Authentic, or fake? Identifying Big Box Computer Game Shrink-wrap The Oldskool PC 2021-10-19 | "Big Box" computer game collecting has been around for decades, but has only recently joined video games as trading for increasingly crazy prices. Unopened games fetch the most money, but since shrink-wrap can be re-applied to an opened game, how do you know if your expensive software collectible is truly unopened and factory-mint? In this video, I share my knowledge of the properties of shrink-wrap as it pertains to "Big Box" computer games, and give you the tools to spot both original factory seals, as well as re-wrapped items.Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:49 Overview02:29 Who is this guy?03:20 Definitions and Scope04:23 DISCLAIMER04:48 The shrink-wrapping process08:48 Identification Methodology09:30 Characteristics of "factory-original" shrink-wrap13:45 Characteristics of NON-original shrink-wrap18:49 Test Your Knowledge!24:13 Q&A24:25 Aren't you teaching scammers how to make better fakes?25:14 What can I do to protect myself from fraud?25:48 Should I remove original shrink-wrap from a collectable item?26:54 Are there any situations that justify re-sealing a collectable item?27:54 I had my item graded and slabbed by a grading company, so isn't that proof of authenticity?29:19 What should I do if a seller scams me?30:11 Are collectors really paying these insane high prices, or is something else going on?30:55 Why *did* they shrink-wrap big box computer games, anyway?31:57 Wrapping it up32:32 Special thanksLinks and more information:- The Big Box PC Collector's Group on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/BBPCGC- LGR's excellent video on the history and terminology of "Big Box" computer game packaging: youtu.be/S9EOrJ9eWiU- Karl Jobst's video on Heritage, WATA, speculation, and possible market manipulation: youtu.be/rvLFEh7V18A- Artrageous' video on how art forgeries are investigated: youtube.com/watch?v=KA5Kr1qhSyg- Retroboxed, makers of fine acrylic Big Box game protectors, can be found at: retroboxed.comSpecial thanks to:- Tom Carroll at Industrial Packaging, for helping with research. Contact Industrial Packaging for any industrial packaging needs: industrialpackaging.com- Stuart Feldhamer for providing pictures. Check out Stu's Game Reviews at youtube.com/c/StusGameReviews (and view youtu.be/Ffi7MTNxQgM for a video relevant to this topic)- Pascal, for providing pictures. Contact him at your own peril :-) at the Big Box PC Collector's Group on Facebook.- Kevin Ng, Joel McCoy, and Enrico Ricciardi for proofreading and general quality control- @harrymccracken, who tracked down the Tacoma Egghead picture (image credit: Russ Carmack, Morning News Tribune)- @CompStoreVisual, for tracking down more Egghead photos- PAC Machinery for the sealing machinery videos: pacmachinery.com- US Packaging and Wrapping, for the centerfold film demonstration: uspackagingandwrapping.com- VDO1980 on Tumblr for the Babbage's photos- Brenda Romero for clarifying how Sir-Tech stuffed and sealed. Her extensive curriculum vitae can be found at http://brenda.games/, and she can be found crafting quality electronic entertainment over at romerogames.com- My numismatic father, Robert D. Leonard, for passing honor amongst collectors down to me. If you're curious about currency, buy his book: amazon.com/dp/0794846394/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_4V730EVC4V2E3AFBXCGS- And finally, my loving wife Melissa, who saved the egghead SKU stickers from ending up in the trash when I accidentally brought them home.Production Notes and miscellaneous info:- After the video was completely finished, it occurred to me that the X-CAR sample shown in the video may have simply been a sloppy re-assembly job at Bethesda, when adding the additional car and track mentioned on the wrap's promo sticker. I think that's the most likely explanation, since the wrap's patina is almost certainly genuine, but the inner box has definitely been tampered with.- The file uploaded to YouTube was 10-bit h.265, but YouTube's compression mangled the quality somewhat. Any banding you see watching on YouTube is not present in the file I uploaded.- All music licensed from Epidemic Sound==========Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal==========Play the Shrink-wrap Video Drinking Game!Drink when:- Jim talks about "touching" or "manipulating" shrink-wrap- A giant finger or thumb is onscreen- Spotting something that isn't a game- Guessing correctly during the "Test Your Knowledge" examples- Spotting a game you have in your own collectionChug when:- Jim pokes at something with a blue pointerFinish your drink when:- You realize that game collectibles have no intrinsic value, as they have no earnings and no melt value
Channel hiatus and personal health update The Oldskool PC 2024-04-15 | You may have noticed this channel has been on hiatus for a while. There's a good reason for that! I'll be back.Mentioned in the video:Sign up for the VCFMW mailing list so you don't miss any announcements! vcfmw.org/listsub.htmlCan you help us run VCFMW as a volunteer? Indicate if you're available here: https://forms.gle/Yh57NrVZuPcVZrs28The scan I elected to get was a coronary calcium scan: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/16824-calcium-score-screening-heart-scanApologies for the wobbly swaying video; it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to shoot video and I guess I didn't have my arm stable enough. If you get motion sickness, only listen to the audio.
How a vintage computer enthusiast experiences his Cyberpunk future The Oldskool PC 2024-01-14 | Watch the full discussion here: youtu.be/Mz62yPl96eAWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Why vintage computing enthusiasts use both real hardware AND emulation The Oldskool PC 2024-01-12 | Watch the full discussion here: youtu.be/Mz62yPl96eAWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Rapsittie Street Kids is one of the best worst movies ever made with personal computers The Oldskool PC 2024-01-11 | For the full discussion, check out youtu.be/Mz62yPl96eAWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
tidBITS: Highlights from our May 5th 2023 Q&A Livestream The Oldskool PC 2024-01-08 | Nobody has the time to go back and watch a 3-hour livestream, so I edited the entire thing down into a tight 54 minutes for you. And if you're part of the ADHD crowd, I added chapter stops to the most interesting bits, and links to stuff discussed in the video. Enjoy!Chapter stops:00:00 - Intro00:09 - Despite this channel, I love modern hardware02:00 - Bad movies and Rapsittie Street Kids02:53 - Would rewriting the PCjr BIOS improve its compatibility?04:43 - Why I love real hardware -- and why I also use emulators06:19 - Movies don't represent computers properly07:02 - If I could obtain one more system, it would be The Mindset08:37 - What should I do if my system hangs randomly?10:00 - TRON 2.0 pioneering 60p video on youtube11:06 - Formatting floppy disks in the background12:07 - What do you need to make a mulittasking CPU?13:13 - Why Area 5150 didn't use composite video13:36 - Pop, or soda?15:22 - All your Plus Hardcards are dead16:15 - Kickstarters and The Tesla Effect17:20 - Peeking at ROMs with DEBUG17:49 - Daniel Pesina is a stand-up guy18:55 - My favorite demoscene handle19:11 - CGA Snow Explained20:13 - I make videos for history, not nostalgia20:40 - My first personal computing memories22:01 - My favorite homebrew hardware name22:19 - Demoscene jokes in the 1990s22:55 - Being poor, Ad-Lib, and why I'd like to be recognized someday for archiving23:44 - Parenting with DOS computers24:05 - The Original King's Quest is a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Game25:30 - Why CGA snow doesn't bother me25:56 - Another reason early Sierra games sucked27:03 - My workflow for developing 8088 code28:28 - After 20 years of upgrades, it's nice to not have to wait29:26 - Disappointing drawbacks of being a subject-matter expert30:05 - I LOVE to dump on Cybergenic Ranger31:27 - Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle32:07 - The Pros and Cons of putting a VGA card in your XT-class PC34:10 - How you enjoy this hobby is your own business36:12 - Grade-school computing memories37:23 - How to play HACK in 15 minutes or less51:36 - The largest "grids" in 80's PC games52:42 - One appeal of vintage systems over modern systems53:24 - OuttroLinks discussed in the video:The World of TRON 2.0: youtu.be/KcM6IuvP5oACybergenic Ranger at Games Done Quick: youtu.be/XWjq_uWfITsAnother playthrough of Cybergenic Ranger: youtu.be/EyUfJC3vSYIMore information on Hack, the precursor to NetHack: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack_(video_game)Blog post where I finally finished Hack: trixter.oldskool.org/2006/05/24/patienceWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
The IBM PCjr, Part 1: The road to hell is paved with good intentions The Oldskool PC 2023-11-01 | On the 40th anniversary of the IBM PCjr, we revisit the machine regarded as one of the biggest flops in the computer industry. The media would like you to believe that the PCjr failed because of its infamous keyboard, but that's not the full story. In this multi-part retrospective, we're going to examine the entire lifecycle of the PCjr, and determine the real reason it failed. Along the way, we'll cover its true strengths and weaknesses, the legacy it left on the computer game industry, and the community of hackers that keep its memory alive into the 21st century.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:51 Series Overview01:25 The state of the home computer market by 198203:35 IBM's proposed target market04:21 PCjr Sales Training VHS05:28 Anticipation of success06:20 PCjr announced November 1st 198307:55 Hand-on at COMDEX 198310:54 Why the shipping delay?12:57 Books, Magazines, and "Guaranteed" Success14:34 What's next?Acknowledgments:Massive thanks to these fine folks, who granted me the use of their research, photos, or video for use in this retrospective series:@danbcast @mbbrutman Doctor Octal@Epictronics1 ---Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
The inspiration for The 7th Guest VR: The Making of The 7th Guest The Oldskool PC 2023-08-21 | Celebrate the 30th anniversary of The 7th Guest, a groundbreaking game that shaped PC gaming history, with this presentation of a restored behind-the-scenes video on how the game was made.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Optimizing 6502-to-8086 Assembly Conversion with String Instructions The Oldskool PC 2023-06-16 | Optimizing Planet X3's sprite and tile routines on the 8086 was achieved by using the 16-bit registers as temporary scratch space, as well as taking advantage of the powerful string instructions.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Planet X3s Authentic Retro Gaming Experience The Oldskool PC 2023-06-15 | Planet X3 successfully limits design and programming choices to mid to late 1980s era, resulting in a game that runs great on old PCs and feels like it could have come out during that time.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Unlocking the IBM PCs Hidden Sound Potential of the PC Speaker The Oldskool PC 2023-06-14 | The IBM PC's internal speaker was originally designed to produce a simple beep tone, but clever programmers were able to use tight assembler coding and other techniques to reproduce more complex sound effects, polyphonic music, and even sampled audio like speech.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Skyrocketing Prices in Vintage Game Collecting The Oldskool PC 2023-06-13 | Vintage computer games in good cosmetic condition are in short supply, leading to high demand and prices as high as $5,000 or more in the field of computer game collecting.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Spotting Resealed Vintage Computer Games: Telltale Signs The Oldskool PC 2023-06-12 | Resealed vintage computer games often have stiff and brittle shrink film with inconsistent shrinkage and sloppy seams due to uneven heat application during rewrapping.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
The Two Basic Methods of Sealing Big Box Computer Games The Oldskool PC 2023-06-11 | Computer games were sealed inside shrink film using either centerfold film or single-wound shrink film, resulting in three or two seams respectively on their outer edges.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Perfect Circles: Unintentional Art of Shrink Tunnels The Oldskool PC 2023-06-10 | Shrink tunnels are specialized ovens that maintain even heat and airflow across the product, resulting in uniform shrinkage of the film on collectable big box computer games.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
A feature I love on new motherboards that didnt exist a decade ago The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | Motherboards now have a flash BIOS option that allows users to update firmware for new processors by inserting a USB and pressing a button, even without memory or CPU installed.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Starting out with x86 assembly: Two vintage book recommendations The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | There are various books on assembler available for those who want to learn, including Zen of Assembly by Michael Abrash and Mastering Turbo Assembler by Tom Swan, with the latter being recommended due to its stricter syntax that can protect beginners from themselves.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Challenging the Do It Better Demoscene Mentality The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | The demo scene slogan "if you're not going to do it better, why do it at all?" is a battle cry for demosceners, but it also discourages people who might want to try.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Surviving Wizardry: Unconventional Floppy Drive Tactics The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | How to avoid getting killed in Wizardry by listening to the floppy drive and ripping it out if it made a certain sound indicating that monsters were loading.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
From BASIC to Turbo Pascal: My DOS Programming Journey in the 1980s The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | Learning to program on MS-DOS involved starting with BASIC and then discovering and using QuickBASIC and Turbo Pascal (which was effectively executable pseudocode and very readable). With perseverance and looking through old materials, anyone can teach themselves how to program for MS-DOS systems.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
The Rise and Fall of Hornet Archive #demoscene The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | The Hornet Archive was originally named after the machine it resided on, but it became too much work for the creators and was eventually closed down, with Scene.org taking over.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
SRAM in early PC laptops: Did it make the laptop faster? The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | Early PC laptops, such as the IBM Convertible, were made with SRAM and the CMOS version of the 8088, but they were not significantly faster than other laptops.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Why my copy of Planet X3 is different, and means the world to me The Oldskool PC 2023-06-04 | Because I helped write it, and David Murray wrote me a nice thank-you note to that effect on the back cover.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
tidBITS: Highlights from our March 12th 2023 Q&A Livestream The Oldskool PC 2023-05-21 | Nobody has the time to go back and watch a 90-minute livestream, so I edited the entire thing down into 16 minutes for you. And if you're part of the ADHD crowd, I added chapter stops to the most interesting bits. Enjoy!The original stream was out of sync and damaged, but this edit fixes all those problems. Apologies to those who suffered during the livestream!00:00 - Intro 00:11 - I am my own worst enemy 00:56 - Changing Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 03:02 - Why we don't livestream Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 03:56 - Area 5150 Source Code 04:51 - Those bastards removed FTP for no good reason 05:10 - Installing DOS on a USB thumbdrive 06:12 - Are floppy disks hard to obtain? 07:39 - Building a new rig these days can protect you from yourself 08:48 - Nobody presents analog video properly online 09:27 - Restoration vs. Remastering 10:23 - The first personal computers I ever touched 11:09 - The IBM PC gets no love 12:43 - Can you learn assembler from a book? 15:21 - SNARK! BARKER!! 15:39 - I appreciate my patrons and subscribers very much Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
tidBITS: Highlights from our January 15th 2022 Q&A Livestream The Oldskool PC 2023-05-14 | Nobody has the time to go back and watch a 3-hour livestream, so I edited the entire thing down into 18 minutes for you. And if you're part of the ADHD crowd, I added chapter stops to the most interesting bits. Enjoy!This "tight 18" is made possible by Premiere Pro adding editing-via-text-transcription yesterday. It brought the prospect of editing this down from "hell no" to "I think I can do this".00:00 - Baby's First Livestream00:30 - Proto-demos: Computer art before demos01:23 - Amateur photography of game boxes01:45 - Jim runs a sock-puppet account for probing Content ID03:22 - Rare games: The IBM version of Alley Cat04:12 - nobody is hacking into your system05:23 - Which version of Defender of the Crown is the best?05:41 - Earliest computer system memory06:23 - The price of rescuing software07:03 - The DOS Emporer Of The World07:26 - The Old-School Demoscene Credo08:07 - In which we pity some poor game programming08:32 - How to determine if a game was made for color composite output09:17 - Why can't hollywood represent real computers accurately?10:06 - Can you identify hard drives and floppy drives by the sound they make?11:31 - All things CGA snow13:37 - Praising the best 3-D racing programming of the early 1990s16:16 - Memories of playing Dactyl Nightmare and other early VIRTUAL REALITY17:29 - In which teenage Jim discovered animation programming techniques18:04 - A theory on why nostalgia exists18:47 - This was funWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
14KB Subscriber Impromptu Q&A Stream The Oldskool PC 2023-05-06 | The channel hit 14KB subscribers this week, and OBS also added AV1 to their youtube streaming support, so I figured it was time for another Oldskool PC livestream attempt. "Now with 50% less out-of-sync audio!"Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
3/12/2023 Impromptu Q&A: Ask Me Anything The Oldskool PC 2023-03-13 | I'd like to try doing a monthly livestream to suppliment the Q&A sessions I used to do. Will it go well? Will I embarrass myself? Will the stream devolve into a messy pile of pixels? Let's find out.
How to convert VHS videotape to 60p digital video The Oldskool PC 2023-02-07 | This tutorial will teach you how avoid the most common mistake people make when trying to convert VHS/videotape to digital video -- and all it takes is a $50 piece of hardware and free software. Intended for pure beginners, this tutorial walks you through every step to produce perfect conversions every time, with output ready to upload to YouTube or share with friends.Chapter markers:00:00 - Intro01:04 - What we'll cover01:38 - An attempt to stay on-brand01:57 - Scope02:58 - The Secret: Frames vs. Fields03:50 - Hardware06:04 - Configuring OBS and performing your first capture21:36 - Troubleshooting25:11 - OuttroDevices shown in this video:I-O Data GV-USB2: amzn.to/3ZN4GMPStartech SVID2USB232: amzn.to/3D7fJXrNeed a cheap RCA mono-to-stereo adapter? amzn.to/3WM2G4yThe GV-USB2 and Dazzle device drivers I used in Windows 10: drive.google.com/drive/folders/11e3T4NEDOcNYvrZDqJd4d8NenRKNeuKf?usp=sharingNo sound with Dazzle? This has helped some Dazzle owners: youtu.be/i3q-kKTM5Wg?si=BpEF4RyOv3IzVGgPALTERNATIVE DEVICES:DO NOT get an Elgato capture device! More info from @vwestlife: youtu.be/9NuquTDhjGYSome cheap devices that force deinterlacing can sometimes provide all deinterlaced fields if you set them to capture at high rates. To use these devices, you must **modify this tutorial** by setting them to capture at 50 (PAL, Europe) or 60 (NTSC, North America) fps. When adding the device in OBS, make these changes:- Resolution/FPS Type: Custom- Resolution: 720x480 (or 720x576 for PAL)- FPS: Highest FPSAlso, do *NOT* perform the Deinterlacing--Yadif 2x step in the tutorial, since the signal is already deinterlaced. By doing the above, you can use some cheaper devices whose drivers force deinterlacing. I have personally tested the following devices successfully:Top-Longer USB Video Grabber (Model TL AVC05) - *NOTE*, this device only captures mono audio: amzn.to/3ok5cnAFREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS:Q: Can you recommend a capture device for Mac?A: I haven't tested with a Mac, sorry.Q: I just want a quick hardware solution and I don't care about quality.A: youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5Zr3NC2PYQ: I have my video already captured to interlaced 480/486/576-line files, how can I process them without re-capturing them?A: Download FFMPEG for your operating system and run it with the following command-line:ffmpeg -i (sourcefile) -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 20 -vf "idet, bwdif, scale=1440:1080:flags=spline" (outputfile.mp4)Q: I am ready for the next step in making my videos look great! Is there anything additional I can do?A: Look into avisynth or VapourSynth, which let you run better deinterlacing scripts like QTGMC, which is a huge improvement over yadif. I personally bring interlaced captured video into Premiere Pro and perform noise reduction using NeatVideo, correct bad levels, and clean up the audio using Izotope RX. Then I export to a new intermediate file using a lossless codec for the QTGMC portion and final encode to .MP4.Q: My tapes are DV -- should I use this tutorial?A: No, you should transfer DV tapes via firewire (IEEE 1394) instead, then use the FFMPEG command-line above to convert them. In Windows, I've used WinDV for this.Q: My audio is out of sync, or the sync drifts.A: Try these videos for some OBS audio sync tips:youtube.com/watch?v=-XGT0XEFqRMyoutube.com/watch?v=wUYFNR1AfaYyoutube.com/watch?v=Hnh63pZrXWwQ: I cleaned my VCR with a cleaning tape, but things didn't get much better.A: Try a more thorough clean: youtube.com/watch?v=2-6XZZq8NxsDO NOT TRUST ANY VIDEO that tells you to clean your vcr heads with a q-tip or cotton swab -- you will damage your VCR! That's why cleaning videos recommend using either paper or a pre-moistened alcohol pad.NOTES AND CAVEATS:- If the above drivers don't work for you exactly, then search the web for alternate or updated drivers. They worked for me, but they might not work for you.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCGear I use to make my videos: kit.co/mobygamer/4k-youtube-on-a-budgetContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal---Affiliate Links: Some of the links in my video descriptions may be affiliate links. When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
Bringing sights and sounds back to solid-state drives in DOS! The Oldskool PC 2022-12-10 | I wrote a program that lets you bring back hard drive noises and activity lights to any vintage computer running MS-DOS :-) It's meant for solid-state drives that make no noise, and for people who nostalgically miss them. In this video, I cover the genesis of the idea, demonstrate it, and go over some features.Download SOFTHDDI: github.com/MobyGamer/softhddi/releasesGithub repo with assembler source code and full documentation: github.com/MobyGamer/softhddiWant to buy a hardware HDDClicker? Visit Serdashop: serdashop.com/HDDClickerMattias' original HDD Sound Simulator page: https://www.retrokits.de/index.php/hdd-clicker-v0-2/Happy #DOScember in #DOScember2022Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Collecting vintage PCs today is a reversal of how it was back in the day The Oldskool PC 2022-08-14 | In the '80s and '90s, it was less common to own IBM because it was expensive, and clones had a large share of the market. But as time progressed, clones were discarded, whereas IBM systems were held on to. Today, it's more difficult to find clones of the IBM PC than the IBM PC itself.I find this reversal somewhat humorous. That is all.
A snapshot of MobyGames in 2006 The Oldskool PC 2022-04-04 | I was going through some old archives and found the project files for the "attract mode" video we created for GDC 2006, and thought I'd see if it could be resurrected. It could, so what we have here is an animated snapshot of how MobyGames looked in 2006. Also: A short segment of the G4 TV show Electric Playground with some nice words for MobyGames.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Celebrating a Vintage Computer Warehouse Community The Oldskool PC 2022-03-27 | In which Jim attends a birthday for a vintage computer warehouse.0:00 Intro3:41 People5:52 Gaming8:13 Things9:53 Birthday CakeWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Email: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Vintage Computing: The Struggle Is Real The Oldskool PC 2022-01-28 | Quick video for LOLzWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Channel plans for 2022 (10,000 subscriber special) The Oldskool PC 2022-01-16 | It's a new year and a new subscriber milestone (10K!), and I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed on my plans for the channel with a live stream. I'll have a real IBM PC hooked up and part of the stream, and can demonstrate interesting stuff, or take your requests and run whatever you want me to run! Anything could go wrong! How exciting!Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Pushing the limits of floppy disk boot sectors: sectorLISP The Oldskool PC 2021-12-20 | In which Jim muses endlessly about the IBM PC, boot sectors, writing boot sector assembly code, and cramming all sorts of things into boot sectors that have absolutely no business being there.Chapters:00:00 Boot sectors are neat!02:11 Anatomy of a boot sector04:32 How to program a boot sector06:32 Writing a boot sector to disk07:29 An introduction to Lisp and sectorLISP09:16 Testing sectorLISP on vintage hardware12:01 Trivia and thanksCORRECTIONS:At 8:00 I mistakenly say "Forth" instead of Fortran! I had "forth" on the brain all throughout making the video because I covered "sectorforth". Apologies. Fortran is considered the oldest usable/practical HLL.References:A detailed write-up on SectorLISP: https://justine.lol/sectorlisp2/SectorLISP github/source: github.com/jart/sectorlispThanks to The Starman’s Realm for permission to use text and diagrams from their website: thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htmGit repo with the boot sector source code and batch files used in this video: github.com/MobyGamer/x86-simple-boot-sectorSectorForth: github.com/cesarblum/sectorforth"BootProg" EXE/COM Loader v 1.5 by Alexey Frunze: github.com/alexfru/BootProgDONKEY bootsector: int10h.org/blog/2016/08/happy-35th-birthday-ibm-pcToledo Chess: nanochess.org/chess6.html, github.com/nanochess/Toledo-AtomchessSome of the best 256-byte intros: pouet.net/lists.php?which=152John McCarthy’s original LISP paper: https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/6096/AIM-008.pdfA brief overview of LISP: https://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs1104/TowerOfBabel/LISP/Lisp.outline.html#DOScember2021Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Happy 40th Birthday, IBM PC! The Oldskool PC 2021-08-12 | #shortsWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
The Star Control II Music Youve Never Heard The Oldskool PC 2021-03-31 | Star Control II was one of the first PC games to use a multi-channel sample-based music soundtrack, but the game's music credits hide a decades-old mystery: One of the people listed there doesn't actually have their music in the game. Who is it? What did their music sound like? Why are they listed in the credits if their music isn't actually in the game?In this video, we answer these questions and more, getting to the bottom of an issue that's bugged me ever since I noticed it in the early 1990s.Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:34 Finding Musicians04:55 Hypothesis - The credited name was fictional05:25 Hypothesis - The credited music is actually in the game and I've just missed it05:49 Hypothesis - The credited music wasn't good enough07:10 Hypothesis - Fred's code couldn't play the original music08:25 Hypothesis - The credited music was so good it would have made the others look bad08:53 Hypothesis - The credited music's style wasn't what they were looking for09:42 The Answer10:16 The full combat tuneLinks:Arstechnica 2018 interview with Toys for Bob: arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/07/an-extended-interview-with-star-control-creators-fred-ford-paul-reiche-iiiArchive of files demonstrated in this video: archives.oldskool.org/pub/TheOldskoolPC/SC2MarukuBarunuFiles.zipShoutouts:Thanks to Space Game Junkie for providing some sample SC2 footage: http://spacegamejunkie.comAlso thanks to Dan, Riku, and Aaron for helping me with research in 2018 and 2021.BIG thanks to Paul and Fred for providing the background info that finally answered these questions.And a MASSIVE thanks to Marc J. Brown for making the music in the first place. I still play techmaru and smaltech every time I test out a modplayer.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Channel plans for 2021 (5000 subscriber special) The Oldskool PC 2021-01-21 | A few weeks ago, I jotted down some notes for a 5000 subscriber special, but as I upload this today, it's nearly to 6000 :-) Whatever my subscriber count, what follows are my channel plans for 2021 and beyond.00:00 Intro00:41 Thank you to my subscribers01:02 Thank you to my Patrons02:36 Hardware plans for 202103:36 Content in 2021 will support a channel split in 202206:35 Why monetization for me isn't about the money08:16 Topics to expect in 202108:27 Detecting non-original shrinkwrap10:45 Converting and capturing pixel-exact CGA11:30 The rarest production PC sound card12:40 Hard disk compression accelerator cards13:36 Star Control II missing music14:35 The real packages of the most pirated software15:34 Games that pushed the limits of the IBM PC16:39 Media archival channel 2022 plans17:53 Reiterating this channel's main focus18:11 Challenges, past and future21:56 Let me know what you thinkWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Breaking the DOS 640k barrier on 8086 and 80286 systems The Oldskool PC 2020-12-24 | Most people who grew up with MS-DOS on 16-bit 8086 and 80286 CPUs learned about the 640K limit and accepted it -- but you may be surprised to know that 640K isn't the actual limit. In this video, I explain why the 640K limit is a myth, and how you can break past it using a variety of methods that don't require EMM386 or an 80386 CPU.Chapters:00:00 Intro00:51 Benefits01:43 The IBM PC Memory Map02:48 The orthodox procedure04:09 What are Upper Memory Blocks?04:53 Orthodox procedure continued06:46 An Unorthodox procedure09:34 Q&A11:31 DOScemberHardware and software mentioned in this video:Lo-tech 1MB RAM card: texelec.com/product/lo-tech-1mb-ramPCjr jrIDE sidecar: texelec.com/product/jr-ide-for-the-pcjr-by-retrotronicsAll the software mentioned in this video is available via anonymous FTP: http://ftp.oldskool.org/pub/youtube/dos640k==========This video was a part of #DOScember ! Here's the #doscember official playlist:bit.ly/DOScember2020Also check out these other #doscember participating Channels:Adrian's Digital Basement: youtube.com/AdriansDigitalBasementctrl-alt-rees: youtube.com/CtrlAltReesDaveJustDave: youtube.com/MrDaveJustDaveJan Beta: youtube.com/JanBetaJosh Malone: youtube.com/JoshMalone_48kRAMLGR: youtube.com/LazyGameReviewsMindFlareRetro: youtube.com/MindFlareRetroMr Lurch's Things: youtube.com/MrLurchsThingsNoel's Retro Lab: youtube.com/NoelsRetroLabRetroSpector78: youtube.com/RetroSpector78RMC: youtube.com/RMCRetroRoseTintedSpectrum: youtube.com/RoseTintedSpectrumTech Tangents: youtube.com/AkBKukUThe 8-Bit Guy: youtube.com/adric22TheRetroChannel: youtube.com/TheRetroChannel==========Thanks to winworldpc for supplying some software, and to Mike Brutman for boot sector patch ideas.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCSome incidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
Unearthing 50+ Vintage Computers and Monitors From My Crawlspace The Oldskool PC 2020-10-25 | Back in February, I decided to hang lights in my crawlspace to see what vintage gear was actually in there. I was so encouraged by what I saw that I decided to rework the entire space with shelving and carpet. This video shows off the result, as well as the systems and monitors I unearthed. If you have a vintage computer collection but not enough space to store it properly, you may want to see how I partially solved that problem.Notes:- This video is a slightly expanded version of a virtual talk I gave at Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 2020.- I have been informed by many people that I am wrong about PCI cards in 486s with PCI slots. My experience (3 cards, all failed) is not typical. I now believe it is the Compaq 466 itself that is the problem.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCIncidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usIncidental music by MPM Soundtracks 1982, used with permission: soundcloud.com/mpmsoundtrackmusicContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
The Oldskool PC Q&A #3: Accelerators, the 640K barrier, the best Tandy The Oldskool PC 2020-06-29 | The Oldskool PC answers your questions! If you'd like more clarification on any of these questions, or you'd like a new question answered for the next Q&A video, feel free to leave a comment.This video is long, so feel free to use the following timestamps to skip questions you don't care about. Also, skip past the timestamps in this description to see video errata.00:00 Introduction00:34 Is it possible to create a 13x5 textmode screen in CGA or VGA?03:28 Can you illustrate branchless code and explain why it is important?11:19 Why did the 640K barrier exist, and what methods were used to exceed it?21:37 How many Tandy 1000s do you own, and what are your favorites?25:43 Do you have any plans to make DOS games in the future?26:40 What do you think about 386 assembly?28:06 What's the coolest 8088 clone?29:55 What do you think about the usage of modern development tools for making DOS programs?31:22 Was the IBM PC capable of producing polyphonic sound in the background? If so, how come no programs ever did it?36:34 What's your experience with Microchannel Architecture systems?39:26 What are the most common or interesting incompatibilities with "mostly compatible" PCs?45:23 Why are CPU upgrade products so rare and expensive?47:23 What's your experience with CPU upgrade products?51:57 If you had to pick only one year to play DOS games and use that year's hardware, which year would you choose and why?54:47 Was there ever a good reason to run DR-DOS or PC-DOS over MS-DOS?59:14 What's the future of these Q&A videos? Is Trixter going away?Errata:- I didn't notice I confused the segment with offset writing out the smaller BIOS sizes. What I should have written was either F800:0000 or F000:8000 for the 32K size, and FC00:0000 or F000:C000 for the 16KB size.Links mentioned in the video:IBM PS/2 info and support websites:http://ps-2.kev009.comhttp://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/mcaindex.htmMini Prince:http://www.miniprince.nl/An example of how tools can help you create branchless code:http://www.davespace.co.uk/blog/20150131-branchless-sequences.htmlVGA Tweak Explorer:http://files.mpoli.fi//software/programm/general/tweak16b.zipTimeline of DOS operating systems:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_DOS_operating_systemsWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
The Oldskool PC Q&A #2: Rarewarez, Baygles, and parking hard drive heads The Oldskool PC 2020-05-11 | The Oldskool PC answers your questions! If you'd like a question answered for the next Q&A video, leave it in the comments below; if I can answer it, I'll try to get to it in the next video.I lost the audio due to a faulty memory card, so I had the choice of salvaging the in-camera audio, or re-recording the entire thing; I chose the former. Apologies for the worse audio quality. (Also, I have no idea how I missed that a single hair of mine is standing straight up throughout the ENTIRE VIDEO -- just call me Ed Grimley.)Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:01 What hardware would you bring back in time with you to enhance your first computer?02:05 What's your favorite sound card for DOS PCs?03:04 What's the most practical sound card for DOS?04:17 If the IBM PC had originally used an 8086 instead of an 8088, how would the demo 8088 MPH have changed?05:43 Why do the VGA write modes not support transparancy?07:04 How did you learn to program MS-DOS?09:20 What is your programming language of choice?10:26 What is your favorite computer in your collection?11:42 How did you become a demoscener, and how did you join the scene?14:38 Which is better, Scream Tracker or Impulse Tracker?14:54 What led to the creation and eventual closure of Hornet?19:15 What Super VHS/MiniDV combo deck are you using?20:38 What's your favorite non-computing hobby?22:01 Do you remember "Baygles From Heaven" and does anyone still have a copy of it?24:45 Were any PCs equipped with SRAM instead of DRAM, and how much faster were they?26:15 What's your opinion on current DOS and PC emulators?30:40 Can you share unique software from your collection?35:42 Can you share unique hardware from your collection?42:23 What exactly does "parking the hard drive heads" do, and why is it necessary?47:07 OuttroLinks mentioned in the video:Hologram Man, a bad film from 1995:youtu.be/FOThmk6j25QThe only emulators I can recommend are DOSBOX-X (for 386+ systems) and 86Box (for 286 and lower systems):github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/releasesgithub.com/86Box/86BoxA full retrospective about the AT&T PC 6300:youtu.be/mUCh46_MzZUInterview with Macrocom, the people behind ICON: Quest for the Ring and Seven Spirits of Ra:mobygames.com/featured_article/feature,10root42's MS-DOS programming playlist:youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGJnX2KGgaw2L7Uv5NThlL48G9y4rJx1XLGR's retrospective on the PC Action Replay:youtu.be/usaioMbE8EQBaygles From Heaven will likely never be distributed because the code quality is embarrassing, but here's what it looked and sounded like:ftp://ftp.oldskool.org/pub/misc/AtomicBaygles.rarWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCIncidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personalCorrections:The Periscope board was made by a company called "Data Base Decisions", not "Periscope, Inc.".
Adding LED lighting to my vintage computer crawlspace The Oldskool PC 2020-04-20 | I have a crawlspace in my basement that has been a dumping ground for vintage computers and monitors for over 20 years. It's a complete mess, and I'm not even sure what's in there any more, so I decided to use my new forced-to-stay-at-home time to install some lights in my crawlspace.UPDATE: In this video you can see me plan out one cord along a beam and 4 cords across beams. I've since realized it can be laid out with the same switch location with three cords along beams and only 2 across beams, which is tidier, but since I made the snap decision to mount them staggered for better coverage, this isn't possible. Rest assured the cables are tacked up and are out of the way regardless.The specific lights I installed: amazon.com/gp/product/B07S2VD6QB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1Another side benefit of these lights: They're 5000k which is a great "daylight" color for shooting video.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCIncidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usContact info:Twitter: @MobyGamerEmail: http://www.oldskool.org/personal
The Oldskool PC Q&A #1: Preservation, demoscene, assembler The Oldskool PC 2020-04-07 | The Oldskool PC answers your questions! If you'd like a question answered for the next Q&A video, leave it in the comments below; if I can answer it, I'll get to it in the next video.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:14 Favorite DOS and booter games05:44 Mindblowing programming moment06:56 Most challenging and rewarding personal cracks11:16 Copy protection and software preservation13:22 Composing for PC speaker14:15 Best demos for 386/2018:50 Why does Quake for DOS run too fast21:03 Favorite 8086 instruction and why22:45 How to start coding 32-bit assembler25:32 Top demos for IBM AT28:15 How to measure CPU clock speed on older PCs31:17 Can software run on the IBM PC without DRAM refresh?Links mentioned in the video:Shiru's article on composing for the PC Speaker:habr.com/ru/post/439192Demos mentioned in this video:Amnesia / Renaissance: pouet.net/prod.php?which=2902Crystal Dream / Triton: pouet.net/prod.php?which=463Unreal / Future Crew: pouet.net/prod.php?which=1274Vectdemo / Ultraforce: pouet.net/prod.php?which=3540(BTW, does that music sound familar? It's most definitely inspired by GTO - Pure youtube.com/watch?v=i2Qhfg74Xis)Atom / Sorcerers: pouet.net/prod.php?which=4066Megademo / The Space Pigs: pouet.net/prod.php?which=3972Tran's PMODE extender:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMODEhttp://www.filegate.net/pdnasm/pmode307.zipFASM:flatassembler.netGame Engine Black Book series:http://fabiensanglard.net/gebbwolf3dhttp://fabiensanglard.net/gebbdoomMore DOS demoscene suggestions:http://www.oldskool.org/demos/explained/demo_reviews.htmlMusic by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPC
Patreon Update 20200328 - Maintaining output during COVID-19 The Oldskool PC 2020-03-28 | An update for my patrons regarding possibly different content while quarantined for a few months. PLease feel free to leave your comments on whether you think there's value in producing small content a few times a week, or whether you're subscribed only for the comprehensive deep dives and tutorials.Want to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPC
How to assemble the 6502 computer-on-a-badge (VCFMW edition) The Oldskool PC 2020-03-06 | The 6502 40th Anniversary Computer Badge is an entire 6502 computer with RAM, ROM, a 9600 baud serial interface, and a version of BASIC on a wearable badge. Assembling this badge helped me get over my fear of basic electronics; plus, we wanted to illustrate how to build it. So, this video covers both topics. "If I Can Do It, You Can Too!"For complete information about the badge, including sourcing PCBs, assembly instructions, schematic, parts list, parts sources, firmware, and even a manual on EhBASIC, visit: http://sunrise-ev.com/6502.htmWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron, where you can directly affect the quality and direction of my work: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCAll incidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.us---Come visit the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest: http://www.vcfmw.orgOr, subscribe to the VCFMW youtube channel to see talks and show footage: youtube.com/VCF_Midwest---Corrections:The name of the BASIC is called "EhBASIC", not "basica" as I said in the video. Why EhBASIC? Because Canada, eh?The hot glue wasn't to actually glue it on, but as a spacer to prevent the battery connector wires from shorting to the board. Thick tape would have also worked, as would velcro.Errata:The RAM we installed in the video is 2K bytes, although the board supports 2K-32K RAMs. Likewise, the jumpers support 8K-32K EPROMs.There are two screw holes in the PCB for mounting the battery holder -- but double-stick foam tape or hot glue also work.Since the batteries are big and heavy, some people have used a little lithium pouch cell. Just don't try to charge it on the board! The charging resistor doesn't know when to quit, and would overcharge a lithium cell.
Recording the IBM PCs internal speaker: MS-DOS gaming at its loudest The Oldskool PC 2019-08-18 | What's the best way to record the real output of the IBM PC's internal speaker? Use a microphone? If so, where to place it? Can a sound card help? This video conducts experiments across 7 recording methods and 12 sound sources to try to come up with the answer.Time indexes:0:00 - Intro2:18 - Introduction to recording methods4:55 - Intro to testing methods and sound samples5:34 - Sound sample testing begins (for best results, use headphones)21:22 - My analysis and thoughts35:28 - Summary conclusionAll incidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usWant to help me make more videos like this, and have a say in what I cover next? Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPCShow notes and resources:- Most of the sound programs used in this episode, including a few other interesting PC speaker programs, are available via anonymous FTP here: ftp://ftp.oldskool.org/pub/TheOldskoolPC/PC%20Speaker%20Files.zip- Want to take your recording to the next level by building your own RealSound cable? Or even a custom PC speaker amplifier? Read more about recording the PC speaker, and building custom circuits, in this article from 2006: http://www.oldskool.org/guides/speakerrecording- It was pointed out to me after this video was completed that the IBM Convertible has a headphone jack for the PC speaker. This would have been a much more appropriate period system to perform the external jack tests on; I regret I was unable to source one for the use of this video.- I mis-spoke the name of the Dizzy game! I said "Fantastic Dizzy", but the actual name of the game is "Fantasy World Dizzy". Whoops!
Midwest Gaming Classic 2019 Video Retrospective The Oldskool PC 2019-04-19 | Held on April 12th-14th in 2019, Midwest Gaming Classic is the midwest's largest retrogaming trade show featuring 150,000+ square feet of retro and modern home video game consoles, pinball machines, arcade video games, computers, table top gaming, crane games, collectible card games, air hockey, and all sorts of gaming miscellany. Midwest Gaming Classic is about celebrating gaming, trying new things, learning about the gaming hobby, and meeting others who share the love of gaming.I've been to most MGCs over the years, but I keep going back because it keeps getting bigger and better every year. Highly recommended. I was only there for Saturday, but shot over 3 hours of footage trying to take it all in, so here is an edit of what I shot.Mike Lee of the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest provided over 60 pieces of hardware for the event. It was great to see people young and old playing games on vintage consoles and computers.All incidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.us
Coding Stories: Bringing Planet X3 to the IBM PC The Oldskool PC 2019-04-13 | In 2017, David Murray (aka. The 8-Bit Guy), contacted me to get some help and advice on learning 8086 assembler to port a game from the Commodore 64 to the IBM PC and compatibles. This turned into a year-long back-and-forth of advice, fixing bugs, optimizing code, and contributing new features to the game, now known as Planet X3.This video consists of memories and stories from my side of the development process during that time. An abridged version of this content will be included in the upcoming Planet X3 documentary.Planet X3 successfully-funded kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/1973096722/planet-x3-for-ms-dosThe 8-Bit Guy: youtube.com/channel/UC8uT9cgJorJPWu7ITLGo9WwAll incidental music by coda, used with permission: coda.s3m.usWant to support me, and help me make more videos like this? Consider becoming a patron: patreon.com/TheOldskoolPC
