This year we saw two submissions from TrekkiesUnite118 to the SegaXtreme Sega Saturn 30th Anniversary Game Competition. First is an update to Sega FILM Tools, which released version 3.0.0 last May. That update merged the Mac-only movie2saturn tool with FILM Tools 2.0 for Windows. Version 3.0.1 then fixed some minor bugs before being submitted to the competition.
This means the encoding pipeline can now be managed in Windows, providing an easier road for homebrew developers and retro-videophiles with an interest in Saturn. There’s no longer a need to transfer files between Windows and Mac OS to make videos that can play on a Saturn.
FILM Tools 3 is a welcome upgrade for Saturn video enthusiasts, but what’s that, you ask? You’ve made some video clips but don’t know how to get them to play back on your console? Well, help has arrived!
Now you can use Cinepak Movie Disc 1.0, the other video tool submitted to this year’s competition, to do just that. CMD 1.0 builds on CPK Test Player, released last March. While CPK Test Player was strictly a video player, CMD 1.0 is meant to operate, “like a poor-mans DVD/Video CD” with added support for custom title screens with sound. With such a great start, the project seems sure to continue to grow. Might more DVD-features like menu navigation and customizable settings be in our future?
The demo features a clip from Carnival Phantasm. Press start to begin playing clips in order. After the last clip, the program will return to the title screen. Press X to restart a clip, Z to Pause, and Y to return to title. L/R skips to the next/prev clip.
Be sure to read through the detailed list of formatting requirements on the SegaXtreme resource page, so your new media is Saturn-friendly. You may also want to reference the article “Create Your Own Saturn Video Discs — Tools and Tutorial” for help with video processing. In general, audio should be uncompressed AIFF format, video should be Cinepak-encoded Quicktime (MOV), and the title screen graphic should be a 24-bit bitmap.
You can also check out this community project that was made with a beta version of the tool. Of course, if you have any questions, you can comment down below or drop us a line on the Sega Saturn SHIRO! Discord server: https://discord.gg/kyCPMk2j
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