[comp.ivideodisc] computer controlled VCR

Rick_McCormack@mindlink.UUCP (Rick McCormack) (01/29/91)

Frank Luksa, <luksa@ils.nwu.edu (129.105.49.1)> in an article writes:
If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, could you

please e-mail me?  I'll gladly post the list if I get any responses.


Try NEC's PC-VCR, Canadian street price currently about $2600.00.
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luksa@cubbie.ils.nwu.edu (Frank Luksa) (01/30/91)

I am working with a group developing software targeted at high-school students.  
This software is going to be very video intensive.  We have a pioneer LD-V8000
laser disc player that we can control from a PS/2.  

The problem is, we think we now need to add the capability of the student saving 
some of the video to VHS tape.  This would mean we need to be able to control a 
"conventional" VCR as well as the laser disk player (simple commands like start, 
record, pause, etc.).

If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, could you 
please e-mail me?  I'll gladly post the list if I get any responses.

Thanks.

Frank

-- 

Frank Luksa
Institute for the Learning Sciences
Northwestern University
luksa@ils.nwu.edu (129.105.49.1)

jim@newmedia.UUCP (Jim Beveridge) (01/30/91)

In article <754@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu>, luksa@cubbie.ils.nwu.edu (Frank Luksa) writes:
> 
> If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, could you 
> please e-mail me?  I'll gladly post the list if I get any responses.
> 
I know of three choices.  

The best: NEC recently announced their PC-VCR, which is
designed to be computer controlled.  Cost is ~$2500 at last check.

There are companies that make an infra-red remote interface for computers.
This allows your computer to generate the commands that the VCR remote
normally would.  This works, but you have no feedback and positioning
isn't particularly accurate.

Finally, some companies convert regular VCR's to be computer controlled.
We have one here, although I couldn't tell you where we got it.

	Good luck.
	  Jim

hyy94@campus.swarthmore.edu (01/30/91)

In article <754@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu>, luksa@cubbie.ils.nwu.edu (Frank Luksa) writes...
>I am working with a group developing software targeted at high-school students.  
>This software is going to be very video intensive.  We have a pioneer LD-V8000
>laser disc player that we can control from a PS/2.  
> 
>The problem is, we think we now need to add the capability of the student saving 
>some of the video to VHS tape.  This would mean we need to be able to control a 
>"conventional" VCR as well as the laser disk player (simple commands like start, 
>record, pause, etc.).
> 
>If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, could you 
>please e-mail me?  I'll gladly post the list if I get any responses.

Well, they don't have serial ports, but some Sony VCR's have what are 
called Control-S and Control-L ports.  I believe that the Contol-L ports 
are the more sophisticated of the two.  Anyway, I know that you can access
basic functions and more complex ones through these ports.  They are used 
for hooking up to other VCR's and edit controllers, so I suppose all you 
would need would be the pin outs and the correct software and cables.
Acquiring software would probably be the hardest part (unless you could 
program it yourself)

> 
>Thanks.
> 
>Frank
> 
>-- 
> 
>Frank Luksa
>Institute for the Learning Sciences
>Northwestern University
>luksa@ils.nwu.edu (129.105.49.1)

alb@cognos.UUCP (Al Belyea) (01/30/91)

In article <754@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> luksa@cubbie.ils.nwu.edu (Frank Luksa) writes:
>
>If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, could you 
>please e-mail me?  I'll gladly post the list if I get any responses.
>

Check out the Sony VHS models 676 and 757, and their S-VHS (forgot the model #),
They all have what's called a Control-L plug on them. Its not a standard plug,
but you can connect it to a serial port and control it thru the computer. I'm
not sure what commands you can give it (and how fine the control is) but you
can certainly control start, stop pause etc. 
  
There is a company that makes the VidClip that connects these Control-L type
of VCRs to both Macintoshes and Apple IIGS's. They may make one for the PC 
too, but I have no info on that. Sorry, I don't have the company's name handy
right now. The VidClip package also includes a C interface to control the VCR
and a sample program. I seem to recall that its about $120 for the Mac and
$95 for the IIGS.

BTW, The Sony decks run from about $600 for the 676, $750 for the 757, so 
they're a bit easier on the pocketbook than the NEC.



-- 
Allan Belyea              UUCP:                          3755 Riverside Dr.     
Cognos Incorporated       alb@cognos                     P.O. Box 9707         
(613) 738-1338 x3822      uunet!mitel!cunews!cognos!alb  Ottawa, Ontario       
"... when in a Desparate situation, challenge." Sun Tzu  CANADA  K1G 3Z4       

tmkk@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) (02/05/91)

In article <9265@cognos.UUCP> alb@cognos.UUCP (Al Belyea) writes:
>In article <754@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> luksa@cubbie.ils.nwu.edu (Frank Luksa) writes:
>>
>>If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, 
>
>Check out the Sony VHS models 676 and 757, and their S-VHS 
>They all have what's called a Control-L plug on them. Its not a standard plug,
>but you can connect it to a serial port and control it thru the computer. 

A minor note: Connecting to a ^L port is a bit more involved than simply
wiring up the correct cable and plugging one end into an RS-232 serial port.
For one thing, the ^L port operates at TTL voltage levels (0-5VDC), not
RS-232 levels (+/- 12V or so). To control a Sony deck using an RS-232
serial port requires some sort of interface box. The FutureVideo edit 
controller can be used for this purpose (and it will control 2 VCRs) but
it's a bit pricey ($700 for the version with an RS-232 serial port). On the
plus side, it's available now (unlike the recently announced Sony box).


-- 
Scott Coleman                                                    tmkk@uiuc.edu

"Unisys has demonstrated the power of two. That's their stock price today."
       - Scott McNealy on the history of mergers in the computer industry.

david@twg.com (David S. Herron) (02/05/91)

In article <754@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu>, luksa@cubbie.ils.nwu.edu (Frank Luksa) writes...
>I am working with a group developing software targeted at high-school students.
>This software is going to be very video intensive.  We have a pioneer LD-V8000
>laser disc player that we can control from a PS/2.  
> 
>The problem is, we think we now need to add the capability of the student saving 
>some of the video to VHS tape.  This would mean we need to be able to control a
>"conventional" VCR as well as the laser disk player (simple commands like start, 
>record, pause, etc.).
> 
>If you know of any VCR models that allow connection to a serial port, could you
>please e-mail me?  I'll gladly post the list if I get any responses.

There's a VCR which can be connected to a PC -- PC-VCR is the name and
it mighta been from Sony.  There were articles on it recently in some
video magazine and people in comp.sys.amiga.video have been talking
about it `recently'.

You might look into using an Amiga as your hardware rather than a PS/2.
There is much more video harvware & software available.  It can control
laser disc players.  Recording to tape will be cheaper since it directly
outputs NTSC without any fancy-schmancy video signal converter hardware
or extra boards.

I assume that since you're posting from a school & the project
is aimed at high school students that cost is important? ;-)


-- 
<- David Herron, an MMDF & WIN/MHS guy, <david@twg.com>
<- Formerly: David Herron -- NonResident E-Mail Hack <david@ms.uky.edu>
<-
<-	MS-DOS ... The ultimate computer virus.

alb@cognos.UUCP (Al Belyea) (02/05/91)

In article <1991Feb4.183844.13097@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> tmkk@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) writes:
>>but you can connect it to a serial port and control it thru the computer. 
>A minor note: Connecting to a ^L port is a bit more involved than simply
>wiring up the correct cable and plugging one end into an RS-232 serial port.
>For one thing, the ^L port operates at TTL voltage levels (0-5VDC), not
>RS-232 levels (+/- 12V or so). To control a Sony deck using an RS-232
>serial port requires some sort of interface box. The FutureVideo edit 
>-- 

> ... stuff deleted ...

Thanks for the tech details Scott. My comments were based solely on my 
experiences with the Apple IIGS and Macs. On these boxes, the VidClip
package that I mentioned earlier plugs into the serial port on one end 
and into the the Control-L port on the other. I was not aware of the voltage
differences or other magic electronic-type stuff that has to go on.

But then again, I guess the Mac and IIGS serial ports aren't your standard
RS-232 ports anyhow.

Thanks for the comments - you may have saved someone from frying their VCR.

BTW, do you know of any other video devices that support the Control-L 
port interface? Is it strictly used by Sony or are other companies starting
to adopt it?

-- 
Allan Belyea              UUCP:                          3755 Riverside Dr.     
Cognos Incorporated       alb@cognos                     P.O. Box 9707         
(613) 738-1338 x3822      uunet!mitel!cunews!cognos!alb  Ottawa, Ontario       
"... when in a Desparate situation, challenge." Sun Tzu  CANADA  K1G 3Z4       

lance@motcsd.csd.mot.com (lance.norskog) (02/06/91)

tmkk@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) writes:


>A minor note: Connecting to a ^L port is a bit more involved than simply
>wiring up the correct cable and plugging one end into an RS-232 serial port.
>For one thing, the ^L port operates at TTL voltage levels (0-5VDC), not
>RS-232 levels (+/- 12V or so). 

Ummmmm, I flunked electronics and even I know that +12V->+5V is implemented
with 2 resistors.  What more complex things are there to know about L-ports?

Lance

ben@val.com (Ben Thornton) (02/13/91)

lance@motcsd.csd.mot.com (lance.norskog) writes:

>tmkk@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) writes:


>>A minor note: Connecting to a ^L port is a bit more involved than simply
>>wiring up the correct cable and plugging one end into an RS-232 serial port.
>>For one thing, the ^L port operates at TTL voltage levels (0-5VDC), not
>>RS-232 levels (+/- 12V or so). 

>Ummmmm, I flunked electronics and even I know that +12V->+5V is implemented
>with 2 resistors.  What more complex things are there to know about L-ports?

Now we know why you flunked electronics.  A simple voltage divider, as you
describe will not only fail to work, it is likely to cause destruction
of the receiving input device, since nothing is done to prevent
the -12V swing of the ^L port transmitter from going below TTL ground
(0V) at the input of the receiver.  This is very bad.

This is why they make devices like the MC1489 or the 75189.

>Lance

Ben
-- 
Ben Thornton             packet:  wd5hls@wd5hls.ampr.org
Video Associates       Internet:  ben@val.com
Austin, TX                 uucp:  ...!cs.utexas.edu!val!ben
What's the moral of the story?