16-bit PCI video output for Mac???

This tidbit appeared in a recent posting (on 3D displays) at CVNET
and might perhaps interest other PsychToolbox users as well.

>Peter April (peter@...)
>
>I'm currently designing a PCI card for the Mac to enhance the Mac's
>usefulness to vision researchers. The card will extend the RGB video
>DACs to 16-bit resolution, and will also have a VESA standard stereo jack
>for plugging in LCD goggles like StereoVision's Crystal Eyes. If you are
>interested, I can keep you informed of my progress.

Upon asking for a little more detail I got these responses:

At 19:31 -0400 26-04-2001, Peter April wrote:
>Thank you for your interest in the VPixx Processor card for vision
>research on the Mac.
>
>Approximate target price: US$4000
>Approximate delivery: Fall 2001
>Some interesting features:
> -16-bit accurate RGB colours (calibrated onboard with a 24-bit ADC)
> -can drive two independant frame-synchronized displays
> -VESA standard stereo jack for research-grade stereo goggles
> -21 I/O pins for interfacing with keypads, and any other hardware
>
>I'm basically designing a PCI card which responds to all of the hardware
>needs which my VPixx software customers have asked for. You can check
>out the software at http://www.vpixx.com
>
>My card actually works as a graphics coprocessor to an existing card
>within your system. Basically, your "host" graphics card contains the
>image buffer, and the VPixx processor does a remap of the colours. This
>setup is convenient for you because your animations can take
>advantantage of the increasingly faster bit blit rates of the newer
>graphics cards (eg: the current G4's ship with an optional ATI Radeon on
>the 4x AGP bus).
>
>The VPixx Processor powers up in a "pass through" mode, so that whatever
>comes out of the host graphics adaptor gets shown on the display. Then
>when appropriate software programs the VPixx Processor, it remaps the
>video through high-resolution RAMDACs. The first software which
>supports the card will be the VPixx visual testing program itself. Very
>shortly afterward, I will also supply a small C library which will allow
>software developers to directly program the card. As a final step, I
>will port the C library to the Matlab environment for the convenience of
>PsychToolbox users. All purchasers of the VPixx Processor will
automatically receive the software libraries and upgrades as they
become available.

>Also, if you have any suggestions/wishes/dreams
>which you would like me to implement on the card, please let me know.
>Meanwhile, I'll keep you informed of the development process.
>
>Cheers,
>
> -Peter

Note: I have no financial interest in this :-)
Gr.
Frans