webcampictureson8bitcomputers_100804.zip (22kb)


(english grammar and vocabulary fixes and improvement are welcome =) )

This page is about an experience on sending webcam pictures to 8bit computers as sound, like used when loading programs from cassette tape.

The process on capturing the picture from webcam, converting to a final binary and tape file, and playing it as audio file is simple, but is depending on existing external command-line applications for that. The more elaborated algorythms used on the code were for converting the picture into the binary file, according to the final 8bit computer display specific characteristics.

Until now, only the zx-spectrum scripts were fully working, since only there i know exactly how tho create the tape file, and having the suitable tools for converting the tape file into audio file. The command-line tools used were fswebcam, imagemagick, sox, and tape2wav (from fuse zx-spectrum emulator tools). The scripts runs on sdlBasic.

In the file link above, the other 8bit computer scripts available, and not complete enough to send audio data to these computers, are for: AppleII (hires), C64 (mpic, hpic), Amiga (ham6-laced), MSX (screen 2 and 4) and ZX81. Are planned other versions, like for TRS-Color (Dragon), Mattel Aquarius, TRS-80, SamCoupé (mode 1 and 2), Thomson (MO5, TO7, etc.), SinclairQL, etc.








(please don't mind about the quality of the videos, captured with a cell phone)