VideoNow Color (and Jr) Video Conversions

[VideonowDude]

Thought I should start a new thread for VideoNow Color discussions, as the original thread https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1241647#1241647 has 16 pages talking about the b/w version, which is quite different, and only moves onto the Color stuff at the end.

[VideonowDude]

What is special about that first VideoNow Color track? If you miss it out, you get the 'no disc' icon soon after the clock. If you include it, you hear some extra seeks, maybe it is checking the disc isn't a 3" one or something? It looks just like any other track from a format perspective, but the player treats it specially.

Not only is it somehow used as a part of a verification algorithm, but you can't FF or skip through it, a bit like the FBI warnings on the front of a DVD.

[chess_883]

VideoNowDude, Let me refresh my mind, correct me if I'm wrong:

-You figured out the videonow color format, right

-You Made working discs for the player, right?

Can you e-mail me or something teaching me how you extracted images from the VideoNow Color disc, and how you converted the video to play in the player, how you managed to put in that extra track to play it, and basically, can you tell me everything that you did and how you did it? Please? I would surely appreciate it. Thanx! Ivan

[skelex]

I made a test disc with VideoNowDude's guide and template...IT WORKS! Rather than mess with the player, I trimmed a cd-r to size (burn disc first, put a label on it, trace a VNC original disc, and cut with utility scissors). The only trouble I am having is the VideoNow Color player will freeze if I push the PREV or NEXT buttons. Good work VideoNowDude!
Skelex

[BJ_M]

im going to try this for the heck of it - i got a color video now on sale a few months ago for $19 and got 5 disks (color) at a flea market for $5

but it be nice to get some more material ...

[VideonowDude]

chess_88: PM me your email and I'll send you my beta.

Continuing the saga of The First Track: I just read a Blues Clues disc in Nero and the tracks have names! Track 1 is called VNC_00_18fpslogo_Security.

This confirms the first track is used for security, plus determines the format of the disc. Maybe other formats are supported? I think the b/w player had an 'extended play' mode didn't it?

Other track names: VNC_99_End is the End of Disc msg, VNC_NewFill is the blank final track that is never played.

[chess_883]

VideoNowDude, thanks for the converting files and all those things, well You are so great! Oh, I'm not done making my first VideoNow Color Disc, but I don't have a copy of Nero Burning ROM, and I checked the website and the download was 30.1 mb, too bad my computer is on dial-up and will take 2 and a half hours to download, well Can you post instructions on how to do the things you did with NERO, but with lets say CDRWIN, you are familiar aren't you? Well please post back, And Again, U R D BOMB!

[chess_883]

Hey VideoNowDude, or anybody else who knows what I'm talking about, is there a way to extract the wav files from an existing VideoNow Color disc and then view the content on the computer? Actually, I have a copy of the VideoNow black & white viewer on the computer, but it only plays the files (.BIN) you create with VNConvert, which is a Program in which you can crate self booting VideoNow black and white discs. I'll try to extract a VideoNow black and white disc using CDRWIN, and try to play it on the viewer. Oh I almost forgot, the VideoNow black and white viewer only plays the video and is very slow. Thanx!

[VideonowDude]

First track "security" has been determined: there has to be at least some frame data for a 107th frame. The pre-recorded discs I have all have different amounts of this last weird frame, but I created a clip of exactly 107 frames with my own audio and video, and it boots perfectly. (106 frames does not work).

If this first track does determine the format of the disc, then that info must be encoded in the constant blocks of data that are the same in all the discs I have looked at.

I was kind of hoping for some machine code to be found in the magic track, which might have allowed skipping the mini-CD size check, but I guess not.

[Danik]

Hi there!!! Somebody help me, please! I've got VidioNow Color Player, but in our country (I'm from Belarus) I didn't find any disks for it. As I understood you've managed to create your own Color VideoNow disk. Send me the method of the creation & security tracks on my e-mail (danik666@yandex.ru), please. Thank you in advance. Danik.

[chess_883]

That's Great! So now to make a videonow color disc, you dont have to copy the start trac? I just have to make a custom video that is exactly 107 frames or more? <-This is what I didn't get, 107 or more frames, exactly 107 frames, or less than 107 frames exept 106 frames? Please Reply

[ppcinfo]

Can someone tell me what is the diameter of a VideoNow disk?

Thanks,

ppcinfo

[VideonowDude]

Sorry, at the time I hadnt tried it, but I can confirm that 108 frames doesnt work, it must be 107 frames, which with my encoder corresponds to a file size of exactly 2,099,292 bytes.

The commercial discs I looked at all had slightly different length intro tracks, but all were 106+ tracks: the official encoder includes a partial frame at the end of each track, so they all have 106 complete frames, and a seemingly randomly sized partial 107th frame. My encoder doesnt, I only emit full frames, hence the requirement for 107 frames.

So now you can use my encoder to make your own start track. Remember this is 107 VDN frames, which means 9.4444444 seconds of your video. Due to the frame conversion rounding, it might take a couple of tries to get exactly 107 VDN frames, check the file size to be sure.

ppcinfo the VideoNow uses 108mm discs, and as far as I can tell is the only device to use this size.

[BJ_M]

they still advertise these on amazon - looks like they really dont have them though ..

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002WPVRS/103-3872319-5331014?v=glance

[ppcinfo]

Sorry, at the time I hadnt tried it, but I can confirm that 108 frames doesnt work, it must be 107 frames, which with my encoder corresponds to a file size of exactly 2,099,292 bytes.

The commercial discs I looked at all had slightly different length intro tracks, but all were 106+ tracks: the official encoder includes a partial frame at the end of each track, so they all have 106 complete frames, and a seemingly randomly sized partial 107th frame. My encoder doesnt, I only emit full frames, hence the requirement for 107 frames.

So now you can use my encoder to make your own start track. Remember this is 107 VDN frames, which means 9.4444444 seconds of your video. Due to the frame conversion rounding, it might take a couple of tries to get exactly 107 VDN frames, check the file size to be sure.

ppcinfo the VideoNow uses 108mm discs, and as far as I can tell is the only device to use this size.

VideoNowDude,

Following the instructions with your beta software, I have the following files in a folder:

VDN Start.wav
VDN Audo.wav
VDN Track 01.wav
VDN Track 02.wav
VDN Track 03.wav
VDN Track 04.wav
VDN Track 05.wav
VDN Almost Last.wav
VDN End.wav
Thumbs.db

Based on your previous comments, do I need to do anything special to get 107 VDN frames? How do I know if I successfully have 107 VDN frames? I don't have a VideoNow Color player, so I can't test the final product myself (I'm creating a disk for my niece who lives in a different state).

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

ppcinfo

[skelex]

I believe that the 107 VDN frames is for creating your own start track. If you are using a start track from an original VNColor disc you wil not need to do this step.

[brs72]

Hey Videonowdude...

Just Like chess_883, I would LOVE to try the app. I've been checking MyStuffnow videonow website for updates as well as following the other thread. I'd bought two of these for my two girls (five and eight) for christmas. I've bought about 10 Videonow discs and I'd really like to put some shows I've extracted from my DVR for them to give them some variety. Would you be interested in sharing/selling?

Thanks
Bill

[chess_883]

Has anybody noticed?, but I keep trying mystuffnow.com and it seems not to exist. I have tried it in the past and it seems that it's not a site anymore. I'f I'm wrong, please contact me. I might have the site address wrong. Oh, and about my earlier post, I put a videonow black and white disc in my computer, started CDRWIN, selected the extract button , checked the Image/Cuesheet, and extracted the files. I got a .BIN file and I used the VideoNow black and white viewer and got a clear image which was out of place, but clear. I want to know how to do the same with a color disc. VideoNowDude, how did you extract the Fairly Odd Parents image in page 17 of the black and white forum and view it? Please Contact Me. Thanx

[chess_883]

Has anybody heard from Greg Smith? (author of videothen) Just wondering!

[GregSmith]

i'm still around. i had started a videonow color reader, but you guys are way ahead of me. i'm letting the rest of you figure it out.

btw: mystuffnow got scared away by the tiger/hasbro legal eagles.

[chess_883]

Greg, LOL(about mystuffnow)!!! what kind of VideoNow Color reader? It can still be useful.

[VideonowDude]

ppcinfo, a 107-frame file will be of size 2,099,292 bytes. You can work out the track break by using 107 / 18 * framerateoforiginalvideo. e.g. if your frame rate is 29.97, this will be frame 178 of your original.

You dont want to put the Audio WAV file on the disc, which I think see in your list. Or Thumbs.db either.

Everyone else: I have the 1.0 release ready, I am awaiting a place on the site to put it so you can all download it.

[VideonowDude]

Welcome to VideoNowToGo! This tool allows you to make your own colour discs for Hasbro's Color and Jr. players.

It requires Windows 2000 or XP, and some CD burning software. As it happens, the software is the easy bit. The hardware is the tricky thing, as the player cannot accept regular 5" CD-Rs, or mini-CD-Rs, so you have to do one of these:

Modify the player (instructions included with the tool)
Cut down a burned cd-r to 108mm
Find 108mm cd-rs (good luck!)

For now the tool is attached to this post, I hope for a better location soon.

Beta users: the filter is unchanged, I updated the docs and added my own magic intro track so ripping an existing disc is no longer required.

videonowtogo.zip

Update: please do NOT use this link, get the updated version from https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1341186#1341186

[ppcinfo]

VideoNowDude,

Thank you very much for your efforts with this. You're going to make my niece really happy, since her uncle can now make whatever cartoon disks she wants!

ppcinfo

[BJ_M]

thank you very much -- this is great ...

if you want -- i can mirror the file for you ..

[brs72]

You ROCK!!!!

I can't wait to start playing around with this.... My wife and Kids thank you.


Thanks so much
Bill

[brs72]

Hey everyone....

Could someone please post feedback as to the success/failure of their discs? Either I'm doing something wrong, or I'm a complete moron. I've been doing video for about 4 years, thousands of vcd's and dvd's, but I'm stumped with this videonow stuff...

I followed the steps, step by step (Except for modifying the player, I want to make sure I can make a working disc before I do a mod, or is it a required step.) I've been trimming the cd's to match the size of the videonow disc.

I did:
1. Took a 10 Minute Danger Mouse clip and converted it to 352/240 48K audio (Stereo)
2. Extracted the audio to wave
3. Converted the video following the instructions with Virtualdub 1.5.10
4. Burned with Nero ( I have 5.5.9.9)

I've done this with 2 types of CD-r's. Walmarts cheap "Durabrand" and "Sony"
I've used the first and Last VDN.wav's that were provided in the dowload
Didn't work

I went and ripped a Videonow disc from my daughter (Chalkzone) and burned it onto another cd, didn't work

I took the first and last file from the Chalkzone cd and combined it with my output file from virtualdub, didn't work.

Now, the Dangermouse one I did myself, goes through the clock, and then states "No CD" (The symbol)

When I copied a "Chalkzone" cd, it kept going through the clock, and then froze. Wouldn't proceed.

I haven't even gotten to the security screen yet.

I'm going to start from the beginning and try again, but can anyone provide any insight? I'll glady give more details or anything other info to help clarify things.

Don't be afraid to tell me to slow down, and I don't mind making coasters, knowing that when I have a tried and true method in place, coasters will become a thing of the past. (Just like when I was starting out with DVD's)

Sorry for the long post, but I'd greatly welcome any ideas or suggestions to fine tune this method for me.

And VideonowdDude, you still ROCK.... If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have even gotten this far, or have gotten my hopes up.

Thanks everyone...

Bill

[maxedroom]

More feedback.

I burned one successfully.
I ripped a VideoNow CD with dbPowerAmp.
I took a video clip of my daughter's first ride on a carousel and saved the audio as documented.
I followed the instructions to produce the VideoNow track of my source video.
I burned the tracks using RecordNow (software that came with my DVD burner) back onto a disk, replacing a track of similar size, but slightly larger, with the track I created.
I put a label on the disk and cut it with my utility scissors.
I tried it. It went through the clock and then gave me the no disk symbol.
I thought back and realized that in my haste I had burned the disk as a data disk and not an audio disk.
I re-burned it as an audio disk, labeled it, cut it, and tried it.
It Worked!
The colors seemed a little muted, not as vibrant as an original and the flesh tones seemed a little green but it worked.
The other tracks looked exactly like they did on the original, except of course for the tracks near the outer edge of the disk where the reflective coating was peeling away. It got a little garbled there.

VideoNowDude, you’ve provided an excellent solution. It uses a familiar program and is fairly easy to perform. Now we just need a way to get good disks that will work and not fall apart. I've seen sites where they can make custom shaped disks but I think they start out with a disk that is only writable on the first 50MB of the inner tracks. The rest is just plastic that they can custom cut.

My suggestion for the problem in the previous post, make sure you are burning it as an AUDIO disk and not a DATA disk.

Oh, and finally, when I was done, I disposed of the disk and removed the files from my computer, since this was done for educational purposes only and I didn't want to infringe on anyones' copyrights.

[brs72]

Well...

Happy to report back........ SUCCESS!!!!!

I went and started from scratch..... I did a 23 Minute episode of PBS's Cyberchase, that I extracted off of my replaytv. I re-encoded it to the appropriate VCD specs (with the audio exception)
Went through the rest of the steps....

This time I tried it with CDRWin (Thanks Skelex for the suggestion), and VIOLA!!! success!!!

Now to see if I can replicate this success.....

Thanks to all, and let me know if I can be of any assistance...

Thanks
Bill

[loveofpm]

VideoNowDude is a parents dream come true...

Made a Gafield and Friends Disc for my 4 year old and he loves it... didn't modify the player just cut the disc... little worried about cutting up $70 player 25 cent disc feels alot better... Also burned with BurnatOnce... no problems, it was the only program i found that worked well with Videothen, and it works great with VideoNowToGo...

if this helps those cutting disc.. i made a template disc using the demo disc, lay it on top of disc i'm gonna cut and score it with a box cutter/x-acto knife on both side, cut it about half way though then burn files....

once i have the disc burned i cut it down to to size with scissors... the scoring reduces the damage done to written foil and as long as you only use about 26 minutes on the disc it comes out perfect...

Also is it just me... or do a lot of people seam to be putting classics on their videonow's for their kids... my 4 year wants Dangermouse...

l8r folks