This is the README for Laserdisc.N.bs.tar.gz [Download] [Browse] [Up]
Laserdisc.app
=============
A NeXTSTEP 3.0 Application to control a Sony LDP
by Eric Celeste (AppTech), efc@mit.edu
version 19930324.1156
[Note: Laserdisc.compress includes source code,
LaserdiscAppOnly.compress does not.]
This application is a work in progress, but feel free to use it or the
source code in any way you like. I needed a remote control for a Sony
laserdisc player I picked up for $75. This app did the trick, with a
few flaws, but now my NeXT is miles from my laserdisc player so I'll
probably never fix the flaws. Please note, as this application
currently stands, it only supports Sony laserdisc players, not
Pioneer. Someone with a Pioneer laserdisc player and Objective-C
skills should have very little problem creating a new subclass of my
LDPlayer object to handle Pioneer.
Most of the description of the various objects is in the .m source
files. Please look there for details. I'd like to especially thank
Michael Hawley for the original source for the SerialPort object, I'm
sure my changes to that object have only made it less elegant and
trustworthy! I'd also like to thank David Small for his Ultrix code
that was my only documentation for the Sony for weeks, the
SonyLDPcodes.h file was lifted straight from his Ultrix project.
Installation
The Laserdisc.app already compiled in this package is suitable for
NeXT computers. It will not run on NeXTSTEP/FIP. It has been stripped
to save space. You can copy it to your ~/Apps directory or to
/LocalApps.
Note that to use this program you also need to connect one of your
serial ports to the Sony laserdisc player with an odd serial cable. A
regular modem or printer cable will not work! See the Sony LDP
documentation for the specifications of this cable, or, if you're not
into building your own, call Voyager (the producers of the Criterion
Collection discs) and ask for a Mac-to-Sony LDP cable.
Make sure you have the player attached and turned on before trying to
use Laserdisc.app (see Bug Warning below for more details).
Compilation
Make sure you have the System Release 3.0 Developer edition (or later)
installed. The important point here is that you will need to have the
development system online or you won't be able to go on with this
process. I have no idea if this program will work with NS/Intel, but I
imagine it should.
Bug Warning
One bug to warn I should warn you of... if you try to give an
instruction to the laserdisc player and the player is not turned on or
not connected to the computer, this program will hang. Feel free to
kill it from the Workspace if this happens to you. Of course, feel
free to fix the program if you'd like. Please let me know about any
changes or improvements you make to this program, I'd love to hear
about them.
_______
| | | Eric Celeste
| | |
\____
\ Internet: efc@mit.edu
/ NeXTmail welcome!
,---- (:
\____ 5 Exeter Street
| | Belmont, MA 02178
\ /
\ 617-484-5040
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.