Editing BBC Domesday Project (section)

==Interactive video==
The BBC Master-based system used to deliver the Domesday Project content, known as the Domesday Advanced Interactive Video (AIV) System,<ref name="abcomputing198708" /> was also intended as a platform to support other interactive video applications, integrating with programming languages such as BASIC and Logo via the operating system.<ref name="acornuser198707" /> Opportunities were perceived for the introduction of the technology beyond the education sector and into various areas of the public and private sectors, estimating "300,000 potential business customers".<ref name="microuser198706a">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/eu_The_Micro_User_1987-06_OCR/page/n8/mode/1up | title=Acorn pushes its Domesday System | work=Micro User | date=June 1987 | access-date=31 October 2020 | pages=9 }}</ref> Acorn set up a subsidiary, Acorn Video, offering the platform under the name Master Video with a choice of Philips or Pioneer laserdisc player for £3220, or £3750 for a more compact version.<ref name="acornuser198605">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/Acorn_User_1986-05_OCR/page/n180/mode/1up | title=Video from Ivan Berg | work=Acorn User | date=May 1986 | access-date=17 December 2020 | pages=179 }}</ref> (This ostensibly followed on from earlier products: the Acorn Interactive System, based on the BBC Micro and Pioneer<ref name="acornuser198412b">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser029-Dec84/page/n8/mode/1up | title=Three systems compete | work=Acorn User | date=December 1984 | access-date=7 January 2021 | pages=7 }}</ref> or Philips laserdisc player,<ref name="elbug198501">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/elbug-magazine-1985-01/page/n23/mode/1up | title=Video | work=ELBUG | date=January 1985 | access-date=28 December 2020 | pages=24 }}</ref> which only supported unidirectional control of a laserdisc player via a serial link,<ref name="acornaiv">{{ cite news | url=http://binarydinosaurs.co.uk/scripts/picshow.php?image=/Museum/Reviews/acornaiv4.jpg&back=/Museum/Reviews/index.php | title=Interactive Video | work=Electronics and Computing Monthly | date=December 1984 | access-date=31 December 2020 | last1=Sargent | first1=Richard | last2=Luke | first2=Peter | pages=46–49 }}</ref> and the Viewpoint Interactive Video Workstation.<ref name="nzbitsandbytes198606">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/nzbitsandbytes-4-09/page/n50/mode/1up | title=A day in the Fens | work=Bits and Bytes | date=June 1986 | access-date=28 December 2020 | last1=Forer | first1=Pip | pages=51 }}</ref>)

BBC Enterprises and Virgin released interactive video discs for education.<ref name="acornuser198903a">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser080-Mar89/page/n14/mode/1up | title=BBC and Virgin launch IV discs | work=Acorn User | date=March 1989 | access-date=1 November 2020 | pages=13 }}</ref> Following on from the initial Domesday content, the ''Ecodisc'' from BBC Enterprises provided an ecological simulation of [[Slapton Ley]] nature reserve designed to complement biology and ecology field trips at secondary school level. It was priced at £169 plus VAT, with one side of the disc containing the interactive content and data, the other side containing the BBC Schools Television programme ''Ecology and Conservation''.<ref name="abcomputing198708">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AB_Computing_1987-08_OCR/page/n42/mode/1up | title=Interactive Ecodisc | work=A&B Computing | date=August 1987 | access-date=25 November 2020 | pages=43–44 }}</ref>

Virgin's ''North Polar Expedition'' title, in contrast to Ecodisc, provided the software to support interaction on separate floppy disks instead of as LV-ROM content. It was priced at £199 plus VAT, and was reportedly a "testbed for [[Compact Disc Interactive|CDI]] applications" planned by Virgin Publishing.<ref name="newcomputerexpress19890121">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/new-computer-express-11/page/11/mode/1up | title=To the Top of the World... with CDI | work=New Computer Express | date=21 January 1989 | access-date=30 March 2021 | last1=Storer | first1=Andy | pages=10–11 }}</ref> Having received one unfavourable verdict that the title offered "a tired question and answer format in what should be an innovative new medium",<ref name="acornuser198903b">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser080-Mar89/page/n18/mode/1up | title=Domesday at the North Pole | work=Acorn User | date=March 1989 | access-date=1 November 2020 | last1=Bell | first1=Graham | pages=17 }}</ref> a response to this particular review attempted to address such criticisms by noting the limitations of the interaction method employed by the Domesday system, the tightly coupled sound and video capabilities of the medium, and the need to deliver and improve the software without involving the "expensive and complex LV-ROM mastering process". The response also questioned the future of the LV-ROM format, in contrast to Laservision and CD-ROM, also indicating that [[Compact Disc Interactive|CD-I]] would remove various restrictions experienced with the laserdisc medium.<ref name="acornuser198906">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser083-Jun89/page/n130/mode/1up | title=Frosty Reception | work=Acorn User | date=June 1989 | access-date=31 March 2021 | last1=Beckett | first1=William | pages=129 }}</ref>

The BBC's ''Countryside'' disc provided various census and agricultural datasets and was sponsored by a broad consortium of public and private sector organisations. The BBC's ''Volcanoes'' disc, produced in association with Oxford University Press, featured volcanic eruption footage and animated computer graphics sequences by award-winning animator, Rod Lord, together with hypertext features.<ref name="abcomputing198804a">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AB_Computing_1988-04_OCR/page/n58/mode/1up | title=Forthcoming AIV discs | work=A&B Computing | date=April 1988 | access-date=25 November 2020 | pages=59 }}</ref> The ''Volcanoes'' disc (priced at £194.35) employed "new AIV features like hypertext" and had graphical content that was created on Archimedes computers.<ref name="acornuser198806">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser071-Jun88/page/n8/mode/1up | title=Big bang | work=Acorn User | date=June 1988 | access-date=26 February 2021 | pages=7 }}</ref> Shell Education Services offered an "interactive video project pack" intended for educational use in various subjects based on "a system developed by Shell UK to provide route maps in filling stations".<ref name="acornuser199005">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser094-May90/page/n10/mode/1up | title=Laser Disc from Shell | work=Acorn User | date=May 1990 | access-date=1 November 2020 | pages=9 }}</ref> Epic Industrial Communications offered a "complete course in solid state electronics" for the AIV system, priced at £2300 plus VAT.<ref name="abcomputing198804b">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AB_Computing_1988-04_OCR/page/n58/mode/1up | title=Solid state electronics | work=A&B Computing | date=April 1988 | access-date=25 November 2020 | pages=59 }}</ref>

Support software was also made for the AIV platform such as the Domesday Display application suite which allowed users to extract data and pictures from the laserdiscs and to present them in the form of a slideshow.<ref name="abcomputing198708a">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AB_Computing_1987-08_OCR/page/n42/mode/1up | title=Domesday floppies | work=A&B Computing | date=August 1987 | access-date=25 November 2020 | pages=43 }}</ref> The Domesday Presenter application focused on Domesday and AIV system laserdiscs, whereas the Domesday Captions application allowed video frames to be selected from AIV system laserdiscs or any other CAV (constant angular velocity) laserdisc, with the user adding their own captions.<ref name="domesday_display">{{ cite web | url=https://www.domesday86.com/?page_id=731 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810192810/https://www.domesday86.com/?page_id=731 | archive-date=10 August 2020 | title=Domesday Display | website=Domesday86.com }}</ref>

Although this particular interactive video implementation had progressed away from previous "cumbersome and boring" solutions relying on the navigation of sequential-access video tape,<ref name="acornuser198707" />{{rp|pages=81|quote=My previous experience of interactive video (IV) had come from building a VHS video tape interface in 1981, and writing software to make an early Beeb fast-forward to frames and fast-rewind to the start of passages. This was an inaccurate and feeble attempt, which only served to convince me that interactive video was at that stage both cumbersome and boring.}} tape-based solutions persisted as competitors. For example, the tape-based VP170 Video Presenter package from Interactive Media Resources (whose system processor was packaged similarly to an Acorn second processor) and the Companion system from Bevan Technology which could control VHS-based tape and Philips LaserVision players, both apparently offered support for integration with applications using the Microtext language.<ref name="acornuser198706">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser059-Jun87/page/n10/mode/1up | title=Two more IV systems | work=Acorn User | date=June 1987 | access-date=31 October 2020 | pages=9 }}</ref><ref name="microuser198706b">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/eu_The_Micro_User_1987-06_OCR/page/n8/mode/1up | title=Add-on video | work=Micro User | date=June 1987 | access-date=31 October 2020 | pages=9 }}</ref> Ivan Berg Software (a one-time partner with Acornsoft on various titles) offered the Take Five system on Betamax format video tape with the BBC Micro supplying "question-and-answer frames" in interactive training course material.<ref name="acornuser198605" /> The Polymedia PCL 1000 also offered a combination of BBC Micro and Sony Betamax video tape recorder bundled with interface, single disc drive, colour monitor and software for £2,450.<ref name="acornuser198510_polymedia">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser039-Oct85/page/n120/mode/1up | title=Polymedia enters the video market | work=Acorn User | date=October 1985 | access-date=7 April 2021 | pages=119 }}</ref> Earlier competitors included the Felix Link interface from Felix Learning Systems, supporting laserdisc, [[Video High Density|VHD]] video discs, [[U-Matic]] tapes, with [[VHS]] tapes promised, along with Cameron Communications' Interact B system offering touchscreen control over a [[Thorn EMI]] VHD video disc player.<ref name="acornuser198412b" />

Acorn's success in the interactive video market was reportedly hindered by Acorn's financial difficulties of 1985 putting the company's "support or commitment" into question, even leading to the BBC taking over the development of the Domesday Project's retrieval software from Acorn. Consequently, a contract for 1500 machines with Lloyd's Bank ended up being signed by Video Logic, and other potential customers had not progressed beyond trial purchases of Acorn's machines.<ref name="acornuser198605" /> By early 1988, "fewer than 2,000" Domesday systems had been sold, with the total price of the system being around £5,200. However, a voucher scheme had been in operation, reducing the purchase price to £3000, and this was to be extended until the end of that year.<ref name="acornuser198805">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser070-May88/page/n145/mode/2up | title=Ecology Explained | work=Acorn User | date=May 1988 | access-date=31 March 2021 | last1=Bell | first1=Graham | pages=144–145, 147 }}</ref>

Subsequent Acorn machines were also featured in laserdisc solutions. For instance, a system was offered by Eltec Computers and the British Nuclear Forum consisting of a [[Acorn Archimedes|BBC A3000]], LaserVision 406 player, genlock card, and three discs designed by educators at Newcastle University aimed at secondary schools. The system cost £1899.<ref name="acornuser199101_bnf">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser102-Jan91/page/n10/mode/1up | title=Arc Enters the Nuclear Forum | work=Acorn User | date=January 1991 | access-date=24 February 2021 | pages=9 }}</ref> Some software on the RISC OS platform also supported use of laserdisc players such as the ''Key Plus'' data collection and analysis software for the educational market.<ref name="acornuser199103_keyplus">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser104-Mar91/page/n79/mode/2up | title=Handle Bars | work=Acorn User | date=March 1991 | access-date=24 February 2021 | last1=Drage | first1=Chris | pages=78–79 }}</ref> Oak Solutions' ''Genesis'' product supported use of laserdisc hardware, with ''The Battle of the Somme'' title, produced by [[Netherhall School]] in conjunction with NCET and the Imperial War Museum, incorporating "Laservision material which really brings the project alive" and offering "potentially a new beginning for that old Domesday system".<ref name="acornuser199211">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser124-Nov92/page/n120/mode/1up | title=Every Picture Tells a Story | work=Acorn User | date=November 1992 | access-date=31 March 2021 | last1=Drage | first1=Chris | pages=117, 119–120 }}</ref>