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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: adonay on November 22, 2007, 10:27:53 PM

Title: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 22, 2007, 10:27:53 PM
Hi i have never done the TVcard trick to be able to see my amigagames on voodoo i use superTV and a pinnacle PCTV pro card ... Every time i try to run the games it will freeze the tv card screen and just turn black while it will not show, what do i do i know the picture is there but its like the scren turns off ?... Please give me details not just use some program etc as i am new to this... Thanks ..


PS: i tested my nintendo wii in the composite just now and it displays just fine until i enter apydia whdload game.Then it goes black.. ,, I use MUI public screen thingie.... :madashell:
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: ddniUK on November 22, 2007, 11:40:43 PM
IIRC WHDLOAD locks the whole Amiga system. It wont allow access to the Mediator. Therefore any Input to the Voodoo composite cannot be displayed whilst WHDLOAD games are active.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 22, 2007, 11:58:51 PM
I know some people do this for a fact so it is possible.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: ddniUK on November 23, 2007, 12:01:23 AM
you seem very sure that it is possible! I hope that you are right, as it is something that I would love to use...
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: TiredOLife on November 23, 2007, 12:28:56 AM
It is possible, do it myself.
Trying to remember which setting.
Are you using P96 and have you ticked Ignore Mask?
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: jj on November 23, 2007, 12:45:08 AM
Where is doctorq when u need him, he knows how to do this , or Piru or thomas for that matter
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: rkauer on November 23, 2007, 04:27:44 AM
 IIRC, the new WHDLoad have a fix for the Picasso/Mediator problem.

 Download it and RTFM! :rtfm:

 -EDIT-

 I'm right (sort of):

You need to set VoodooInt to "NO" for whdload to work.
This env settings in is prefs/env-archive/Mediator.

 Also you have to stop any TCP/IP stack you are currently running to avoid problems.

 And RTFM of Whdload 16.4!

Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 23, 2007, 04:08:49 PM
Quote

TiredOLife wrote:
It is possible, do it myself.
Trying to remember which setting.
Are you using P96 and have you ticked Ignore Mask?


Yes i use P96 as for ignore mask i dont know.....  :lol:
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 23, 2007, 04:20:21 PM
wow 2x post sorry guys ... And as for RTFM is not a usefull tip  ;-) Although i am doing so now . were too look in the damn manual anyways the thing is huge
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: spirantho on November 23, 2007, 05:03:31 PM
Just a technical note....

Yes, this is possible, but whoever thought of it should be shot for crimes against sanity. And then given a posthumous medal for ingenuity.

The TV card has its own processor, with its own set of RISC instructions and usually its own RAM too.
The graphics card is also active and outputting its video output (the VGA connector).
Therefore if you create an overlay buffer on the Voodoo and don't switch out the Voodoo when you run your game, the Voodoo won't lose its frame buffer because the game will just use the native chipset which won't affect it at all. The TV card will continue running its own little program from its own little RAM buffer, dumping the video input straight to the RAM on the graphics card because the TV card is busmaster and can DMA straight to the graphics card without going via the rest of the machine (which is of course busy running Gods or whatever by now). As the Voodoo is still active, the net result is the TV input running on the VGA output of the Voodoo, which in this case is the Amiga's composite out, probably.

Essentially you have a very specialised computer just consisting of a TV card and a graphics card, running completely autonomously. That's why you must tell WhdLoad not to reset the Voodoo, else it'll close the output or release the Overlay buffer.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 23, 2007, 06:00:54 PM

Quote
Essentially you have a very specialised computer just consisting of a TV card and a graphics card, running completely autonomously. That's why you must tell WhdLoad not to reset the Voodoo, else it'll close the output or release the Overlay buffer.


As far as i can see from the manual there is no such option command correct me if i am wrong though
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: doctorq on November 23, 2007, 07:54:07 PM
This method works quite well, and is easy to set up. Connect the composite out (so only possible on A1200 obvious) to the TV card, edit the Voodoo monitor driver and change the DISPLAYCHAIN tooltype to the opposite of what it is now. Install TV card software (SuperTV is very good), launch the program, switch to composite input and launch your WHDLoad game and it should display in the TV screen on top of your Voodoo screen.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 23, 2007, 08:45:35 PM
Just did change DISPLAYCHAIN to No but stil it fails ....
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: doctorq on November 23, 2007, 08:46:40 PM
I'll see if I can dig up the docs for you during the weekend.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 23, 2007, 08:55:08 PM
That would be great  :-D

Thank you for the help....
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 23, 2007, 09:21:13 PM
SOLVED with the help of DoctorQ:

Note DISPLAYCHAIN in my setup should say no with small letters and none ) symbols after or in front....




Quote
This method works quite well, and is easy to set up. Connect the composite out (so only possible on A1200 obvious) to the TV card, edit the Voodoo monitor driver and change the DISPLAYCHAIN tooltype to the opposite of what it is now. Install TV card software (SuperTV is very good), launch the program, switch to composite input and launch your WHDLoad game and it should display in the TV screen on top of your Voodoo screen.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: doctorq on November 23, 2007, 09:31:32 PM
I might be wrong, but I doubt that the tooltype setting is case sensitive, but ( ) around the tooltype makes the tooltype inactive. I thought the P96 had this tooltype active by default, but I guess I'm wrong. Sorry about that.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: ddniUK on November 24, 2007, 12:06:45 AM
BRILLIANT!! am very glad that someone has this working!

Sadly I havent got it working yet. I changed DisplayChain to NO. Now WHDLOAD doesnt change screen to the game, but it also does not output to SuperTV. Perhaps someone that has it working would kindly post their Envarc and Voodoo settings?
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: TiredOLife on November 24, 2007, 12:51:12 PM
Have you got Keep Amiga Video to 15khz?
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: doctorq on November 24, 2007, 01:06:56 PM
@ddniUK

Have you changed the settings in SuperTV to use composite input??
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: Flashlab on November 24, 2007, 01:12:30 PM
Is this also possible on a Grex with TV card?
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: Bamiga2002 on November 24, 2007, 01:52:04 PM
I have found P96 Manager a good prog to change the Voodoo & P96 env-variables & settings.
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: ddniUK on November 24, 2007, 05:43:53 PM
@Doctorq, yes I have SuperTV set to receive Composite. It displays my Camcorder when hooked upto the Voodoo.

I have an awful feeling that my A1200 composite port is kaput!
Could my SD/FF (internal) be disabling the composite port?
Title: Re: Public screen locks when enter whdload game how to tv card it?
Post by: adonay on November 25, 2007, 05:09:28 PM
Quote
@Doctorq, yes I have SuperTV set to receive Composite. It displays my Camcorder when hooked upto the Voodoo.

I have an awful feeling that my A1200 composite port is kaput!
Could my SD/FF (internal) be disabling the composite port?


@ddniUK

Can you hear the sound from the game ? do you have a USB\TCPIP stack running if so turn them to offline . Also does the SD\FF show picture in the game you try ? Why bother though if you have a SD\FF? Do you have a extra tv with composite you can try out to test the cable ?