Unused space on optical media with photos or videos

A general chat area, here you can post anything that doesn't belong in another forum.
Post Reply
SupFanat
Vortininja
Posts: 210
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 15:00

Unused space on optical media with photos or videos

Post by SupFanat »

If you sometimes burn CD-R, DVD+R or BD-R with photos or videos, you might notice that some place remains, because the amount of files, which would fit on a media isn't necessarily integer. (For instance, four videos fit on it and some place remains, it wouldn't be enough for a fifth video.)

One possibility to use this rest space is to fill it with some classic games that you have.

For instance, Commander Keen 4 or some mod like "Terror From Outer Space" or "Eight Accumulators". I prefer something freeware as place holder. Every mod for Commander Keen 1, 4 or Dreams seems to be freeware, as well as all the Commander Keen utilities.
User avatar
Roobar
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 3267
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 16:12
Contact:

Post by Roobar »

People are still using optical disks? :confused
SupFanat
Vortininja
Posts: 210
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 15:00

Post by SupFanat »

I don't know if they still use optical discs.
Just an idea for anyone who still uses them.
User avatar
MoffD
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 1220
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2012 17:30
Location: /dev/null
Contact:

Post by MoffD »

wiivn wrote:People are still using optical disks? :confused
Yesh :smokin

RETROSWAGGIN WITH MAH FLOPPIES +1UP

Ergh, I blame youtube for my ranting. I use CDs more than my flashdrive for some reason...
mortimermcmirestinks wrote: Now I wish MoffD wasn't allergic to me.
Levellass wrote:You're an evil man.
Image
User avatar
Fleexy
Tool Smith
Posts: 1432
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:21
Location: Abiathar C&C

Post by Fleexy »

Dropbox is where it's at, man. I never have to carry any physical media anymore.
Keening_Product
Kuliwho?
Posts: 2167
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:02
Location: Tied up in the Oracle Chamber's basement
Contact:

Post by Keening_Product »

I think SupFanat is talking archive here, not just when you're looking to take files from one computer to another. It'll mean the games are less likely to be lost in some mass extinction or something. :dead2

I'd argue this would be a good move also if you're giving someone files on optical or flash media to get them in on the game ;)
Keening_Product was defeated before the game.

"Wise words. One day I may even understand what they mean." - Levellass
SupFanat
Vortininja
Posts: 210
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 15:00

Post by SupFanat »

That's right, the thread is "archive", not just "transportation".

I am just saying that sometimes some place on any computer media remains unused. A HDD, DVD, Blu-Ray or Flash Drive with videos and no more space for the next video. This unused space might be filled up by something small-sized, such as classic games.
User avatar
Roobar
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 3267
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 16:12
Contact:

Post by Roobar »

This unused space might be filled up by something small-sized, such as classic games.
Or pr0n.

Oh come on. Do you think we don't know that? In the Paleozoic era of DVDs, when I used to burn almost everything, I made sure I used most out of each disk. So I end up having a pile of disks, standing in boxes, never used again.

Even if you have a DVD reader/writer, why should you archive DVDs if you're not ever gonna open them again? They'll be like gathering dust on the shelves.
User avatar
Fleexy
Tool Smith
Posts: 1432
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:21
Location: Abiathar C&C

Post by Fleexy »

I remember owning a batch of floppies* each containing 4 more bytes of storage space than is easily accessible from normal floppy drive. If I configured/forced the drive to read past the standard end, it would happily read or write those 4 bytes. Result: a space for squirreling away secret data, 4 bytes per disk. I never actually took advantage of this, but it was kind of interesting.

*I don't remember exactly whether it was the floppies that were special or the drive. (It was a few years ago.) Nevertheless, something made extra space accessible if set just right.
User avatar
MoffD
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 1220
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2012 17:30
Location: /dev/null
Contact:

Post by MoffD »

I tried one time to see how many different linux distros I could fit on a mini disc one time (~200mb) sadly the bootloader on the disk for managing images took up a lot of space
mortimermcmirestinks wrote: Now I wish MoffD wasn't allergic to me.
Levellass wrote:You're an evil man.
Image
User avatar
guynietoren
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 886
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:57
Location: Kansas City
Contact:

Post by guynietoren »

I'm not sure if they made laser disk burners. Or maybe that's the same as a pizza oven.
SupFanat
Vortininja
Posts: 210
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 15:00

Post by SupFanat »

Commander Keen is even playable from a CD image. Of course, it's then impossible to save game or settings.

As soon as I burn something on CD-R, DVD+R or BD-R, I would put also Commander Keen on the remaining space and try to play from a physical disc. It should work as well as from the disc image.

But the idea to play "Pyramid of the Forbidden" from a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray on "hard" difficulty is horrific. :crazy

Commander Keen doesn't need any specific file system or storage device (drive) - of course it should be readable, but not necessarily writable - if you can play without ever saving the game. At first, it was played on FAT12 (floppy disc drive) or FAT16 (hard disc drive). Then hard discs switched to FAT32, but Commander Keen was still playable. NTFS is also no problem for Commander Keen. Windows NT is a problem, but it's easily solvable by DOSBox. Of course, Commander Keen can be played also from USB Stick or from any memory card.

Commander Keen can be played on Android (with aDOSBox), but with touch screen it's horrific hard game.
Keening_Product
Kuliwho?
Posts: 2167
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:02
Location: Tied up in the Oracle Chamber's basement
Contact:

Post by Keening_Product »

If you're including it on CDs you're giving to other people you need to make it clear that people should move the game to writeable media because I think being unable to save games might put people off.

I'm not sure what you're getting at with the file system discussion - that's hardly new news to anyone used to playing DOS games on modern systems. The games work on every file system, the issue is whether or not there's something which can interpret the files properly. I mean, it works on the much more advanced Linux filesystems, and there was never any doubt it would.
Keening_Product was defeated before the game.

"Wise words. One day I may even understand what they mean." - Levellass
Post Reply