Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    GENLOCKS have also been seen in Computer Mart in Nashua, NH.

    Could you kindly ask the price over there ( US). Here they ask 
    1,000+ US$. Hope there is cheaper.
    Thanks.

    $199

    $199 is list price?  or discounted price?
    
    At that price, it should help sell a few amigas to the video market.
    

    Just stopped by Omnitech in Salem, NH.  Their suggested price is
    $295.00, of course they were also out of stock (they only received
    10 units).  They don't know when they'll be getting addional units.

    It's 295.00 at the Memory Location too.
    
    Here is a brief review of mine:
    
    So far, it does what it claims.  However, there is a small disclaimer
    in the handbook that says that it may not work properly with
    professional video equipment.  They say that you should have no
    problem with using it for home or industrial applications.  In other
    words, don't expect to be able to feed the signal from the unit
    directly to a 1 inch video recorder.
    
    The unit is pretty picky about the quality of the signal it is fed.
    If you feed it snow, it will not be able to 'figure it out' and
    overlay the graphics correctly.  The cleaner the video image it
    is fed, the cleaner the mix of video and graphics.
    
    It come with a software package that allows you to do scrolling
    titles.  You create a file using Notepad, using the notepad fonts,
    and display it with the title package.  I tried using the Zuma fonts
    and the thing promptly crashed.  I didn't have the time to figure
    out why.  The software package also allows you to select interlace
    modes from a pull down menu.
    
    For a minute I thought that my Digiview adapter wouldn't fit with
    the Genlock unit in place, but it does.  I just wish that the switch
    that allows you to select video, mixed video or computer, was better
    located, or software selectable.  It's pretty hard to get to.
    
    Randy
    

    We have a copy of Genlock ( PAL version) to test it. I've not
    personally worked on it, but the results that have been reported
    are quite good.
    The test has been done in a professional TV studio that will use
    it with the amiga to prepare BROADCASTING quality material ( mainly
    spots for the national channels ).
    They are going to hook it to a TBU in a couple of days. So far it
    has passed all the tests.
    A very good product ( also if expensive) to be used with Genlock
    is JDK. 
    This product allow you to create up to 100 pages of test ( fancy
    test with colors, shades, background different sizes, etcc..) and
    then to link them all together , each one with its own type of 
    'movement' such as FADE-In, Fade -out, slide in etcc... Very very
    good.
    Oh, bye the way, the boss of the TV studio ( the guy who actually
    pays what he gets ) claims that a 'Titolatrice' ( Title making machine,
    don't know the english for it) with a lot less performances that
    the Amiga-Genlock goes for not less then 25,000 US$.
    Another point for Amiga !!
    

    

    I agree, the Amiga with Genlock and ProCG1 (from JDK) makes one
    heck of a character generator (what we call them in the States)
    for an incredible price.  
    
    Nothing else even comes close.
    
    Randy
    

I have both a Genlock unit and PROCG1 (from JDK Images) for 
commercial/industrial use. Its a great combination. We have only had our 
Genlock for a week or so (directly from Commodore for developers price of 
$177). Although we havent completely run the genlock through its paces, we do 
notice significant loss of graphics resolution (pixels missing). It looks like 
the anti-aliasing that PROCG1 uses gets lost somehow, so the usually sharp 
characters dont look too good. It might have something to do with the video 
coming in as the background color...We have a call into JDK to see if the
new version of their software fixes this...

Jim

    The genlock does not use any form of anti-aliasing in it's process.
    If you feed it anti-aliased characters, they won't look correct
    on a changing, multi-colored background of live video.  Result,
    anti-aliased characters will look just a jaggy, if not more so,
    than standard characters.
    
    That's video....
    
    

re: .6

! However, there is a small disclaimer in the handbook that says
! that it may not work properly with professional video equipment. 
				.
				.
! In other words, don't expect to be able to feed the signal from
! the unit directly to a 1 inch video recorder. 

Excuse my ignorance but I don't quite understand this.  Do these 
units have a different signal format (e.g. higher resolution)?
I've also heard that the GENLOCK wasn't quite up to broadcast 
quality.  Is this true and is it related to the above?  Anyone 
care to elaborate?

Thanks,

John

    I wish I could, but it is beyond my area of expertise.  All I know
    is that I have had problems in the past in feeding composite signals
    from home computers into professional equipment.  Most of them have
    only semi-ntsc output.  It looks ok on your own tv but professional
    equipment can get really picky about what kind of signal they will
    accept.  I used to be able to feed a signal directly from my Atari800
    to a 3/4 inch deck without much trouble, but it would only play
    back using dynamic tracking.  This NEVER worked with 1 inch.
    
    The manual also makes mention of taking the RGB output and feeding
    it into professional equipment that accepts RGB.  This will create
    a much better image, because you are using professional equipment
    to create composite output, not the cheap composite converter in
    the Amiga, which isn't very good.  I know next to nothing about
    what is involved in doing this, but if you are interested in
    professional output, this sounds like the way to go.  If you are
    using this in the home or for industrial applications, ignore all
    this...it doesn't apply.
                              

    More:
    
    When I am talking about 'professional equipment' I'm talking about
    the stuff NBC uses, not the stuff you would find in the 'conference
    center' of a DEC facility.  Most of that stuff is just a notch above
    equipment for the home market, better specs and built more rugged,
    but not by much.
    

	The equipment in the conference rooms is somewhere between
	industrial and broadcast quality.  Broadcast quality 1" equipment
	is incredibly expensive (I priced one Sony deck at $ 80,000).

	You can get equipment that is almost as good for considerably less.
	A Sony 5650 3/4" editting recorder (I think the number is correct)
	costs about $ 7,000.  With a good controller (Lyon Lamb or similar)
	it can do frame accurate edits.  This equipment would do a
	reasonable job with the ntsc like signal from an amiga.

	To use broadcast quality equipment you would need a Time Base
	Corrector which would ensure proper synchronization.
	If you found it necessary you could also use an RGB to NTSC
	encoder (approx $ 1,000 to $ 4,000).

James Synge.

Thanks for the info.  No, I'm not quite ready for my Amiga generated
videos to be shown on NBC (I'll have to do one first ;^).  And I'm 
certainly NOT flaming Commodore for producing a less than professional
quality genlock.  I think it's GREAT that there's something like this 
available for the consumer market.  I just remembered reading 
something in the Jan/Feb issue of AMIGA World that said that the 
GenLock was not broadcast quality and was curious to know why.

Thanks again,

John

p.s. The AMIGA World article mentions a company called Associated 
Computer Services which IS developing a broadcast quality genlock that 
should sell for less than $1000.

    It looks like the Genlock unit will not fit the A2000.  Perhaps
    you could do it with some kind of extension cable, but I've heard
    that the serial port is not powered.
    
    Guess they are not interested in the video market anymore....
    

    Chances are there will be a genlock card.

    Well,
    
    I just got the new issue of AmigaWorld.  They listed several option
    cards for the A2000 (giving model numbers and prices), but there was 
    absolutely no mention of Genlock.  
    

    
    I didn't see any mention of Genlock in the amigaworld A2000 articles
    either.  Did anyone happen to notice there is no longer built-in
    NTSC jack?  It sounds like the NTSC jack with comes with the NSTC
    card is "cleaner" than the one on the A1000 though.
    
    All in all I really like the new machine.  I wish CBM would come
    out with a trade-in policy, but it doesn't seem likely.  Now it
    is a lot more clear why CBM has been pushing this as a business
    machine.
    
    Has anyone put together a "preliminary" cost for a complete system?
    Maybe it was in Amigaworld I haven't read the whole issue yet...
    
    regards,
                                                                    
    steve mcafee

    The AmigaWorld articles don't have most prices, and those they
    do have are "preliminary" or estimates.  From page 24:
    
    A2000	Basic System		$1500 preliminary
    A2002	RGB monitor		no price
    A2080	high-persistence A2002	under $500
    A1010	3 1/2-inch floppy	no price
    A1020	5 1/4-inch floppy	no price
    A1680	1200 bps modem		no price
    A2088	IBM compatibility	under $500
    A2094	SCSI + ST506 controller	no price
    A2050	2 MB RAM		no price
    A2058	8 MB RAM		no price
    A2060	NTSC + composite video	under $100
    A2061	PAL + composite video	under $100
    
    It still sounds like vaporware to me.
        John Sauter

    Check out the new issue of Byte (I just got mine yesterday, but haven't
    had time to do more than skim it yet) -- there's a lead article on the
    A2000.  It has more definite pricing information.  
    
    The article is a preview, not a review.  But the authors were told
    that the machines they were allowed to play with for a week were
    not prototypes -- they had actually come off the production line.
    Does that suggest that a June arrival is overly pessimistic?

    Mike

    Here are some prices according to Byte:
    
    Internal 3-1/2 inch drive		$199
    Internal 5-1/4 inch drive		$299
    A2088 PC coprocessor card		$499
    2-meg expansion board		$499
    Composite video interface		$ 99
    Hard disk/SCSI controller		$349
    A2002 RBG color monitor		$349
    A2080 long-persistence phosphor
    		RBG monitor		$499

    
    Oh, and the list price they quote for the A2000 itself is $1499.
    
    Mike

    Any price anticipated for the modem or big RAM card?
        John Sauter

    Back to GENLOCK! We solved our loss of resolution problem (we forgot
    about the Control G option in JDK Images which enables Genlock
    features). This thing is outstanding! We are using the AMIGA/Genlock
    with a Sony 5850/5800 3/4" editing system (best system short of
    broadcast quality) and a Panasonic WV5500B production switcher.
    We also have another Amiga and we Genlock one with the other and
    overlay graphics and JDK text for some impressive effects. I know
    that Air Image Technology in Stow has modified/enhanced their Amiga
    so that it puts out a better NTSC signal for their broadcast 3/4"
    A/B-roll editing system. They may have built/bought an RGB=>NTSC
    encoder. We are doing some pretty amazing and impressive things
    with DPAINT, AEGIS Animator, Genlock and the two Amigas.
                                            
    Jim
       

    1. Does Genlock get the video signal from the Amiga's RGB output? 
    
    2. DOes anyone know if Genlock will work with the 500?
    

    From what I've heard, Genlock, in it's current form, will not work
    with the A500.  (even with a jumper cable).
    
    Genlock uses the RGB port and gives you both RGB and composite output.
    

    
    
    re .25
    
    1. Yes, Genlock gets it's video signal from the RGB output.
    
    2. The problem with 500s and genlock is the physical connection.
       The genlock is shaped so that it connects directly to the 
       A1000. If you made short extension cables for the RGB output
       the genlock will work with a A500 system.
    
    
    
    			Steve Peters
    

    re.25/.27
    1. True.
    2. Not fully correct ( I'm referring to european version. Think
       it's the same for US versrion too).

    The original (A1000) version may not work on the A2000. It's not
    only the phisical misfit it is also something referring to power
    ( don't know nothing more specific).
    They ( Interactive Ltd, UK) started to design a new Genlock for
    both A1000 and A2000. Then they discovered that this last one want
    work on A500 ( don't ask me why). So they put it on hold and started
    a new version which should be available REALLY SOON NOW.
    For further information you can contact my source directly :
      {44} (604) 843.214  ROD WELLBURN ( Interactive distributors) or
    can dial directly Interactive {44} (536) 77.11.55
    marco
    PS : {44} = UK country code