STB Horizon / Horizon VGA / Horizon VL / Horizon VL-24
The Horizon (also known as Horizon VGA) and Horizon VL (also known as Horizon VL24) were a series of 2D graphics accelerators, launched in 1993.
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Released | 1993 |
| Bus | ISA 16-bit or VESA Local Bus | |
| Chipset | Cirrus Logic CL-GD5426 / CL-GD5428 / CL-GD5429 | |
| Standards | Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA | |
| Memory | 1 MB EDO DRAM | |
| RAMDAC | - | |
| Ports | 15-pin DSUB (analogue video out) | |
| Part # | 1X0-0264-007 or HORIZON (ISA), STBHZVL (VLB) | |
| FCC ID | EKSUSAAVGA3 (ISA), EKUSAVL (VLB) | |
| Price | Feb 1993: $101 (VLB), Jun 1993: $199, Jul 1993: $97 (ISA) or $110 (VLB), Jul 1994: $130 (VLB), Oct 1994: $95 |
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| See Also | PowerGraph VL-24, Horizon+ |
They could display at resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 interlaced at 4bpp, 1024 x 768 (70 Hz refresh rate) at 8bpp, 800 x 600 (72 Hz refresh rate) at 16bpp, and 640 x 480 (also 72 Hz) at 24bpp.
The mix of Cirrus Logic chipsets is understandable, as CL produced several iterations of the 542X range over the course of a year to a year and a half, and many card manufacturers either chose to take advantage of the slightly faster, later offerings when they came out, or it was just down to what they had in the parts bin at the time of manufacture.
The Horizon series were sold to a number of OEMs, including Austin Computer Systems who shipped the Horizon VL24 in their 486 LB [local bus] systems alongside the Powergraph VL24 in their lower-end 486DX systems. Insight also shipped the Horizon VL24 in their 486DX2-66 VL-Bus Multimedia, and Northgate used the ISA version of the Horizon in their Northgate Superb alongside the Powergraph VL24 in their 486VL systems.
Board Revisions
I don't have any information on board revisions for the Horizon cards.
Competition
The VESA Local Bus version of the Horizon went up against the Orchid Fahrenheit VA/VLB, Number Nine GXE VL-Bus, Hercules Graphite VL, Genoa 8500, Diamond Viper VLB, and ATI Graphics Ultra Pro mach32. It scored higher than the ATI card, was on par with the Orchid, but was bettered by the Number Nine, Hercules, Genoa and Diamond the card which came out on top.
In the Media
Setting it Up
Downloads
On Windows NT, for Horizon/Horizon VGA use embedded Cirrus Logic 5426/5429 drivers and for Horizon VL Use embedded Cirrus Logic 5428 drivers.
Operation Manual Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Original Utility Disk Horizon ISA Utilities/Drivers release 1.4 |
Original Utility Disk Horizon VGA/VL Utils/Drivers Disk Release 1.3 (unzip using PKUNZIP -D) |
ROM BIOS Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows 3.1 Drivers Horizon ISA STB Vision2 Windows 3.x Drivers release 2.10c |
Windows 3.1 Drivers Horizon VGA/VL Windows 3.1 Drivers Disk Release 1.5 (unzip using PKUNZIP -D) |
Windows 95 Drivers For Horizon/Horizon VGA only: STB Vision 95 drivers release 1.20i. For VLB cards use the generic Cirrus Logic drivers. |
More Pictures
ISA version of the STB Horizon