Lightweight Busboard - Mediator PCI 1200 LT

[Kees]

Elbox Computer, the leading manufacturer of hardware for Amiga  computers, the company that introduced the PCI standard to Amiga  computers, is proud to announce expansion of the MEDIATOR busboard  product line with the new Mediator model for Amiga 1200 computers:  the Mediator PCI 1200 LT.


This product is dedicated to all Amiga 1200 users, who have not
expanded their computers with a multi-slot PCI busboard as yet.

We know that many of you need only a fast, modern graphic card and
a good sound card. This new, 2-slot model of Mediator is
specifically dedicated to meet these needs.

Mediator PCI 1200 LT opens the possibility of using the best
available graphic cards for Amiga: the Voodoo series;
and the highest-quality Terratec 512i Digital sound card.

The second slot may obviously be used for other purposes. You
can install a Spider USB 2.0 controller, a 10Mbps Ethernet card,
a 100Mbps FastEthernet card or a TV tuner card in it. The choice
is yours.

Moreover:
If at any time you decide that you need additional PCI slots,
you can easily expand the number of active slots in this busboard
up to four. All you will need is acquiring a DIY set:
the LT4 Upgrade Pack.

Mediator is not only a well-designed, reliable hardware. Mediator
also means excellent drivers and professional support. Start
enjoying these benefits yourself.

Mediator PCI 1200 LT features:
• 2 PCI slots (PCI 2.1 compatible)
• 66/33MHz PCI clock (transfer rate up to 264MB/s)
• 32-bit PCI datapatch
• 4GB PCI memory space
• Busmastering/DMA in all slots
• Compatible with 68030/040/060 and PPC turbo cards
• Ready for SharkPPC(+) G3/G4 cards
• Fits in any A1200 in E/BOX (Power, Winner), EZ-Z4 and Infinitiv tower

Included with the Mediator PCI 1200 LT is the Mediator Multimedia
CD with drivers for Sound, TV tuner, Ethernet 10Mbps, Fast Ethernet
100Mbps and Graphic PCI cards. For the list of currently supported
PCI cards see Mediator Driver Guide.

For more info, see the Mediator PCI 1200 LT website.


Pricing and availability
The Mediator PCI 1200 LT will be on sale beginning with 11 July 2003
at the suggested retail price of EUR139.95 (VAT excl.) only.
To locate an authorized distributor in your area or to purchase the
product online visit the Elbox Computer website at
.


Why Mediator?

Do you need your Amiga to display crystal-clear image up
to 2048x1536x32@75? Do you want your favourite games to run in
accelerated graphics?

Get hold of a Voodoo-family PCI graphic card and enjoy its 2D and
3D performance!


Care for superb high-quality music?

Just install the highest quality Terratec 512i Digital sound card
and enjoy crystal clear sound all around.


Do you want to use a variety of devices connected via the USB port?

Simply install the Spider USB 2.0 High-Speed PCI card into the
Mediator slot and explore the world of the newest USB devices such
as mice, keyboards, tablets, joysticks, printers, scanners, webcams,
digicams, flash card readers, zip drives, floppy disk drives,
harddisks, memory sticks, ethernet adapters and audio adapters,
GPS location devices or finger print readers!


Want fast network connections to surf the net?

Put a low-cost RTL8139 Fast Ethernet 100Mbps PCI card into the
Mediator slot and connect your computer to the network!


Do you want to watch and capture your favourite TV programmes?

With a TV tuner PCI card you can watch TV; you can also connect
a TV-SAT tuner, a camcorder or a digital camera. Although the
full TV image resolution runs at 30 fps in the PIP window on
your Workbench screen, it does not use the Amiga processor's
time at all!


MEDIATOR - The Best Way to Power-up Your Amiga.

[MrZammler]

Hmmm, interesting.... But where's the medi for the A3000D?  :-x

[Radfoo]

I agree, it is interesting.

I still want one for an A4000D with a video slot.

[Elwood]

My AmigaOne has much more than that... :-)

[thorrin]

Slightly OT...

I was looking at the Elbox homepage.  It says that you can use TV/Sat tuners in the miggy.  Does anyone have a screenshot of this?  How does the Sat tuner actually work?  Would it replace an existing DishTV/DSS box?  Could someone give me some info on this?  Do the video caputure functions of a TV tuner card work on the amiga?

Also, I would also like to see a screen grab of someone using a Voodo 5 at the highest resolution, just out of curiosity   :-D


-Thorrin

[cockney_dave]

Saving up for the meaner SX at the minute  :-)

[ikir]

A very good idea! i like it!

Ps: tv card on mediator is fantastic! try super tv software

[Jaruzel]

Ooh, I want one, and @ 96 GBP it's now within my reach, the SX was way too much money...

-Jar.

[Floid]

Someone more familiar can provide a better scoop, but the Euroland equivalent of US DBS/DSS appears a bit more standardized - or at least, a bit more open - than the services offered in the US.  (I do find one page complaining about Sky TV's access cards, so apparently it's not perfect, even there.)

The standard is 'DVB', and this link shows some of the hardware involved.

That said, quoting from DVB.org-

Echostar International Corporation's parent company "Echostar Communications Corporation" (ECC), headquartered in Denver, USA, consists of: -- "The DISH Network", a DVB-compliant service in NTSC for North America via Echostar's uplink centre in Cheyenne and Echostar's DBS satellites at 119° west[...]

So Dish is based on the standard (and DirecTV, as far as I know, is not; they came earlier to the game with their own blend of tech), but good luck trying to pull off the 'authentication'/decryption legally; none of the existing hardware can take an access card.  You might be able to watch some of the US free-to-air feeds, but when we had a billing dispute with Dish, the set top box stopped decrypting anything - I don't know if this means their *boxes* go into an unnecessary 'suicide mode' when the installed key disappears from the authorized list, or if even the 'free' channels (the demo channel, the public-access, PBS and University feeds) are encrypted despite their nature.

If you're crazy enough, it's possible to catch free-to-air digital programming in the US, but it's not the easiest (or cheapest) thing in the world.  Skyvision offers a boatload of equipment for same; they have a free-to-air channel list, but as far as I know, only the Ku transponders would have a hope of being DVB.

[lempkee]

elwood: yes but this is not for amigaone

anyway nice price on this one, now people can't say that they dont have money or can't afford it anymore

but 2 pci slots is too little for my use anyway..

[MarkTime]

They can still say that, you can't use this without a tower case....moving everything to a tower case and busboard...plus if you don't have a 060, ...well its still an expensive thing and don't expect that voodoo3 to make your machine fast...its still slow

but, on the other hand, this is another choice, and is a lower cost and makes it that much easier.

They continue to suggest the SharkPPC, but the no OS 4 excuse is getting old.  AmigaONE has proven there is a market for just selling the hardware in advance of the OS, and if they had a card to sell, they would sell it...they are in the business of selling things, after all.

IMHO...

p.s. I was a Mediator owner and loved it...but I personally had to sell my classic setup, with no SharkPPC in sight and no commitment for OS 4 on blizzard.....rather get a machine with OS now (pegasos)

[Lando]

Its weird.. the busboard still has four slots but only the top two are active.  Could these be the Old mediator1200's that were traded in during the mediator SX trade-in promotion? Just a guess.. Why de-activate the bottom two PCI slots?

[Kaminari]

You ought to be kidding. The hardware is good and the idea is nice, but 130 euros for two PCI slots? Better buy a high-end Asus XP motherboard for that hefty price.

[Rob]

@ Lando

Surely there never was an offer to upgrade the SX.  The new boards
also have Mediator LT and 2003 clearly pinted on the them.

I would speculate that you can activate the other 2 slots later on
with mach chip if your needs change.

[Jose]

Hmm, I was thinking they had made the impossible and made a Mediator for the desktop A1200!!!!!! :-D