this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2024
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Retro Gaming

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found a really cool document: the official developer/user documentation for the codec used to compress most of the Sega CD FMV games: Cinepak for Sega-CD

https://dn720003.ca.archive.org/0/items/sega-cinepak-users-guide/SEGA%20Cinepak%20Users%20Guide_text.pdf

sadly, the software (macintosh) doesn't seem to be preserved anywhere. it had a really simple interface, and came with a driver for playback on the console

#macintosh #gamePreservation #vintageApple #sega #retroGaming

Extensions for Cinepak for Sega-CD that allow for error diffusion, no-dither and ordered-dither.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

@vga256 Newer versions of those tools are in the Saturn SDK; I’ve used it before. That version has you use the standard WT Cinepak encoder. I can check if it still supports Sega CD.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

@[email protected] oh fantastic. i'm just reading about MovieToSaturn now. i can't figure out if the saturn tools support the paletted export that the Sega CD version requires/uses

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

@[email protected] huh? that compression method appears to have nothing to do with Radius' Cinepak codec used on the sega cd

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

@[email protected] I would check ffmpeg. As usual when it comes to audio/video codecs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

@[email protected] i have a copy of the mac software for cinepak, it came with my sega saturn sdk

[–] drasglaf 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Hi, could you upload a copy somewhere? I was part of the Sega CD Snatcher Spanish translation team and we could never put subtitles in the FMVs, forcing us to leave the translation in an incomplete state. Maybe someone else from the team could use this.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] drasglaf 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If it was already available, the person in charge of hacking was probably already aware of its existence and could not use it, such a shame. Thank you.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

@drasglaf I actually believe these were uploaded very recently. Several months back I hit up Nemesis and asked him if he'd like me to fill out a few sections of his site that were missing tools and documents that I had, and he said he'd already had them but just hadn't had time to upload them. I'm fairly certain those saturn tools which include the cinepak tools were uploaded after I contacted him, as those were a few of the things I was offering.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

@drasglaf Just to clarify, these tools have been passed back and forth among developers and hackers for years, but you kind of had to be in the know. That's how I got mine, it was a trade for an SGI Indigo with someone who used to work for Ozisoft (Sega Australia).

[–] drasglaf 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I took a look and our hacker has been disappeared for more 4 years. There's no hope of finishing it, unfortunately.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

@[email protected] Might be good to ask over at Macintosh Garden. Keep everyone on the lookout.