RE: File formats (JPS) and Electronics (Interlaced, etc.) Issues

[P3D Greg Marshall <greg.marshall@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Urbanic wrote:

>...  Synch-doubling, by moving the real-time processing
>to external electronics, is the only system that is really Windows compatible
>at this point in time.

I'm inclined to disagree, but first we have to define what
"Windows compatible" means.  It could mean just that
it is possible to launch the stereo app from Windows,
in which case the DOS-based LCDBIOS systems work
fine under Win95 or 3.1.  That it doesn't work under NT
is, at this time, not a big deal.  The Canopus Total3D
runs stereo directly in Win95 (no LCDBIOS and no DOS 
mode switch) and when we release the next NT driver set 
it will run stereo the same way.

>...  If you call either
>company and tell them that you are a serious user and require high quality,
>they will both direct you at their synch-doubling products (CrystalEyes
versus
>the page-flip/interlace SimulEyes in Stereographic's case) without
hesitation.
>There will be no other discussion regarding tradeoffs.  It is simply a matter
>of whether you can afford the price of the video-processor

With this I must vehemently disagree.  I suspect that
there are other reasons these companies would 
recommend sync doubling - "profit" comes to mind.

Sync doubling is simply an external means of running 
half the vertical resolution at twice the refresh rate, 
which is virtually the same result as interlacing.  
The major advantage to this approach is that it can be 
applied to (nearly) any graphics source, but not 
necessarily to any monitor.  Actually, sync doubling 
requires that a considerable portion of the vertical 
resolution be given up to vertical blanking of the inserted 
sync, so resolution is even less than half.

Page flipping is extremely easy to implement if it is
considered in the design of a graphics controller.
Indeed, even the original VGA had this ability in some
modes.  It is true that providing full resolution at high
frame rates requires a lot of speed and memory.  But
it is well within the capabilities of most modern graphics
boards and monitors.  Interlacing is interesting because
this "ancient" and common technology works so well
for stereo.  But actually interlacing the video display
just doesn't work in today's market.

Like Mr. Urbanic, I hate to sound self-promoting here,
and I'm sure that Neotec has excellent products, but
on these points I have to disagree.

Greg Marshall


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