6 MAY 86

TO: Dan Van Elderen, Lyle Rains, Rick Moncrief, Rich Moore, Rick Meyette
    Via VAX Mail: Pat McCarthy, Gary Stempler, Don Paauw, Morgan Hoff, 
	          Dave Sherman, Sam Ly, Jed Margolin, Tom Patten
FROM: Chris Downend

SUBJECT: MEDIUM RESOLUTION DISPLAY SPECIFICATIONS

I have a proposal regarding the display for the next medium resolution game
hardware we develop at Atari. The technical specs are somewhat unorthodox at
first glance, but there are strong economic reasons behind them. The
specification issue is particularly relevant now because I understand that
Wells-Gardner plans on phasing out the current Medium Resolution Chasis in
favor of a new design. The new design would be in production in 3/87-6/87
timeframe I believe. 

Here are the proposed specifications (Atari '86):
	1) 19-inch CRT
	2) .50 mm dot-pitch [800 dot-trios/scan (400mm/800=.50 mm dot-pitch)]
	3) 640x350 (HxV) pixel resolution non-interlaced
	4) 21.8 kHz horizontal scan frequency
	5) 60 Hz vertical scan

For reference, Paperboy had a resolution of 512x384 (HxV) and a horizontal scan
frequency of 24.5 kHz; .52mm triplet pitch.

Ideally, a display should have a 4:3 ratio of H:V pixels so the pixels are
square. Unfortunately, 640x350 yields rectangular pixels which is undesireable.
(640/350=1.83; 4/3=1.33; 512/384=1.33).

The reason for selecting 640x350 is LOWER COST derived from compatibility with
a large parallel market: the IBM PC.  IBM PC's are a commonplace tool. There
are 5 million IBM PC/XT and clones in the world. Two-thirds of them have been
sold with monochrome video cards and displays - this market has no potential
for us. In 1981, IBM introduced an improved color standard called the Enhanced
Color Graphics Adapter (EGA). Recently, it has received wide acceptance with an
estimated 140,000 units sold in 1985; there are projections of 400,000 sales in
1986, and further projections of "90% of all PC Graphics boards sold will be
EGA-compatible by 1990". 

The EGA standard calls for 640x350 pixels with a 21.8 kHz hor. scan rate. The
IBM 5174 display (EGA compatible) has a 13"  screen and .31mm Dot-pitch. Video
Drive is straight TTL RGB with a few bits of intensity control yielding 64
possible colors. I think there is 1-bit per gun plus 3 bits of intensity. Of
course we would want a product with a 19-inch screen and an analog front end. 

In summary, I propose that we solicit a display with the above "Atari '86"
specs from Wells-Gardner. Wells would then be positioned to offer a 
19-inch EGA-compatible display in the PC market with consequent cost-reduction
through volume production; we would also benefit via reduced prices; if
Wells "neglects" to pass along cost-savings, we would be well-positioned to
solicit bids from competitors already servicing the EGA-compatible market -
NEC, AMDEX, Princeton, C.Itoh, Taxan, Samsung, and Goldstar. A word of 
caution: the existing vendors make 13-inch displays only; the 19-inch version
we would require is feasible, but not currently in production.  As a general
guide, I believe we should be able to get an "Atari '86 display for under
$225...retail prices for the 13-inch 640x350 displays hover around $500 with
case and glare shield.