Xref: utzoo comp.ivideodisc:610 comp.multimedia:80
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!cognos!alb
From: alb@cognos.UUCP (Al Belyea)
Newsgroups: comp.ivideodisc,comp.multimedia
Subject: Re: computer controlled VCR
Message-ID: <9265@cognos.UUCP>
Date: 30 Jan 91 15:22:49 GMT
References: <754@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu>
Reply-To: alb@cognos.UUCP (Al Belyea)
Followup-To: comp.ivideodisc
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 29

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         
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"... when in a Desparate situation, challenge." Sun Tzu  CANADA  K1G 3Z4