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January 10, 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 CD. The Release Notes include:
If you have any questions, please contact Parallax Graphics technical support at 408-727-2220 (California, USA), 703-715-3017 (Virginia, USA) or e-mail tsupport@parallax.com. Bugs, Anomalies or Restrictions We have identified the following bugs, anomalies or restrictions: Pre-Installation 1. IBM's Ultimedia Services (UMS) Software Required Pre-Installation: Before you install the Parallax software, make sure you have IBM's Ultimedia Services (UMS) software installed on your system. If UMS is installed there will be a directory named "/usr/lpp/UMS/bin" with many programs including "media_player." If you install Parallax software on a system without UMS, the server will not start. UMS is available from IBM. 2. Multiple Parallax Graphics Cards Not Supported Pre-Installation: In this release (version 1.0) there is no software support for installing multiple Parallax video cards in one workstation. 3. Must Have Parallax Card to Launch Windows Pre-Installation: In some systems when the Parallax driver is installed but there is no Parallax card in the system, the window system will not launch. 4. Re-Boot After De-Installing Parallax Software Documentation for Installation: To de-install a previous version of the Parallax software, after giving the command "# installp -gu parallax" (Software Installation Guide, page 8, step 3) you must reboot your system to complete the de-installation process.Return to Top MovieTool 5. Zoom 2X and Image Quality Panel MovieTool: While in Zoom 2X mode, the MovieTool Image Quality control panel controls image quality correctly, but the Image Quality window does not accurately indicate image quality. 6. Output and Playback MovieTool, XVideoPCI users: If the Show_Movies_On_Output option is on, opening a new movie for playback causes Output behavior to become unpredictable. To correct the problem, choose Show_Movies_On_Output again after opening the new movie.
Return to Top MovieTool and VideoTool 7. JPEG Data Corruption Some JPEG images captured by XVideoPCI or PowerVideoPCI have x bytes of garbage data at the end of the frame, causing the lower right corner of the frame to look odd. These JPEG images can be displayed by Parallax hardware but can't be read correctly by software decoders (such as "xv" and "ImageMagick display"). The error/warning messages from the software are, for example, "extraneous bytes," "premature EOF," etc. If you have this problem, contact Parallax technical support 8. PAL Fields Reversed: Image Quality Problem If you display PAL video and still images, the video fields are reversed. Instead of the correct field order (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...) the fields are mixed up (2, 1, 4, 3, 6, ...). This decreases image quality and makes the edges of objects look blurred ( jagged/fuzzy). If you have this problem, contact Parallax technical support 9. Output and Zoom 2X MovieTool and VideoTool, XVideoPCI users: Video Output behavior is unpredictable while the hardware is in Zoom_2X mode. Avoid using video Output and Zoom_2X at the same time.
Return to Top VideoTool 10. Still Video Windows VideoTool: VideoTool will crash if a video input window (i.e., Video Input 1 or Video Input 2) is displaying a still image and you do either of the following: A) Iconify the video input window, then de-iconify it; or B) Use the VideoTool main menu's Video Input 1 or Video Input 2 On/ Off buttons to close (Off) and reopen (On) the video input window. To avoid this problem, do not iconify a still video window or use the VideoTool main menu to close or reopen a still video window. 11. Zoom 2X and Still JFIF VideoTool: If you save a JFIF image while in Zoom_2X mode, the dimensions of the resulting JFIF image are not correct. 12. Still Video Resizing VideoTool: If you still a video input window at smaller than default size while the resize and aspect ratio are set to both "Crop" and "Any," and then resize the video window, sometimes the stilled video image does not resize to match the resized window. 13. Input Settings Effects Documentation for VideoTool: The "Effects" options in VideoTool Input Settings are not available in this software release. 14. Output and Still JFIF VideoTool, XVideoPCI users: If you have Output turned on and then save a JFIF image from Video Input 1, the Output on the output device will stop. You can restart Output by turning Output Off from the main menu and then turning it back On. 15. Zoom 2X to Zoom 1X VideoTool, XVideoPCI users: When you switch from Zoom_2X to Zoom_1X mode, the second video input will not always be detected correctly. To restore the second video input, turn it Off and then On again. 16. Output Off VideoTool, XVideoPCI users: Output does not always turn Off completely.
Return to Top Utility Programs 17. tcomp False Warning tcomp: If you use tcomp between your AIX workstation and a non-AIX workstation the following message will appear: "Warning: Cannot convert string "
InsertChar" to type VirtualBinding" Please ignore this message. 18. tcomp and Output tcomp, XVideoPCI users: If you are connected to an Output device (such as a VCR or TV monitor) and decide to start up tcomp, please note that when you start tcomp and press the Start button, the Output device will appear to turn on, but no recognizable video will appear. This behavior will stop once tcomp is stopped. Return to Top Tested Hardware This hardware and software has been tested on the following systems from the IBM Power Series line of workstations with 601 or 604 microprocessor chips: * IBM RS/6000 model 43P (with 604 microprocessors only) * IBM RS/6000 model 40P (with 601 microprocessors) And framebuffer cards: * iga * GXT 150P * gga * GXT 110P * E-15 * GXT 250P * S-15 * GXT 255P And the following display resolutions (refer to SMIT): For the 40P (601): For the 43P (604): * gga . 1280x1024 . 77 Hz * iga . 1024x768 . 76 Hz * gga . 1280x1024 . 75 Hz * iga . 1024x768 . 72 Hz * gga . 1280x1024 . 60 Hz * iga . 1024x768 . 60 Hz * gga . 1024x768 . 76 Hz * gga . 1024x768 . 70 Hz NOTE: The following models do not currently work with Parallax video cards: 43P-140 and 43P-240, because they use the 604e chip. The E-series (E20, E30) and F series (F30, F40) with 604e chips do not work either. NOTE: Display resolutions less than 1024x768 are not supported. If you have questions about using your Parallax Graphics video card with another kind of IBM/PCI Bus/AIX workstation or display, contact Parallax technical support
Return to Top Fixes or Enhancements We have incorporated the following improvements over the Beta release: 1. Software Installation We have rewritten the installation script using AIX install utilities to make installation easier. 2. Hardware: Output Channels XVideoPCI users: When video output is turned on, output goes to both output cables (both S-VHS and composite cables) at the same time, so that you can use either (or both). Return to Top
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