Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!oliveb!cygnet!mark
From: mark@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS (Mark Quattrocchi)
Newsgroups: comp.ivideodisc
Subject: Re: Getting Started with Interactive Videodiscs
Message-ID: <702@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS>
Date: 1 Feb 88 16:46:31 GMT
References: <40268@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: mark@cygnet.UUCP (Mark Quattrocchi)
Organization: Cygnet Systems -- Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 30

In article <40268@sun.uucp> dcj%jacksun@Sun.COM (Donald Clark Jackson) writes:
>OK,
>
>Lets say I want to play around with interactive video discs.
>Obviously, I have a computer.  Now I need a video disc player.
>
> 0) Which is the best video disc player to buy?
>
> 1) Are there any consumer video disc players that can
>    be controlled by computer?
>
> 2) Are there any 'professional' video disc players that
>    can play 5" CD-V discs?
>
> 3) RS-232 control is preferable to HP-IB control (for me),
>    are there any advantages of one over the other (aside from cost?)
>
> 4) After I get a video disc player, and hack up some code to
>    control it from my computer, what are some good discs to
>    buy?  

I currently have a 909 from Pioneer (consumer version) which can play all
three sizes of discs. It does have a computer interface however I don't
know what type it is. If you want an industrial version you might try a
LDV1100. This unit will only play 12" CAV format but is a heavy duty machine
and can take a beating. The interface for this unit is very simple with an
8 bit data bus for sending commands and receiving status. The major advantage
of the industrial version is a faster seek time and automatic blanking during
seeks. If you are interested I can tell you where to call to get manuals
for the computer interface for any of Pioneers players.