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5 Minute Hacks: The Game Frame

So I finally got tired of seeing the piles of digital picture frames littering the thrift stores and picked one up. The resolution is terrible, and it’s only got 512mb of storage capacity. Still, that got me thinking. I’d like to re-play more classic games (which generally had terrible resolution), but with so little time it’s becoming a rarity. Why not put game playthroughs on the picture frame? And so I did.

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Step 1: Download a walkthrough video.
This step is easy. Simply download one of the thousands of game walkthrough videos which are making the rounds on the internet. I found a good one for “Zelda II” on NES.

Step 2: Calculate Filesize
I’ve got 512mb free (478mb in the “real world” of manufacturers calculations), and the images I generate are about 50k apiece. Conservatively, that’s about 10,000 images, or one per second for 2.7 hours.

Step 3: Convert to images
There are many tools to convert video to images. FFmpeg makes it a trivial task, and even Windows users can find a tool or too (just be sure not to install any ‘bundled’ software, and always ALWAYS click “advanced” or “custom” install. That’s where they get ya, those ‘automatic’ installs.

Step 4: Find a cool spot to put your game frame
Bonus points if you can convince someone it’s a slow framerate live stream.