Any way to do this?

Liamtg · 01-04-2007, 01:27 AM

Hi, newbie here. Is there any way to load my screen saver to a disk that I can play on my dvd player? I would like to play it on my big screen TV during parties. I also want an auto-repeat so I don't have to reset it every couple of hours. I don't even know how much time I would get from a single play on a computer disk. I'm not that computer savy, so I wanted to ask if this was possible before I drove myself crazy trying to do it.

Thanks folks!

feldon34 · 01-04-2007, 08:14 AM

This is actually extremely complicated to do.

You would have to find software that records the Aquarium running and captures all those frames of animation from the DirectX/Direct3D overlay and is able to record 30fps for up to an hour without dropping lots of frames.

As far as I know, this software does not exist.

Most people setup a cheap computer in their home theater, living room, office, etc. to drive the monitor. Then instead of the average quality of DVD (720 x 480), you get the full res of 1280 x 720 from the Aquarium.

Tiny Turtle · 01-04-2007, 09:40 AM

There was actually a DVD version released a while back. Avoid it like the plague though as it is in 4:3 format and not utilizing any of the capabilities of the DVD format.

feldon34 · 01-04-2007, 10:01 AM

Originally posted by Tiny Turtle:

There was actually a DVD version released a while back. Avoid it like the plague though as it is in 4:3 format and not utilizing any of the capabilities of the DVD format.

After 2 years of "Coming Soon", you can now buy it, with all the caveats mentioned by Tiny:
http://www.prolific.com/store/cart.p...7243f223c14149

Jim Sachs · 01-04-2007, 10:59 AM

I'll see if I can get Prolific to change the message from "Coming Soon" to "Came and Went".

feldon34 · 01-04-2007, 12:33 PM

I still think the best way to make a DVD is to modify the code to run the Aquarium at 1280 x 720 and write the frames out to BMP files. The timing of the Aquarium would have to be changed to handle the slower framerate. I realize that 1 hour of this would take up 300GB. Then it would be scaled down to 720 x 480 anamorphic (16:9) and compressed to DVD format.

Liamtg · 01-04-2007, 06:29 PM

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

I'll see if I can get Prolific to change the message from "Coming Soon" to "Came and Went".

"Came and went", as in no longer available or just not up to par with the screen saver?
I was surprised to hear that there was no DVD of this screen saver already available. I'm pretty certain if popular screen savers were made into HD DVDs they would sell like hotcakes to people with big screen HD TVs. I imagine you could fit more than one screen saver on a DVD, but I don't know about the auto replay feature. It would be nice not to have to reset it every few hours. My TV is 40". That's a lot of screen space that could be utilized during parties or whenever.

I hope you give it another try, Jim.

Is there an economical compact computer available that I could hook-up to my TV in the meantime. Most standard ones are very bulky. My home pc is in another room and I don't want to bother with running wires all over the place.

MattNW · 01-06-2007, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by Liamtg:

"Came and went", as in no longer available or just not up to par with the screen saver?
I was surprised to hear that there was no DVD of this screen saver already available. I'm pretty certain if popular screen savers were made into HD DVDs they would sell like hotcakes to people with big screen HD TVs. I imagine you could fit more than one screen saver on a DVD, but I don't know about the auto replay feature. It would be nice not to have to reset it every few hours. My TV is 40". That's a lot of screen space that could be utilized during parties or whenever.

I hope you give it another try, Jim.

Is there an economical compact computer available that I could hook-up to my TV in the meantime. Most standard ones are very bulky. My home pc is in another room and I don't want to bother with running wires all over the place.

I think Gateway has a compact PC. No idea what the price is but with all the new models coming out soon you might be able to get a good price. It's a normal PC MB without expansion slots to get it into the tiny case. Or you could pick up a used notebook PC.

Tiny Turtle · 01-06-2007, 04:19 PM

Most elegant solution would be an Apple Mac Mini, but even if you want a regular PC there should be goodlooking alternatives available.

01-04-2007, 01:27 AM	#1
Liamtg Registered Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 4	Any way to do this? Hi, newbie here. Is there any way to load my screen saver to a disk that I can play on my dvd player? I would like to play it on my big screen TV during parties. I also want an auto-repeat so I don't have to reset it every couple of hours. I don't even know how much time I would get from a single play on a computer disk. I'm not that computer savy, so I wanted to ask if this was possible before I drove myself crazy trying to do it. Thanks folks!

01-04-2007, 08:14 AM	#2
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	This is actually extremely complicated to do. You would have to find software that records the Aquarium running and captures all those frames of animation from the DirectX/Direct3D overlay and is able to record 30fps for up to an hour without dropping lots of frames. As far as I know, this software does not exist. Most people setup a cheap computer in their home theater, living room, office, etc. to drive the monitor. Then instead of the average quality of DVD (720 x 480), you get the full res of 1280 x 720 from the Aquarium. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

01-04-2007, 09:40 AM	#3
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	There was actually a DVD version released a while back. Avoid it like the plague though as it is in 4:3 format and not utilizing any of the capabilities of the DVD format. Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

01-04-2007, 10:01 AM	#4
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Originally posted by Tiny Turtle: There was actually a DVD version released a while back. Avoid it like the plague though as it is in 4:3 format and not utilizing any of the capabilities of the DVD format. After 2 years of "Coming Soon", you can now buy it, with all the caveats mentioned by Tiny: http://www.prolific.com/store/cart.p...7243f223c14149 "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

01-04-2007, 10:59 AM	#5
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	I'll see if I can get Prolific to change the message from "Coming Soon" to "Came and Went". Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

01-04-2007, 12:33 PM	#6
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	I still think the best way to make a DVD is to modify the code to run the Aquarium at 1280 x 720 and write the frames out to BMP files. The timing of the Aquarium would have to be changed to handle the slower framerate. I realize that 1 hour of this would take up 300GB. Then it would be scaled down to 720 x 480 anamorphic (16:9) and compressed to DVD format. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

01-04-2007, 06:29 PM	#7
Liamtg Registered Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 4	Originally posted by Jim Sachs: I'll see if I can get Prolific to change the message from "Coming Soon" to "Came and Went". "Came and went", as in no longer available or just not up to par with the screen saver? I was surprised to hear that there was no DVD of this screen saver already available. I'm pretty certain if popular screen savers were made into HD DVDs they would sell like hotcakes to people with big screen HD TVs. I imagine you could fit more than one screen saver on a DVD, but I don't know about the auto replay feature. It would be nice not to have to reset it every few hours. My TV is 40". That's a lot of screen space that could be utilized during parties or whenever. I hope you give it another try, Jim. Is there an economical compact computer available that I could hook-up to my TV in the meantime. Most standard ones are very bulky. My home pc is in another room and I don't want to bother with running wires all over the place.

01-06-2007, 03:29 PM	#8
MattNW Registered Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 11	Originally posted by Liamtg: "Came and went", as in no longer available or just not up to par with the screen saver? I was surprised to hear that there was no DVD of this screen saver already available. I'm pretty certain if popular screen savers were made into HD DVDs they would sell like hotcakes to people with big screen HD TVs. I imagine you could fit more than one screen saver on a DVD, but I don't know about the auto replay feature. It would be nice not to have to reset it every few hours. My TV is 40". That's a lot of screen space that could be utilized during parties or whenever. I hope you give it another try, Jim. Is there an economical compact computer available that I could hook-up to my TV in the meantime. Most standard ones are very bulky. My home pc is in another room and I don't want to bother with running wires all over the place. I think Gateway has a compact PC. No idea what the price is but with all the new models coming out soon you might be able to get a good price. It's a normal PC MB without expansion slots to get it into the tiny case. Or you could pick up a used notebook PC.

01-06-2007, 04:19 PM	#9
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Most elegant solution would be an Apple Mac Mini, but even if you want a regular PC there should be goodlooking alternatives available. Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.