GenericTV - A simple and valuable utility for any IIgs user with a VOC card.

tv [number1] [number2]
           number 1 - non-key colour dissolve level (1-7)
           number 2 - key colour dissolve level (1-7)

Copyright 1991 (c) ventureTech.
written by Matthew Montano

Distribution Requirements: Give this program to ANYONE and EVERYONE you know
                           with a Video Overlay Card. You would be suprised
                           who does, so upload it to BBSes and online services
                           everywhere.

Usage Requirements: If you use this program ONCE, I ask you to do one thing:
                    Tell me you USED it. I know there is very little money
                    in IIgs software anymore, but I still desire a bit of
                    satisfaction that my programming is appreciated! Send me
                    an electronic note just saying hi, or thanks or something.
                    PLEASE!

Background: I purchased a Video Overlay Card from Canadian Computer Outlet
            in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. (One of the few places that is
            an Apple Authorized Dealer, supports the IIgs and knows EXACTLY
            what it is, and what it does). I used it as it was intended for a
            while but realized that it could be used for so much more. I
            needed a TV in my room, as I watch a lot of TV,  but couldn't
            afford to buy a colour TV. I had a VCR (which I use for doing
            party video tapes - 6 hours without switching it!) as well as
            cable input and it had NTSC composite output. So I used my IIgs
            monitor as the finest, highest quality television monitor around.
            But wait, I still wanted to program! Solution: I bought an Apple
            IIgs Monochrome Monitor (the finest paper white composite monitor
            available, and cheap too, even from Apple!) to use as a main
            monitor. I discovered something rather interesting. If you hook
            up the composite monochrome monitor to the standard video output
            attached to the motherboard of the IIgs, you will get whatever
            the IIgs displays and only that (obviously). This is rather
            interesting, because you can setup the VOC card (using the VideoMix
            NDA) to display full video, and no IIgs graphics, while the
            other monitor displays the IIgs work only. I could program AND
            watch TV on seperate monitors (don't bother trying to view both
            on the same screen at the same time, it leads to headaches) at the
            same time! But using the VideoMix utility is a pain. So I wrote
            the program known as "GenericTV".

GenericTV is brutally simple. If it is a S16 file, launch it. It will set the
key colour and non-key colour dissolve level to 100% video, 0% graphics,
thereby turning your IIgs RGB monitor into a fantastic TV. If it is in a shell
file format (EXE), launching it without parameters causes it to do the same
as launching it as a S16 file. Launching it and passing two numbers does the
magic(?). Number 1 controls the dissolve level of the non-key colour, while
Number 2 controls the dissolve level of the key-colour.

There are only 7 levels of dissolve in the VOC card as it exists.

Hope you enjoy it.. I had fun writing it.

Watch for our forth-comming release, GenericComm v3.0 supporting Xmodem-1k in
a full GS/OS implementation.

If you have any questions about GenericTV contact me:

Matthew Montano         InterNet: sysadmin@pnet91.cts.com
ventureTech                       vt@pnet91.cts.com
PO Box 867, Station F    AOnLine: MMontano
Toronto, ON   M4Y-2N7        Fax: 416-658-0327