Conference xstacy::pc_multimedia

396.0. "video capture board needed" by ODIXIE::SIMPSONT (PC = world's biggest con job!) Fri Apr 18 1997 15:04

    I'm looking for a video capture card that has genlock and chroma keying
    features.  It also needs to have an MCI drivers for WFW and W95.  This is 
    to replace a card that has gone EOL in an Army training and simulation
    system that we have a contract to sell.  The card we were using was
    company called New Media Graphics.  The company essentially went out of 
    business.
    
    It's a pretty simple application.  The PC application brings an NTSC 
    video frame from a laser disk (a map picture) and the PC draws graphics 
    over this picture.  When the game moves to a new map area, the user
    clicks a button that brings in a new map picture frame.
    
    The video capture speed is not critical.  It can be an ISA or PCI based
    card.  A built-in video accelerator would be nice, but can use a
    "feature" connector type board (that's what we have now). 
    
    I have looked at dozens of possibilities.  Cardinal made a board that
    was almost plug compatible and I was able to get it working in the
    customer's application with only minor tweaking of MCI calls.  Cardinal 
    has decided that this is not one of their "core competencies" (where have
    I heard that before?) and it will be EOL July 1.
    
    I've also looked at Integral Technologies Flashpoint series.  Their
    chroma keying is done in software and they use a shared frame buffer
    between the PC and NTSC input, which really causes major complications
    in the customer's application code...
    
    The price range I'm looking for is $600-900.  Any suggestions?  Have I
    missed some obvious canidates?
    
    
    Regards,
    Tom