A4000D "Native" OS?

[Karlos]

Mallette wrote:
Thanks, Karlos...another bit of education.  

I've enough to ask this:  So why no 640X400 non-interlace?  Seems this should be within the technology's capabilities.

Dave

It is. 640x400 non interlace is provided by the DblNTSC monitor driver introduced with OS 3.x / AGA.

Alas the DblNTSC / DblPAL modes are not quite VGA scan rate and so not all VGA monitors will display them.

[Karlos]

Mallette wrote:
I have seen Picasso 96 as software on the WinUAE software, but not looked at it...I assume it is a driver for graphics cards?

Pretty much. Picasso96 is a Retargettable Graphics (RTG) driver layer that supports many graphics cards, allowing OS friendly software to run on your graphics card.

Cybergraphics is another such system, albeit commercial.

Since both systems provide overlapping services, the question of which to choose depends on which hardware you go for (especially if you go for a PCI based solution), since neither supports the full range of PCI solutions available.

So what is the best price/performance card that is reasonably available?

dave

I'd have to let an A4000 owner answer that one :-)

[doctorq]

So what is the best price/performance card that is reasonably available?

I'd go for a card with buildin monitor switcher, like the CyberVision64 or a PicassoII. If you want to use a modern monitor that can't display 15 Hz screens, I'd go for a Picasso IV which has a scandoubler as well, or get a scandoubler to suit the before mentioned cards in case a Picasso IV is out of the question.

[Mallette]

Definitely be using 19" LCD.  Much less makes me go blind...

[Mallette]

So how do I ID the ROM version?  I don't have the machine in front of me (haven't left work yet) but I looked at WinUAE and neither "About" nor system config indicated the ROM version in 3.0, 3.1 or whatever fashion...all 2 digit/2 decimal place numbers with no obvious correlation.

[Amigaz]

Mallette wrote:
So how do I ID the ROM version?  I don't have the machine in front of me (haven't left work yet) but I looked at WinUAE and neither "About" nor system config indicated the ROM version in 3.0, 3.1 or whatever fashion...all 2 digit/2 decimal place numbers with no obvious correlation.

ROM 3.1 is v. 40.68

if it's lower than that you have 3.0 rom's in your A4000

[Flashlab]

Check the About menu in Workbench. If it says 40.68 you've got 3.1. If it's lower 3.0.

[Mallette]

Thank you kindly...
Dave

[Mallette]

So it turns out I have an IV24 board.  I believe it is GVP.  Anybody know what can be done with it?  I copied the fye.library to the current system and was able to set a 24 bit mode, but there where no further screen sizes I've found yet.  There is a help icon, but either the path is bad or it was not loaded.

[Flashlab]

Look here

[amigadave]

@ Mallette,

Your GVP IV24 is a video switcher, frame buffer, effects display device that also has the added advantage of being able to be used as a "flicker fixer" in the A2000.  I think there was a less produced (more rare) version for the A4000 that could work with the AGA display modes and color depth.

Do you also have the "break-out" box that works with it?

[Mallette]

Amigadave, Flashlab:
Thanks.  If I have the breakout box, it is buried in SimStation.  I really need to get some pix up.  

SimStation cost nearly 10,000.00 to build.  Lots of goodies in there...

Dave

PS: Haven't really examined it, but I do have a breakout box.  Lots of BNC connectors, etc.  It is used for the LaserDisc overlay system.  All of this still works fine if I can get the boot issues resolved.