MovieCD & Sirius NT 5.02 Codec Guide

Beta software: use at your own risk. Read the full MovieSeeD disclaimer before downloading or using this software.

Downloads · Quick Start · User Guide · FAQ · Release Notes · Testing and Limitations

Made by Albert Mark Burdge • Station 823

MovieSeeD plays Motion Pixels MovieCD videos using the original Sirius decoder in an isolated CPU emulator. It reads video on demand with a bounded rolling buffer and reads audio directly from the source. You do not choose or prepare playback segments.

Requirements and compatibility

Windows 10 or 11 x64, .NET Framework 4.8, an audio output device, and a readable optical drive or copied MovieCD AVI. Clean Windows installation testing remains outstanding.
Your own supported Sirius NT 5.02 codec. The proprietary codec is not distributed with MovieSeeD. The Windows 95 codec supplied on many discs is a different unsupported build. Without the supported codec, playback and conversion cannot start.

Download the NT codec packages from FFmpeg’s Motion Pixels archive:
mpmcdnt.exe
awarent.exe

Extract the files
Use 7-Zip or similar to unpack

The extracted files:
DLL: mvicod32.dll
NT driver: MVIDDNT.SYS

https://samples.ffmpeg.org/drivers32/motionpixels/
A writable application folder. Playback uses a rolling video buffer of approximately 12 seconds, capped near 128 MiB for normal MovieCD dimensions. Leave several GiB free for converted videos.
Indexed Motion Pixels MVI1/MVI2 AVI video; mono or stereo PCM audio, 8 or 16 bits. MovieSeeD opens titles without a title whitelist. DVD-Video, Blu-ray, and ordinary audio CDs use different formats and are not supported by this engine.

The Mask has been reported working by the publisher. Local development tests have used The Toxic Avenger. Those results do not establish that every disc, drive, or Windows computer has been tested. See the accompanying validation record for exactly what was checked.

Python, the CPU emulator, JPEG encoder and FFmpeg are included with license materials. No separate Python, FFmpeg or codec-pack installation is needed. VLC can play the converted MP4 and AVI files.

Download and install

Windows installer

Download MovieSeeD-0.3.2-beta-Setup.exe from the MovieSeeD page on station823.com/.
Run it, review the requirements, and choose whether to add a desktop shortcut.
Click Install. It installs for your account into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MovieSeeD; administrator access is not required.
Open MovieSeeD from Start. The app includes its own disc-shaped icon.
To pin it to the taskbar, right-click its running taskbar icon and select Pin to taskbar.

This beta is unsigned. If Windows blocks it, verify the source and checksum and report the exact message to the publisher. Do not disable Windows security protections.

Portable edition

Download MovieSeeD-0.3.2-beta-portable.zip.
Right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All into a writable folder.
Run MovieSeeD.exe from the extracted folder.
Keep the assets, docs, src, and runtime folders beside it. Do not run from inside the ZIP or copy only the EXE.

Optional checksum check

In PowerShell, run Get-FileHash .\MovieSeeD-0.3.2-beta-Setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256 and compare the entire result with SHA256SUMS.txt from the same release. Use the ZIP filename to check the portable download. Checksums detect changed files; they are not publisher signatures.

First run: import the original codec

Choose File → Import original codec.
Select your supported Sirius NT 5.02 mvicod32.dll or its original installer archive. MovieSeeD reads the archive without running the old installer or installing a driver.
MovieSeeD accepts only the verified build with SHA-256 134c365e4dddbd7d810c0625945ead61e6b3df5f4529966866ed3fe3e02229f9.
After successful import, the codec is kept in data\codec inside the application folder.

A different codec cannot be made compatible by renaming it. This release has no automatic codec download. Retain your original installation media; do not redistribute the proprietary codec as part of MovieSeeD.

Play a MovieCD

Insert the disc and click Open MovieCD. When several drives are available, choose the desired drive or copied disc folder.
The player finds AVI files in the disc root and its VIDEOS folder, orders them by filename, and begins the first video.
Playback starts after a short buffer. The decoder continues reading on demand while you watch. Slower computers, damaged discs, and long seeks can need additional buffering.
Use Open AVI to select one or several copied MovieCD videos. Playback → Previous video / Next video moves through the selected files.
Keep the disc inserted while playing. When a physical disc ends, insert the next disc and choose Open MovieCD again.

The timeline covers the entire current video. At a file boundary the next selected file opens automatically; there can be a short initialization pause. The display time is for the current AVI, not the combined duration of a multi-disc film.

Playback controls and keyboard shortcuts

Key or control	Action
Space / Play / Pause	Start or pause playback
Left arrow	Jump back one minute, clamped at the beginning
Right arrow	Jump ahead one minute, clamped at the end
Up / Down arrow	Increase / decrease volume by 5 percentage points
Volume slider	Set 0-199%; levels above 100% amplify and may distort loud audio
M	Mute or restore the previous volume
E / Frame	Pause and advance exactly one frame
Timeline	Seek across the full current video
Playback → Go to time	Enter hours:minutes:seconds
Playback → Speed	Choose 0.25× to 2×; audio pitch changes with speed
Playback → Repeat current video	Restart the current video when it ends
Playback → Set loop start A / end B	Repeat a selected interval; Clear A-B loop disables it
F / Fullscreen / double-click picture	Toggle fullscreen
Escape	Leave fullscreen
Shift+S / Snapshot	Save the current original-resolution frame as PNG
Ctrl+O / Ctrl+D	Open AVI / Open MovieCD
V	Show or hide loaded subtitles
G / H	Shift captions earlier / later by 0.05 seconds

When a menu is open, arrow keys navigate the menu. Snapshots contain the video frame, not the menus or subtitle overlay.

Fullscreen

The control panel and menu start hidden in fullscreen. Move the pointer to the bottom edge to reveal them; they hide after about 2.5 seconds away from the controls. Up/Down display a fading volume meter; Left/Right display the seek destination. Keyboard shortcuts and mouse movement over the picture do not reveal the controls. Controls remain visible while a menu is open, while seeking, and during conversion. Move the pointer onto the picture if controls are staying visible.

Picture and accessibility

Video → Aspect ratio offers Original, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10, 1:1, and 2.35:1. Fill screen crops the edges to fill the window. Smooth scaling and Always on top are also in Video.

Enable Accessibility → Large bold high-contrast controls for larger bold text and high-contrast menus and buttons. It is optional and remembered between runs. Turn the same setting off to restore ordinary controls. Volume and aspect ratio are also remembered. File dialogs retain Windows’ own appearance and accessibility settings.

Convert an entire disc to MP4 or AVI

Insert the disc and choose Convert full disc or File > Convert full disc.
In the save dialog, choose a format from Save as type, then enter a filename.
Choose a destination on a drive with enough free space for the finished movie and temporary files.
Keep the disc inserted until the status says Converted video saved.
Open the result in VLC or another player that supports your chosen format. The saved video no longer needs MovieSeeD or the original Sirius codec.

Format	When to use it
MP4 H.264 (recommended)	The default choice for broad playback support. Uses x264 video and AAC audio.
MP4 H.265 (smaller files)	Uses x265 video and AAC audio. Often makes smaller files, but takes longer and needs an HEVC-capable player.
AVI MJPEG	Keeps the previous high-quality JPEG video and uncompressed PCM audio option. Files are larger and limited to 3.75 GiB.

The converter reads every AVI in the disc root and VIDEOS folder in filename order and saves one continuous movie. All input files must have matching dimensions, frame rate and audio format. To convert only the current video, choose File > Convert current video.

The progress bar measures decoded frames. The estimated time remaining changes with decoding speed. MP4 then finishes video encoding and adds audio; wait for the saved message even if the frame counter has reached 100 percent. Conversion pauses playback. Press Play afterward to reopen the movie.

MP4 export uses the bundled FFmpeg encoder. No separate encoder installation is needed. It encodes the decoded source frames directly, without creating an intermediate AVI. H.264 uses CRF 18; H.265 uses CRF 22. Both use the medium preset and 8-bit YUV 4:2:0. Audio is AAC at 128 kbps and 48 kHz. These are quality-based settings, so file size varies. All export choices use lossy video compression and cannot restore missing detail. MP4 may pad odd or very small dimensions for encoder compatibility.

MP4 is not subject to the AVI 3.75 GiB limit. Your destination filesystem still matters: FAT32 cannot store a file of 4 GiB or larger. Use NTFS or exFAT for large files. Allow free space for temporary encoded video, temporary PCM audio and the final MP4 at the same time. Temporary files are created beside the destination and removed after completion or cancellation.

Playback volume, aspect ratio, speed and subtitles are not baked into the saved file. MP4 uses AAC audio; AVI keeps PCM audio. Silence is added if the source audio ends before the video.

The source movie cannot be selected as the destination. If you approve replacing an existing output, replacement happens only after successful completion. Cancel conversion removes unfinished temporary files and keeps the previous completed output. After a crash, files with .partial in their names may remain beside the destination; remove them only with MovieSeeD closed.

Conversion covers the inserted disc, not all discs in a boxed set. Large-file OpenDML AVI and joining separate physical discs are not included. Only convert material you are entitled to copy.

Subtitles and captions

Load existing subtitles

Choose Subtitles → Load SRT / WebVTT. A .srt or .vtt beside the video with the same base filename is loaded automatically. Use V to toggle display and G/H to adjust timing. A positive subtitle delay displays captions later. Caption display is white bold text on a dark background.

These are external text subtitles. Embedded disc caption extraction and DVD/Blu-ray subtitle streams are not implemented.

Optional automatic subtitles, entirely offline

Automatic generation requires a separate whisper.cpp installation and a compatible model, neither included in MovieSeeD. Follow the official whisper.cpp instructions and obtain a model from its documented source. Use a Windows x64 build that supplies whisper-cli.exe and keep its accompanying libraries together.

Open the desired MovieCD video.
Choose Subtitles → Generate subtitles offline.
Select whisper-cli.exe, then its compatible .bin model.
Choose a new .srt filename. Existing subtitle files are not overwritten.
Wait while audio is prepared and transcribed. Generation runs locally; MovieSeeD uploads no audio. Cancel is available. The generated track loads when it finishes.
Review the text and timing. Automatic transcription can mishear dialogue, accents, music, and names.

This optional integration is experimental; it is not bundled speech recognition or verified caption accuracy. Its duration depends on the selected model and computer, so it does not show a reliable ETR. Keep the SRT beside the converted video with the same base filename to use it in compatible players.

Updates, storage, and removal

The data folder holds your imported codec, settings, and temporary rolling playback files. Completed conversion output is saved only to the destination you selected. Normal playback cleanup removes its own session buffer; after a crash, close MovieSeeD and remove leftover data\stream\session-* folders. Keep data\codec if you want to retain your imported codec.

Close MovieSeeD before updating. Run a newer installer to update an installed copy; personal data is retained. For a portable update, extract into a new folder and import your codec again. Save converted videos outside the application folder.

Uninstall through Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps → MovieSeeD → Uninstall. The uninstaller removes packaged files and shortcuts and leaves personal data. Review the remaining folder before deleting it. A taskbar pin may need removal separately. For a portable copy, close the app and delete its folder after preserving anything you need.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	What to do
Missing runtime or app will not start	Extract the complete ZIP. Keep its folders together. Check Windows x64 and .NET Framework 4.8. Note the exact error.
Unsupported codec	Import the exact supported NT 5.02 codec or original installer. The Windows 95 disc codec is not supported.
No AVI found	Check that Windows can read the disc. Try Open AVI and browse to VIDEOS. DVD/Blu-ray formats are different.
Buffering or slow conversion	Keep the disc inserted. Avoid running conversion and playback in separate copies simultaneously. Try a readable local copy of the AVI. Decoding speed depends on your CPU and the scene.
Seek takes time	Seeking restarts decoding at an earlier reference frame when the requested time is outside the rolling buffer. Wait for the new picture.
Read error after ejecting	Reinsert the same disc and reopen it. A rolling buffer is not a full-disc copy.
Audio is silent or distorted	Check Windows output/mixer, mute and volume. Return to 100% or lower if boosted audio clips.
Conversion fails	Check free space, writable destination, source readability, matching multi-file formats, and the AVI-only 3.75 GiB output limit. Keep the exact error text.
Captions not visible	Load a valid SRT/VTT, enable subtitles with V, and reset caption timing. Ensure the track belongs to this video/disc.
Offline caption generation fails	Check the whisper.cpp executable, its accompanying DLLs, model compatibility, available disk space, and a new output filename.
Controls remain visible in fullscreen	Move the pointer away from the controls, close menus, and wait 2.5 seconds. Conversion deliberately keeps progress visible.
Picture is stretched or cropped	Choose Video → Aspect ratio → Original and turn off Fill screen.
Application folder cannot be written	Use the per-user installer or a portable folder under Documents. Avoid protected locations such as Program Files for the portable edition.

When requesting support, give the MovieSeeD version, Windows version/architecture, disc title and number, video filename, playback time, steps to reproduce, and exact error text. Do not upload a full movie or proprietary codec.

Credits and support

Use the green Donate button at the top right to choose PayPal or Venmo.

Made by Albert Mark Burdge. PayPal • Venmo

MovieSeeD is an independent project, not an official Sirius or Motion Pixels product. No movies or proprietary codecs are included. Application source is supplied under GNU GPL version 2; see LICENSE.txt and THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt.

MovieSeeD User Guide