Hacking the Kodak Reels 8mm Film Digitizer (New Thread)

[Siocnarf]

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate the work you have been putting into this. I had a hunch that the answer i was looking for was already in the thread. I just tested it out and am pleased with the results. I'll be sure to read through the thread, so as not to post any duplicate questions.

 

[ThePhage]

Unfortunately I still have a bricked type D, so nothing to work with at the moment. More importantly I will not likely have any free time for this project until late May. I hope I can then recover the D unit I have, and start again. However, a lot of the development will need to be from scratch as so much changed. User wanting the features of this firmware should look for secondhand units will the older serial numbers, as there a good chance Type D unit will never be supported.

In the time between now and then, would you be open to a crowd-funded effort to provide you a new D unit? I think the community here would be able to make that happen in support your work?

 

[hasi]

I damaged the terminals of the 10 pin cable, joining the control board to the processor. I tried to reconfigure the contacts but did`n t suceed. Now I have ordered new cables. Can somebody tell me wether the straight connection (contacts on the same side, Type A) or the inverse one (Type B) is required? I missed to take a picture of the original.
For the 40 pin cable it is clear, that it is type A. Thank you for your help!
The modifyed Kodak Reels is a superb system and I wouldn`t go back to the previous scanner.

 

[Federico]

I damaged the terminals of the 10 pin cable, joining the control board to the processor. I tried to reconfigure the contacts but did`n t suceed. Now I have ordered new cables. Can somebody tell me wether the straight connection (contacts on the same side, Type A) or the inverse one (Type B) is required? I missed to take a picture of the original.

Hi @hasi here the pictures: I had to open my model B again because in the excitement of rebuilding, I've inserted the command board upside-down and I've noticed only when I' was ready to scan a reel...
The cable is not twisted, but it may be twisted on the board, or simply the board could be mounted reversed compared to the command board. In any cases check the picture: one side of the cable is printed so you can buy a type-a and mount it in the same way. Let me know if the pics are showing enough for you to understand how to mount it
Besides: why didn't you try to cut short the damaged cable, strip gently with some sandpaper the new end, to expose the connectors and give it a try?
Good luck, Federico

 

[Federico]

Hi everyone, I'm scanning with 7.7.0 a 8mm 1943 reel from my grandfather. Some war footage in b/w from Tunisia (with Panzer IVs, Macchi planes and burning airstrips: some examples attached) and I've noticed that the film has a bronze/brown strip outside of the driving holes and I reckon it might have an audio channel embedded.
Have a look to the two attached pictures: what do you think?
If so, is there any way to record it, maybe with an old cassette player? I am not aware that my grandfather duplicated the original footage over a new film, adding a post-production sound, so if it is an audio track indeed, it may be original.
Thank you, ciao, F.

 

[Federico]

Sorry, one more post for suggesting, if possible, an improvement to add to the next firmware development. I don't know if you guys have the same problem but it happens to me, when the reel has joints, that the frame zoom no longer adapts to the new segment: either on top or at the bottom some lines of the adjacent frame show up.
It would be wonderful if the zoom or even simply the offset point of the captured frame could be moved to match the new position.
The alternative is to capture a wider area and reframe it later on, but sometimes the leaking projector light is way to strong for the faded reels, and it creates a mess.
Probably during the adjustment, the auto exposure should be temporarily locked to the last position and then restored once the position rests for a few frames, so to avoid flickering.
What do you think?
Thank you! F.

 

[hasi]

Hi @hasi here the pictures: I had to open my model B again because in the excitement of rebuilding, I've inserted the command board upside-down and I've noticed only when I' was ready to scan a reel...
The cable is not twisted, but it may be twisted on the board, or simply the board could be mounted reversed compared to the command board. In any cases check the picture: one side of the cable is printed so you can buy a type-a and mount it in the same way. Let me know if the pics are showing enough for you to understand how to mount it
Besides: why didn't you try to cut short the damaged cable, strip gently with some sandpaper the new end, to expose the connectors and give it a try?
Good luck, Federico

Thank you for the pictures! To me it shows, that the cable is B- Type with the pins inverted. The blue stripe is in both connectors pointing to the top, but since the connector of the control board is upside- down, relative to the cable the contacts are opposite. Please tell me if I see it wrong. For me it was also important to see, that the cable is not twisted 180 deg. -Not respecting that could cause short citcuit and my unit would be gone. I tried with sanding the ends but didn`t succed. I hope that with the ordered cales it returns to life again.
have a nice day!

Hi @hasi here the pictures: I had to open my model B again because in the excitement of rebuilding, I've inserted the command board upside-down and I've noticed only when I' was ready to scan a reel...
The cable is not twisted, but it may be twisted on the board, or simply the board could be mounted reversed compared to the command board. In any cases check the picture: one side of the cable is printed so you can buy a type-a and mount it in the same way. Let me know if the pics are showing enough for you to understand how to mount it
Besides: why didn't you try to cut short the damaged cable, strip gently with some sandpaper the new end, to expose the connectors and give it a try?
Good luck, Federico

 

[Hook Line and Tinker]

In the time between now and then, would you be open to a crowd-funded effort to provide you a new D unit? I think the community here would be able to make that happen in support your work?

I have a feeling time is a bigger hurdle than not having the D unit but I'm willing to contribute to the fund. The 20% off sale is back on for the time being on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4c8GFbb
Not sure how to guarantee we'd get a D unit though.

 

[fishgee]

Hi everyone, I'm scanning with 7.7.0 a 8mm 1943 reel from my grandfather. Some war footage in b/w from Tunisia (with Panzer IVs, Macchi planes and burning airstrips: some examples attached) and I've noticed that the film has a bronze/brown strip outside of the driving holes and I reckon it might have an audio channel embedded.
Have a look to the two attached pictures: what do you think?
If so, is there any way to record it, maybe with an old cassette player? I am not aware that my grandfather duplicated the original footage over a new film, adding a post-production sound, so if it is an audio track indeed, it may be original.
Thank you, ciao, F.

(From https://nostalgicmedia.com/blogs/media-conversion/does-your-film-reel-have-sound)​

Does 8mm Film Have Sound?​

"8mm film, also known as Standard 8mm or Regular 8mm, was introduced as a cost-effective alternative to 16mm film. Initially, 8mm film was not designed to include sound during filming. However, a technique called "sound striping" allowed for the addition of a magnetic stripe during film processing. To determine if your Regular 8mm film has sound, look for a bronze-colored stripe alongside the sprockets on one or both sides of the film. This stripe indicates the presence of a magnetic sound track."

I don't think you'd physically be able to run the 8mm film through a cassette deck. BUT if you removed the playback head from the deck, extended the wires, and held/positioned the head so that the audio track was in contact with the head, while the film is running at normal speed, maybe you could hear the audio (if present). Lots of variables there.... but sounds like a great project.

 

[Federico]

Thank you @fishgee!
Great idea

 

[Cogniclaw]

What's Working (Type D - WIP Firmware)​

• Resolution: 1600x1200 (changed from 640x480 upscaled to 1728x1296, better quality than stock)
• Frame Rate: 18fps
• Auto Exposure: Improved algorithm from custom code
• Stability: Completely stable, motor operates correctly
• All core quality improvements from 0dan0's mod

Just wanted to let you know that I have installed & been running the Type-D WIP Firmware vs that was attached to the post I'm replying to.
I've experienced no bugs, working well. This machine was purchased on sale via Amazon last week.

I am here to volunteer for testing any additional firmware updates. Also, thank you kindly for all your hard work!

 

[HGSiegel]

I've ported (what I believe are) the core improvements from 0dan0's Type C firmware to Type D hardware. The device now runs 1600x1200 @ 18fps with improved auto exposure, stable with no motor issues.

The following summary was created by Claude.ai with some notes of my own.

What's Working ​

• Resolution: 1600x1200 (changed from 640x480 upscaled to 1728x1296, better quality than stock)
• Frame Rate: 18fps
• Auto Exposure: Improved algorithm from custom code
• Stability: Completely stable, motor operates correctly
• All core quality improvements from 0dan0's mod

What's Not Working ​

• OSD Display: No on-screen histogram, frame counter, or exposure stats
• White balance GUI/control
• Frame rate GUI/control
• Likely due to Type D display hardware differences (frame buffer addresses)
• Custom code executes but output not visible

The Challenge​

Type D hardware proved to be significantly different from Type C:

1. Memory Layout: Custom code offset +0x1164 from Type C locations
2. Function Locations: Preview/capture functions at different addresses
3. Motor Timing Sensitivity: Function entry hooks break motor control completely
4. Display Hardware: Different frame buffer or overlay addresses

The Solution​

After two failed attempts that caused motor issues, I discovered 0dan0 hooks INSIDE functions, not at entry points:

Key Discovery​

Function Entry Hooks (Phase 8 v1 & v2):
- Replace stack setup instruction
- Break function flow
- Destroy motor timing

Internal Function Hooks (Phase 8 v3):
- Leave function entry intact
- Preserve motor timing
- Add hooks at safe points within functions

Applied Hooks​

Auto Exposure Hook (Type D: 0x2b688c)

• Calls custom auto exposure code
• Improves exposure algorithm
• Working perfectly

Preview Internal Hook (Type D: 0x2bfeb0)

• Inside preview function at offset +0x170
• Calls OSD drawing code (0x8033aec4)
• Executes successfully but OSD not visible

Technical Details​

Memory Offsets​

Custom Code Region:
Type C: 0x338f28 - 0x340008
Type D: 0x33a08c - 0x34116c
Offset: +0x1164

Resolution Values:
Type D Width: 0xddc718 (1728 → 1600)
Type D Height: 0xddc71c (1296 → 1200)

18fps Value:
Type D: 0x1f20c8 (60000 → 54000)

Methodology​

1. Pattern Matching: Found functions by searching for byte signatures
2. Custom Code Insertion: Ported 0dan0's custom code with updated addresses
3. Hook Analysis: Compared stock vs modded C byte-by-byte to find ALL hooks
4. Internal Hooking: Applied hooks inside functions, not at entry points
5. Incremental Testing: Phase 1-8, keeping backups at each stage

Results​

Video Quality:

• Significant improvement over stock Type D
• 1600x1200 resolution
• Proper 18fps speed
• Better exposure control

Stability:

• No crashes or hangs
• Motor operates correctly
• All menus responsive
• Recording/playback works, not extensively tested

Questions for the Community​

For 0dan0:​

1. Are there known display hardware differences between Type C and Type D? (Pretty sure this is a bona fide "YES!")
2. What are the frame buffer addresses you use for OSD drawing?
3. Any Type D-specific display register addresses?

For Type D Owners:​

Would anyone be interested in testing this firmware? I believe it's a solid improvement even without the OSD.

Files and Tools​

I can share:

• Modified firmware (Phase 8 v3)
• Python scripts for analysis and porting
• Documentation of the process
• Ghidra analysis notes

Acknowledgments​

Huge thanks to:

• 0dan0 for the original Type C firmware and detailed change notes
• The TinkerDifferent community for the knowledge base
• Everyone who documented the Reels hardware

Next Steps​

I'm happy with Phase 8 v3 as-is - the quality improvements are significant and it's completely stable. But if anyone has insights into Type D display hardware or wants to help investigate the OSD issue, I'd be interested in pursuing that.


For now, I'm just enjoying filming with better resolution and the correct frame rate!

---

Technical Appendix​

Hook Locations (Type D)​

Auto Exposure:

• Location: 0x2b688c
• Target: 0x8033b7f4 (custom auto exposure)
• Status: Working

Preview Internal Hook:

• Location: 0x2bfeb0 (inside preview function)
• Target: 0x8033aec4 (OSD drawing)
• Status: Executes, Not visible

Phase Progression​

• Phase 1-3: Device type changes and NVM address updates
• Phase 4: Custom code insertion (28KB)
• Phase 5: Resolution and 18fps changes
• Phase 6: White balance (skipped - not essential)
• Phase 7: Auto exposure hook (stable baseline)
• Phase 8 v1-v2: Failed - function entry hooks broke motor
• Phase 8 v3: Success - internal hooks preserve motor timing

Hi, I would love to test the software - sounds like magic! I only hope I can get it installed after making a backup of the original firmware. Since I am new here where can I find out what exactely I have to do to proceed?