1987 3M Panther Graphics D-6000 character generator

This is a device for putting text graphics on video such as at a TV station. Organist1982's dad who owns a video studio gave it to me. I still have a lot to learn on using it! It also has a Summasketch digitizing tablet.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 1987
• 3M
• Panther
• Graphics
• D-6000
• character
• generator
• vidifont
• chyron
• CG
• graphics
• summasketch
• summa
• digitizing
• tablet
• applecolor
• composite
• monitor

[me748]

cool.reminds me alot of an early 80s ms-dos computer.

[retrochad]

I think it actually does use MS-DOS...however the Panther Graphics program begins loading right after the power is turned on so you don't really see a DOS start-up sequence.

[wilkes85]

Awesome! That would be a really cool interesting thing to play around with.

Maybe you can use it to edit your youtube videos! That would be awesome!

[retrochad]

I got a new computer and video capture device at the West building so I will see if I can do some direct video from it. It has a video input that you can layer the graphics overtop...however it doesn't have real video editing capability built in.

[Organgrinder010]

Can it do the "Max Headroom" background? :D

[retrochad]

It probably can! I'm not sure if the "floating head" effect can be achieved though as it can only layer the graphic on top of incoming video as a superimposition. I know it does have a primitive b/w video still frame capture for using video images as graphics though.

[wmlindley]

I was the programmer of the "Typewriter" and several other module of this system. It was built by Digital Techniques, Inc., of Burlington, Mass. and ran MS-DOS on an industrial bus computer. The summagraphics pad should work if you plug it into the right serial port. Somehow there was a way to drop to a prompt -- it was programmed in the Magic/L threaded language by Loki Engineering of Cambridge, Mass. The internal system was also built as the TouchCom building directory.

[scottgfx]

I downloaded the brochure on this machine a couple of years ago. Let me know if you want it.

I've used non-MS-DOS based 3M character generators. A D-3600 and a D-5000.

I remember reading about the D-6000 Panther back when I was still in high school.

[ApocalypseParty]

Man, the cooling fans on that thing are loud!!! I just got into putting together a studio at my school, out of old equip, and found stuff just like this, really cool!

[MysticArksRevenge]

I wish they still used these today. Chryon Graphics look a lot better than the graphics used today on television.

[windoes98se]

wow , you have 349videos

[ddl312]

I have always wondered how they put text into videos back then. Thanks For The Video Chad!