Savetz Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I got a PromoVision PRO-1000 recently, and just dug into it today. It's a video titling generator based on the 1200XL. It came with a dozen demo disks and (as a surprise to me!) a cart with custom character generation software. I have dumped the disks, and hope to dump the cart on Tuesday with Paul Westphal's help. I haven't been able to try the software/disks because the 1200XL keyboard isn't working well (only 3 keys seem to work) and the cartridge only runs on the machine it came with. I tested it with another 1200XL and an 800XL, and they just won't boot. The cart is somehow keyed to work only with the machine it was sold with. Here are the disk images. They all say "707 free sectors" but they're not actually blank. I don't think they are useful without the cart. Has this cart been dumped before? Promovision_Bank_Demo.atrPromovision_Graphic_Demo.atrPromovision_Pro-1000_Demo.atrPromovision_Real_Estate_Demo.atrPromovision_Record_Store_Demo.atrPromovision_Restaurant_Demo.atrPromovision_Supermarket_Demo.atrPromovision_Travel_Demo.atrPromovision_Xmas_Demo.atrPromovision_Discount_Department_Store.atrPromovision_Houseware_Graphics.atrPromovision_Retail_Demo.atr 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Never seen the cart dumped yet. I asked the seller if it came with a cartridge, but he said no, so I didn't bid higher on it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savetz Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Turns out it DID come with a cart, behind a customized plastic piece that covered the joystick ports and cart slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentarian Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 (edited) Have you opened up the computer to take a look inside? The cart could be checking for a custom OS or maybe even a jumper or circuitry near the joystick ports (i.e. Paperclip dongle). What is that covering the cart tunnel? Edit: I see your message above about the covering. Edited June 19, 2016 by Brentarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Westphal Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 No worries, Kevin. New Atari 1200xl keyboard mylars are in stock. The 800xl will be a no brainer. See you Tuesday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+David_P Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 See also these threads. The fist includes photos of a cart that looks identical to yours. The second includes http://atariage.com/forums/topic/205849-rare-atari-8-bit-carts-need-help-to-know-what-they-are/ http://atariage.com/forums/topic/69787-video-titling-generators-for-atari-800/?hl=%2Bpromovision&do=findComment&comment=857617 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savetz Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Thanks. I'll crack it open on Tuesday with Paul. While I'm thinking of it: what's a reliable way that I can dump carts like these WITHOUT Windows? I am willing to use a Mac or an Atari. This is the forth or fifth cart I've needed to dump and I keep needing to find friends who can do it, but they all have Windows-based solutions. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savetz Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Here's the dump of the cart. It doesn't boot, because it checks that STICK(1) = 3 as copy protection. (I tested this in BASIC on the PromoVision 1200XL.) I tried to find this check using Omnivore (looking for reading $279) but couldn't find it. Who can do the magic? promovis.bin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 This rom is patched to bypass the check for porta. PromoVision(Patched).rom 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savetz Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Nice! Thank you! Hm, I wonder how to get it to load from the demo floppies. That is not obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savetz Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Insert the disk, boot with the cart installed. Control-L to load the demo. Press START to view it. I expect I'll make a youtube video that shows them all. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Westphal Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Will the rom run off a sio to sd? If not, could you make an .xex of it? We ( Kevin and I ) want to use it for the Joe Decuir visit to the Rose City Atari Club meeting this Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhallen Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 We should enhance the program to make broadcast quality video: 1. add interlace http://atariage.com/forums/topic/144629-new-demo-release-memopad-480i/ (hmm, but even with this hack there are no serration pulses). 2. add genlock.. maybe replace the Atari main crystal with a PLL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 We should enhance the program to make broadcast quality video: 1. add interlace http://atariage.com/forums/topic/144629-new-demo-release-memopad-480i/ (hmm, but even with this hack there are no serration pulses). 2. add genlock.. maybe replace the Atari main crystal with a PLL Item 2: Not as easy as it seems. You need to have that PLL synced to the live video's vertical and horizontal sync (not terribly difficult) and to its colorburst (slightly more difficult). And then you will have a problem with SIO not working properly since its timing is very much tied into the A8's master clock, and its not going to like the inevitable stretched pulses that result when actively being genlocked. I know this from past experience. - Michael 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhallen Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 Item 2: Not as easy as it seems. You need to have that PLL synced to the live video's vertical and horizontal sync (not terribly difficult) and to its colorburst (slightly more difficult). And then you will have a problem with SIO not working properly since its timing is very much tied into the A8's master clock, and its not going to like the inevitable stretched pulses that result when actively being genlocked. I know this from past experience. - Michael One crazy way: add a time base corrector to the Atari, see: http://marcusgun.awardspace.com/newvidproc.html It's only a few chips! :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_x Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 The guy thats selling the NIB 130XE's, XF551's and XDM printers in Dallas was using them for character generation at hospitals... Trying to get a copy of the software he was using... I want to say he told me it was custom... So maybe something new to add... And I scored one of each from him!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 One crazy way: add a time base corrector to the Atari, see: http://marcusgun.awardspace.com/newvidproc.html It's only a few chips! :-) Wow I sure could have used this info 20 years ago, but then again some of those chips might not have been available at the time. Thanks for the link, I found it very interesting. - Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschak909 Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 holy crap! an infinite window TBC in 7 ICs?! -Thom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savetz Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 (edited) I made a 34-minute video showing all 12 of the Promovision demo disks. In this order: Promovision_Pro-1000_Demo.atr Promovision_Bank_Demo.atr Promovision_Graphic_Demo.atr Promovision_Real_Estate_Demo.atr Promovision_Record_Store_Demo.atr Promovision_Restaurant_Demo.atr Promovision_Supermarket_Demo.atr Promovision_Travel_Demo.atr Promovision_Xmas_Demo.atr Promovision_Discount_Department_Store.atr Promovision_Houseware_Graphics.atr Promovision_Retail_Demo.atr Edited June 23, 2016 by Savetz 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender II Posted July 29, 2022 Share Posted July 29, 2022 On 6/21/2016 at 7:33 PM, jhallen said: One crazy way: add a time base corrector to the Atari, see: http://marcusgun.awardspace.com/newvidproc.html It's only a few chips! :-) Dead link. Did anyone back up the information on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20160422123915/http://marcusgun.awardspace.com/newvidproc.html I suggest folks thoroughly scrub the archive to get all programming files information and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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