Finally the beginning of my video suite gets built!

[Crom00]

Amiga VT flyer output recorderd onto DV hold up ok. Text tends to get hazy around the edges. These days I use NewTek's VT4 system uncompressed as a $1000 PC with SATA drive Raid can do uncompressed quite well.

Even a cheap Wall-MART PC does great with an external SATA array. For playback or simple 2 stream edits.

The uncompressed graphics are stunning. I never though there was that much of a difference until I compared a flyer clip to uncompressed.

I will say that the flyer does a nice job of making the video look "analog" instead of BLOCKY aliased artifacts associated with MPEG2 and MotionJPEG, based compression.

[SyrTran]

amigadave wrote:
I may start using Lightwave as my preferred CAD tool, but I need to learn how to use it better to be as fast with it as I am with TurboCAD.  That will get me one step closer to getting rid of any version of Windows completely.

Lightwave is not anything like CAD.  It is a CGI tool.

[Crom00]

I can't run lightwave on the Amiga again. Rendering is just too long. I used ti render on pc and edit on Amiga.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Do you have some additional air conditioning running to that room?  I hope so!  :madashell:   :crazy:

[B00tDisk]

amigadave wrote:
That will get me one step closer to getting rid of any version of Windows completely.

Get rid of Windows as you like, but don't kid yourself that you're going to do pro quality DTV or 3d work with an Amiga alone.  Even the fastest, most super-duper Amiga out there renders and performs like a lead brick compared to even cheap Wal-Mart PCs.

Do your modeling in LW on the Amiga, then dump it over to PCs running Blender on Linux or the like for the gruntwork.

[leirbag28]

@amigadave

hey......I wasnt in anyway saying that you should upgrade your Toaster Amiga system to a PC one..............What I am saying is Keep your setup, but record on Digital8 or MiniDV...........all of your output...........transporting it to different formats will be much easier and wont degrade any further.........and it plainly just looks better on DV.  As I said..........I use my Amiga for VeeJaying and record the output into a Digital8 Camera that has inputs like a VCR through the S-Video port. Then if I want some digital wipes or different effects that I cannot achieve on the amiga or want to burn it to DVD, I just Use iMovie on the Mac...........o use a Standalone DVD recorder.

Amigas still rock!

[amigadave]

@leirbag28,

I do have one digital8 camcorder and also a portable Sony digital8 playback & recording deck and both can playback Hi-8mm tapes that are recorded on any of the other Hi-8 video cameras, or the Sony EVO-9700 editing deck.

Like I said before, I have spent literally years collecting all this equipment for the purpose of setting up MY VERY OWN video studio.  I know very well that it is out of date, but this is what I have, and this is what I will use until it quits working, or I make enough money with it to replace it with newer equipment.  I also know that rendering Lightwave on the Amiga is painfully slow, that is why I intend to network 4 060 and 2 040 Amigas together as a "Render Farm" to make it LESS PAINFUL.  If I can learn more about how to work on the Amiga and pass the rendering to the x86 PC, I may make that one of my first purchases with any money made with my Amiga equipment, but I don't plan on spending any more money for equipment or software at this time, or for the next year.

I also know that Lightwave is not intended to be a CAD drawing programming for architectural plans, but that doesn't stop me from looking at Lightwave to possibly render 3D models that visualise what is on other 2D plans, and researching what tools are available for Lightwave to make it more like a typical CAD drafting program.  I have no doubt that such tools could be incorporated into Lightwave if NewTek perceived that they could make any money from pursuing creating such tools.

I am semi-retired now, so I am going to enjoy what I have been collecting for so long.  I am not a 30,or 40 year old that must have the latest and fastest program and computer to be at the bleeding edge of technology because I am competing with other companies that have all that expensive gear.  Also, (@B00tdisk) I can tell you from first hand knowledge that there is an enormous amount of video work out there that is done at a lower quality level than what is possible with the Amiga Toaster/Flyer, just go to any small community and check out their local cable channels to see the crap that is being put on the air.  Your definition of "Pro DTV" is subjective.  I live in one of those small communities.  :-P

[amigadave]

Oldsmobile_Mike wrote:
Do you have some additional air conditioning running to that room?  I hope so!  :madashell:   :crazy:

I live at around 7,000ft above sea level, so the hottest days of summer might reach 90 degrees farenheight.  No A/C required 95% of the time.  If it all gets warm I'll open a window.

[darule]

How can I possibly try not to show my jealousy?  :bow:

I'm planning on making something similar, but not as big as you. A big thumbs up! Very nice. Take photos!  :-D

[Tigger]

amigadave wrote:
The TIMMs are great for Toaster/Flyer work, but they are monsters to move around and setup.  I have three of them and I would not part with them.

Now the question is are those 3 TIMMs part of the great toaster buy from QVC?  If so, thanks, I enjoyed the free monitors QVC ending up sending me   :-P
    -Tig

[leirbag28]

@amigadave

Trust me.........your equipment is NOT out of date, just your recording equipment (unless you use the Digital8 cams in Digital8 mode which you should....huge difference in quality)

But if YouTUBE and Google video and iPod videos can get away with crap quality video, then so can you depending on what you use it for. If your competing with TV networks, then you might lose, but anything else, your good to go.

You dont have to creat everything on the amiga.
Go here:  www.digitaljuice.com   and get animated backgrounds of Superb quality and convert them to FRAMES using the FREE Juicer 2.0 software and recompile them as Wipes or FLyer animated backgrounds.

As far as rendering speed improvement?  very very easily done.............if you have a PC get WInUAE and emulate and Amiga running lightwave............the rendering speed is much faster!   no need to spend a dime! No need to pass the rendering process into a PC.........just emulate your AMiga for the sake of rendering.........then save the animation back to your real Amiga and Whalla!

It works!

[amigadave]

Tigger wrote:

amigadave wrote:
The TIMMs are great for Toaster/Flyer work, but they are monsters to move around and setup.  I have three of them and I would not part with them.

Now the question is are those 3 TIMMs part of the great toaster buy from QVC?  If so, thanks, I enjoyed the free monitors QVC ending up sending me   :-P
    -Tig

No clue about what you are writing about with QVC.   So I would say the answer is NO!

I will post pictures next week if I can.