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January 21, 1997 These Release Notes include important information about your new video hardware, software (Software Essentials and Video Development Environment), and documentation from Parallax Graphics. This information supercedes the README file on your tape. The Release Notes include:
NOTE: If you are using an XVideo700 without compression (XV-700) or MultiVideo700 card, you need a special release of our software. Check your CD to see that its label says "CD-P02-HP1" (Software Essentials) or "CD-P03-HP1" (Video Development Environment). If your CD does not have this label, contact Parallax for a new CD before installing. See Bug/Anomaly #1. NOTE: If you have previously installed any version of Parallax software on your system, you must use the eisa_config utility to disengage the Parallax card before upgrading. See Bug/Anomaly #2. NOTE: If you wish to use audio with Parallax Graphics video, you need to install a pair of HP patches. See Bug/Anomaly #3. If you have any questions, please contact Parallax Graphics technical support.Return to Top Bugs, Anomalies or Restrictions We have identified the following bugs, anomalies or restrictions: Pre-Installation 1. XVideo700 Without Compression and MultiVideo700: Special Release Pre-Installation: If you are using an XVideo700 without compression (XV-700) or MultiVideo700 card, you need a special release of our software. Check your CD to see that it's label says "CD-P02-HP1" (Software Essentials) or "CD-P03-HP1" (Video Development Environment). If your CD does not have this label, contact Parallax for a new CD before installing (see contacts on page 8). If you install the standard release of this software and launch a windowing environment (such as HP VUE), the operating system will crash. Contact Parallax technical support if you need additional help. 2. Upgrading, De-Installing, or Changing Video Cards: Use eisa_config Pre-Installation: If you have previously installed any Parallax software on your system, you must use the eisa_config utility to disengage the Parallax card before upgrading to a different software version. You must also use eisa_config if you are de-installing the Parallax software or switching Parallax cards. To do this, exit the server, run "/etc/eisa_config" to determine the slot number of the Parallax card, type "remove
" and type "save" to save the configuration (Software Installation Guide, page 5, step 3). Then proceed as instructed (step 4). Note: this procedure is needed for 10.x upgrades as well as 9.x upgrades. 3. Audio: HP Patches Required for HP-UX 9.x Pre-Installation: If you wish to use audio with Parallax Graphics video on HP-UX 9.x, you need to install a pair of HP patches: two for HP MPower users, two for non-MPower users. These patches are available from HP at the world wide web site, http://us.external.hp.com:80/. Select "Browse Patches," select "Retrieve a Specific Patch," then enter the patch number such as "PHKL_9149." HP updates patches frequently; if you ask for a patch that has been replaced, the system will tell you the new patch number. HP MPower users need: PHKL_9149 (s700 9.0[357] SCSI, NFS, DUX, VM, graphics, HIL megapatch) PHSS_8643 (s700_800 9.X MPower 2.02 November '96 periodic patch) Non-MPower users need: PHKL_9149 (s700 9.0[357] SCSI, NFS, DUX, VM, graphics, HIL megapatch) PHSS_4341 (s700 9.X corrections for base system ('non-MPowered') Audio) Return to Top Installation 4. Calibrate: Default Menu Installation: In previous releases, we provided Calibrate files with default settings for particular workstation model numbers, but in this release we use display resolutions and refresh rates instead. If the display resolution and refresh rate of your monitor does not appear in the Default_Settings menu in Calibrate, contact technical support. 5. Restart Server After Calibration (PAL, SECAM) Installation: Be sure to restart the server after you finish Calibration. If you do not, and if you are displaying PAL or SECAM format video, they may be incorrectly displayed as NTSC format. 6. Re-Installation: Re-Calibrate Re-Installation: The values stored by the Calibrate program are used to adjust the video display. These values are now stored on your system disk and not in Parallax NVRAM (NVRAM is not supported in all Parallax video cards). The result is that any time you move a Parallax board to a new system, you need to re-run the Calibrate program.
Return to Top General 7. Using with HP VideoLive General: The server shipped in this release is not 100% compatible with the VideoLive application included in Hewlett-Packard MPower. 8. Video Zoom Reset General: If you use Zoom_2X while in Calibrate, VideoTool, or MovieTool, and then Exit, the zoom factor that you chose will remain in effect until you reset it. To return to standard resolution, you must reset the resolution by reopening one of these applications and resetting the resolution to Zoom_1X. 9. Video Flashing When Video Window Moved General: While you are moving a video window, the video may temporarily freeze ("flash") for just a moment, then return to normal. 10. XVideo700 Without Compression: No PAL Output General: If you are using XVideo700 without compression (part number XV-700), you can't send PAL video as output to an external device (such as a VCR).
Return to Top MovieTool 11. Audio: Not Working MovieTool: If audio does not work, login as root and type, "chmod 666 /dev/audio." Also check to see if you need the HP audio fixes described in bug #2. 12. Audio: HP Audio Server, MovieTool Freeze MovieTool: If you select the HP Audio Server for the audio device and the audio server is not running, MovieTool will freeze for 10-15 seconds. 13. Audio: Setting Display Environment Variable MovieTool: To use HP Audio Server for the audio device, you must have your DISPLAY environment variable set as "
:0" instead of ":0." 14. Audio: Avoid Low Audio Sample Rate (Such as 8000) MovieTool: If you use the -sampleRate command line option to start Movie-Tool with the audio sample rate set low (for example 8000) and record a movie, approximately 40% of the frames will be dropped (will not be recorded), and the movie will have bad audio throughout (audio will click constantly so only approximately half of the audio is intelligible). To avoid these problems, use an audio sample rate of 16000 or higher (start MovieTool with a higher -sampleRate), or do not specify the audio sample rate. If you want to use a sample rate of 8000, you can do so by starting MovieTool with -sampleRate set to 8000, exiting MovieTool, and starting MovieTool a second time with -sampleRate set to 8000. (For more information about -sampleRate, see your Multimedia User's Guide, Appendix B: UNIX Command Line Options.) 15. Video Flashes When Changed to Default Color Settings MovieTool: When you change the color settings (hue, contrast, etc.) to the Default values, video will flash (freeze for a moment) four times (once for each color setting), then video will return to normal. 16. S-VHS and Zoom: Window Label Incorrect MovieTool: If you are using an S-VHS video input and you change the Zoom factor (for example, choose Zoom_2X mode), the video continues to display correctly but the video display window label may become incorrect. For example, for an XVideo700 it may change to read something like "Input1: S-VHS (YC): 1: NTSC" when it should indicate "Input2" et cetera. 17. Auto_Repeat Waits Before Playback MovieTool: The Auto_Repeat feature pauses a long time between movie playback sessions. Auto_Repeat should play back the specified movie, then immediately play it back again (repeatedly). Instead, Auto_Repeat plays back a movie, then waits for a time (equal to the length of the movie), then plays back the movie again. Return to Top MovieTool and VideoTool 18. Displaying Compressed Still Images: Off Top/Left Edge of Display MovieTool and VideoTool: If you are displaying a JFIF or JPEG still image and you move the still image so that part of it runs off the top and/or left edge of the display (x and/or y coordinates are negative), the still image won't display correctly. It will appear to show parts of different images. To fix the problem, move the window so that all of it appears on the display. 19. "Torn" Images: Lack of Frame Integrity in Compressed Frames MovieTool and VideoTool: Some compressed images captured from live video (still images captured by MovieTool or VideoTool, or frames in a MovieTool movie) appear "torn," showing portions of more than one frame. Tearing happens occasionally, depending on when the live video frame comes in versus when the frame is compressed. Tearing is more noticeable with lots of change from frame-to-frame. Tearing may be noticeable while looking at a single frame or stepping through a movie frame-by-frame, but usually is not noticeable while playing a movie at full speed. For VideoTool, freeze video first before capturing and compressing a frame to prevent this problem.
Return to Top VideoTool 20. S-VHS and Zoom: Input Window Turns Black VideoTool: If you are using an S-VHS video input and you change the Zoom factor (for example, choose Zoom_2X mode), the video input window may turn black. To fix the problem, use the Input_Settings input cascading menu to re-select the correct video input type. 21. Two Inputs, Two Standards: NTSC, PAL, SECAM Confusion XVideo700 users-VideoTool: If an input (Input_1 or Input_2) is displaying live video in one format (for example, NTSC), and then the other input is turned on with another format video source connected (for example, PAL), the second input selected may get incorrectly detected and displayed (in the example, the PAL input is detected as SECAM). You will need to use the Input_Settings input cascading menu to select the correct input format for the second input. 22. Video Output with Simultaneous Input Only from Composite Input_1 XVideo700 users-VideoTool: While you are using video output, you can display one live video window only from Composite Input_1. The S-VHS (Y/C) and Composite inputs from Input_2 are not available when you are using output. 23. PAL Output and Zoom: Lose Half of Output XVideo700 users-VideoTool: If you are using Zoom_2X, displaying PAL video input in a window, and sending that window as output to an external video device, then only the top half of the PAL input will come out as output. Do not use Zoom_2X while sending a PAL input display window to output. 24. PAL Output Changes to NTSC with JFIF Image Capture XVideo700 users-VideoTool: If you are sending PAL output to an external video device, and then save a JFIF format still image, occasionally the output format will change from PAL to NTSC. Use the Input_Settings input cascading menu to re-select the correct video format. 25. Custom Cropping VideoTool: The Crop command crops to the upper-left corner of the image. You can develop custom cropping with the Video Development Environment.
Return to Top Video Development Environment 26. Manual: XPlxGetImage and XPlxPutImage Mis-Labeled Video Development Environment Manual: XPlxGetImage and XPlxPutImage are mis-labeled in the manual. XPlxGetImage is wrongly called "XPlxXGetImage" and XPlxPutImage is wrongly called "XPlxXPutImage." The corrections should be made on pages 1-18, 1-26, 2-8, 2-9, 2-11, and I-16.
Return to Top UNIX Utility and Demo Programs 27. ImageMagick display: Ignore Error Message ImageMagick display: If you use the ImageMagick display program to view a Sun Raster image captured by VideoTool, you will get the error message, "This visual does not support an image mate (PseudoColor)." The image is still displayed correctly, and you can ignore the error message.
Return to Top Tested Hardware This hardware and software has been tested on the following systems from the HP 9000 Series 700, C-series, and J-series lines of workstations: * HP 9000 Model J200, J210 * HP 9000 Model C100, C110 * HP 9000 Model 755/99 * HP 9000 Model 745i/50 * HP 9000 Model 735/125 * HP 9000 Model 725/50, 725/100 * HP 9000 Model 715/33, 715/50, 715/80, 715/100 And tested with these framebuffer cards: * HCRX 24 * Visualize 24 * Visualize 48 And tested with the following display resolutions (and Calibration files): * 1280 x 1024 pixels @ 72 Hz * 1280 x 1024 pixels @ 60 Hz * 1024 x 768 pixels @ 75 Hz * 1024 x 768 pixels @ 74 Hz NOTE: The hardware supports displays at 1280 x 1024 or 1024 x 768 pixels at frequencies between 60-76 Hz. The four Calibration files above can be adjusted to meet other frequencies for 1280 x 1024 or 1024 x 768 pixels. For more information, see the instructions for using Calibrate with the "-hv" option (Software Installation Guide, page 27). If you have questions about using your Parallax Graphics video card with another kind of HP 9000 Series 700, C-series, or J-series workstation, please contact our technical support engineers.
Return to Top Fixes or Enhancements We have incorporated the following improvements (added functionality and bug fixes) over the 9.2 release: 1. New MovieCat Software MovieCat combines pre-existing MovieTool movie clips into new movies. 2. Multiple Video Cards with Compression Work in One System If you have enough EISA slots and video cards, you can now put more than one Parallax video card in your system, and use the full feature set including compression. 3. Shared Memory is Supported Shared memory extensions are working in Version 9.3 and 10.10. 4. Audio Synchronization is Fixed The problem with audio synchronization in Version 9.2 is fixed in 9.3 and 10.10. 5. Numerous Other Bug Fixes Many other bugs in version 9.2 are fixed in versions 9.3 and 10.10. (version 9.2 release notes, bug numbers 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 34, and 35) 6. Video Development Environment Enhancements The Video Development Environment now has better documentation, more functions, and more sample programs. If you have the Video Development Environment, see Chapter 1 of the Reference Guide for details. 7. New Calibration Files, New Systems Tested We have tested Version 9.3 and 10.10 on some newer HP systems such as the J-series and C-series. We have also expanded our set of Calibration files to cover more displays, to make it easier for you to calibrate your video card to your framebuffer.
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