Graphics Card- Zorro II

[Motormouth]

@Miked

Of course the Cybervision is a better card.  If money were no object, I would definately pick the Cybervision 64/3D.  

But Why bother using a Zorro III compable card on a 16-bit Zorro II bus at all?  The Picasso II is fine for most tasks.  You should be able to find a Picasso II for less money.
 
If you have a zorro II amiga and plan on upgrading to a zorro III system, the Picasso IV or Cybervision makes sense, but if you are staying with a zorro II system why bother.  Yes the video performance is faster but you loose much of that advantage on the zorro II bus.

As for the 3D features of the Cybervision 64/3D, They are mostly useless unless you have a 68040 and even then you really need a 68060 or PPC.

Two problems do exist with the Picasso II,  It is based on a Cirrus Logic GD5426 or GD5428 video chip that limits its horizontal scan frequency, this limits its non-interlace resolution.  If my memory serves at 1024x768 and above you must use interlaced resolutions.  And the 2-meg of video ram is also a limitation as you are limited to 16 bit color depth at 1024x768 and 8 bit at 1280x1024.

[Gojirax]

Can the Picasso IV be used on a 4000 system with a Video Toaster? I looked at the back of the Picasso IV box at the Amiga-Hardware link and it mentions something about needing a ZorroIII AND Video slot... is that true?

[J-Golden]

Gojirax wrote:
Can the Picasso IV be used on a 4000 system with a Video Toaster? I looked at the back of the Picasso IV box at the Amiga-Hardware link and it mentions something about needing a ZorroIII AND Video slot... is that true?

It only needs the video slot if you are using the Flicker fixer.  The FF CAN be (don't really think it wise) taken off of the P-IV an connected via two cables.

I'd hate to see ANYONE do this though...

Oh, btw, the FF for the C-64/3D will only work on the 4000 style video port, the P-IV will work on both...

[Gojirax]

J-Golden wrote:

Gojirax wrote:
Can the Picasso IV be used on a 4000 system with a Video Toaster? I looked at the back of the Picasso IV box at the Amiga-Hardware link and it mentions something about needing a ZorroIII AND Video slot... is that true?

It only needs the video slot if you are using the Flicker fixer.  The FF CAN be (don't really think it wise) taken off of the P-IV an connected via two cables.

I'd hate to see ANYONE do this though...

Oh, btw, the FF for the C-64/3D will only work on the 4000 style video port, the P-IV will work on both...

Even if I were to remove the Flicker Fixer from the Picasso IV I can't use it because it would plug into the Video slot correct? So with a Toaster I'm SOL for Flicker Fixer on a Toaster system.

Which I suppose would be ok since I could use the Picasso IV in a Zorro slot and just leave the FF module hanging there, and run the native screens off a second monitor for stuff that wouldn't promote..

How much does a Picasso IV run on Ebay or new these days? (I can't surf Ebay from my work computer as they've blocked the site.)

[Argus]

My two cents: a Voodoo3 3000 on a Prometheus is the fastest "ZIII card" out there (kudos to redrumloa for figuring out how to fit one in the A3000 desktop case).

As for using the PIV in a desktop A4000 with a Toaster, you can but not both in-line with the video slot because there is only one in the standard busboard.  There are several tower replacement busboards that give you two video slots, so towerizing the A4000D motherboard and getting one of these would be best bet.

PIV's seem to go for ~$200US on eBay lately, iirc (seems a fair price really because you're getting a great FF/SD and a 4MB graphics card in one).

[Gojirax]

What are the 4000d busboards called?

I'd like to look into that!

[Cyberus]

Prometheus, G-Rex and Mediator

amiga-hardware.com
and amiga.resource.cx are both your friend :-)

[Argus]

Go to www.elbox.com and look for ZorroIII + PCI busboards for the A4000 (also available for the A3000D/T, A4000T).  Micronik used to make a ZIII board with two video slots, as did RBM and maybe Eagle Computers too (unlike Elbox these were German Amiga hardware manufacturers no longer making Amiga stuff afaik).  Elbox is in Poland and is still making Amiga busboards, Viva Polska!  

[Amiduffer]

To add to this, we have a new video projector at the office, and while we get stuff for it like an S Video cord to hook it up to the main PC, I couldn't see in the hardware site, if the Amiga RTG cards have an SVideo connector. Do any have one?

[Miked]

zipper wrote:
CV64/3D is so much faster on 8+bit modes that there is no idea to consider PII (have had both on my A500T).

I've just gotten a zorro connector for my Amiga 500.  Has anyone been able to get a Cybervision 64/3D running off the side expansion slot?  I am reading threads of people with Amiga 2000s that are having problems getting this card to work properly.

-Miked