Modding the Kodak Reels 8mm Film Digitizer (Firmware Hack)

domb84

New Tinkerer
Jan 27, 2025
23
3
3
More success! I've been playing with the UnCamHD online config generator that creates a DCTCONFIG.bin. I placed this on the SDCard with the uengmode file to engage engineering mode and received an error "Cfg file error: Check Magic Err!"

I looked at the bin file and noticed it started and ended with Roral008. Looking for this in the RUnCamHD firmware that is just before the path for DCTCONFIG.bin. On the M127 this is ANEKA001.

I simply replaced Roral008 with ANEKA001, added the DCTCONFIG.bin and uengmode file to the SDCARD, booted the machine and I receive Update config success!

Remove those files from the SDCARD and rebooting the machine, I magically have the folowing file on my SCARD.

CA_DUMP.RAW

With the contents:


Code:
Exposure Value=[2];Exposure compensation,0 : -2EV,1:-1EV,2: 0EV,3 : +1EV,4:+2EV
White Balance=[2];Set White BÿMance,0 :Auto,1: Daylight,2:Cloudy,3:Tungsten,4:Fluorescent,
Contrast=[2] ;Set Contrast ,0 :-2,1:-1,2:Normal,3:+1,4:+2,
Color Effect=[1];Set Color Effect,0 : Standard,1:Mono,2:Sepia,3:Cooler,4:Cool,5:Warm,6:W armer,
Saturation=[2];Set Image Staturation,0 :-2,1 :-1,2:Normal,3:+1,4:+2,
{MicroDVR mov 2012/10/09 v0.49}
{LDMICDVR,v1.1S,01/06/2012}

It seems we can now set White Balance among other parameters! I'll have a play and see what else I can discover is configurable.
 

domb84

New Tinkerer
Jan 27, 2025
23
3
3
More success! I've been playing with the UnCamHD online config generator that creates a DCTCONFIG.bin. I placed this on the SDCard with the uengmode file to engage engineering mode and received an error "Cfg file error: Check Magic Err!"

I looked at the bin file and noticed it started and ended with Roral008. Looking for this in the RUnCamHD firmware that is just before the path for DCTCONFIG.bin. On the M127 this is ANEKA001.

I simply replaced Roral008 with ANEKA001, added the DCTCONFIG.bin and uengmode file to the SDCARD, booted the machine and I receive Update config success!

Remove those files from the SDCARD and rebooting the machine, I magically have the folowing file on my SCARD.

CA_DUMP.RAW

With the contents:


Code:
Exposure Value=[2];Exposure compensation,0 : -2EV,1:-1EV,2: 0EV,3 : +1EV,4:+2EV
White Balance=[2];Set White BÿMance,0 :Auto,1: Daylight,2:Cloudy,3:Tungsten,4:Fluorescent,
Contrast=[2] ;Set Contrast ,0 :-2,1:-1,2:Normal,3:+1,4:+2,
Color Effect=[1];Set Color Effect,0 : Standard,1:Mono,2:Sepia,3:Cooler,4:Cool,5:Warm,6:W armer,
Saturation=[2];Set Image Staturation,0 :-2,1 :-1,2:Normal,3:+1,4:+2,
{MicroDVR mov 2012/10/09 v0.49}
{LDMICDVR,v1.1S,01/06/2012}

It seems we can now set White Balance among other parameters! I'll have a play and see what else I can discover is configurable.
Annoyingly getting it to dump the CA_DUMP.RAW config seems to have been a fluke as I cannot recreate it. If I flatten the config .BIN file completely it will accept it as long as it prefixes and suffixed with ANEKA001. I just need to work out what the 160 remaining values do I think!
 

Andreas

New Tinkerer
Oct 15, 2024
9
5
3
You are correct. Corrected Zip attached
Hello OdanO
Thank you very much for the last B-version 6.1. Finally, the exposure flickering is gone and the video has 18 frames per second. I made a version with RGB=512-256-256 and one with RGB=512-256-192 so that I have a suitable white balance for my films. I need the 2nd version for film material with a blue tint. My wife looks not so happy, because I'm now scanning all the footage again.
I have found one bug in version 6.1: The playback of the movies no longer works on the device.
 

0dan0

Tinkerer
Jan 13, 2025
115
173
43
Hello OdanO
Thank you very much for the last B-version 6.1. Finally, the exposure flickering is gone and the video has 18 frames per second. I made a version with RGB=512-256-256 and one with RGB=512-256-192 so that I have a suitable white balance for my films. I need the 2nd version for film material with a blue tint. My wife looks not so happy, because I'm now scanning all the footage again.
I have found one bug in version 6.1: The playback of the movies no longer works on the device.
Thank you for your feedback, and I'm very happy that you making your own white balance versions, and that someone it benefiting from the Type B port. I am aware that I've broken playback (all models), that happened so long ago, and I have no idea which extension did it. I'm probably not going to fix that.
 

thjakob

New Tinkerer
Jun 20, 2025
2
0
1
Hello,

somebody know where to buy a compatible display for the C-Model?


View attachment 20028

Hello,

somebody know where to buy a compatible display for the C-Model?


View attachment 20028
Good day to each other,

Impressed by the possibilities to `modify` this scanner, I have been following this thread for quite a while - now I just say `hello` :)

On my way to do a lens update, I have successfully disassembled my C-Scanner (currently on version 5.8 of odan0) to at least be able to loosen the bonding of the existing lens. After reassembly, the Reels no longer shows anything on the display - probably because I first plugged the corresponding ribbon cable in the wrong way round... :-(
(the top LED lights up and I can scroll through the menu "blindly" - well - that's no use, of course...)

I now ask myself:
- have I worn out the display...
- ... or have I damaged the ‘board electronics’?

@Hawke
Did you ever find a suitable display for your broken one?

Best regards

yes sorry - translated with DeepL...
 

thjakob

New Tinkerer
Jun 20, 2025
2
0
1
The original lens is turned quite far out.
With this focal length, the image has to be scropped for a super8 film.
Would it be possible to get closer to the film with the stock lens and turn it in a little more to be able to use the ‘full’ sensor (i.e. with the whole image sensor closer to the film - instead of further away)?

... can't try it myself at the moment because my display doesn't show anything (probably because of my twisted cable - as mentioned in the post #447)...