ChromaKey+, SuperGen+, DCTV, & RGB Converter. & V3.1 RGB to PAL/NTSC Adapter.

[Motormouth]

Alright, I now own a ChromaKey +, a SuperGen +, DCTV, and DCTV RGB Converter. I have no manuals except for the Chroma Key and DCTV.

I'd like to plug all of this in together, but am unsure of what order. Likewise I'm not familiar with the software, is there anyone else with this hardware combination that might be able to help out? Also if anyone has software for use with these components and or manuals that they could scan, that would be a major boon for me!

Thankx in advance!

P.S. I own one of Amiga Maniac's V3.1 RGB to PAL/NTSC Adapter's, if someone know's how or if I could use this in conjunction with this other hardware, please fill me in on that too!

Ahh this brings back my Television Production Days (20 odd years ago).....
The order actually depends on what you want to do.
The First item you would want is the DCTV then probably the DCTV RGB converter.  After that it really depends.

Unless you are a weatherperson or a movie producer the Genlock, the SuperGen+, will probably get more use than the Chromakey.

The Genlock is designed to over lay graphics onto video.  The Genlock takes the incoming video and usually puts this the amiga's background palette position zero (this is usually black, however does not have to be) and overlays the amiga remaining graphics over the video.  The output has both the video signal and the overlaid amiga graphics.  With the SuperGen, you should be able to fade in and out both the overlaid graphics and the input video. Play around with the sliders, it will become obvious what they do.

I suggest trying the SuperGen+ directly on the amiga without the DCTV just to get an idea of how it works.   A good program would be Deluxe Paint III, IV, or V in 16 color mode Overscanned High-Res/Lace.  Or try a Broadcast Titer program.  The SuperGen does not need any software in-order to run, all the basic controls are on the Genlock itself.

Back in the day, the production house I worked in had two Magni 4004S and 4010 control boxes, both on A2000s.  These were rock solid production quality units.  We used these Genlocks primary for titling and occasionally for a digitized and/or Deluxe Paint drawn logo or graphic.

The ChromaKey+ is really different beast all together.  It takes a video stream take a specific part of the chroma "color" signal and "keys" in another signal.  The most common example is the local weather.  There is usually a bright blue or bright green screen, the weather map is "keyed" over the bright blue or bright green signal.  You probably don't have a blue or green screen in your house.

We had a high end Chroma Key system, where we could control the keyed color and the width of the keyed notch, in our production switcher.  I once made a video where I keyed out the actors' skin and swirled in a colorful pin wheel as the keyed in signal.  It made the actors' skin dance with color.  To say the least everyone either liked or disliked the effect.

From the Amiga Hardware Database it looks like your ChromaKey+ has a genlock pass through.
http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/chromakeyplus

As for software, like the genlock, you probably don't need any software, for basic use.

I would really doubt you would need to use the Chromakey+ and the SuperGen+ at the same time.  If you did, you would probably want to put them on separate amigas.  Why would one want to Key in and Genlock in the same computer signal at the same time?

Note:  With both of these systems you really need some source video.

I do own a DCTV, but not the DCTV RGB converter, but I would guess it would work with the SuperGen+ and ChromaKey+ just like the amiga would.

As for the RGB to PAL/NTSC Adapter, You probably would not need this on a system with a genlock as the genlock itself can act as an RGB to NTSC adapter (I don't know about PAL you will need to look at the specs of your genlock)

[Motormouth]

But I DO have a blue screen! That's what I built up this collection for.

Cool!

Is this just for fun or do you plan to do something professionally with it?

The industry has changed so much since I worked in video.
I left my production job and went to grad school.  We had a toaster 2000 with a 68040, a couple a2000 some with 68000 and some with 68030s for 2-D animation, titling and overlays.  We were just getting a toaster 4000 (first AGA and only AGA machine I had seen for several years), the video flyer was not out yet.

[Motormouth]

In retrospect, a Toaster with the Chromakey+ can do everything this set up can do and it's a well documented combination.

If you added a Flyer, then you can even use moving backgrounds.

The Toaster can output 24bit images like the DCTV can.

Just a thought.

Wow like this Toaster Chromakey+ combo.  I was never much of a fan of the Luma key in the Toaster, it was too limited.  You would definitely need to time base correct this combination with the other sources however.  I am guess that the Chromakey+ has a bit of delay, and the toaster has a significant delay.  It took me over a month to get all of the circuits built and delays matched in the production studio.

[Motormouth]

@XDelusion

Cool,  This is too much fun.   I haven't though about production like this for a long while.
In my mind, these profession uses, in the day, this is what really put amiga on the map, not the games.

[Motormouth]

I also have an external Black Burst Generator. I've no idea what this does, I was just told once I'd need it if I ever set up a Toaster System.

As for Toaster, I have a Toaster for the 2000, as well as one Time Based Corrector, but alas, no 2000.

Now in regards to the 2000. You say that the Toaster can do a 24bit output? If that is the case, are there any major advantage to having a Toaster 4000 over a Toaster 2000?

I read in the ChromaKey+ Manual that The Toaster's Luma sucks, and that was why the ChromaKey+ was built.

The Black Burst Generator ensures you have the proper production black reference, in the days of digital HDTV this probably not a problem, By the way in NTSC the black in not complete black, but a dark gray,  This is so one could "see" the difference between no signal and a black signal

[Motormouth]

I also have an external Black Burst Generator. I've no idea what this does, I was just told once I'd need it if I ever set up a Toaster System.

As for Toaster, I have a Toaster for the 2000, as well as one Time Based Corrector, but alas, no 2000.

Now in regards to the 2000. You say that the Toaster can do a 24bit output? If that is the case, are there any major advantage to having a Toaster 4000 over a Toaster 2000?

I read in the ChromaKey+ Manual that The Toaster's Luma sucks, and that was why the ChromaKey+ was built.

As for the time Base corrector is sync the signals from the video source.  In NTSC there is 30 frames per second or 60 interlaced fields (two interlace fields per frames).  the time is 33 ms per frame or 16.67 ms per field.  If the video sources are too far out of sync, lets say 10 ms, then attempting to edit with sources to far out of timing will results in bad edit in linear editing.   This is again not that much of a problem in non-linear digital editing.

This is different than a long delay which is longer than 33 ms,  I remember the toasters delay was close to 100-120 ms or about three or four frames.  I had put delays in all of our non toaster video sources so we would better sync up to the toaster.

As for the toaster 2000 vs. toaster 4000.  You are correct the video buffer and lightwave output are 24 bit, but the toaster switcher traditions used amiga graphics.  The Toaster 4000 enabled fancier AGA switching transition vs. Toaster 2000.

Yes the toaster 2000 Luma is based only on intensity.  yes it was not very good, lots of key leaking.

[Motormouth]

The Black Burst Generator ensures you have the proper production black reference, in the days of digital HDTV this probably not a problem, By the way in NTSC the black in not complete black, but a dark gray,  This is so one could "see" the difference between no signal and a black signal

I remember this was also a legal thing in the US NTSC standard.   I had to re-produce a set of commercials because the black was too dark.

[Motormouth]

NTSC black is 7.5 IRE.  If you go darker, you risk it being interpreted like a black burst and throwing off the timing.

Same on the whites.  If you've ever watched cheap local cable commercials and wondered why the audio had a loud buzz when they show a title, it's because they used bright colors that are too bright.

The television is supposed to be adjusted to make these look correct.

At one point stations cared about quality and would refuse tapes like those, but these days they'll show anything you're willing to pay them to show.

The part about the white (and especially hot reds) would make load buzzing and bleed out colors.  The blacks 7.5 IRE allowed "viewer" and the equipment to "detect" a signal.  I was using the new Umatic SP editing bay with the black burst still set on 0 IRE (Japanese NTSC black, or real black).  I should have looked at the Oscilloscope would have quickly told me I was wrong.  As for legality of black the television station could have gotten FCC violations, back in the NTSC days.  Luckly, we found this out quickly.  I only lost about 4 hours time.  My boss, a 30 year television vet, at the time was very nice about it.

[Motormouth]

@Motormouth

Did the Toaster 4000 improve some what on this?

"Yes the toaster 2000 Luma is based only on intensity. yes it was not very good, lots of key leaking.

I don't remember, We only had the toaster 4000 about a month before I left for Graduate School,   Most of my experiences were on the 2000.  We only "played" with the luma key when we first bought the Toaster 2000.  We had another production switcher with a rock solid fully adjustable chromakey "ie any color, any notch width control".  

Heiroglyph and/or magnetic do you know the answer to this?

[Motormouth]

DCTV program displays fine... Until I go into paint mode, then the screen scrambles.  Might my internal flicker fixer be causing problems?

You need to make sure the first line of the DCTV IFF is displayed with what ever viewer you are using.   It has all the compression info.  The picture needs to be at the top of the image screen, ie the menu bar will throw off the DCTV.