EnigmA Amiga Run 1997 July/EnigmA AMIGA RUN 20 (1997)(G.R. Edizioni)(IT)[!][issue 1997-07 & 08][EAR-CD IV].iso/lightwave/lwmlist/93.lightwave-00/000471_rutgers!brufse.bitnet!INF02_Thu, 15 Jul 93 05:42:07 EDT.msg

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Date:         Mon, 12 Jul 93 13:53:48 EDT
From: "Breno A. Silva" <rutgers!brufse.bitnet!INF02>
To: bobsbox.rent.com!lightwave
Subject: Re: Re: Display enhancer


On Sat, 10 Jul 93 12:01:22 PDT you said:
>>
>> All this talk about toaster board vs. Lightwave remembered me one thing:
>> The Toaster board occupies the video slot (big news!) so, now the big
>> question - Will the most-awaited Display enhancer use the very same slot?
>
>You wanna tell us what the "most-awaited Display enhancer" is?
>
Keep reading.

>> Well, you may think, you can use DoubleNTSC mode with the Toaster/Lightwave
>> (at least that's what a Newtek person told me at NAB). I'll agree. But I
>> *DO NEED* the display enhancer! I didn't buy my A4000 as a Toaster device
>> (and I think most of you didn't either) nor I bought a Workstation! I
>
>I'm still wondering what this display enhancer is.  I don't need one (though
>I am looking forward to a nice 19-20" display someday).  What I need is for
>software companies to get with the program and let you select what kind of
>screen you wish to run on.

Oh, you don't need it? Great. So what? That doesn't mean others don't.

>> bought a computer - a high end one, but a computer - so I'd like to play
>> games sometimes and even use some other 3D software that don't support
>> mode promotion, as Caligari 24. I *only* have a NEC4FG - it would be perfect
>> for almost all the other systems!
>
>Your problem is with the companies that write said software, not Commodore.
>Commodore can't hold the hand of every piss-ant developer out there and make
>up for their shortcomings.  You want a proper display, call Octree, call
>Psygnosis or whomever.

As to Caligari software (not Octree anymore) I agree with you. Their program
is not even multi-tasking. But don't expect Psygnosis or other games company
to do such a kind of thing. Maybe for future games only. But don't you think
software companies should rest assured that Commodore would keep the Flicker
Fixer built in their future machines, since the A3000 experience had so good
results? Anyway, the external display enhancing solution is a much better one,
as you can keep your programs running in the same graphical speed in all modes.

>> Even worse, all the Amiga 4000s/1200/monitors systems I've seen show the
>> same problems in mode promotion: lack of overscan area, lower contrast and
>> definition than normal modes, and an awful lot of vertical banding - and
>> I could check that my same monitor connected to a PeeCee could enlarge the
>> display to fit the whole scan area, was much more sharp and bright and had
>> no vertical bands!
>
>This is a combination of both poor software writing on the part of the
>developers and a poor setup by the user of the above systems.  Mode promotion
>was only meant to be an interim solution so that developers would have time
>to get their act together.  It was not meant to be the end-all-be-all.  You
>should be thankful that they even put it in...otherwise you'd be looking at
>flickering screens...how'd you like that???

A3000 users don't have to look at flickering screens. A4000 users that want to
use all the modes the new machine offers, do! Don't you think that's a step
behind? *If* they didn't have put the crappy mode promotion in, I'd be totally
aware of the problem and would buy a 1084, that's what they're still keeping
in mind. (And, it seems, also Newtek...)

>> Do you all have these problems? Commodore already failed to continue a good
>> idea as A3000's display enhancer, and even their mode promotion is a half-
>> -hearted and faulty solution. And now that they're about to release the
>> should-be-there-since-A4000-release display enhancer, it will maybe use the
>> video slot - forcing a decision between Toaster or D.E. Would you have any
>> news about it?
>>
>It was an okay idea.  But since it was an UN-upgradeable solution I think they
>did the right thing by making scanrate completely software controllable.

You could have a slot for the display enhancer, so it would be easily upgrea-
deable. Scanrates totally controllable it's good but it's not enough (yet).

>Mode promotion wasn't meant to be anything more.  Get a life and complain to
>your software companies.  Oh, this is what you meant about "display enhancer."

Mode promotion it's almost nothing, in practice, so of course it wasn't meant
to be something (although I've learned to expect everything from C= !)
Nothing of what you said will change the fact that it should be something to
replace the A3000 flicker fixer and it's a s%!#! Nothing will hide that it have
poor image quality, it's much slower than what we're used to, and can't
show Overscan areas - and that's something important for Toaster real time
playback of Lightwave animations!
Really amazed as you didn't know about Display enhancing! It comes from A3000
times! Where were you? Anyway, the A4000 display enhancer is claimed to offer
high res modes as 1280X1024 and 24-bit full color in all modes.

Breno A. Silva ([e-mail])