From: wai@taumsauk.ecn.purdue.edu (Benjamin Wai)
Subject: Video-editing Hardwares Summary I: Comments and Replys.
Followup-To: poster
Organization: School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 20:02:37 GMT


Here is the summary of all info I received on Video Editing Hardwares during
September in Comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware/misc, Rec.arts.anime and Purdue.general. 
I apologise for the two week delay on posting this summary. Workload did not 
permit me much free time. I will still gladly to receive anymore information, 
advices or comments over this field as my quest of searching for a good 
video-editing hardware for my 486 continues. If necessary, I will post 
another updated summary when something new comes up.

I have divided and rearranged all information I received into two files:
1)  comments and replies
2)  hardware info (Video Blaster, VGA Video Gala, Video Vision, TapeCaster)

I would like to thanks especially to the following people for their 
contribution of knowledges and experiences:

o Kevin Prater <10666281@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au> 
o Teemu Mottonen <tmottone@cc.helsinki.fi>
o Bill Oswald <BL0528540 wao@aluxs.att.com>
o Charles Ingalz  <ingalz@cji.Eng.Sun.COM>
o Clarence Choi <cchoi@ra.cs.umb.edu>
o Mario Pacheco <@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU:U20565@UICVM>
o Tommy Hwang (thwang@mentor.cc.purdue.edu)

I hope this summary will be useful in any ways.
Thank you again for the supports.

- Benjamin Wai  < wai@cn.ecn.purdue.edu > < wai@sage.cc.purdue.edu >
  10/10/1992


 Personal opinion
==================
In general, the responses for video editing hardwares for PC is not en-
couraging. Chioces are limited and few offer complete field of workability 
at a price suitable for end users. I believe the video-editing for PC has yet 
to catch the attention of the public and grow out of its present immature 
state. (The Multimedia PC standard seemed to motivate the rapid advancement 
of most aspects of PCs except video editing/animations... The Mac seemed to
be doing quite well, on the other hand.)
If to be professional, it is also worth looking at the option of having 
New-Tech's Video Toaster though an Amiga platform connecting to the IBM.
(Refered to Tommy Hwang and Mario Pacheco's replies.) 
(But one has also got a free working Amiga in this config as well... )
 
 Personally, I would wait a little longer. I have a strong favour over 
 the Video Blaster from Creative Lab but I wouldn't touch it until
 it provides a full screen display, output options, and shorter in length.

 - B.W.

 Comments:
==========

 From: Clarence Choi <cchoi@ra.cs.umb.edu>
 (Video Blaster)
  Just don't get the Video blaster, it does not do any real video editing .
  It does not even has an NTSC output. It just has a snapshot.

 From: <@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU:tychay@CitJulie> (Terrence Y. Chay)
 (Video Blaster)
  Personally, if i wanted to do real video work i'd get an amiga w/ video-
  toaster of course, i don't (hence my interest in 486's) and i don't have 
  the $$ for that either unless i sell my mac iici

 Replies:
==========

 From: 10666281@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (KEVIN PRATER)
 (Video Blaster)
  I have heard on the vine that Video Blaster are set to release a new card 
  at the end of this year. This one will have write to video functions which
  as I understand aren't on the current version. I saw a card the other day 
  that had three input sources, ie video, laser disk, and camera cos t was 
  $995 Australian shall look the spec's up if you want. 

 From: aluxs!wao (BL0528540-Bill Oswald ) (wao@aluxs.att.com)
 (Video Blaster)
  I have found out that this is a common problem for the blaster. It was 
  suggested that I move the card as faraway from the power supply and other 
  cards as possible. Also Creative Labs suggested that I install a filter 
  between the hard drive and the power supply. Of course they did not offer 
  to give me a part number or supplier for this part. More as I receive it.

 From: ingalz@cji.Eng.Sun.COM (Charles Ingalz [Contractor])
 (Video Blaster)
  I have considered getting the VB, but didn't fork out the $350 for several 
  reasons.  There is visible picture distortion when there is fast motion over 
  much of the scrhce  it limits your resolution modes in MS windows to ONLY 
  640 x 480, and you cannot have more than 15 MB in your system or it will
  screw up (I have 16MB and cannot change since 4 simm slots is the minimum 
  for a 48 6 and I only have 4-megx9's).

  The video overlay options are limited and it does not offer s-video for 
  increased luma bandwidth, so it really isn't a good titler either.  Not to 
  mention there isn't any sof tware for subtitling (my purpose).

  Also, only video cards with a standard feature connector will work with the 
  VB.

  It really is only a toy, and the cost says so.  Your best bet is to wait 
  until there are better cards which offer more capability.  I bet you wont 
  have to wait long, the VB's are selling like hotcakes and the competitors 
  probably have some tricks up their sleev too.

  The display quality is pretty good thoug i but I wasn't impressed with the 
  rest.


 From: * <@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU:U20565@UICVM> Mario Pacheco
 (Video Toaster, Amiga)
  You are looking at the WRONG platform. While the PCs may be dominate as 
  business machines, another machine dominates video editing. The Commodore 
  Amiga. Along with a product called the "Video Toaster" it can manipulate 
  video and do all kinds of transformations like you might see during a news-
  cast whce then, but nonetheless it surpassed anything the PC could do as far 
  as desktop pu blishing. Same here. You can't beat the Commodore Amiga with 
  Newtek's Video Toaster. I was disgusted to he re what the Mac version of 
  Newtek's product really was..... a video toaster inserted into an Amiga 
  with an interface card for a Macintosh, with the Commodore label gone. 
  Basically this product was released in that form because Newtek figured 
  that most Mac people were too brain damaged or that these same people might 
  see the idea of owning an Amiga too iconoclastlack box Amiga" and therefore 
  paying a premium for it.

  The most amazing thing about the Video Toaster is its price. $1500. That and 
  the fact that it does what $50,000 of professional video editing equipment 
  does. Of course you need an Amiga. The minimum would be an Amiga 2000. 
  Nothing on the PC market compares to it. In fact outside of reading it 
  briefly in Amiga mags (I don't own one but occasionally read about it)
  the Video Toaster was featured in PC Magazine. Yes an Amiga product in a 
  PC magazine, "PC Magazine," Ziff-Davis Publishing. Why, because like the 
  Mac/Pagemaker/Laserwriter stood out in its time, the Video Toaster for the 
  Amiga does as well.

  While the Amiga and for that matter, Atari ST computers, aren't exactly the 
  mainstream they have they're niches. If you're doing MIDI, that only means 
  one thing. Atari ST. The MIDI software for the Atari ST computers is more 
  sophisticated than anything you can do with MS-Windows. Like the Amiga/Video 
  Toaster combo as well as the forementioned Mac combo, the Atari stands out 
  because not only its ability but price. You can purchase a decent Atari ST 
  (all models have a MIDI port) for $500. Add to that the best MIDI software 
  on the market and you have an unmatched machine. 

  The reason I mention the Atari and Mac/Pagemaker combos is that I want to 
  give you the idea that there's only one computer for video editing. 
  The Amiga. 
  > From an objective standpoint, I don't own one mind you. As well as to 
  prevent you from falling into the same mentality that Newtek has guaged 
  Mac owners to be in. Specifically that these people's prejudice/ignorance 
  blocks out the fact that their "Macintosh Video Toaster" is an Amiga in 
  disguise. The Mac becomes one VERY EXPENSIVE KEYBOARD.....

  Hope this helps,
  Mario Pacheco

  P.S. By the way.... I don't have a prejudice against Mac owners, although 
  you might infer it as such. I own one. I'm not your typical Mac owner though.
  The Macintosh to me means THINK C, Toolbox, QuickDraw, etc.

From: thwang@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Tommy Hwang)
 (Video Toaster/Amiga platform on IBM)

     The amazing realm of low-cost, professional video desktop editing
and special effects of Video Toaster is no longer limited to Amiga users.
Now, with the "ToasterLink for Machintosh," NewTek has expanded the       
"ToasterWorld" to include other users in addition to the Amiga Users.
The "ToasterLink for IBM" has been planned to be released by next year.
     Mr. Bob Fulton, sales representative at NewTek, indicated that the
"ToasterLink" package is basically a software package with a parallel
connector that links any Amiga (A500, A2000, A2500, A3000, A3000T/040, 
or A4000) as an external peripherial to the controlling unit (eg. 
Machintosh or IBM).  This package will permit the Machintosh or IBM to
operate the Video Toaster 2.0 with realitive ease as an Amiga would.  The 
complete setup for the Video Toaster and the "ToasterLink for Machintosh" 
is $2,990.00 plus the Amiga of your choice (about $10,000) and a "Time 
Base Correction board"($800-$1800)- Machintosh or IBM compatible computer 
not included).  Similar pricing is expected for the "ToasterLink for IBM".
     The "ToasterLink" represents the key to non-Amiga users to enjoy the
capabilities of the Video Toaster without switching to Amiga systems.
                                                        -TKH '92
NOTE: Video Toaster board requires the Amiga processor to function properly.

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 (Also from the newsgroup which I thought interesting:)
 From: smg@eedsp.gatech.edu (Stephen McGrath)
 Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
 Subject: NTSC output from VGA display
 Date: 21 Sep 92 23:13:06 GMT
 Organization: Digital Signal Processing - Ga Tech

  I have seen numerous requests over the past year or more for information 
  about NTSC video output capability on PCs. Since I was not interested in it 
  at that time, I didn't pay much attention and I don't recall seeing any 
  proposed solutions. 

  If anyone has found any products that provide NTSC video output from a PC VGA
  display, please let me know where to find them. 

  An ideal solution would be an external box which takes the VGA output as 
  its input and provides NTSC (and probably VGA pass-through) as its output. 
  In other words, an external VGA-to-NTSC converter. However, I would also be 
  very very grateful to hear about other solutions, such as cards which connect
  to the VGA feature connector.

  I would also be very interested to find sources for cards which allow the 
  overlay of data from the VGA display onto an NTSC video input.

  Please email responses to smg@eedsp.gatech.edu. Anyone who would like a 
  summary of the responses should send me an email message.

  Thanks

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	- Benjamin Wai  < wai@cn.ecn.purdue.edu > < wai@sage.cc.purdue.edu >
---
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware