Atari 8 bit demo, unbelievable....

[johnsarcade]

....unbelievable what those guys manage to pull out of what is basically 1979 hardware.

The only extra's used in this demo is a second POKEY for stereo sound and extra RAM. But the work is still done by the 6502 and especially the GTIA and ANTIC video processors.......it seems that with time, the software guys simply seem able to pull more and more out of this hardware, since this demo is from last year, and it is miles better than (already awesome) demos from the late 90s....

No need for the real hardware, just watch it here:

http://youtu.be/XA_264OfBtU

Especially the zooming in and out checkerboard and the curly twisting text blocks are baffling IMHO !

What did I just watch?!?!?  

A demo. Never heard of demo's ? Demo's were programs that you simply watched and listened while they did all kind of amazing graphical (and audio) stuff that you first thought would be impossible on your Atari, C64, Amiga, ST or whatever your machine was at the moment. Basically you tried to have the latest and greatest demo's to show off to your friends who had competing systems so to "prove" your machine was better

This demo runs on standard Atari 8-bit machines but it needs a memory upgrade (it requires 192k) but that is just for getting the data "ready" fast enough, basically it runs in the standard 64kRAM. Also, on the youtube video you can clearly hear the music is stereo which is of course not standard on the A8's.
But it's freaking easy and cheap to add it to your machine John:
http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=45

Oh and this demo detects if there is stereo available. If not it will still run but then with "just" mono sound I guess.

I seem to remember demos. Dunno.

This thread is really making me want to do another Atari 800XL video!!!!

I wonder if it's possible to hook my 800XL up to my SONY PVM monitor. Is it?!

[level42]

YES DO IT !!!

Let's promote that little awesome machine a bit more

Yes of course you can hook it up to the PVM !

I'll get the details, just a minute.

[level42]

OK, 800 XL (by standard) has only Composite video out for color.

Get one of these cables:
http://www.allekabels.nl/din-kabel/130/684/din-tulp-kabel.html

(Yes I know it's Dutch, just look at the picture )





and you're done

The good thing about this cable (the one with 4 RCA connectors) is that it can also handle S-video (chroma/luma) if you decide to mod your 800XL to output it (not too hard to do).

Oh and for the video connection you need an RCA to BNC adapter like this:


The audio connector should already be an RCA connector on the PVM. Even better: hook it up to a decent stereo system

The composite will look a lot better than RF on your old-school TV already but if you want to go ultimate you'll need to mod the 800XL to pump out Chroma signal.
It's not that hard to do and if you are seriously going to use the 800XL a lot again it is definitely worth the trouble.

http://www.wolfpup.net/atarimods/supervid.html

[johnsarcade]

I just bought this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331123763084?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

That will work with the PVM, right?

[level42]

Yes but that one can handle composite only. Nice about that one is that it seems to split the (mono) sound to both the red and white connectors so if you hook it up to a stereo device (TV/Receiver/Amp) you'll hear the sound from both speakers.
If you have mono sound only (PVM) you'll only need to hook up one of the red or white.
The PVM's sound is disgraceful though (makes sense, they were not meant to produce audio, just picture)....you should try hook it up to something else for your videos.

[johnsarcade]

Yes but that one can handle composite only. Nice about that one is that it seems to split the (mono) sound to both the red and white connectors so if you hook it up to a stereo device (TV/Receiver/Amp) you'll hear the sound from both speakers.
If you have mono sound only (PVM) you'll only need to hook up one of the red or white.
The PVM's sound is disgraceful though (makes sense, they were not meant to produce audio, just picture)....you should try hook it up to something else for your videos.

Ok, cool! Good to know. I think I am ok with composite only. I've been using my crappy 13" TV from when I was a kid. Anything will be an upgrade.

[Etienne MacGyver]

I am sure it will be, no more static like your last vid.

Looking forward to a vid like that again, although my heart is in a C64, i still like these videos on a Atari.

You could perhaps record straight into your mac, and let the video software record it instead of the camera.
that way you can use a audio input and mix that straight into the video, thats the best way to get the audio in the recording i guess?

Also your podcast mic will be better than the mic on your camera i guess.

[level42]

Yes it will be a HUGE improvement of what I saw on your last A8 video.

You'd need some kind of analogue to digital converter to capture the video and audio straight from the monitor output, but I think it's more fun to see the machine and the CRT monitor and John's "interactions" with it. Thank God the 800XL top is brown already.

OK....that's getting old now.

Off topic PS: your impression of an English guy speaking was the funniest shit ever on the show, even better than the Indian/Pakistani whatever it was you did before. It's funny no-one complained about you being racist when you impersonate an English human being......  

I'd love to hear you try a Dutch accent....

[johnsarcade]

I am sure it will be, no more static like your last vid.

Looking forward to a vid like that again, although my heart is in a C64, i still like these videos on a Atari.

You could perhaps record straight into your mac, and let the video software record it instead of the camera.
that way you can use a audio input and mix that straight into the video, thats the best way to get the audio in the recording i guess?

Also your podcast mic will be better than the mic on your camera i guess.

I sort of like using my camera to film the screen. Seems more real. These guys with the capture cards and the perfect video feels really sterile to me.

[level42]

Exactly. You could even run emulation and capture that, it would be almost the same and as sterile.

[johnsarcade]

Yes it will be a HUGE improvement of what I saw on your last A8 video.

You'd need some kind of analogue to digital converter to capture the video and audio straight from the monitor output, but I think it's more fun to see the machine and the CRT monitor and John's "interactions" with it. Thank God the 800XL top is brown already.

OK....that's getting old now.

Off topic PS: your impression of an English guy speaking was the funniest shit ever on the show, even better than the Indian/Pakistani whatever it was you did before. It's funny no-one complained about you being racist when you impersonate an English human being......  

I'd love to hear you try a Dutch accent....

SOD OFF!!! WANKER!

[Etienne MacGyver]

I am sure it will be, no more static like your last vid.

Looking forward to a vid like that again, although my heart is in a C64, i still like these videos on a Atari.

You could perhaps record straight into your mac, and let the video software record it instead of the camera.
that way you can use a audio input and mix that straight into the video, thats the best way to get the audio in the recording i guess?

Also your podcast mic will be better than the mic on your camera i guess.

I sort of like using my camera to film the screen. Seems more real. These guys with the capture cards and the perfect video feels really sterile to me.

No no, not recording straight in the pc, i mean let the pc record the image of your camera, and only the audio straight, into the pc (and your comments)

so the actual recording will be handled by the pc (through the lens of your camera, as in the camera beeing the video source, you know like a webcam)

its dificult to explane for me as english is not my native language 

[level42]

 

Looking at the first 800XL video again (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYfeIsSIEtA) it's going to be WAAAAAAAY better picture.

I am SERIOUSLY jealous of that Indus GT floppy drive by the way. If you ever come across another one (for a good price ) let me know !

I remember I had US Atari magazines and saw the ad for the Indus GT and I was drooling all over it as I only had the 1010 tape drive back then.....later I got a 1050 of course...

[johnsarcade]

Looking at the first 800XL video again (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYfeIsSIEtA) it's going to be WAAAAAAAY better picture.

I am SERIOUSLY jealous of that Indus GT floppy drive by the way. If you ever come across another one (for a good price ) let me know !

I remember I had US Atari magazines and saw the ad for the Indus GT and I was drooling all over it as I only had the 1010 tape drive back then.....later I got a 1050 of course...

Yeah, the Indus GT rules. I remember those ads too. They really made it seem like a European sports car. I traded my 1050 for the Indus GT with my friend. To this day I still don't understand why he wanted to do the trade. The thing still works! So, I guess it was a good trade.

[level42]

Most 1050's still work too, I got two.

I guess he probably wanted to build a "Happy" in it. With a "Happy" the 1050 is about the best drive to get for the A8s.