[Mithras]

Thanks to this hint for pointing out this Apple sample code to watch movies in the Terminal!

I compiled it; you can [ download the movieplayer from me ] .

Unstuff the file, go to that directory in the terminal (type cd , then drop the folder onto Terminal), and type:
./movieplayer keynote.mov

to watch Steve Jobs in your Terminal.

You'll probably have to hit command-minus several times to shrink the Terminal font, and drag the window to make it big enough to fit the whole movie.

Also, it looks better with white-on-black instead of black-on-white text.

A "screenshot":

Code:
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$@7=++===i&$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$i=;t777ttto;=is$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$6=767tttootttooi=+$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$8;x6tttooiiiiiiiiii;==$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 
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$$$$$$$$$$xox7to;+-o@$$$$@&==;o#;==+$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$;x6tt;--$$$$$$$$$$s##@====o$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$o77tt;-#$$$$$$$$$$$xi#+=====$$$$$$$$$$$
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$$$$$$$$x77to+o$$$$$$$$$$xo-%$$$i=--+=$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$;6too+@$$$$$$$$$x+-%$$$$oi-!-=$$$$$$$$$$
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$$$$$$$$i7ooi+@$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$t6;-!;$$$$$$$$$$
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$0ooooot6%$$$$$soooo&$$$$$$$$$ 
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Cool!

[JLL]

Originally posted by Mithras:
Thanks to this hint for pointing out this Apple sample code to watch movies in the Terminal!

I compiled it; you can [ download the movieplayer from me ] .

Cool, but you didn't have to compile it since a compiled version is in the download from Apple.

[Mithras]

Originally posted by JLL:


Cool, but you didn't have to compile it since a compiled version is in the download from Apple.

Oh! You're right. I downloaded it from the Terminal, and just looked in the "build" directory, which was empty. I didn't notice the binary in the parent directory. Just as well.

[mitchell_pgh]

You have got to be kidding...

[clarkgoble]

I played some Star Wars on it. Funny.

For an even funnier ASCII art movie check out Star Wars done the *hard way*.

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/

[VEGAN]

Originally posted by clarkgoble:
I played some Star Wars on it. Funny.

For an even funnier ASCII art movie check out Star Wars done the *hard way*.

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/

Hmmm... ASCIX... sorry I mean Matrix

[Millennium]

This doesn't quite qualify as Most Useless But Cool Hack I've Ever Seen. That went to the one from MacHack several years ago, which actually reconfigured OS9 to draw itself entirely in ASCII art.

But this is pretty darn close to that. Now, the next question is, will someone take this to the next level by running a Webcam through this ASCII-fier, which people could then connect to over Telnet?

[edddeduck]

I have a friend who said he has added colour support to his version. I will try and get the binary..

Cheers Edwin

[VEGAN]

Originally posted by edddeduck:
I have a friend who said he has added colour support to his version. I will try and get the binary..

Cheers Edwin

POST IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[msuper69]

Works with most QuickTime file formats.

Here's a gif of a somewhat famous person praising the Mac.

[foobars]

i installed this program and it was like bleepbleepbleeeepeppppepe!

[edit] ellen fiess is way too big in ascii

[msuper69]

Originally posted by foobars:
i installed this program and it was like bleepbleepbleeeepeppppepe!

[edit] ellen fiess is way too big in ascii

You might want to reduce the font size.

[dfiler]

OMFG! I gotta get a webcam and start broadcasting live ascii-fication of my place

But serioiusly, i think a translucent ascii terminal movie will blow my windows-friends' minds. Hmmm, maybe I can turn it into a screen saver too.

[CommonSense]

Am I the only one that thinks this is RIDICULOUSLY, ASS-KICKINGLY cool?

I mean, jeez, most of you guys are just so . . . "blah" about it.

Hrmph.

[00101001]

Originally posted by CommonSense:
Am I the only one that thinks this is RIDICULOUSLY, ASS-KICKINGLY cool?

No, I almost creamed my pants when I watched The Simpsons in the terminal

[oVeRmInD911]

Where's that color version?! I'm going crazy without it!

[kmkkid]

Originally posted by CommonSense:
Am I the only one that thinks this is RIDICULOUSLY, ASS-KICKINGLY cool?

I mean, jeez, most of you guys are just so . . . "blah" about it.

Hrmph.

nope, I think it's uberkickass!

Chris

[VEGAN]

Originally posted by oVeRmInD911:
Where's that color version?! I'm going crazy without it!

Yeah!

Where's the color version!!!!

[JLL]

Originally posted by edddeduck:
I have a friend who said he has added colour support to his version. I will try and get the binary..

Cheers Edwin

http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~jmaebe/ASC...ePlayerSample/

[C.J. Moof]

Now that is fantastically cool. The 2 windows geeks I just showed that to were stunned.

Only problem is that my poor 'lil Pismo gets about 2 fps out of the conversion!

[Henriok]

Oiiiiiiiih! I love the terminal all of a sudden!
But how do you know witch dimentions of the terminal to use? I played a 156x88-film but the terminal wanted 180x56.. so.. It's kind of hard to figure it out without using trial and error.

[Millennium]

Anyone have any tips on how to get the Terminal to the proper size? I really hope it's not a case of getting it one-for-one, with one character equalling one pixel. I can't seem to get it quite right.

[mamamia]

head over to this link for more hacked terminal - ascii goodness, including link to the fullscreen in ascii hack that millennium reffered to.

[C.J. Moof]

Hehehehee... DV Camera + Quicktime Broadcaster + Quicktime Streaming Server + this + 100B switched LAN= a riot.

My coworker who DJ's at a techno bar is already scheming how to work this into the video displays.... I don't think it will be light enough in there for source material. But throw in some funky recorded videos....

[Kristoff]

Ok....bonus points for the first person to identify this cult hero.

[mamamia]

sorry, i am a terminal virgin.
just wanted to get this to work
i typed cd then dropped the folder into the terminal window like i was instructed in the very first post. after hitting return i see a line that says

mamamia%/Users/mamamia/Desktop/movieplayer

what do i do from here?
do i hit return and type in

movieplayer nameofmovie.mov

or just
nameofmovie.mov after a space


whatever i do, i get an error getting permission denied. i have set all the permissions, however, for read/write access, etc, through Get Info.

thanks for any help you can give

[Kristoff]

Originally posted by Kristoff:
Ok....bonus points for the first person to identify this cult hero.

No guesses yet?

I would have thought that RED adidas jump suit and unibrow would have been a dead giveaway.

I guess what they say is true...once your domain lapses, that's the end of you for sure.

Poor Super Greg. He was Number 1.
Now, he's just poorly rendered ASCII art.

[Moonray]

You just need to enter the path to your application followed by a space and the path to the movie you want to play... you can do that easily by dragging and dropping first the ASCIIMoviePlayer into the terminal window, then enter a space and then drag the movie into the terminal and hit return.

The line you'll get will probably look like: "/Users/mamamia/Desktop/ASCIIMoviePlayerSample/ASCIIMoviePlayer /Users/mamamia/Documents/funnymovie.mov" (if you use the original Apple player.

-

[mamamia]

thanks. i got it to work.
now i think i just need to play around with the size of the terminal to make it coherent.

Originally posted by Moonray:
You just need to enter the path to your application followed by a space and the path to the movie you want to play... you can do that easily by dragging and dropping first the ASCIIMoviePlayer into the terminal window, then enter a space and then drag the movie into the terminal and hit return.

The line you'll get will probably look like: "/Users/mamamia/Desktop/ASCIIMoviePlayerSample/ASCIIMoviePlayer /Users/mamamia/Documents/funnymovie.mov" (if you use the original Apple player.

-

[JC Denton]

Just discovered this cool trick. For those of you who didn't read look at the source code, here's some programming humor from Apple:

/* Top X Tips for better ASCII QuickTime Movie Viewing
10) Grow your terminal to fit the Movie
9) Ask marketing folks if you can incorporate this code into your
latest QuickTime product and see if they think you're serious
8) Set your terminal to White on Black for optimal look
7) Download your favorite movie trailer
6) While you're at it, download some Graphics Importer sample code (why not?)
5) Jedi mind trick your manager "...you want to send me to WWDC"
4) Order the pizza.
4) Dim the lights and turn up the audio
2) Turn off terminal transparancy for fastest performance
1) Usage [smelltheglove:/Volumes/Spock] moof% ASCIIMoviePlayer sillymovie.mov
*/

Who says programmers don't have a good sense of humor? Or maybe it's Mac users who are easily amused?

[Jeff Binder]

Originally posted by JC Denton:
Who says programmers don't have a good sense of humor?

I don't think anyone said that.