Prevue Guide Forums

Hi everyone, I'm a new guy to this forum and didn't grow up with Prevue Guide or know anything about it, but I really like their music, especially the 1988-1993 version that I'd research more about Prevue Guide and even try to emulate it. I had tried searching for a high quality version of the Prevue Guide 1988 music, but pretty much none of them fit my high quality standard, not trying to offend anyone. So I tried emulating both Prevue Guide and EPG Jr. to try and record the music off of the emulation with Audacity, but once I started up the emulation, no sound came out of the emulation. I had recently read a post about how the sound comes out of the serial port instead of the sound card, but I had to carefully read the directions of the emulation post just to set it up and don't know how to or if I can use the serial port for sound. I also read another post about getting the source files off the emulation disk, but I don't know how to do that either and am not sure if I can get the music off those source files. Also, the Prevue Guide music website's link doesn't work and I'm not sure if they have what I'm looking for. So basically, I'm stuck with no options and I ask for help from you all because I don't really know anything about how Prevue Guide and need some help and understanding. And again, my comments are not to offend anyone here.

Welcome to Prevue Guide Forums, SamsungAsus!

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:35 pm So I tried emulating both Prevue Guide and EPG Jr. to try and record the music off of the emulation with Audacity, but once I started up the emulation, no sound came out of the emulation.

You can play the music while emulating the software, BUT you must use a music player (like MusicBee, VLC or Windows Media Player) in your computer while running the emulator. You can also loop (or repeat) it so that it can be continuous. If you do it in an emulation directly however, it will never work at this moment.

In a real Amiga, where the real Prevue software would actually be, that would be played in a subcarrier channel as a filler for text and graphic ads. In this case though, we are still finding out how since we don't have yet the hardware or documentation on how to make this happen. (The video side works however in the real and emulation side.)

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:35 pm Also, the Prevue Guide music website's link doesn't work

There are some videos on YouTube that are linked on the Prevue wiki are deleted already. Most songs (including those from 1993 to 1997) are still avaialble on YouTube, mostly made by PrevueChannelMusic. Sadly, the 1998 music was greatly affected since it was full-length. You can try this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF4vZ8g0p3s) to hear the 1998 music (look it at the near-end of the video); note that it is in short length however.

Matthew Joseph wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:40 am Welcome to Prevue Guide Forums, SamsungAsus!

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:35 pm So I tried emulating both Prevue Guide and EPG Jr. to try and record the music off of the emulation with Audacity, but once I started up the emulation, no sound came out of the emulation.

You can play the music while emulating the software, BUT you must use a music player (like MusicBee, VLC or Windows Media Player) in your computer while running the emulator. You can also loop (or repeat) it so that it can be continuous. If you do it in an emulation directly however, it will never work at this moment.

In a real Amiga, where the real Prevue software would actually be, that would be played in a subcarrier channel as a filler for text and graphic ads. In this case though, we are still finding out how since we don't have yet the hardware or documentation on how to make this happen. (The video side works however in the real and emulation side.)

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:35 pm Also, the Prevue Guide music website's link doesn't work

There are some videos on YouTube that are linked on the Prevue wiki are deleted already. Most songs (including those from 1993 to 1997) are still avaialble on YouTube, mostly made by PrevueChannelMusic. Sadly, the 1998 music was greatly affected since it was full-length. You can try this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF4vZ8g0p3s) to hear the 1998 music (look it at the near-end of the video); note that it is in short length however.

Thanks, glad to be here. But I kind of need some help with WinUAE and VLC. I tried running WinUAE re VLC together, but I couldn't play the audio through VLC. I also tried using Windows Media Player, but I couldn't get that to work either.

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:14 pm I tried running WinUAE re VLC together, but I couldn't play the audio through VLC. I also tried using Windows Media Player, but I couldn't get that to work either.

I never seen that kind of issue before. In my side, I did tried to play music through a music player and emulate it on WinUAE and it worked. Maybe you should do it separately (like play the music on VLC, then run the emulator using WinUAE). Can you try that?

Matthew Joseph wrote: ↑Fri Aug 14, 2020 12:18 am

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:14 pm I tried running WinUAE re VLC together, but I couldn't play the audio through VLC. I also tried using Windows Media Player, but I couldn't get that to work either.

I never seen that kind of issue before. In my side, I did tried to play music through a music player and emulate it on WinUAE and it worked. Maybe you should do it separately (like play the music on VLC, then run the emulator using WinUAE). Can you try that?

Wait, do you mean I should play a separate music file and run the emulation at the same time or do you mean something else?

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:14 am Wait, do you mean I should play a separate music file and run the emulation at the same time or do you mean something else?

You must play the music on the music player, then run the emulation. Don't put the music in the emulation by itself. There's no problem and difference with that.

Hey SamsungAsus

as others have commented here, the music is not part of the software - even though it sounded like it might have been for the original music they used in the Prevue list era.

The music was sent over one of several audio subcarriers on the satellite, and the Amiga was fitted with hardware that switched to that audio and played it out to the cable company's headend kit.The Amiga could switch this to one of the audio sources for the videos that played in the top half, depending on what it decided to show.

So basically it was played out of TVGN's offices (I speculated... from tape.. but who knows) over the satellite, and that's it. That side of things is long gone. If you want to emulate this, you have to play a copy from something on a PC or whatever.

We've previously had a good look around for the source or a top quality version of that music but to no avail. As far as I remember the intro in this video has the highest quality I've heard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLoEMcIPdbI which in itself came from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhCn8loYWdc

tin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:56 am The music was sent over one of several audio subcarriers on the satellite, and the Amiga was fitted with hardware that switched to that audio and played it out to the cable company's headend kit.The Amiga could switch this to one of the audio sources for the videos that played in the top half, depending on what it decided to show.

To make it simply for everyone to read, the BGM would only air if there is no content to fill in.

For the Prevue enthusiasts, this happen if the software cannot match the promos playing on satellite thus exchanging it with music with local text or graphic ads.

For example if the following two promos (side-by-side) are not available on the provider's channel list (e.g. CNBC Prime on CNBC and Kardashians on E!, but the provider doesn't carry both), then the software will switch it to music filling in with local text and image ads. Once a "good" source is found (like a commercial or a matching promo [like "Spongebob" on Nick and the provider has one], then the music will cut and the source will play.

The BGM interstitial music is looped 24/7.

tin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:56 am Hey SamsungAsus

as others have commented here, the music is not part of the software - even though it sounded like it might have been for the original music they used in the Prevue list era.

The music was sent over one of several audio subcarriers on the satellite, and the Amiga was fitted with hardware that switched to that audio and played it out to the cable company's headend kit.The Amiga could switch this to one of the audio sources for the videos that played in the top half, depending on what it decided to show.

So basically it was played out of TVGN's offices (I speculated... from tape.. but who knows) over the satellite, and that's it. That side of things is long gone. If you want to emulate this, you have to play a copy from something on a PC or whatever.

We've previously had a good look around for the source or a top quality version of that music but to no avail. As far as I remember the intro in this video has the highest quality I've heard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLoEMcIPdbI which in itself came from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhCn8loYWdc

Well, that's a bummer. Did the Prevue Guide music Bandcamp have a high quality version or no?

SamsungAsus wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 4:36 am Well, that's a bummer. Did the Prevue Guide music Bandcamp have a high quality version or no?

Geez. I think its a no. Like what tin said, there is no full HQ version of the 1988 Prevue song.