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WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 11:28 pm
by XOR
I'm looking for a BBC Domesday machine. It needs to be in working or restorable condition, preferably with the original laserdisc media.

These machines are relatively rare, but several of them made it over to NZ in the 1980s and I'd like to track one down.

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:59 am
by lizardb0y
You like a laugh do you?

One came up on Trade Me about 5 years ago. I stopped bidding at about $2000. Bidding kept going without me.

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:20 am
by XOR
I'm prepared to meet the asking price.

The problem is - of course - finding a machine that is available for sale.

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:25 am
by lizardb0y
XOR wrote:I'm prepared to meet the asking price.

The problem is - of course - finding a machine that is available for sale.

A problem indeed. I've been looking for one for about 15 years, and that one is the only one I've seen sold in New Zealand in that time. As I recall the bidding reach $5-6 thousand, though my memory may be inaccurate.

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:11 am
by lizardb0y

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:03 pm
by tezza
I had to look this one up, as I'd never heard of it.

Interesting. Were the doomsday laserdiscs provided with it the English ones, or was there a local New Zealand "doomsday" project?

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:36 pm
by XOR
tezza wrote:I had to look this one up, as I'd never heard of it.

Interesting. Were the doomsday laserdiscs provided with it the English ones, or was there a local New Zealand "doomsday" project?


The Domesday machines were basically a slightly modified BBC Master attached to a special Laserdisc player. The Domesday control software ran on the BBC Master and produced a video output that was multiplexed with the high quality output from the laserdisc. This resulted in a really nice multimedia interface that combined high quality video and static graphics with the lower quality BBC Master graphics. The Domesday system was a landmark in early multimedia systems, but it was expensive and became an evolutionary dead-end.

I got the opportunity to play with one briefly at an Auckland computer trade show and it made quite an impression on my young self. I can't remember the exact date but it must have been around 1987-1988.

I've seen references to an NZ Domesday disc but I believe that it contains only geographic data. AFAIK there wasn't an NZ equivalent to the UK community disc.

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:14 pm
by XOR
Good news - I've managed to locate and purchase what I believe is a complete system (it didn't come through these forums).

Interestingly the system is/was an NZ original unit rather than a later import. So there may well be others out there.

I haven't unpacked the shipping cartons yet so I don't know for certain that it is complete or even in working condition. However I will take a closer look at it on Sunday and post some more details then.

Re: WTB: BBC Domesday machine

PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:21 pm
by lizardb0y
Wow! May I ask where you found it?