Using Video Toaster with PAL Amiga?

[Marchie]

Hi All,

Want to install a video toaster card, but will a card made only for the NTSC market work in my PAL A2000? Or will it do damage (due to differing frequencies/voltages?)

Any advice really appreciated. You could save my Amiga...

[idrougge]

No damage, but many functions will probably not work as intended due to the deviating oscillator frequencies.

[Amiga_CDTV]

I bought and installed a Toaster 4000 board in my A4000T. It didn't work (Toaster switcher couldn't find it) - I don't know if it was because of a PAL machine or if the board itself was a dud one (bought it as untested).

I still haven't tested all possible tricks (like jumpering the board to NTSC, or having a display connected to the RGB output, my display was on an RTG board's VGA output) so I am also interested in if it should work in a PAL machine.

[Ami_GFX]

I don't think it will work at all in a PAL Amiga. I order to work, the Toaster has to sync to the Amiga's video signal. A common problem with the Toaster is a sync error which will result in an error message when the Toaster software is launched. There is a potentiometer on the Toaster that needs to be adjusted to fix this but 50hz is way out of the range of the Toaster's circuits. The only way to use it is to set the motherboard jumper to NTSC if it is set to PAL.

[idrougge]

Well, of course you have to set your Amiga to NTSC mode.

[Amiga_CDTV]

I did try to boot in NTSC mode (from Early Startup Menu), I had the machine's case already closed after installing the board (which wasn't an easy fit!) but I guess selecting it by the jumper does something more. I did read about the pot on the board, probably due to the PAL mode the voltage that the nearby test points were supposed to be adjusted to, was way out and there was not enough range.

Do I need to have the RGB output connected to a monitor for the Toaster to work?

There is no TICK pin on the A4000's PSU connector so will there be problems reagarding the mains frequency?

[Ami_GFX]

The Amiga 4000 PS outputs DC voltages and the mains frequency should make no difference. Both the Amiga and the Toaster have their own internal frequency references and the Toaster's has to be synced to the Amigas. The Toaster also syncs to external video sources connected to input port 1 and it isn't uncommon to have the Toaster work fine with no external video input but to give a sync error with an external video source connected.

[Pyromania]

The motherboard has to be jumper set to NTSC for the Video Toaster 4000 to work. Also, depending on which monitor you use you may also need a sync strainer adapter.

[emufan]

some revisions of the A2000 motherboards came with a NTSC/PAL jumper j102 - below the xtal.

[Pyromania]

I'm pretty sure the Amiga 4000T has a motherboard jumper for NTSC/PAL as well.

[Marchie]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies,

emufan - I happen to have that motherboard revision (6.2) so that's really useful advice, thanks.

To be honest the toaster card is just a bonus. I'm really after Lightwave, and stand-alone copies seem to be non-existent on Ebay, whereas toaster cards with software pop-up at least occasionally. If anyone knows a better way to get LW please let me know.

[idrougge]

Can't you get a pirate copy?

[emufan]

just take a look in the Lightwave Plugin thread. alot has been found already. download link at the end of 1st posting.
just to agree with idrougge

[Marchie]

That is the obvious question, and a crack is fine for playing around.

As an animation professional however, I was rather excited at the idea (especially with the new A500/2000 Vampire accelerators around the corner) of doing some retro-style animation on classic hardwre, maybe some Amiga-game themed short films. But it's a bit of a risky proposition starting a Kickstarter project on pirate software.

[emufan]

try to get in touch with Newtek - tell them you have a VideoToaster and you need to get the latest VideoToaster Software.
It's been a while since someone confirmed this, but until then, they were still selling the software for $US 50.
on the videotoaster cdrom you get the toaster software (version 4.3 and 3.5) including latest Lightwave3D.
if they still do so, you will get this on a cdrom (incl. install-floppy !? ).
they did (do) also repairs of the toaster cards.

[Amiga_CDTV]

I thought I heard that somebody had tried and found out that NewTek wouldn't support these anymore? I know they used to support those for a long time, but stopped it just year or two ago?

Sorry to steal the thread, but I guess this might help the case at hand as well...

Today I jumpered my A4000T to NTSC. Now the toaster software starts (before it didn't and complained that the "Toaster is not responding"). It suggested to run AutoHue, but I skipped it (as I had no NTSC outputting device at hand).

However I get no output from either outputs (I used a CRT TV that I *supposed* to support NTSC). I tried to put a digital video camera's composite output into the first input of the Toaster. The camera didn't have an option to select NTSC so I believe it's outputting PAL. I know this was a bad test with all these guesses, still I would have expected to see some sort of scrolling or distorted output? Or without any inputs just some sort of output? At least I know now that my Toaster is not completely toasted!

Originally Posted by Marchie

As an animation professional however, I was rather excited at the idea (especially with the new A500/2000 Vampire accelerators around the corner) of doing some retro-style animation on classic hardwre, maybe some Amiga-game themed short films. But it's a bit of a risky proposition starting a Kickstarter project on pirate software.

That sounds awesome! I am sure you'd get several supporters just for the fact of using a real Amiga and a Video Toaster . Also my respects for wanting to do it the right way with properly licensed software! Even when it's this old.

[emufan]

Originally Posted by Amiga_CDTV

I know they used to support those for a long time, but stopped it just year or two ago?

too bad, maybe Pyromania can help Marchie, I think he may still have some original
packages he may sell. just send him a PM if he misses the postings here.

At least I know now that my Toaster is not completely toasted!

finaly someone who gives a usefull feedback - now just make a video of what
you're doing, while running around the toaster

btw. read here about the AutoHue procedure - too bad the VideoToaster FAQ website is gone.
and archive.org failes again, didnt recorded all of the website :/

#1) where is the jumper on the A4000 board ?

[Pyromania]

You can download the software from Open Video Toaster. The source code version and the complied floppy and CD images.

[Marchie]

Well, I have a toaster with V4.1 software on it's way to me now, so let's hope it works!

BTW - it says you need 9Mb RAM to use the card (which my machine doesn't presently have) - is this to use all the features or to get it to connect at all? Anyone running a video toaster on less than 9Mb? (I'm on the pre-order list list for a Vampire II so this is just a temporary concern).

emufan - thanks again for the advice, I did contact Newtek but they simply said they didn't support lightwave on Amiga anymore. Maybe I'll get more luck seeking support for a card I own vs just looking for the standalone product...

Pyromania - thanks also, I'll check out he open-source link, at a glance it looked like all the video toaster utilities were there but not necessarily all the software packages (I saw no mention of Lightwave, for example, but I haven't looked closely yet).

Amiga_CDTV - your advice will come in handy when I try to get the card working with my A2000. And thanks for the nod of encouragement, I figured there would be some good will out there to see production done on an Amiga platform!

[Pyromania]

Lightwave 3D is not on the Open Video Toaster website. I don't think the Video Toaster software will run at all if you have less than 9 MB.