converting a Macromind player file from 1994...

[housepig]

I've got a Mac floppy disc from 1994, with a Macromind (Macromedia) player file on it. the more research I do, the more it seems that I'm going to have to find an old mac to play this thing back.

what I need to know is, what is the minimum system spec or model that I should be looking for to play this thing back? what was a current system circa 1994? is there a system that had built-in video and audio outputs, where I might be able to capture this thing in an analog fashion?

alternately (and preferaby), is there any way to convert this via software alone, or extract the audio and video data so I can get it into a more useful / convienient format?

any help, info or pointers appreciated. I'm a PC guy from day one, so I'm kind of lost, but it's enough of a "holy grail" floppy that I really want to try and get at the contents, even if it means buying a boat-anchor to play it back.

[Case]

what was a current system circa 1994?

System 7.1.2 was released in 1994 for the PowerMac 6100/7100/8100 line of that time.
But the software may be self-contained, in that it most likely doesn't rely on other components of the system software. My first try would be to play it on any pre-OS X system, or even in a Classic (OS 9 in OS X) environment.

[Spoffo]

Floppy disk format hasn't changed, so accessing the file itself isn't an issue of what OS. If you don't have one, find a USB floppy drive you can borrow. it will plug into the USB port on your Mac and work without any kind of driver install or whatever.

Then the first thing I'd try is just to copy the file over to your hard disk and try playing it with VLC. that program never ceases to amaze me with the diverse file formats it will play back without a hiccup.

The other thing I'd try is to play it back with Quicktime. If, deep down inside, it's based on any normal video standard, Quicktime may be able to play it. The good news is that, if it does, it can also export it in some kind of modern format.

If neither of those easy approaches work, you're into the tall grass of trying to trace the ancestry of the thing. The program from Macromedia that was popular back then was Macromind Director, which, as I recall, created simple animations sorta like what people do with Flash today. I guess I'd get on the various Mac forums and see if you can find a modern program that plays old Director files.

[housepig]

I've actually managed to copy the data off of the floppy onto my PC, using some shareware mac-floppy-reading software.

I'll take a crack at it with VLC and Quicktime, and post results - but if you come up with any other software I should try, please let me know - I'd rather not buy an old Mac if I don't have to!

I even have a copy of Director, maybe I should re-load that onto a machine and see if I can parse something out...

thanks for the input - keep it coming!

[thoughton]

what was a current system circa 1994?

System 7.1.2 was released in 1994 for the PowerMac 6100/7100/8100 line of that time.

The 6100-8100 series also had an "AV" version (which I had), which had built in (actually it was on a card which shipped pre-installed) video-in and video-out (via S-Video IIRC).

The 6100 was the pizza box one. In fact here is one for $15 on eBay It's not the AV model, unfortunately ...

[terryj]

The 6100-8100 series also had an "AV" version (which I had), which had built in (actually it was on a card which shipped pre-installed) video-in and video-out (via S-Video IIRC).

The 6100, 7100, and 8100 av models had a PCI video card that
gave the user RCA video in and out, as well as S-VHS in.
When I first joined this board (WAAAAAAAY back...)
I was on a PM 7100av, with 88mb of ram, and a 1GB HD.
I had an external 500MB HD, and was using its Avid Video Shop
software ( v.3.0) that came with it, along with an external
LaCie 1x CD burner, and Toast 4.13 to create VCDs.

aah the old days.


for more on the av models, go to:
http://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac/index.html

[thoughton]

Maaaan Terry you had a monster! My 6100av had a "grand" total of 250MB of harddisk and a piddling 24mb of RAM (and that was after an upgrade!).

[terryj]

It wasn't always like that thoughton,
when I "rescued" it from a Pawn Shop in late 1996,
it had only 32 MB of ram, and a stock 500MB HD.
I luckily had paid off my car ( an '83 Mercury Cougar)
and so I was able to "invest" my car payment for a while
into my Mac. Saving it up enabled me to buy piecemeal
at a time the CD-Burner ($175 new!), then the ram,
then eventually the bigger HD.

Previously when I graduated from college I had went
out and bought a Performa 460 (1994), and this was when
Best Buy was carrying macs, and I had bought it new for
$1400! and it only had 8mb of ram and 250MB HD!

needless to say, the 7100 was the better deal.....
;-p

aah, the old days....