Commodore MPEG CD Demo for Video Creator CD32

[Rochabian]

I try to load the example video " MPEG example" from the Video Creator CD on CD32.
On Winuae with FMV cartridge config (works with Cannon Fodder)
After loading it asks for a "Commodore MPEG Demo CD" to play mpeg files
I can't find this CD anywhere.
Is it the CD32 Demo disk ? I've tried but it doesn't work
Is it a Demo CD that was with the FMV module ? Can't find one

Does someone has any info on this CD ?

Thanks

[Matt_H]

The FMV card did not come with a demo CD. Not sure what this could be referring to. Does the Video Creator documentation mention anything about MPEG?

Possible ideas:
-There are 2 (or more?) versions of the regular CD32 demo CD. At least one of the has an MPEG demo on it, but maybe the other doesn’t. Are you sure your version has the MPEG demo?
-Have a look at some of the Video Creator files in a hex reader. Maybe you can find some human readable strings about the volume name or track the program is referencing in this message.

[AmiClassic]

Do you see this CD content?

If not, your CD content is incomplete.

[Rochabian]

Yes i see this content, that's where i load the "MPEG example" video ( lower on the list)
I'll check with other Demo CD

[AmiClassic]

I tried to run this file and it asks for Commodore MPEG Demo CD.
I checked this script and there is a reference to this CD:

VC10© Almathera Ltd 1994
Commodore MPEG Demo CD
4
7
WDQjdt;PwfsMbzt0Cpsefst0Spdl/27
ZIP
WDQjdt;PwfsMbzt0Qbuufsot0NjojDifr/27
ZIP
...
...
...

I wonder if it is archived somewhere.

EDIT:
Manual excerpt:

Perhaps it is about this CD?

[Rochabian]

So this Demo Video CD seems pretty rare!!!!

[Retro1234]

https://oldschoolgameblog.com/2011/1...eo-fmv-module/

"An interesting curiosity, if you play the CD32 commercial from the Demo CD version 2,and have the FMV installed, you get full screen MPEG, but without it, you get CDXL playing in a small screen about 1/4 of the size. It took me a long time to get one (eBay), and I got ripped off on a dud one first."



http://www.oldgamesfinder.com/?m=2&q...%20Disc%20V2.0


could this be it?

[Matt_H]

@ Retro1234

That's the demo disc I was referring to. I don't know how that disc was originally distributed - I got mine second hand in a bundle of 1200/CD32 stuff I bought in 1997. That CD32 did not have an MPEG card installed, although it's possible the seller sold it separately to someone else.

My MPEG card (bought new) did not come with a disc.

@ AmiClassic

So I think there's 3 possible things going on:
1. Almathera is talking nonsense in their documentation
2. The Demo CD 2.0 is what they're referring to
3. There was a special MPEG Demo CD that never made it out of Commodore

Some combination of 1 and 2 seems the most likely.

[Rochabian]

I think Video Creator ask for a CD with a VCD track, not a Cd with a mpeg file inside.
It doesn't work with The Demo CD 2.0. I have to try with a VCD to see if it works.

[Matt_H]

The CD32 Demo CD has the MPEG video stored as a track rather than a file.

[AmiClassic]

Originally Posted by Matt_H

@ Retro1234
So I think there's 3 possible things going on:
1. Almathera is talking nonsense in their documentation
2. The Demo CD 2.0 is what they're referring to
3. There was a special MPEG Demo CD that never made it out of Commodore

I bet on possibility number 3
I have image CD Demo Disc 1.1 i 2.0 and tested Demo Disc with Video Creator:
This movie only Video Creator: test 1
This movie Video Creator plus Demo Disc 2.0: test 2

I think something is missing here, although in second case end of video is different.

[Rochabian]

The end is different because the audio tracks on the two discs are different
The audio track on the video creator CD is 27 second length so the last effect is cut because the track ends at 27" and the last effect should appear at 32 second
For the Demodisc 2.0, the audio track is 4min length, that's why it's stuck on the last effect for 3m30 (start at 32 second)

Does someone has a VCD 1 iso to test with ?

I think the Demo MPEG CD has multiple video tracks, and the first track should have length near 40 seconds as the video stop the effects at 32 second

EDIT : I've tried with a VCD, boot is ok on CD32, video works, but doesn't work with Video Creator


EDIT2 : If you edit the "MPEG EXAMPLE.vid"

VC10© Almathera Ltd 1994
Commodore MPEG Demo CD
4
7
WDQjdt;PwfsMbzt0Cpsefst0Spdl/27
ZIP
WDQjdt;PwfsMbzt0Qbuufsot0NjojDifr/27
ZIP
...
...
...

The third Line specify the number of the track to be read, here track 4. So the right CD should have 4 tracks at last, and the 4th is a video track

EDIT3 : Tried with a 4 tracks VCD but it doesn't work better.....brown screen when you launch video

I'm not sure WinUAE is handling the FMV module very well because i can't launch the "MPEG Creation" FMV from the Demo Disc 2.0, black screen. Idem for MPEG Killer, black screen, with latest WinUAE an Amiga Forever FMV rom . BTW Track 4 of the Demo Disc 2.0 is a video track, so it should work.

[Matt_H]

The MPEG options in the Demo Disc selection menu won’t even show up if the FMV ROM isn’t detected, so there’s some other issue going on. Does WinUAE need the FMV ROM and the FMV card to be enabled from different sections of the settings?

[AmiClassic]

Originally Posted by Rochabian

I'm not sure WinUAE is handling the FMV module very well because i can't launch the "MPEG Creation" FMV from the Demo Disc 2.0, black screen...

Work from my image CD: MPEG Creation.

Originally Posted by Matt_H

The MPEG options in the Demo Disc selection menu won’t even show up if the FMV ROM isn’t detected, so there’s some other issue going on. Does WinUAE need the FMV ROM and the FMV card to be enabled from different sections of the settings?

FMV cartridge ROM is required, otherwise MPEG options are not visible.

[Rochabian]

Ok, nice to see it's not a WinUAE Problem, thanks

I'm not sure if anyone has used Video Creator & MPEG before, it should be tested on real hardware.
I can choose an MPEG track in Video Creator, no problem ( with choose CD & track, in the menu).Using Wing commander & Dangerous Street CD, i choose track 10 wich is the MPEG track (1min15s).I can confirm that because i use then "edit video" in the menu and try to listen the track, VC says "Cannot use listen with MPEG", so i'm sure VC has seen an MPEG track, but when i use "play video", i got a black screen

[Rochabian]

Finally i can say it works!

I've used the Demo Disc 2.0 Cd wich has an MPEG track (track 6)

Video Here

There is some bugs in the video, the effects doesn't appear at the right time, for example the border disapear too fast, but the second test without recording was successfull

So FMV in Video Creator works and Winuae handle it very well (with isos)

I have found on grandis an HD version of video creator, so i think i can build an iso with more content on the CD (only 150mo over 700) with the VC Update + some almathera content

Nice! Thanks for testing and helping me

[AmiClassic]

You did it
It don't change fact that 'Demo Disc' is not a 'Commodore MPEG Demo CD'. Maybe Almathera got a sample CD from Commodore, but it was never public released?
I did one more test: I changed name 'Demo Disc' to 'Commodore MPEG Demo CD' and effect is this: Last Test

[Rochabian]

For sure it's not the "wanted" CD because the real MPEG track should be track 4, not track 6 as explained above and the demo disc track 4 "MPEG Killer" doesn't work.
And the video is 3:52 when the effects stops at 0:32 so i don't think it's the good CD

I've tried the other way, renaming 'Commodore MPEG Demo CD' to 'DemoV2_23b' in the MPEG Example script (from the HD version). After that it ask for the cd 'DemoV2_23b', ok
When you play video, it is searching for track 4 but hangs.And if you choose track 4 manually from the menu "choose cd & track" it's not well displayed /hangs VC too

The wanted was surely never made by Commodore or only Almathera have it !