Titlers, Switchers, Paintboxes, Paint Apps and Old Broadcast Equipment

[ethan at 757.org]

> Was I right? Did that thing actually digitize video? Once you had it could
> you use it as a source for A/B rolls and the like that the regular
> Toaster functions covered?

>From what I know the flyer boards had their own scsi bus or something for 
dedicated video disks? I could be wrong, I worked for an ISP and one of 
our customers had an Amiga with one and I talked to him briefly about it.

> I didn't realize the Avid stuff was as popular and well-used as you guys
> are saying. Back in the day, I was under the impression that Avid
> equipment was just for hobbyists, but it seems not. Sounds like it was
> well used in professional broadcast apps, also.

Media 100 was another company that came on the scene later on the Mac 
side.

> What about titlers? I'm under the impression that, until the mid-90's or
> so, titlers were totally dedicated bits of hardware. Then came a lot of
> packages for the PC and Amiga to do it in software and overlay it with a
> genlock. I also remember that switchers and time base correctors were
> needed for video back in the day. I understand the concept of a switcher
> (easy) but a TBC? Was that because you had to have video timings exactly
> matching before you could successfully show bits from both at the same
> time (ie.. in an A/B roll) or was it for a completely different purpose ?

You got it!

Modern stuff sure fixes a lot!


--
Ethan O'Toole