Making old DOS executable file (MZ format) more usable
 

I have been given a copy of a short video to be placed on a web site where it needs to be playable using any proprietary web media tool. The twist is that it is a executable that I have established (using the nifty MediaInfo tool) to have been compiled in 1992 using the MZ EXE file format for Intel i386. In other words, prehistoric.

Without resorting to a screen scraping tool, does any PPRuNer know of a tool that I have missed in my searches that will either decompile and recompile in any more recent video format or a tool or technique which will allow an MZ format executable to be played within a web site rather than locally on Windows PC (where of course it executes fine)?

The source material no longer exists so cutting a new video is not an option.

The problem has been "solved" for now by zipping the file and placing it for download and local execution but this doesn't give the eye catching benefit sought on the site.


TVM
XV

That doesn't actually make sense as the MZ format is an executable application - thats all. You'll find the MZ header on all your windows exe's too (short for Mark Zbikowski IIRC)

What you have there is a video embedded in a playing program.

It may be possible to extract the video and then convert to a more common format but it will depend on a lot of things. If you PM me a link I'll have a look at it for you.

Thanks for the insight and the offer, b-t. Will do!

Couldn't get the AVI out easily but check your PM for the link to the source content.

Thank you!
 

bit-twiddler, T H A N K Y O U ! :D

I am highly, highly, impressed not just that you volunteered to help or that you successfully managed to extract the source Jpegs, but that you succeeded so quickly. I'll now compile a replacement MPEG2 video using Sony Vegas.

A virtual beer to you. :ok:

XV

No worries - glad to help.

And it was relatively easy as I've met that format executable before and so had all the tools available to break it back down to constituents.