Newtek, What an awesome company

[Raffaele]

I found this thread reading about recent topics and I find it very interesting.

Indeed it is good seeing that Newtek after 10 years still supports its Amiga users.

I wonder why none recently proposed them to create Amiga or MorphOS drivers for their VIDEOTOASTER II.  :getmad:

Videotoaster II it was a PCI card, and if you haven't noticed it, but all new Amigas supports PCI.  :roll:

Actually Videotoaster is version 4.



Here the hardware specs:

http://www.newtek.com/vt/specs.php

General:    
Type:   3.3V / 5V ¾ length PCI Card   
Analog Video Connectors:   (3) 15 pin high density
(adapter cables with bnc connectors included)   
Analog Audio Connectors:   (1) 15 pin high density   
Digital Video/Audio Connector:   90 pin digital video/audio bus   
Interface:   PCI bus mastering   
Firmware:   Field Upgradable   
Supported Video I/O Formats:   Composite, Component, S-Video (Y/C),
SDI, NTSC and PAL   
Digital Format:   8 bit ITU-R BT.601   
Uncompressed Video:   Yes   
Time Base Corrector:   Internal. External unit not required   
Genlock:   Integrated; syncs either VT[4] or external house sync.
Vertical, horizontal and subcarrier phase controls   
Comb Filter:   2-line luma and chroma comb filters including
adaptive luma comb for NTSC   

Technical:   
Video Channels:   1 input, 1 output (Analog), 3 input,
2 output (Digital Connector)   
Audio Channels:   4 channels in adjustable mic or line level
4 channels out, line level   

Video Levels (In/Out):   
Composite:   1V p-p 75 Ohm   

S-Video:       
Luminance:   1V p-p 75 Ohm   
Chroma:   286 mV p-p 75 Ohm   

Compnent - Betacam:       
Luminance:   714mV p-p 75 Ohm   
R-Y, B-Y:   700 mV p-p 75 Ohm   

Compnent - MII:       
Luminance:   700mV p-p 75 Ohm   
R-Y, B-Y:   486 mV p-p 75 Ohm   

Video Performance:   
Noise Level:   -58 dB   
Luminance frequency
response (maximum variation
to 4.2 MHz - multi burst):   2 dB   
Differential phase
(Modulated 40 IRE ramp):   1 degree   
Differential gain
(Modulated 40 IRE ramp):   1.5 %   
Chrominance frequency
response (3 dB point)
-CBWR=0/1 800/500 KHZ
K Factor (K-2T):   1 %   
Luminance Non Linearity:   +/- 2 %   
Minimum IRE passable
from input to output
(super black):   6.5 below black IRE   
Maximum IRE passable
from input to output:   8 above white IRE   

On Board Audio Performance*:   
Frequency Response:   20HZ – 20KHZ +/- 1 dB   
Harmonic Distortion
(THD+N):   < .05 %   
Dynamic Range
Unweighted/A weighted:   >80 / >83 dB   
Audio Sample Rate:   48 KHZ

And features are superbe. It is like having an entire studio for video production at your total command.

http://www.newtek.com/vt/features.php

Live Switching:
8 Component inputs
8 Y/C inputs
Up to 24 Composite inputs
DV input Support
Real-time FireWire input or output
Automated Audio Mixer
4 Component outputs
4 Y/C outputs
Preview output
4 Composite outputs
3 RS-422 machine control ports
Real-time chroma key
Cue mode in Digital Disk Recorder
500+ digital transitions
Dual GPI In / Out
8 Internal Tally light controls
Background generator
Internal Genlock

Audio Mixer:
Mix 8 stereo live and 8 4-channel online audio sources
4-track audio: 4 discrete channels of audio in and out
Talk-over, reduces mix levels for mic inputs to talk over
4 adjustable XLR balanced mic / line inputs with Phantom power
6 stereo unbalanced audio ins from live sources
8 stereo inputs from computer sources
DV and SDI audio inputs
Floating point audio with distortion-free audio levels
EQ, balance, mute and mono for all 16 audio inputs
Aux Mix: stereo aux send and aux returns for external sweetening
Automated mixing: transition between audio presets
Calibrated audio meters
Audio-follows-video option
Manage your output mix with Input Pass Thru
PA Mix Out: for live PA or control room feed
Balance on all inputs and outputs

Digital Disk Recorder (VT-DDR™):
Multi-format, multi-standard on-screen tape deck
Compressed or uncompressed playback
Play back a single clip or list of clips
Cue clips to roll when triggered by Switcher
Real-time transitions between clips
Count up or count down project time or clip time
Operate multiple DDRs simultaneously
EDL import/export (Grass Valley, CMX, Sony, Excel)

Proc Amp:
Brightness
Contrast
Hue
Saturation
U Offset, V Offset
U Gain, V Gain
Track Preview function
More than 70 adjustable parameters
Calibrate computer sources as well as analog sources
Auto Calibration for 75 IRE bars, 100 IRE bars and video pass-through mode
(requires SX-84)

VT-Scope™:
Full-frame data
60 fields-per-second
Monitor Program or Preview
Waveform of Y/C, Y, C, YUV or RGB
Vectorscope at either 75% or 100% Chroma

VT-Vision™:
Fully fielded on-screen playback
YUV video display
Monitor Program, Preview, Key / Aux or DSK buses
Display supports for 4:3 and 16:9 aspect
Underscan mode
Zebra stripes for 75 IRE and illegal video
Proc-Amp for matching computer display to reference video monitors

Character Generator:
WYSIWYG editing
Save projects or pages
Display Program output within CG interface
Use any installed TrueType font
Save pages as 32-bit images or animations
Soft shadows
Create graphic objects (boxes, circles, splines)
Instantly save or recall text styles
Powerful drawing tools

Digital Video Effects:
More than 500 real-time transitions
All transitions reversible
Expansions
Wipes
Curls
Trajectories
Fades
ChromaFX
Overlays
Rotations
Compressions
Borders
Much more

VT-Edit™:
Ultra-intuitive interface
Integrated Timeline and Storyboard editing
Unlimited layering in real-time
3D control of position, size and rotation of layers in real-time
Spline-based movement of all animations
Unlimited undo, saved with project
Real-time color correction
No rendering of complex projects required
Create subprojects within a project
CG Post™ for moving text
Real-time Targa sequence playback
Multi-format and multi-standard editing
Real-time playback of compressed and uncompressed clips
Real-time FireWire in and out
More than 500 real-time transitions
Real-time slow motion and reverse
Real-time chroma and luma keying
Real-time high-quality scaling of graphics
Real-time video and audio filters
Real-time audio mixing of unlimited layers
3D audio positioning
12dB of audio headroom prevents digital distortion
All performed in software

External Controller:
Control external decks from your VT[4] desktop
Supports multiple RS-422 and DV decks
Interfaces with batch capture deck lists and configurations
Jog and shuttle support
Record allows user to generate time code settings

LightWave 3D®:
Established industry standard
World-class rendering
Fast, versatile Modeler
Powerful scripting language
Advanced character Animation tools
Particles
Explosions
Numeric entry (and math in input fields)
Unlimited points and polygons per object
Multiple cameras per scene
Unlimited images
Unlimited surfaces
Easy import of Illustrator® data

Aura Video Paint™:
Amazingly fast 16-bit paint engine
Paint over live video
Four-point pixel tracking
Color isolation
3D compositing
Stroke recorder
Wide range of text controls
Instantly use a graphic’s alpha channel
Animate text along a path
Native DV support
AVI and QuickTime audio support
Apply Photoshop® filters to any animation


VT[4] Supported File Formats

Video Formats:
.avi
.dv
.rtv
.mpeg
.mpg
.mpe
.mpv
.m1v
.mp2*
.mpa
.mpv2
.mp2v

Graphic formats:
.jpg
.jpeg
.png
.tga
.tif
.gif
.bmp
.wbmp
.pcx

Audio Formats:
wav
.mp3
.au
.snd
.m3u
.aif
.aifc
.aiff
.wax
.dif

MPEG-2 support requires appropriate DirectShow player to be installed

System requests could still match actual Amiga PPC solutions with Altivec, but I think that new Pegasos III with dual G5 sure could help noteworthy boost any performance.

Recommended VT[4] System Configuration*
NewTek is providing free software upgrades for VT[5], when it ships, to all VT[4] purchases after February 1, 2006
Recommended VT[5] System Configuration*

Processor
Pentium 4 or Athlon XP processor that supports SSE2 (Dual CPU or dual dual-core systems are strongly recommended)

Interface
A free 66MHz PCI slot for the VT[5] card is recommended for best performance. (Additional slot needed for breakout cable)
DV Capture and Switching: any IEEE1394 Firewire card

Graphics Card

PCI Express or AGP-based graphics card
NVidia or ATI graphics chipset
Minimum 64MB onboard RAM, 128MB recommended
Full Open OpenGL and DirectX 9.0 support
Latest drivers from chipset manufacturer
Capable of 1280x1024 minimum screen resolution

System RAM
1 Gigabyte of system RAM.

Hard Drives
4x 10,00 RPM U160 or U320 SCSI drives, with the controller on a 64bit PCI bus (preferred); or 4x software-striped SATA drives
8 GB space for DVEs and content.
IDE or SATA system drive with 500Mb of free disk space
DVD Drive
Operating System
Windows® XP Professional (SP2)
Software
Windows® Media Player 9 or higher
Windows® Media Encoder 9 or higher for streaming
Drivers
DirectX 9.0c or higher
Latest graphics card drivers

For Hi Definition editing, dual CPUs or dual dual-core CPUs are suggested for the smoothest and fastest operation.

*NewTek recommends the optimal system configuration. Systems with slower processor and drive speed will work with VT[5], but some complex functions may not perform in real-time. To review the minimum specifications suitable to your production requirements visit www.newtek.com. Additionally, as new technology becomes available, system recommendations will be updated. Please refer to www.newtek.com for the latest information.

Note that Videotoaster still needs only a 66 MHz PCI slot, not 133 (or more) bus speed, and the card supports 3,3 or 5 voltage.

Prices are still nowadays competitive!

http://www.newtek.com/vt/pricing.php


Just spread the word. :-D

Some interested people with enough cash (DiscreetFX??? or others) could purchase one Videotoaster asking Newtek if they could realize drivers for new Amigas.  ;-)

[Raffaele]

Jose wrote:

it would probably be easy to convince them to port their stuff. That would indeed be awesome :-o There needs to be a userbase though.

Gimme a working Videotosater 4 on Amiga, and I will pay to obtain being the reseller in Italy.

I could be capable to sell literally hundred of this systems into Local TV stations where the name AMIGA is still known and respected.

[Raffaele]

Tomas wrote:

Raffaele wrote:

I wonder why none recently proposed them to create Amiga or MorphOS drivers for their VIDEOTOASTER II.

They are both just to slow for it to work properly.  :-(

What are you talking of? TOO SLOW? :-o

Have you noticed that Videotoaster card still dialogue with the BUS at only 66 MHz of Speed?

Processor
Pentium 4 or Athlon XP processor that supports SSE2 (Dual CPU or dual dual-core systems are strongly recommended)

Interface
A free 66MHz PCI slot for the VT[5] card is recommended for best performance. (Additional slot needed for breakout cable)
DV Capture and Switching: any IEEE1394 Firewire card

66 MHz allows only a limited transfer rate, and sure both AmigaONE and Pegasos II could match it.

(Well, to be honest, I have some doubts about capabilities of Articia Chip on AONE)

At least, remember the fact that AmigaOS and MorphOS are very responsive, and do not consume resources so they will drive the card flawlessly and better than standard Windows.

Sure but it is needed software compatible with Amiga-like OSes.


I think that Pegasos II with PPC G4 at 1GHz with Altivec activated, plus a SATA PCI card for HHDs, and having Firewire port enabled, then it could preform the task of driving the Videotoaster 4 very well.

[Raffaele]

Framiga wrote:
no way without:

"Full Open OpenGL and DirectX 9.0 support"

Wait, wait, wait. We need software for Amiga, not software for PC.

DirectX 9 is not necessary.

At least we need a good port of OpenGL, because then we will able to run same 2D/3d transitions of video wipes.

I hope that TinyGL and Mini-GL are worked on to improve more and more features upto catch mainstream OpenGL.

[Raffaele]

Tomas wrote:
I was more talking about the raw cpu capabilities. Yes, i know the amigaos is much more responsive, but this wont help much when it comes to pure cpu power. If the recommended requirements are anywhere near right, then both the g3 and g4 will be quite behind. And i also have some doubts about the capabilities of the chipset.

Sure G3 it is no good at all because iot has no Altivec.

But altivec sure works as SSE instructions

[Raffaele]

tonyvdb wrote:
"At least we need a good port of OpenGL, because then we will able to run same 2D/3d transitions of video wipes."

Not true either the Video Toaster 4000 uses the AGA capabilities of the A4000 and was able to do 3D transitions just fine. I have even built my own 3D wipes on my Toaster Flyer.

It is strange you wrote things like these.

Videotoaster 4000 it is not in any way hardware compatible with new AmigaPPC based on PCI BUS.

So even emulating Toaster4000 software on PPC Amigas it will not run or even crash.

Remapping Toaster 4000 software to run on new Videotoaster v.4 it could take more time than re-writing all the drivers and transition effects programs from scatch.

And then it will still be Motorola 68K compatible.

No, I think it is not way the effort.

We need new drivers and new software born from their first day to run on PPC Amigas, and the quickest method to implement video transitions effects programs is to use OpenGL, and activate compatibility with Altivec, so the software could use the Altivec circuit in PPC G4 which allows same capabilities of SSE2 instructiosn used in X86 world.