wilcox@hydra.unm.edu (Sherman Wilcox) (11/30/90)
I am looking for an XCMD that will control a Pioneer LD-V4200 laserdisk player. Does anyone know if such a beast exists, and if so where I can get a copy? Thanks in advance!
taylorj@yvax.byu.edu (12/01/90)
To control a videodisc player in HyperCard you have 3 options:
1) Get Apple's HyperCard Videodisc Toolkit. This provides a complete set of
XCMDs that makes it very easy to control almost any videodisc player with a
serial interface. For example, to play from frame 300 to 400, you simply
type "playVideo 300,400." There are also stacks that let you choose what to
play on the videodisc and then automatically create a button to do it.
2) Get Voyager's VideoStack. This is a set of XCMDs and stacks similar to
Apple's. (Slightly better, in my opinion.) An added advantage is that
Voyager's XCMDs work with "The Box," a device that can control cheaper
consumer-level videodisc players.
3) Roll your own. (Not for the faint of heart.) Write a set of serial
communications XCMDs (or get them from Apple, the Dartmouth Stack,
Developer's stack, etc.). Then use these XCMDs to talk directly to the
videodisc player. You can usually get a list of commands from the
manufacturer.
Apple's toolkit controls the following players:
Pioneer 4200, 6000A, 8000
Sony 1500, 2000
Hitachi 9550.
Voyager's VideoStack controls the following players:
Pioneer 4100 (PAL) 4200, 6000, 6000A, 6010A, 8000
Sony 1000A, 1200, 1500, 1500P (PAL), 1550, 2000
Hitachi 9550, 9600
Philips VP 406 and other Philips RS-232 equipped PAL players
Non-RS-232-equipped players (requires "The Box"):
Pioneer 909, 1010, 1030, 2000, 3030, 4000, LDS 1, LDW 1
APDA (Apple Programmers & Developers Association)
Apple Computer, Inc.
20525 Mariani Avenue, MS:33G
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 562-3910, (800) 282-2732, (800) 637-0029 Canada
HyperCard Videodisc Toolkit, $40
HyperCard Serial Communications Toolkit v. 2.5, $20
Free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires $50/year license fee.
The Voyager Company
1551 Pacific Coast Highway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(213) 451-1383, (800) 446-2001
Voyager VideoStack, $99
Free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires $500 license fee.
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This is my prepackaged answer to this question. Any suggestions or
additional information is gladly welcomed.
----
Jim Taylor
Microcomputer Support for Curriculum |
Brigham Young University | Bitnet: taylorj@byuvax.bitnet
101 HRCB, Provo, UT 84602 | Internet: taylorj@yvax.byu.edusmelly@polari.UUCP (Tom Benedict) (12/02/90)
APDA has the XCMDs you need. They support the Pioneer 4200 video disk player. If the l v4200 is the same then they should work.
cohill@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Andrew M. Cohill) (12/03/90)
What is "the Box", who sells it, how much does it cost, and how does work (infrared, I would think). I have a Pioneer LaserDisc without an RS232 port, but would love to use with HyperCard. -- | ...we have to look for routes of power our teachers never | imagined, or were encouraged to avoid. T. Pynchon |Andy Cohill |703/231-7855 cohill@vtserf.cc.vt.edu VPI&SU