artm@phred.UUCP (Curmudgeon) (12/07/88)
I'm inquiring in behalf of an associate who doesn't regularly
mess with UNIX (tm). He's doing some experimentation with video
recording techniques and would like to get some information about
the Fisher-Price monochrome camcorder.
He's inquired with F-P's customer relations dept. and they haven't
been very helpful. I seem to recall seeing some article in something
like the IEEE Spectrum or the EE Times a while back that had a fair
amount of information about the general desingn and a few of the innovative
things they did to make the thing work as well as it does at such a low cost.
If anyone can provide any general technical info on this thing, please email
to me and I will forward it, or send it by "hardware" mail to:
Dan Yerkovich
Physio-Control
11811 Willows Road NE
Redmond, Wa. 98073
Thanks in advance.
None of this has anything to do with Physio-Control, except that we both
work here and, well, there's this nice computer....
.............................................................................
Art Marriott
(backbone)!uw-beaver!tikal!phred!artm
...........................................................................
glz5913@ultb.UUCP (G.L. Zeiger ) (12/09/88)
In article <2433@phred.UUCP> artm@phred.UUCP (Curmudgeon) writes: >.... He's doing some experimentation with video >recording techniques and would like to get some information about >the Fisher-Price monochrome camcorder. Is this for real? Does this Fisher-Price camcorder *ACTUALLY* work? I thought Fisher-Price made toys (ie. things that sort of resembled actual items [like cameras, projectors, etc] but didn't really work like the "adult" versions) for real small kids. Or have I been paying tooooooo much attention to trying to graduate and not enough to other worldly matters? -- Gary L. Zeiger USENET: ~rochester!kodak!pcid!gizzmo!lazlo!sysz!gary BITNET: GLZ5913@RITVAX WANTED: a *REAL* woman Teases, flirts, users, and cheaters need not apply.
rkh@mtune.ATT.COM (Robert Halloran) (12/09/88)
In article <246@ultb.UUCP> glz5913@ultb.UUCP (G.L. Zeiger (713ICS)) writes: >In article <2433@phred.UUCP> artm@phred.UUCP (Curmudgeon) writes: >>.... He's doing some experimentation with video >>recording techniques and would like to get some information about >>the Fisher-Price monochrome camcorder. > >Is this for real? Does this Fisher-Price camcorder *ACTUALLY* work? >I thought Fisher-Price made toys (ie. things that sort of resembled >actual items [like cameras, projectors, etc] but didn't really work >like the "adult" versions) for real small kids. Or have I been paying >tooooooo much attention to trying to graduate and not enough to other >worldly matters? They offer a unit called the PXL2000 (?) which apparently uses slow-scan techniques to record on a standard audio cassette. It includes a small (5") monitor to play back through. About $150., as I recall. Neat techie toy for the kids, and given F-P's reputation, probably built like a truck. Bob Halloran ========================================================================= UUCP: att!mtune!rkh Internet: rkh@mtune.ATT.COM USPS: 17 Lakeland Dr, Port Monmouth NJ 07758 DDD: 201-495-6621 eve ET Disclaimer: If you think AT&T would have ME as a spokesman, you're crazed. Quote: "History is made at night. Character is what you are in the dark!" - Dr. Lizardo, "Buckaroo Banzai"
cauffman@convex.UUCP (Mike Cauffman) (12/09/88)
>In article <246@ultb.UUCP> glz5913@ultb.UUCP (G.L. Zeiger (713ICS)) writes: >They offer a unit called the PXL2000 (?) which apparently uses slow-scan >techniques to record on a standard audio cassette. It includes a small (5") >monitor to play back through. About $150., as I recall. Neat techie toy >for the kids, and given F-P's reputation, probably built like a truck. It really works pretty good. (For a toy). But I saw one advertised the other day that you hook up to your tv via an RF modulator for 89 bucks. A much better deal. I havn't seen this one work. (My comment was for the one with the 5" monitor.) Mike
langbein@topaz.rutgers.edu (John E. Langbein) (12/10/88)
It works! It is very grainy, but works 15 minutes on a 90 minute Audio Tape. -- ==========================PHONE=1=201=878=0006========================= | Address: LPO 12647 P.O. BOX 5064 New Brunswick, N.J. 08903-5064 | | Arpa: langbein@topaz.rutgers.edu Uucp:...!rutgers!topaz!langbein | | Quote: "Holy Cow!" - The Scooter Bitnet: langbein@zodiac.bitnet | | DISCLAIMER: Why? I don't know, and he's on third. | =======================================================================
jim@athsys.uucp (Jim Becker) (12/10/88)
From article <246@ultb.UUCP>, by glz5913@ultb.UUCP (G.L. Zeiger ): > In article <2433@phred.UUCP> artm@phred.UUCP (Curmudgeon) writes: >>.... He's doing some experimentation with video >>recording techniques and would like to get some information about >>the Fisher-Price monochrome camcorder. > > Gary L. Zeiger USENET: ~rochester!kodak!pcid!gizzmo!lazlo!sysz!gary This was heavily advertized this time last year, I have not seen it this year. What I heard about it is that the technology was fairly old, but the time was right now!! The group that developed it was then bought (ie. - hired) by Epyx computer games company. I don't know what has become of them since. Epyx is in Redwood City, Ca. USA. I have heard that it works as advertised, but have never seen one... -Jim Becker
matt@ingr.UUCP (Matt Blemenfeld) (12/10/88)
In article <246@ultb.UUCP>, glz5913@ultb.UUCP (G.L. Zeiger ) writes: > In article <2433@phred.UUCP> artm@phred.UUCP (Curmudgeon) writes: > >.... He's doing some experimentation with video > >recording techniques and would like to get some information about > >the Fisher-Price monochrome camcorder. > > Is this for real? Does this Fisher-Price camcorder *ACTUALLY* work? Yes, indeed it does work! I'm pretty surprised that there hasn't been more talk about this thing as an ADULT toy! In the local discount store it is selling for $89 this week! For those not in the know, the Fisher Price cam-corder uses cassette tapes (you get about 7 minutes or so from a 90 minute audio cassette) instead of the expensive "real" video cassettes, and is black/white only. I've seen one set up in the toy store and, although the picture is a bit blurry when recording fast moving stuff, was pretty impressed with the machine. I plan to give one to my daughter and keep one for me, so we can swap videos with each other. (She lives about 1000 miles from me.) -- /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ >matt< %#% uunet!ingr!matt %#% Signatures? We don' NEED no %#% uunet!ingr!b11!dedhed!matt %#% stinkin' SIGNATURES! /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) (12/11/88)
OK, OK, here's what the thing is.
The Fisher-Price Camcorder is a black and white slow-scan system
which records slow-scan, low-resolution video on an audio caisette drive
run at high speed, and outputs a standard NTSC monochrome signal obtained
by running the slow-scan video through an A/D, frame-store, and D/A.
Four custom chips are used, marked FP1 through FP4. However, most of
the components can be obtained from Sanyo in commercial form. The
CCD image sensor is a Sanyo part LC9943, a 180x130 pixel sensor.
Other Sanyo parts are available to drive the sensor. Contact
Sanyo Semiconductor, 1333 Lawerence Expressway, Suite 109, Santa
Clara, CA 95051.
It's an ingenious little unit. It's only recording 4 frames per
second, but it outputs an RF TV signal to its display, which is just a
standard TV set. The frame store seems to be a single 64K RAM.
John Nagleparker@epiwrl.EPI.COM (Alan Parker) (12/11/88)
For the price it works pretty well. We just bought one at Toys 'R Us for just under $100 (with 5% tax). For this price you don't get a monitor, but it has a build in RF modulator for connecting to a standard TV. It comes with one of those switch boxes like video games come with. The package was very complete, tape, cables, and even batteries. Oh, it also records audio through a front mounted mic. It is a toy, however. I think the kids will have fun with it, unless they are so spoiled that they can't live without color! I'll soon find out. How for how tough it is; hard to tell. I looks to be about as tough as their cassette tape recorder, but I don't it would pass the bounce test onto concrete.
bs@augusta.UUCP (Burch Seymour) (12/13/88)
> They offer a unit called the PXL2000 (?) which apparently uses slow-scan > techniques to record on a standard audio cassette. It includes a small (5") > monitor to play back through. About $150., as I recall. Neat techie toy > for the kids, and given F-P's reputation, probably built like a truck. I've seen them around for about $90 on sale. I've actually held one and played with it at the local Costco store. The resolution is rather poor, but it does work. You can identify large objects, but thats about it, and forget fast pans :-) It's an amazing bit of engineering, but my personal view is that it was an idea ahead of it's time. The results are a bit *too* crude to be really much fun to play with. But then maybe a kid would feel different?