From: hacker@acs2.bu.edu (Jose Elias)
Subject: Re: HARDWARE: Sega HMD for December?
Date: 30 Apr 93 19:05:55 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA



In article <1r1ht6INNef8@shelley.u.washington.edu>,
diego@minerva.st.dsi.unimi.it (Diego Montefusco) writes:

|> In <9304200244.AA12116@ghost.dsi.unimi.it>, on Apr 19, you wrote:
|> 
|> > From: DAVID GLOWACKI <DGLOW%DEPAUW.BITNET@uwavm.u.washington.edu>
|> >
|> > I've heard of December as being slated for Sega's HMD release, but
|> > with 32-bit color???  I find this a little hard to believe since the
|> > Genesis doesn't even have true 8-bit color (only 64 colors on the
|> > screen at once - even with the CD-ROM unit).  Add this to the fact
|> > that the MC68000 in the Genesis only has a 16-bit data bus and the
|> > idea of a 32-bit HMD seems rather unlikely.
|> 
|> I too think it is NOT 32-bit color. Also because 32 bits per pixels
|> are generally available in FRAME buffers (24 bit for true color + 8
|> bit for, say, Alpha channelling, i.e. trasparencies), not screens.
|> 
|> Does anybody have the SCREEN RESOLUTION of the Genesis? I'm asking
|> since someone on the net posted that the spokesperson from Sega told
|> him the HMD screens had the same resolution of the system, BUT I don't
|> know how many pixels there are!

By 32-bit SEGA doesn't mean 32-bit color, but rather the built-in CPU
that will power the Graphics Engine for the HMD.  Although even I
think this might not be true since the unit will interface to the Mega
CD-ROM which already has a built in very-high-speed poligon generator,
and if you don't beleive it's fast then take a look at SEGA upcoming
Start-Fox-FX-killer game Silpheed which at some stages in the game
redraws HALF A MILLION POLIGONS IN REAL TIME, yes, 500,000 poligons
(Although NOT shaded, but simply flat poligon, still a good number for
a 200 dollar system!!!).  By the way the game is almost finished and
can be seen in the pages of the most recent Video Games magazines
(check out Electronic Gaming Monthly's either last or this month's
issue for screen shots (It almost looks like real-time fractals) and
clips from animated sequences)).

Sincerelly,
	hacker@acs.bu.edu