NeXTDimension

The 32-bit graphics card for the NeXT cube. Uses and Intel i860 processor on-board to blit Display PostScript windows at dangerously high speeds from its on-board video memory. Also features three live video in ports and three live video out ports. Once dangerously expensive, now available used -- and dangerously cool.

The NeXTdimension was a $3,995 expansion card for the NeXTcube, it allowed for 32-bit color to NeXT's Display Postscript graphics system, a good number of output and input jacks, and utilized the 64-bit Intel i860 33 MHz RISC processor. It was originally intended to have a hardware compression capabilities, but the compression chip's 3^rd party developer pulled out unexpectedly leaving a gaping hole in the NeXTdimension's board.

Specifications^*

• Graphics Processor: Intel i860 33 MHz RISC processor
• Image Compression/Decompression
  • Dedicated JPEG Image Compression Processor
  • Real-time compression & decompression to hard disk
  • User-selectable compression rate
• Memory:
  Main Memory
  • 8 MB to 32 MB of main memory
  • Expandable using 72-pin DRAM SIMM modules
  Display Memory
  • 4 MB VRAM
  • 32 bits/pixel color, including 8 bits/pixel alpha channel
  • Supports double-buffered 16 bits/pixel windows
• Display Resolution: 1120 x 832 pixels
• Display Output: 13W3 triple-coaxial
• Video Compatibility
  • NTSC video input and output channels {PAL option}
  • Video output genlocked to input video source
  • Closed-caption, TeleText, and VITC support
• Video Inputs
  • One S-Video using standard DIN-style 4-pin jack
  • Two composite video using RCA-style jack
  • Software selectable
• Video Inputs
  • One S-Video using standard DIN-style 4-pin jack
  • One composite video using RCA-style jack
  • One RGB video using 9-pin D-shell with EGA pinout