From: jbono@tension.UUCP (John Bono)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.multimedia
Subject: Re: Amiga v. Mac (multimedia/video-editing)
Date: 2 Sep 92 00:17:46 EST
Organization: High Tension BBS

In article <oivindi.1@dhhalden.no>, oivindi@dhhalden.no (OIVIND IDSO) writes:
>Heeeelllloooo.
>
>I am thinking of getting into video editing the computer-way, and I have 
>read a lot about QuickTime for the Mac.
>
>However, I know the Amiga is quite a powerful multimedia machine, too, but
>I'm not sure how it rates against QuickTime.
>
>So could someone on the Amiga-side please answer me on the following:
>
>1. Does the Amiga have programs like Adobe Premiere or DiVA Videoshop, that
>   allows editing and sequencing of recorded videoclips (that is MOVING 
>   video!) and sound?
>
>2. If yes, what are the names of these programs?
>
>3. What video-recording cards are available today? And how many frames pr. 
>   second do they record?
>
>4. How good is the quality of the recorded movies (subjective question)?
>
>5. How fast are the programs (screen updating, playback etc.)?
>
>6. Which machine is required (as a minimum)?
>
>I would also appreciate any additional comments on whatever I need to know 
>regarding the Amiga and moving video (I know it's hard, but try to be 
>objective when comparing the Amiga v. Mac!).
>
>
>Oivind   (oivindi@sofus.dhhalden.no)
>
>*****************************************************************
>*                         * Disclaimer: These are the opinions  *
>* "Potatoe"  - Dan Quayle *             of me, myself and I.    *
>*                         *             Ergo, not my employer.  *
>*****************************************************************
>Oivind (oivindi@sofus.dhhalden.no)
>
>*****************************************************************
>*                         * Disclaimer: These are the opinions  *
>* "Potatoe"  - Dan Quayle *             of me, myself and I.    *
>*                         *             Ergo, not my employer.  *
>*****************************************************************
>
>         T H I S   S I G N A T U R E   I S   N O T   V E R Y   
>                            O R I G I N A L !
First question is do you plan to send the completed video to tape?  If you do,
then Quicktime is completely out of the question.  The resolution and framerate
are poor on anything except a Quadra, and on a Quadra, it is tolerable(not
fast, but the framing isn't *real* noticeable). 
 
The Amiga doesn't have an Equivalent to quicktime in that the audio is part of
the same file with the sound, however, a package like Amigavision(which comes
free with any Amiga with 1M or more) can assemble audio and video together
easily enough.  As far as recording video is concerned, the *only* platform
that can even *claim* to do a good job of recording video is DVI.  Having seen
quicktime digitizers and Amiga frame grabbers, the only platform I have seen
record video on the fly is a DVI card(at least record realtime).  However,
DVI's typically *require* a 600M disk and a 486 with 8 or 12M of ram.  The best
solution is a frame grabber with a frame accurate videotape.  That way you can
record a series of frames from tape, save them as individual files, and
reassemble them as a completed anim.  As far as animation speed is concerned,
an Amiga is the *fastest* platform available--period, end of sentence.  An
Amiga 500 will *easily*, and I do mean *easily* keep up and outrun a Mac IIfx
at animation, depending on the animation being run, and the amount of being
played alongside the anim(the more sound, the faster the Amiga appears in
comparison, since sound does not use the cpu).  To put this in perspective, an
Amiga 500 is a 7.16mhz 68000 chip(which is 16 bit), and the FX is a 40mhz 68030
chip(a 32 bit chip).  As a display unit, the 500 is good enough, provided you
give it enough ram.  To do authoring, an A3000(or if you wait, an A4000) is
preferable.  If you plan to render to videotape, the best system to use is the
Amiga, even if you don't use the toaster.
 
John
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.multimedia,comp.sys.amiga.misc