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Article #351248

ReelMagic FAQ version 1.00

#351248
From: al... Gerard Pinzone
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 06:40
873 lines
34194 bytes
ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

Overview: This FAQ guide is mainly to alert and inform current and
          prospective users to the ReelMagic(TM) card made by Sigma
          Designs.

Disclaimer:    I do not work for Sigma Designs, and therefore, do not
               get paid for this.  I don't ask for any contributions
               other than information by other users on the Internet,
               Compuserve, Delphi, America On-line, etc.  If I decide
               to include a suggestion, I'll give your name and e-mail
               address in this FAQ (unless you want to remain anony-
               mous for whatever reason).  If you get your information
               from a magazine, please give me the name and issue of
               the magazine it came from.  All footnotes given in this
               document are mine.

To Contact Sigma Designs:

Snail Mail:         Sigma Designs
                    Customer Service Center
                    47900 Bayside Parkway
                    Fremont, CA 94538
Phone:              510-770-0100
Fax:                510-770-2905
BBS:                510-770-0111 (1200-9600, 8, 1, N)
Compuserve:         GO DTPVEN
Internet:           (***somebody e-mail me their Compuserve ad-
                    dress!***)


I will give a list of video cards that are guaranteed to work (or not
work for that matter) along with some of my own input.  I will not go
into depth about MPEG and the compression standards.  I believe there
are other FAQ's out there that are dedicated to these topics.  I will
also try to start to compile a list of ReelMagic(TM) games.  Please
note the "regular" or non-ReelMagic games will not perform any differ-
ently with the ReelMagic card installed.  You need to buy games that
use this type of compression algorithm exclusively.  So, don't run out
and purchase Dragon's Lair and expect it to magically improve once you
install the card!


Things I Need
I'd like the Internet (if any exists) and the Compuserve address for
Sigma Designs.  That way people on the Internet can send messages via
E-Mail.
I'd also accept ANY and all bug reports, comments, reviews, etc.

MPEG and ReelMagic
(Reprinted without permission from Sigma Designs, Inc.)
MPEG, which stands for Motion Picture Experts Group, refers to a type
of data compression optimized for video and audio data.  By analyzing
the changes between frames, an MPEG "encoder" is able to reduce the
size of the data by a ratio of up to 100 to 1.  This remarkably
efficient compression method allows true full-screen and full-motion
video, plus CD-quality audio to be stored in a relatively small size

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

file.  Once the data has been compressed; however, it must be "de"-
compressed before it can be used.  This is where the ReelMagic comes
in.
The ReelMagic Lite MPEG playback controller incorporates specialized
hardware to decompress MPEG data at a very high speed, which allows
MPEG "streams" to play back at a data transfer rate of only 150KB per
second[1].  This breakthrough gives ordinary PCs the ability to
playback full motion MPEG sequences from standard CD-ROM drives.


System Requirements
The following are the minimum system requirements for installing the
ReelMagic controller:

o CPU - 386SX/25 or higher
o A 16-bit ISA expansion slot
o 2MB RAM
o 2MB free hard disk space
o VGA or SuperVGA with VESA or IBM compliant connector
o VGA or multisync display
o Sound card with an Auxiliary Stereo Input Connector[2]
  (ReelMagic Lite only)
o CD-ROM drive capable of 150KB/sec sustained transfer rate
o DOS 5.0 or higher
o Windows 3.1 or higher (for Windows applications)


File Formats
MPG:           MPG is the extension for files with PC-based, MPEG-
               compressed full motion video (24, 25, or 30 frames per
               second of 32,768 color video at resolutions as high as
               1024x768), along with MPEG-compressed audio (44.1kHz,
               stereo, 16-bit sound)[3].  This type of file is also
               known as a system file or an interleaved stream.

ABS and MPA:   ABS and MPA are the extensions for files containing
               MPEG-compressed audio only.  ABS stands for Audio Bit
               Stream and MPA stands for MPEG Audio.

VBS and MPV:   VBS and MPV are the extensions for files containing
               MPEG-compressed video only.  VBS stands for Video Bit
               Stream and MPV stands for MPEG Video.

DAT:           DAT is the extension being used for Video CD or Karaoke
               CD files.  It is also a commonly used file extension
                    

     [1]Some of the game demos on the CD ROM that comes with the card
require a double spin to play correctly.  I don't know if the games
themselves require a 300KB/s transfer rate.

     [2]This is needed to mix the output of the ReelMagic compressed
sound with regular soundcard sound.

     [3]Does NOT depend on your sound card!

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

               for data files of many applications.  Only Video CD and
               Karaoke CD DAT files will work with the ReelMagic.


VGA Compatibility Report:  P/N 66-010024-01  Rev. A1
(Reprinted without permission from Sigma Designs, Inc.)

This document summarizes the compatibility testing of ReelMagic with a
wide range of third party VGA adapters.  The only time ReelMagic
absolutely will not work with a VGA adapter is when the adapter does
not have the standard or VESA compliant VGA feature connector.  Other
compatibility issues involve certain graphics modes and/or refresh
rates.  (Note: This information is subject to change as additional VGA
devices are tested and as manufacturers upgrade their VGA adapter
boards.)

Lack of a standard or VESA compliant feature connector

ReelMagic relies on the VGA feature connector to overlay MPEG graphics
onto your display.  Some VGA adapters do not have standard or VESA
compliant VGA feature connector or have one that is not activated. 
These adapters are not compatible with ReelMagic.

High Refresh Display Modes

Some VGA adapters display video at very high refresh rates for ergo-
nomic[4] reasons.  These modes often surpass the specifications of
standard and VESA compliant VGA feature connectors.  In general,
ReelMagic is capable of supporting refresh rates of 60 and 72Hz at
resolutions of 640x480 and 800x600.  At 1024x768 resolution, ReelMagic
properly displays video at 60Hz.  These are general guidelines, your
system may or may not perform properly at higher refresh rates. 
Refresh rates are usually controlled by[5] the type of monitor you
select.  If the refresh rate is set too high for ReelMagic, the MPEG
playback window will be out of sync or this image will be very unsta-
ble.  Selecting a lower vertical refresh rate will usually solve this
problem[6].

High Bit Depth Display Modes

Some VGA adapters support high bit depth display modes, such as Hi-
Color (either 15 or 16-bit), or TrueColor (24-bit) modes.  ReelMagic
currently do not support Windows[7] running in 24-bit color mode.  An
error message will appear to notify you of this incompatibility.  Most
15 or 16-bit color modes will work fine with ReelMagic at up to

                    

     [4]i.e. it looks better.

     [5]Actually, "limited by" is more correct.

     [6]Check your video card manual for more information.

     [7]Or DOS for that matter.

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

800x600 resolution.  At 1024x768 resolution, HiColor modes exceeds the
capabilities of a standard or VESA compliant VGA feature connector.

Consult the documentation accompanying your VGA adapter for informa-
tion about changing the display drivers, refresh rates, and bit
depth[8].

VGA Compatibility Chart

The following VGA adapter boards have been tested and found compatible
with ReelMagic except as noted.  If the Compatibility Issues column
contains "Fail" then this adapter cannot be used with ReelMagic under
any circumstance (usually due to the lack of a compatible or activated
VGA feature connector).






































                    

     [8]Yeah, if you can find it!

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

          Manufacturer                      Compatibility Issues

          Actix - Graphics Engine           Fail - Feature connector not
                                            turned on

          Add-On America -Renoir Ultra-     Fail - No feature connector
          SVGA

          Amazing Technologies - SVGA880    Pass
          (1MB)
          
          ATI - Graphics Pro (1MB)          Fail - No feature connector

          ATI - Graphics Ultra Pro VLB      Pass - OK except for 24-bit
          (2MB)                             color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          ATI - VGA Wonder (512KB)          Pass

          CSS - MaxGraphics (1MB)           Pass

          Diamond - SpeedStar Pro           Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Diamond - SpeedStar Pro VLB       Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Diamond - Stealth 24              Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Diamond - Stealth 24 VLB          Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Diamond - Stealth Pro             Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Diamond - Stealth Pro VLB         Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Diamond - Viper                   Fail - No feature connector

          Everex - 626 VGA w/ Overlay       Pass
          (1MB)

          Genoa - Windows VGA 7900 (1 MB)   Pass

          Genoa - Windows VGA 24 (8500)     Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

          Hercules - Dynamite VL            Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Hercules - Graphite               Not recommended - works only at
                                            standard VGA resolution in Win-
                                            dows

          IBM PS/ValuePoint on-board vid-   Pass - OK except for 24-bit
          eo (Cirrus)                       color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          IBM PS/ValuePoint on-board vid-   Pass - OK except for 24-bit
          eo (S3)                           color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Media Vision - Thunder & Light-   Fail
          ning

          Number Nine #9GXE ISA             Fail - No feature connector

          Number Nine #9GXE PCI             Pass - Works OK in 640x480 in
                                            16 and 256 colors and is await-
                                            ing additional testing

          Oak - OV 2.15-35 (256KB)          Pass

          Oak - WCYW VGA                    Pass - OK except for 1024x768
                                            resolution

          Orchid - Celsius                  Not recommended - works only at
                                            standard VGA resolution in Win-
                                            dows

          Orchid - Fahrenheit 1280          Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Orchid - Fahrenheit 1280 Plus     Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Orchid - Fahrenheit VA            Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Orchid - ProDesigner IIs          Pass

          Paradise - Accelerator            Pass

          S3 - generic 805 board            Pass - Ok except for HiColor
                                            modes

          Sigma - Concorde VLB              Pass - OK except for 24-bit


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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Sigma - VGA/H                     Pass

          Sigma - VGA HP-16                 Pass

          Sigma - VGA HP-8                  Pass

          Sigma - Legend                    Pass

          Sigma - Legend 24LX               Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Sigma - Legend 24LX VLB           Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Sigma - Legend 24VL/IDE           Pass - OK except for 24-bit
                                            color modes and high refresh
                                            rates

          Sigma - Legend GX                 Fail - Feature connector not
                                            turned on

          Sigma - VGA Legend II             Fail - No feature connector

          Sigma - WinMach                   Not recommended - works only at
                                            standard VGA resolution in Win-
                                            dows

          Spider Graphics - Black Widow     Pass - OK except for HiColor
          VLB                               modes and some high refresh
                                            rates

          STB - Horizon VLB                 Pass - Ok except for HiColor
                                            modes

          Tandy - Integrated VLB SVGA       Pass

          Trident - 8900C                   Pass - Ok except for HiColor
                                            modes

          True Vision - Bravado 16          Pass

          VGA-2-The-Max - HYG-VGA-4000      Pass
          (1MB)

          Video 7 - VRAM VGA (512k)         Pass

          Western Digital - 90C30           Pass

          Western Digital - MVGA - P1DW     Pass - Ok except for HiColor
                                            modes

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu



                   ****** Personal Additions ******

          Genoa - Windows VGA 24 (8500)     Not recommended - DOS pallete
                                            fix does not work for all
                                            software applications.  Windows
                                            is fine with Snooper.

If you are looking to upgrade your VLB video card anyway, the Hercules
Dynamite Pro VLB 2MB (Tseng ET4000/W32i) is VERY fast and relatively
inexpensive.  It beat out the Genoa 8500VL which has a Cirrus Logic
5426 chip.  I didn't like the Diamond Stealth 24 VLB only because of
it's sluggish DOS response.  (I don't like S3 chip cards in general).

Note:     ReelMagic performance is NOT dependent on the speed of the
          video card.  It OVERLAYS it's video information.  It is
          independent of your video card's speed.


ReelMagic CD List
Title                                   Order Number
Matinee                                 5009
MPC Wizard                              5011
The Nature of Hunting                   5002
Learning Fly Fishing                    5004
Mozart Visits Yosemite                  5003
Mozart Visits Grand Canyon              5005
Mozart Visits Yellowstone               5006
Mozart Visits Hawaii                    5007
Animal Kingdom                          5013
WorldView                               5012
Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia      5001
The Sporting News                       5016
20th Century Video Almanac              5020
Police Quest 4                          5019
Man Enough                              5021
Return to Zork                          5022
Dragon's Lair                           5023
Video Cube-Space                        5014
SoundTrack                              5010
Space Ace                               5018
The Lord of the Rings                   5017

New ReelMagic compatible titles are available monthly, so call for
info on the latest releases:

                         1 800-494-8848 : U.S.
                  916-939-1004 : International Orders
                        24 Hours, 7 Days a Week

I would suggest you do NOT order from the above number since these are
sold at LIST prices!



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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

For excellent prices on these titles and other CD ROM titles as well
as the Reel Magic card itself, call:

                        MultiMedia Specialists
                            1 800-233-0010
                            P.O. Box 55164
                        Madison, WI 53705-8964

Mention you heard about them from this FAQ.


I will now reprint the README.TXT file that comes with a ReelMagic or
ReelMagic Lite:

README.TXT For ReelMagic(TM) (Release 1.10) -- 3/28/94
(Reprinted without permission from Sigma Designs, Inc.)

Congratulations on your purchase of the ReelMagic or ReelMagic Lite
MPEG multimedia playback controller.  This file contains important
information not available at the time the manual was printed.  Please
take time to read through it for the latest updates.


Improved Error Handling

It is possible that with some hardware configurations, the I/O ad-
dress, IRQ, and DMA channel scanning done by the SETUP program will
cause the system to crash.  If you start the SETUP program and the
screen shows no activity for over a minute, it is most likely that the
system has crashed.  The SETUP program maintains a status file in the
root directory of your boot drive.  If an error was encountered during
the scanning, a note is made in the status file.  When the system is
rebooted, SETUP is automatically loaded and will automatically skip
the IRQ, I/O address, or DMA channel test that had caused the system
to crash previously.  This process may repeat several times before all
of the offending causes are eliminated.  If there are no errors, the
status file is automatically deleted.

Note:     It is possible that if you use a disk caching program other
          than the Microsoft SMARTDRV (version 4.0 or later), the
          status file will not be updated if the system crashes.  This
          is most likely to occur for a delayed write type of disk
          cache program.  In such instances, disable the disk caching
          program in the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file before run-
          ning SETUP again.


SETUP Command Line Options

You can manually disable the scanning of the I/O address, IRQ, DMA
channel, and CD-ROM interface.  Append one or more of these options
after typing SETUP at the DOS prompt:

     /NOIO  -- disables I/O address scanning
     /NOIRQ -- disables IRQ scanning

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

     /NODMA -- disables DMA channel scanning
     /NOCD  -- disables CD-ROM interface scanning


     Example:  SETUP /NODMA 

     executes the ReelMagic SETUP program without scanning for
     DMA channels.

Note:     If you are using a SCSI adapter for your hard disk drives,
          we recommend using the /NODMA option when starting SETUP.


CD-ROM Interface Detection

(This note DOES NOT apply to ReelMagic Lite.)

Some models of ReelMagic boards include a CD-ROM interface.  If you
are trying to use the CD-ROM interface on these boards, but SETUP is
encountering problems in detecting which CD-ROM interface you have
(currently, only Sony SLCD or SCSI are available), you can specify the
interface with these command options:

     /SONY -- indicates the Sony SLCD interface
     /SCSI -- indicates the SCSI CD-ROM interface


Installing Windows After Installing ReelMagic

(This note DOES NOT apply to ReelMagic Lite.)

If Windows was not installed when you were installing the ReelMagic
software, or if you are re-installing Windows after deleting the
Windows subdirectory, you will have to re-install the ReelMagic
software from floppy because two of the files are copied to the
Windows subdirectory only.


Playing DRAGON'S LAIR

The ReelMagic DOS driver must be loaded before playing Dragon's Lair. 
A batch file is created in the REELMAGC directory called DRAGON.BAT
which handles all this for you.  To play Dragon's Lair, place the CD
in your CD-ROM drive and type

     CD \REELMAGC
     DRAGON

Note:     the batch file assumes your CD-ROM drive letter is "D".  If
          this is not the case, you will need to use a text editor to
          modify the batch file.  The line which reads

     D:

should be changed to reflect your CD-ROM's drive letter (e.g. "E:").

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu


Playing THE HORDE

You must have ReelMagic software release 1.10 or later to run the MPEG
version of The Horde.  If you have the ReelMagic Lite, make sure your
sound card is 100% SoundBlaster(TM) compatible.  Some sound cards,
such as the Media Vision ProAudio Spectrum 16(TM) and boards that use
the Media Vision PAS 16(TM) chip set, will not work with The Horde (no
sound).  Crystal Dynamics and Media Vision are 
working to resolve this issue and a solution will be available short-
ly[9].

If you use disk caching programs, such as Microsoft SMARTDRV, you MAY
experience hanging problems.  If you do, try turning off the
"write-caching" to the hard drive where The Horde has been installed. 
For example, if you use SMARTDRV and The Horde is installed on drive
C:, use the command SMARTDRV C to turn off "write-caching" on drive
C:.


Playing Philips Digital Video (CD-i) Movies

If you have purchased the ReelMagic CD-ROM Upgrade Kit, then you have
the capability to play Philips Digital Video (CD-i) movies from the
CD-ROM drive.  The drive we use in our CD-ROM upgrade kit is the Sony
CDU33A-01 with firmware version "BC" or later.

If you want to play CD-i movies and are purchasing the Sony CDU33A-01
drive separately, make sure it has firmware version "BC" or later.  
You must also add the statement:

     "cdimovie=c:\reelmagc\cdimovie.drv"

into your Windows SYSTEM.INI file, under the [mci] section, to enable
the ReelMagic CD-i movie driver.  This will add the additional CD-i
Movie device into your Media Player.  Select this device and your
CD-ROM drive when you want to play a CD-i movie CD.

Note:     The Sony CDU33A-01 CD-ROM drive is the ONLY drive that is
          fully compatible with CD-i movie CDs at this time.


Palatte Problems

If you are experiencing color palatte problems with some of your
software programs, such as wrong colors or posterized images, it is
most likely that you have a local bus VGA adapter.  Some software do
not pass the palatte information to the feature connector as the
palatte changes.  Since ReelMagic gets the palatte information from
the feature connector, wrong colors will result.

                    

     [9]HEY!  Don't forget the Gravis Ultrasound (GUS) works perfectly
with this game.

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

One solution is to connect your VGA display directly to your VGA
board, in effect bypassing the ReelMagic board, when you are using
these software.  Another solution is to connect the two VGA outputs,
one from ReelMagic and the other from your VGA board, to a VGA signal
switch box.  This type of device allows you to switch between the
ReelMagic VGA output and your VGA board output with a flick of a
switch.


Batch Files
Here is a batch file that works even better than the PLAY.BAT that
gets installed with the game:

- - - - - - - - - - - - -      CUT HERE      - - - - - - - - - - - - -
@ECHO OFF
if exist D:\HORDE.EXE goto start
echo HORDE disc not in drive!
goto end

:start
C:
cd \HORDE

C:\HORDE\checkrm
if errorlevel 1 goto nodriver

C:\HORDE\checkrm 1 10
if errorlevel 1 goto badversion

C:\HORDE\fmpload
C:\HORDE\horde
C:\HORDE\fmpload /u
goto end

:nodriver
echo.
echo IMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM;
echo :      PROBLEM:  ReelMagic card not detected.         :
echo LMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM9
echo :   Please install version 1.10 or higher of the      :
echo :   ReelMagic driver from your ReelMagic disk.  Then  :
echo :   reboot your system and re-run the Horde.          :
echo HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM<
echo.
goto end

:badversion
echo.
echo IMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM;
echo :      PROBLEM:  Newer ReelMagic driver required.     :
echo LMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM9
echo :   Please install version 1.10 or higher of the      :
echo :   ReelMagic driver from your ReelMagic disk.  Then  :
echo :   reboot your system and re-run the Horde.          :
echo HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM<

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

echo.

:end
cd \
- - - - - - - - - - - -        CUT HERE      - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm assuming here the HORDE directory was installed on your C drive
and your CD-ROM is your D drive.  If your setup is different, change
it accordingly.


Notes about the Dragon's Lair CD
This is a letter sent by a ReelMagic owner (Darren Felber) to
ReadySoft about some bugs with Dragon's Lair:

ReadySoft Inc.
30 Wertheim Court, Suite 2
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4B 1B9
TEL: 905-731-4175
FAX: 905-764-8867

Dear Sirs,

     This letter is regarding the ReelMagic version of Dragon's Lair. 
After playing the game for a week I have discovered many bugs in the
program that I think you should take a look at and correct.  I grew up
playing this game; when I got it, all my friends came over and were so
impressed, they went out and invested the $400 to get the ReelMagic
and Dragon's Lair.  The following is a list of bugs that must be
corrected:

     Screen S23.MPG is totally screwed up.  When I say screwed up I
mean that its not a complete screen.  If you look at the file
S23D1.MPG you will find that an actual part of the game screen is
attached to the death screen?!?  I noticed this problem while playing
that screen.  I would move up, then down, then the board would just
end suddenly?!?  But If you look at the first death screen S23D1.MPG
you will see the real ending part where he goes out the left door and
hear the music you would normally hear when you complete a board is
attached there?

     Some other small bugs are Screen S27D1.MPG has part of S27D2.MPG
stuck on the end of it.  Screen S27D2.MPG has Part of S27B.MPG stuck
to the end of it.  Screen S28D1.MPG has part of S28D2.MPG Stuck to the
end of it.  Screen S28D2.MPG has part of screen S27B.MPG stuck to the
end of it.  This is the worst case of editing I have ever seen in a
game.

     A few other things that are missing from the game that the
original game had were the randomness.  For instance, in the arcade
version the game would start on any screen and you would never play
the boards in same order.  While the ReelMagic version does have a
very limited randomness to it, the arcade feeling is missing.  Also in
the arcade version you would play the same board more than once or at
least in the same game you would see the board along with its reverse

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ReelMagic(TM) FAQ Guide                              Gerard J. Pinzone
Version 1.0 - May 16, 1994            INTERNET: gpin...@ic.sunysb.edu

in the course of a game. Believe me when I tell you that this atten-
tion to detail is very important to people who will be buying this.  A
big reason for people purchasing the ReelMagic card will be, and is,
because of the full arcade version of Dragon's Lair that you claim in
your ad.  And there should be no reason why it isn't the best and most
complete version.  If you wish people to continue to purchase your
software (especially since I hear Space Ace and Dragon's Lair 2 and 3
are in the works) I think more attention to detail should be paid. 
Please forgive me if an updated version has already been released.  I
feel the few things that the game is missing would not have been very
difficult to implement into the game.  The only thing that should be
missing from the ReelMagic version of Dragon's Lair is the coin slot!

     Your attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated. 
Please contact me regarding an updated version if available or if you
are in the process to correct these problems.  I have version 1.11.

                              Sincerely Yours,



                              Darren Felber

[I'd suggest that if you own this game, you send similar letter. 
Without public outcry, we will never get a new revision. - GP]

                              ----------

Well that's all for now.  Please send any comments to me via e-mail.

                              Gerard J. Pinzone
                              King of All Tech Support!
























ReelMagic(TM) is a trademark of Sigma Designs, Inc.            Page 14

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  /   ___/  /  _____/  /  __   /   Iczer curls!"  -=-  Gerard Pinzone     ).(
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From: al...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Gerard Pinzone)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.cd-rom,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,alt.cd-rom
Subject: ReelMagic FAQ version 1.00
Date: 17 May 1994 06:40:53 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
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