Changes

Thomson

1,096 bytes added, 13:53, 10 May 2012
/* MO6 and TO8 */
==MO6 and TO8==
Also TO9/TO9+, MO5E.
The 2nd generation of 8 bit thomson Thomson computers mostly got the addition of the 3 bitmap video modes (no attributes) of the Amstrad CPC/PLUS, alongside the "heritage" (legacy) 320x200x16 attribute based mode. A few other exotic and obscure video modes were added too.
But the palette have been upgraded into a 4096 colours 12bit palette, the same as on the unreleased at the time Amstrad PLUS range (and of course the Commodore Amiga... and many other computers and consoles).
[[File:Modes.png]]
*Those Bitmap video modes are , according to the TO8 documentation :
'''*160x200x16'''(pixels x pixels x colours)
'''*320x200x4a) MO 40-column mode :'''320x200x2 (with 8x1pixels attributes , 16 colours on screen)
'''*640x200x2b) 80 column mode :'''640x200x2
'''* c) BIT MODE MAP 4 :''' 320x200x4 '''* d) BIT MODE MAP 16 :''' 160x200x16 *'''further Extra Video modes :''' Those Thomson computers also had a few extra video modes that enabled transparency-masked plans (but with less colours than the usual CPC-like bitmap modes) and which could be used for video incrustation. Another mode enabled to manage 2 separate pages (screen) at the same time. '''* e) Mode page (page1/page2) :''' this enable to provides 2 separate screen pages in 320x200x2. '''* f) Overprinting Mode :''' 320x200 sized screen, * 2nd plan is 1 colour+transparency on the 1st plan* 1st plan is 2 colours (possible 3 colours on screen+border) '''* g) Triple-Overprinting Mode :''' Four 1bit per pixel plans on the same screen in 160x200.  * 4th pan is 1 colour+transparency into 3rd plan* 3rd plan is 1 colour+transparency into 2nd plan* 2nd plan is 1 colour+transparency into 1st plan* 1st plan is 2 colours. This make-up for a total of 5 colours on screen (+ border). Those Bitmap video modes are coded (hardware generated) slighly slightly differently than on CPC so you can't simply port the Graphic Datas from CPC/PLUS to Thomson MO6/TO8 without some proper recoding.  The Thomson always processes 16bits of graphical Datas in the same clocktime so the more resolution the less colours.
Minus the lack of Hardware sprites and raster interrupt facilities (still doable on Thomson machines), the MO6 and TO8 are actually superior (in graphics) to the Amstrad PLUS Range due to the attribute based mode in addition to the 3 "CPC-like" modes, and largely superior to the Amstrad CPC due to the awesome Palette.
[[File:RGB 12bits palette.png]]
 
*'''Extra Video modes :''' Those Thomson computers also had a few extra video modes that enabled a transparency-masked plan (but with less colours than the usualCPC-like bitmap modes) and which could be used for video incrustation.
=Impact on French market=
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