On this page I will try to gather all I can find about the range of Vidi Amiga video and image digitizers made by ROMBO Productions Ltd. back in the good old days.

There was a multitude of hardware versions released which in the 80-90's and still today is confusing. I will however try to make a real sense of all this, together with pictures, test snapshots, user manuals, software revisions and possibly magazine reviews.

Introduction - Vidi-Amiga

It should be noted that all models that shows product photos are from my own collection and is not gathered from other un-professional sites out there hosting pictures of low quality.

I strive hard to get an overview over all versions of both software and user manuals and everything are provided for download, in case you have a unit with no clue how to use it :-)

The company was started by Colin Faulkner along with Marcus Sharp back in 1986. Colin devised all the hardware, Marcus the Amstrad/PC software along with Keith Wilson who was responsible for the Vidi-Amiga software.

Their first product was probably first sold in 1985 and formed the name of the company - a ROM Box for the Amstrad CPC464, see:

Rombo Productions WIKI

This was followed in 1986 by the first Vidi, again for the CPC464 and others for Atari ST, Amstrad PCW, even for Sinclair ZX Spectrum and eventually the Amiga version came out, which are what my project primarly focuses on.

It should be noted that the above information is 100% authentic as I was so delighted to be contacted by Mr. Colin Faulkner and his wife Wendy myself in November 2012.

In the May 1996 (#62) issue of Amiga Shopper, a small news story tells us that Rombo was aquired by Quantum Leap and then re-released the digitizers from there on (most likely for a couple of years). I believe the VIDI-Amiga 24RT was the latest from Rombo, where the "PRO" version and recently surfaced "RT2" might have been produced by Quantum Leap into the rest of the 90's.

A grayscale digitizer suitable for the Amiga 500, 1000 and 2000 (at least). It was bundled with the software called VidiGrab.

A hardware colour splitter (Red / Green / Blue) for the grayscale Vidi-Amiga hardware digitizer released the same year. This device could not be used by itself as it was dependent of the original Vidi-Amiga naturally.

A complete hardware solution capable of grabbing color images or grayscale. It is a combined hardware of the previous released Vidi-Amiga and Vidi-RGB into 1 box instead of 2. It can be used for any A500+, A600, A1200, A1500, A2000, A3000 and A4000 models. It came bundled with Vidi-Amiga12 software.

After some googeling, I found a device called Vidi-Amiga 12SV (Sound & Vision), it appears to have the ability to digitize the sound as 8-bit from a video source as well as being a standard Vidi-Amiga 12 device in one box. Picture taken from internet.
The device seems to be the runner-up after the Vidi-Amiga12 and the mention in the manual "sound sampler upgrade". More information when available.

The Vidi-Amiga RT12 is a complete high resolution true colour 'real time' video digitizer in one unit for use with the A500+ (1meg chip needed at least), A600, A1200, A1500, A2000, A3000 and A4000/30/40. It is almost the same as RT24, but with lower resolution and internal memory.

The Vidi-Amiga RT24 is a complete high resolution true colour 'real time' video digitizer in one unit for use with the A500+ (1meg chip needed at least), A600, A1200, A1500, A2000, A3000 and A4000/30/40.

Note: There is some kind of custom / hacked Vidi-AmigaRT software, you can read more about it here:
Vidi-AMIGA RT+ (Custom/SECAM)

Seems like the last hardware to be released in the Vidi-Amiga series, however, internet refer it to be manufactured by Quantum Leap and not ROMBO Ltd (Rombo was aquired by Quantum Leap in May 1996). I found a reference to it here:
amiga.resource.cx/exp/vidi24pro

Note: Rare image pulled off EBAY in January 2013, clearly shows a "PRO" sticker on the device, and the Quantum Leap logo on the disk.

"24bit AGA Realtime Video Digitizer"

Information about this version came to my email box in late December 2022, that tells about a post made on eab forums all the way back in 2006, then restarted in 2017 going all the way until 2022. This version is a complete mystery. I have never seen the label of this one before.

The odd thing is that the 12RT, 24RT, 24RT PRO was all in white plastic cases. So, it must be either a prototype (from Quantum Leap in 1996-1999?), as the 24RT tag came along in 1993, and in 1992 and earlier they where only in black plastic casing.

More information when its available (hopefully the owner of this item can pry the box open to reveal any versions or names on the board/stickers!).

Story on English Amiga Board (eab):
An Aparently Non Existant Vidi Amiga


Larger image (top)
Larger image (bottom)

Vidi-Amiga Developer Library Files v3.00 (.zipped files, interresting find, suitable for creating your own VIDI tools!)

Additionally during my search I came across a custom frame grabber sourcecode, (vidi37.s). It seems to base it self of V3.00 of the Vidi Library, which fit nicely together with the archive mentioned above. The notice of this sourcecode is "DECENT VIDI SOFTWARE BY BATFINK!".

Click for more details!

Here are some reviews I managed to find about the Vidi-Amiga range of digitizers for Amiga's. It is sorted in no particular order. More reviews and commerical advertisements will arrive here when time permits.

CU Amiga July 1991






Below, an review (from Amiga Shopper Issue #63, in June 1996) of the revamped Quantum Leap versions after the Rombo company was aquired. They review the 24RT and 24RT PRO versions.
Amiga Shopper (63) - Jun 96

I have a reason to believe that Digi View 4.0 Gold (by NewTek) and Take II / Take-2 / Take 2 / Take2 (by Rombo Software) and Hanna-Barbera Animation Workshop (by Empire) can use a version or versions of the Vidi-Amiga hardware (possibly the oldest ones) to digitize at least in grayscale, but that is unconfirmed at this point as I'm searching for more Vidi-Amiga hardware.

It does not work with Vidi-Amiga 24RT hardware since that was tested already. More information to come when it's available.