FPGA Replay Board

[ChaosLord]

@Kamelito

Can you switch your Workbench into NTSC mode and it works?

Can you switch your Workbench into Dbl_NTSC mode and it works?

When you answer these questions then we can go to the next step.

[ChaosLord]

Ok you are using a sabotaged Workbench.  I have encountered this many times.

You need to unsabotage it.

There is a dir on your Workbench called DEVS:Monitors/   and it should have all your monitor drivers in there.

Obviously your NTSC and Double_NTSC drivers are missing.

They should be located in DEVS:Storage/
but some ppl have copied them into DEVS:Monitor_Backup/
or DEVS:MonitorDriverBackups/
or somesuch.

When you find the dir they are hiding in then you can copy them over into your DEVS:Monitors/ dir and reboot your Amiga and then you will have access to NTSC modes.  Copy over any other interesting modes that you want to try out while you are at it.  VGA, Productivity, Multiscan72, etc.

[ChaosLord]

If you can't find the Monitor Drivers on your hard drive then you can always copy them off of a Workbench 3.0 or higher floppy disk.  If you hafta copy off a floppy I would recommend copying from a Workbench 3.1 floppy disk.

Once you have all the screenmodes available that a 1992 Commodore Amiga shipped with you should be able to find 2 or more modes that work really well with your futuristic FPGA Replay NostalgiaStation(tm).

[ChaosLord]

How can he make use of DEVS: driver options when he can't even manouver the workbench at all?

He said he got Productivity mode working already.  I have no idea how he did that if he couldn't see the screen... I assume he is using a TCP connection (Telepathic Cranial Protocol).  Or "Mind Control" as it is popularly referred to.


But he could just as easily copy the files around on his Amiga Real Machine or his Amiga Virtual Machine or his Windoze box or whatever.  It is just file copying.

[ChaosLord]

Most Amiga games require PAL mode to work 100% perfectly.

But for now you could stick to those few games that work in NTSC.  I think All Cinemaware games work perfectly in NTSC so it might be time to fire up Wings.


btw: What about DoublePal?  Does that work on your TV?  There are lots of monitors I have tested that won't work with PAL mode but they DO work with DoublePal.   I think DoublePal should technically work on your TV.

p.s. I have a bunch of CRT monitors saved up that will work with PAL mode forever and ever.

[ChaosLord]

You mean that in the US you missed all that PAL games? I've seen that in the C64 scene they do a lot of NTSC fixes maybe we could do the same.
Kamelito

No no no.  We didn't miss anything.  We just boot our Amigas into PAL mode with a little proggy called "Palboot".  Then our American Amiga is just like a Euro Amiga.  I have played thousands of PAL games on my NTSC Amigas since 1980s.

All the games I write require PAL mode too because I need the higher resolution and I code the World's Fastest Blitting Routines(tm).

All my monitors from 1980s to 2013 work equally well in NTSC and PAL modes.

A lot of my fave games are PAL.  Turrican 1, Turrican 2, Robocop 2, Total Chaos AGA 7, zillionz of others.

[ChaosLord]

How were PAL compatibility with USA monitors in the 80/90's ?

Compatbility was 100% since Commodore Business Machines cranked out millions of 1084S monitors, 1084, 1080, etc.  This caused Magnavox and Sony and others to make copycat monitors with the exact same features.  Real monitors are compatible with PAL and NTSC and other formats.

[ChaosLord]

When using the arcade fpga board with a DVI to HDMI adapter, to a modern PAL TV, will the game scrolling run smooth or the LCD locked at 60hz impose a problem? Unless PAL TVs are capable to switch to real 50hz when they get a 50hz input...

If you have a TV that is "locked at 60hz" then it is definitely not PAL.

PAL is locked at 50hz.

[ChaosLord]

I'd like to order from anywhere that I can see that it's available, place an order and have the expectation that it will be delivered or told it's out of stock.

The whole "if you've ever emailed me, you're in the queue" doesn't inspire confidence.  It might as well be vaporware as far as end users are concerned.

Not a slam on the accomplishment, but it's a frustrating experience.

He is a 1 man company with no profit.  You can't expect a smiling supermodel bikini girl to serve you your order in such a situation as this. :pint:

He's in "engineering mode" right now.  Eventually he will switch to marketing mode for a bit and you will become happier.

[ChaosLord]

It is true that shipping will make it available almost anywhere, however I would prefer to order from and support my local Amiga dealer if it's possible to do so

Robert.

Famous Amiga Businessman Jim Drew said he was interested in ordering a big pile of Replays to America for us if he saw that enuff ppl wanted one.

From what I can see in this thread from the last few days there are at least 4 of us that we know of right now.   Which means there are another 100 we don't know of.

But some of those might buy direct from MikeJ.

I think MikeJ and JimDrew should seriously consider if they are going to do a bulk deal thing or not.  Weigh the advantages and disadvantages and decide what you guys are doing before everyone buys their Replay one at a time from Sweden.

If anyone can think of any advantages/disadvantages I would be interested to hear them.

I don't personally care where I get my Replay from as long as I get one.  But being a capitalist, I would like to get it the most efficient way possible: that means avoiding as much shipping costs as possible and avoiding as much tax as possible.  Whichever way that is.

One advantage from Mike's perspective could be that if he sold 50 Replays in bulk to Laurent in France and 50 in bulk to JimDrew and 50 in bulk to AmigaKit then he only has to deal with 3 customers instead of 150.  This way Mike could concentrate more on engineering issues and fixing any reported bugs instead of having to do endless amounts of sales support.

Ok I will stop rambling now

[ChaosLord]

@ChaosLord

We could expect a smiling supermodel bikini girl to serve us our order, we just won't get it.

Actually, he is from Sweden so we should expect the entire Swedish Bikini Team to hand deliver each of our orders.

[ChaosLord]

I totally understand, but that doesn't make the current experience any more pleasant.

If distributors can fix that problem without jacking up the price too much, then I'm all for it.

hmmm good point.  When I worked at computer stores, the distributors added 15% to 20% to the price when selling to the retailer then the retailer added 40% more to the price.

You have now suddenly convinced me that the "email directly to the mad scientist laboratory" is a really good method

[ChaosLord]

32GB MicroSDHC Flash Memory cards are $21.00 at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Mobile-microSDHC-Memory-SDSDQ-032G-AFFP/dp/B007KFXIDE/ref=br_lf_m_1001215471_1_3_ttl?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=electronics&pf_rd_p=1569175842&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1001215471&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1YMKDKTAFVKWZHJWJVV6

I can't remember if it is the Replay that uses these or the 060 Accelerator card but its one or the other for sure.

[ChaosLord]

I really don't know how they get away with this. The HDMI connector cannot be used unless licensed.

Your statement is only true if the HDMI MAFIA sue the manufacturer and win the court case which requires them to persuade/threaten/bribe a judge and jury into accepting that slavery and extortion are part of civilized behavior.

The concept that the MAFIA can own all the connectors past, present and future, of the entire universe is ridiculously immoral, vile and evil.

I mean they claim to own WIRES.  Wires!  Wires have been around for centuries!  How can you own wires that you didn't pay for?  How can you own wires 1000 years in the future built by ppl who don't exist in your lifetime?

Its slavery.  Slavery is wrong. Period.

[ChaosLord]

Slavery is an euphemism for capitalism here, imho.
Capitalism is killing us all.

Slavery is a euphemism for Communism here.  Communism is killing us all.

Capitalists don't make laws.  Governments make laws.  Most capitalists are against the idea of owning "concepts" and "ideas".

Of course evil capitalists do favor owning "ideas" and "slavery" and etc.  But it isn't capitalism in general.

The HDMI MAFIA has nothing to do with capitalism and it is totally irrelevant whether the mafia enforcers are capitalists, communists or some other religion.  Its all irrelevant.  All that matters is it is wrong, immoral and against the good of the people.

Anything that restricts the advancement of technology hurts civilization.


Capitalism is only the right to spend your money how you want.  THAT IS ALL.

Capitalism has nothing to do with telling MikeJ he can't practice freedom of expression and solder wires any way he damned well pleases.  Don't confuse separate issues!

The HDMI MAFIA opposes Capitalism.  This proves they are not Capitalists.  Capitalists believe that anyone can build anything they want any time they want and sell it or give it away for any price they want.  The HDMI MAFIA does not want capitalists giving away free HDMI devices.

HDMI is AntiCapitalist.

DVI is Capitalist.

DVI does not charge you money to solder wires.

DVI mobsters don't threaten you if you put a DVI connector on a circuit board.

DVI Gangsters don't call up Mike and demand a cut of the action.

DVI produces the same quality of video signal that HDMI does.

DVI is free for all capitalists to use as they see fit.

HDMI is dangerous.  If you fail to pay your protection money to the racket then you could have your life ruined in a "court" of "law".