, the charter,
and submission instructions.  Comments to zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu.
MAIL ALL COMP.SYS.AMIGA.ANNOUNCE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO announce@cs.ucdavis.edu.
-------end-of-included-posting-----

Hope this information proves interesting.  As I said, this can be found
in comp.sys.amiga.announce.

Adios,
  Logan
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Newsgroups: comp.graphics.animation