A Full Motion Video Codec For the Atari ST
The Atari ST, a 41‑year‑old 68000‑based computer, has been used to play full‑motion video (FMV) cutscenes from later DOS games. Jonas Eschenburg developed a codebook‑based video codec that works within the system’s 16‑colour planar graphics limitations. A port of Command & Conquer with FMV support is available for download on Itch.io.
- ▪The Atari ST lacks dedicated graphics hardware and relies on an 8 MHz Motorola CPU for all rendering.
- ▪Eschenburg’s codec splits video frames into addressable blocks and continuously updates both the palette and a codebook to reduce data transfer demands.
- ▪The codec must operate within the ST’s 16‑colour planar mode, which is far less colorful than the 256‑colour VGA standard of later PCs.
- ▪A functional port of Command & Conquer, including its introductory FMV, has been released on Itch.io for the Atari ST.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/08/04/a-full-motion-video-codec-for-the-atari-st/ |
| Publication time | Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:00:41 +0000 |
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A Full Motion Video Codec For The Atari ST No comments by: Tyler August August 4, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy Who says an old dog can’t do new tricks? The Atari ST has got to qualify as an “old dog” 41 years after launch, and if playing Full Motion Video (FMV) cutscenes– from DOS games of a decade later– doesn’t count as a new trick, we’re not sure what does. In this case, [Jonas Eschenburg] is the trainer and his fascinating write-up lets you know exactly how he did it. Unlike the contemporary and pricier Amiga, Atari’s 68000-based home computer didn’t have any fancy graphics chips; everything has to go through the Motorolla CPU at a blistering 8MHz.
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