Bmp2DHGR Revisited: A Slideshow Running on Real Metal

Last month I published a post about Bill Buckels’ Bmp2DHGR, a command-line utility for modern systems that converts high-color source images into Apple II graphics files supporting every graphics mode of the 128K Apple IIe and //c. The most interesting of these modes is Double Hi-Res Graphics (DHGR), which is a 560×192 pixel monochrome mode that can deliver 16 colors by way of NTSC artifacting (go Woz!). To put it in a nutshell, most DHGR graphics seen over the years on the II has been created at an effective resolution of 140×192 pixels, with four monochrome pixels making up one “color pixel.” Buckels’ utility uses intelligent algorithms and what could be considered a sub-pixelling approach to produce striking DHGR images that far surpass anything we’ve seen natively generated on an Apple II.

The images I posted in my writeup last month and the many others that Buckels has shared in the Apple II Enthusiasts Facebook group are screenshots taken of the images rendered within AppleWin, the one Apple II emulator that emulates the 128K Apple IIe, //c Double Hi-Res Graphics mode precisely enough to allow accurate viewing of the images in question. The graphics we’ve seen are impressive, and to take showing off the Apple II’s capabilities to the next level, I have recorded a slideshow of Bmp2DHGR-converted images running from a 3.5-inch floppy on my 128K Apple IIe, as displayed on its 13-inch Apple ColorMonitor IIe. The video was taken with an iPhone 6, mounted and aimed at the CRT (forgive the slow-rolling banding).

I felt this would convey more of a “real world” viewing experience than looking at screenshots from an emulator. And, so, seeing is believing. Impressive, eh?

Those interested may want to also have a look at YouTube user Vintage Micro Music’s recording of nearly the same DHGR slideshow, captured on the Formac Studio DVR direct from an Apple IIe’s NTSC composite output.