That is interesting. I wasn't aware that arcade games also used them.

So far as I know they're the only two.. essentially the same hardware running two different versions of the same game. They loaded the video sequences from disc to save on "rom" space.

ST

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It is even more ancient than that. ZX Spectrum programs were distributed in magnetic tapers that could be reproduced into the machine using a regular casette player.

Makes me think of the old type in proggies in the old Magazines. There was a window there where they would print paper "strips" which could be read by a scanner type reader. They didn't last very long though, apparently device uptake was pretty low. Must've been mid to late 80s I guess.

ST

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Quoting Stormtrooper to Dumas Walker <=-

IIRC, those Laserdiscs, or their players, were relatively easy to
damage. A couple of my relatives had them. They didn't have them too long, like before DVDs were even a thing they were gone.

Can't say I ever saw, or even knew anyone with a laserdisc. The Data density wasn't to flash and you'd have to flip it for the second half
of your "movie". The only other things I ever heard of using them was Dragons Lair and Space Ace arcade games.
ST

While in the service, I used a laserdisk setup to connect to an Apple
II with dBase. You could load topographical maps from disk and control
the laserdisk to display them on an also attached higher def video
monitor. It was heady stuff in the early 80's. All dBase driven. Not
sure about the data density, but all topographical maps of Europe were
there for perusing.

I was amazed at the time, and that's what really got me interested in
computers.

Have a great day!

... Confucius say: "Its stuffy inside fortune cookie"

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
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While in the service, I used a laserdisk setup to connect to an Apple
II with dBase. You could load topographical maps from disk and control

I'm amazed... I guess I shouldn't be surprised an A2 had an interface...probably would've made the laserdisc SCSI or maybe SASI.. but thats one I've never even heard of before. One guesses you'd fit a fair amount of map data on said disc.

ST

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Re: Re: Movie formats
By: StormTrooper to Dumas Walker on Fri May 23 2025 06:19:11

That is interesting. I wasn't aware that arcade games also used them.

So far as I know they're the only two.. essentially the same hardware running two different versions of the same game. They loaded the video sequences from disc to save on "rom" space.

I think you're right. But on a tangentially related note there is always the BBC Domesday project which made fantastic use of Laserdisc for both imagery and computer data.

I'm kind of surprised nothing else followed on from that, it was really cutting edge at the time. Not to mention that the schools & institutions who bought Domesday paid top dollar for the hardware, it would really have been good to have more than just the one app to run on it!

BobW
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Re: Re: Floppy LPs
By: StormTrooper to Arelor on Fri May 23 2025 06:24:30

Makes me think of the old type in proggies in the old Magazines. There was a window there where they would print paper "strips" which could be read by a scanner type reader. They didn't last very long though, apparently device uptake was pretty low. Must've been mid to late 80s I guess.

That sounds amazing - I've never heard of that?

I guess you could fit old micro programs in a K or two so paper would be a reasonable storage medium :)

BobW
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