graphic card

[Hyperspeed]

I'm currently running AGA in NTSC 724×482 maximum overscan and it's a
very bizarre and yet comfortable environment.

I use a Scandoubler/Flicker-Fixer and get 60Hz vertical refresh and
I'm somewhere between 640×480 and a Widescreen ratio.

NTSC is worth trying for AGA owners, PAL is very flickery in
comparison.

With regards to GFX cards, I remember reading all the reviews in Amiga
Format and I'd have to say I would never choose a CyberVision64 or
CyberVision64-3D over a Picasso IV.

Amiga Format really didn't like the Phase5 graphics cards because they
ignored the custom chips, basically making you get 2x monitors or a
switcher. The CyberVision's scandoubler module got slated in Amiga
Format for some reason.

In my opinion the Picasso-IV is the best graphics card on Amiga,
including the PCI Voodoo cards. I really don't like these poorly
supported PCI boards that no software utilises other than the
occasional PD enhancement.

Far better to enjoy Workbench on a P-IV with TV through,
flicker-fixing of your classic software, video in, video out,
integrated soundcard and all in one little package.

I bet everyone is suggesting the CV64 because they want to pick up a
Picasso 4 bargain.

;-) ;-) ;-)

BoingBoss: You'll never see Picasso-IV flooding the market as everyone
loves them and once people install them they don't seem to want to
sell them. When your average boxed one goes on eBay you're looking at
$400.

One thing I did wonder though, if the Picasso-IV uses the video slot
then how does it work with a Video Toaster?

:-o

[Hyperspeed]

16-Bit isn't my idea of the best colour mode. HAM8 can display 4x that
and it still looks uneven in gradients.

Good for a Workbench desktop, but do you really use 65,000 colour
icons? If you view pictures on your Workbench screen then you are
degrading the 24-bit ones.

I think either 8-Bit or 24-Bit would be my favourite.

I think most AGA users have to stick to 4-bit or 5-bit in a Hi-Res
Laced screenmode. 3-Bit would be ideal for MagicWB colour scheme
though.

I wish we had a small GFX card for desktop/console Amigas, fair enough
the Blizzard Vision PPC might be able to cram into a desktop case but
that's mighty risky and doesn't have the same integrated flicker-fixer
and scandoubling as a Picasso-IV.

Companies these days in the Amiga market forget about the 6 million
desktop users and prefer to make products for the big box or towered
A1200s that a very small percentage of people have.

How many A4000t's were made, 1,000!?

Towering isn't the answer to everything, I like my integrated keyboard
and motherboard A1200. Every conceivable add-on and hack was made for
it bar a GFX card!

:-(

[Hyperspeed]

Hey irishmike!

Yes, I think the Picasso-IV is the daddy of them all! As has been
mentioned it needs to be `snapped in half' for some older Amigas. I
believe VillageTronic perforated the board to make it easy to break
into 2x seperate modules.

... much like some A1200/A600 clockport/scandoublers have dual-module
solutions and funny triangular shapes!

;-)

Here are the Picasso-IV's external (seperately sold) extras:
Pablo     IV - Video out
Paloma    IV - Video in/capture
Concierto IV - Soundcard

Also a VillageTronic NIC (ethernet card) called `Ariadne' is highly
rated too.

Whilst a CyberVision 64 wouldn't be my first choice, the generally
lower prices means you can enjoy the highest speed for the lowest
prices (there's one on Amibench right now for £40/$70 USD).

With regards to the CyberVision 64's passthru, Eyetech sell a range of
monitor switcher modules that can be switched from 15Khz OCS/ECS/AGA
to 31KHz SVGA or higher modes with the press of the F10 key. I think a
lot of BVision users have them. And there is the standard
printer-sharer style external box too I think.

Carlos: What you say about dithered 16-Bit is interesting. By
dithering at a high resolution it gives you the impression of full
colours. However I can definately notice the difference between HAM8
and 24-Bit and that uses 256,000 colours as opposed to 65,536 that
16-Bit uses.

I know HAM8 has that funny colour-bleeding effect but it's a darn good
screenmode if you wish to use pictures via the viewer ViSAGE. That
program even has a tooltype called `SCALE' which super-speedily
compresses a 1600x1200 image to fit entirely on a 640x480 screen
without needing the associated screen scrolling or extra memory.

I urge classic chipset users to give ViSAGE a try!

:-) :-)

I know I don't have a graphics card and am in no position to argue
with anyone (I would certainly rather a GVP Spectrum than AGA!) but I
do feel BoingBoss is right.

PCI is not the way to go for classic Amiga in my opinion, not unless
we see a huge increase in the inertia of driver writing. Maybe my view
is a little too jaded towards the Picasso-IV after reading that 96%
Gold award review that Amiga Format gave it.

Calling all PCI-bus owners! Tell us about your drivers and options!

:-D :-D :-D

[Hyperspeed]

Damnit!

Tell me what differentiates an Amiga from your average PC!

Is it not the video capability out of the box? What does a Mediator
do? It flushes your video capability down the toilet.

If you want to use classic chipset software, video genlock and toaster
etc. how do you manage with all these generic PC cards in your machine
with their generic drivers.

This isn't the evolution Dave Haynie would have wanted, this is going
down the slippery slope of the Ateo Bus (albeit in PCI as opposed to
ISA). And look what happened to that lump of cr@p!

My advice to all who want to enjoy the most out of their Amiga is to
get a Picasso-IV. There aren't many around so if you are serious then
make someone a serious offer.

[Hyperspeed]

Phew, I stoked a hornet's nest here!

:-)

The Mediator is an exciting prospect, however it's a bit like a
vulture arriving after the carcass has been eaten.

With no software to take advantage of the 3D of these graphics
card chipsets (even though there are quite a few drivers) we are just
using the car on 1st gear.

At least with Amiga cards you have everything you need to make full
use of everything. At the moment the the Mediator solution is not
better than the CV64 was to the Picasso-IV back in the mid-to-late
nineties.

Integrated harmony with the custom chips is the only way to go for
classic Amiga in my opinion. Fine, the AmigaOne can use PCI - but it
has a dedicated OS to support that with drivers. The AmigaOne doesn't
have 15Khz native capability to take into account.

Never leave a good soldier behind I say.

:-)

[Hyperspeed]

Fire in the hold!

:-D :-D :-D :-D