AVI2ASCII

Avi2ascii is a free plugin for Virtualdub. See also Parser
Download here
Sources here

Description

Avi2ascii is a useless plugin that transform your magnificient movies into ugly ASCII files, that can be seen using the SuperCaribou technique.

How to use

Download Virtual Dub (virtualdub.org). Last news : plugin updated to work with all releases known of Virtual Dub - up to v1.9 (i.e. last one of 2010). It is also a little more accurate.
Download avi2ascii and put it into the plugins directory of Virtualdub.

Launch Virtualub and open your .avi, .mpeg...
Go to video...filters...add, and add avi2ascii.
Change the parameters (see below), and press "Ok".
Press "Ok" again to go back to the main window of Virtualdub.

Launch the process (the tiny arrow with a "o").

Parameters

Name : name of your output text file, including directory path.
Width, Height : size (in characters) of your text file. Each character is calculated as 8*13, so a normal ratio (W/H) is 2.2.
Frame rate : number of ms between two frames. It should be 50ms, but if read with old Wordpad it can be a little more (up to 60).
Binarisation : threadsold of luminosity. Reduce if there is not enought outline on the output file.

How to see (the Supercaribou technique)

Open the output text file with Notepad or Wordpad.

Click (and stay on) the rectangle under the square of the vertical scrollbar (on the right), just above the square with the bottom arrow.

If the horizontal line in the bottom of the picture go down, extend the window.
If the horizontal line in the bottom of the picture go up, shrink the window.

Do this until the horizontal line move no more.

Marvelous samples (send yours here)

Wonderwoman 80 s / 900 Ko
DragonBallZ - opening 80 s / 750 Ko
Hawaii five-O 70 s / 700 Ko
Toniglandyl 40 s / 450 Ko (french)

Here is a link to parser.
Here is a major link to Virtualdub plugins.
Here is a shamless use by GTRBudda of "Numa Numa Guy". He even did a small part of Star Wars.
GTRBudda sended also an incredible clip - Haruri Dance (included : the Avisynth script - warning, 5Mo), and in another archive, openings of Venture Bros and Futurama ; great job !

By askywhale, 2003, 2011