Running the 1991 SoftVideo Sampler

Because modern 64-bit operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) no longer natively support 16-bit DOS applications, you cannot simply double-click the file to run it. Instead, you will need to create an emulated environment.

DOSBox Staging (a modernized, actively maintained fork of the original DOSBox) is the tool we recommend for this task. Here is the straightforward guide to getting that historical archive running.

1. Download SoftVideo_Sampler_December_1991_TMM_Total_Multimedia.ISO from the Downloads page. An .ISO file is a raw disc image — a byte-for-byte copy of the original 1991 CD-ROM.
2. Create a dedicated folder on your primary hard drive for retro applications. Keep the folder path simple and avoid spaces, such as C:\DOSApps.
3. Move the downloaded .ISO file directly into that folder, e.g. C:\DOSApps\SoftVideo_Sampler_December_1991_TMM_Total_Multimedia.ISO. Do not extract it — DOSBox can mount an .ISO file directly as a virtual CD-ROM drive, which is exactly how this software was originally meant to run.
4. Tip: Feel free to rename the file to something short, such as SoftVideo.ISO, before mounting it. This makes it much easier to type at the DOSBox command line in Step 3 — DOSBox doesn't care what the file is named.

1. Navigate to the DOSBox Staging website and download the latest release for your operating system. DOSBox Staging is the actively maintained, modernized fork of the original DOSBox project that we recommend. (Note: If you are an advanced user or run into severe graphics compatibility issues later, DOSBox-X is another alternative fork that provides highly accurate cycle-and-video emulation.)
2. Install the program using the standard setup wizard and launch it.

When you launch DOSBox, you will be greeted by a command-line interface starting at a simulated Z:\> prompt. First mount your folder as a hard drive, then mount the .ISO itself as a virtual CD-ROM drive.

1. Mount the folder as drive C: Type the following command and press Enter:
   mount c C:\DOSApps
   (Mac users will use a path like mount c ~/DOSApps)
2. Switch to your new virtual drive: Type C: and press Enter.
3. Mount the ISO as a virtual CD-ROM (drive D:): Type the following command and press Enter:
   imgmount d SoftVideo_Sampler_December_1991_TMM_Total_Multimedia.ISO -t iso
   (or, if you renamed the file per the tip in Step 1: imgmount d SoftVideo.ISO -t iso)
   DOSBox will confirm with a message like "MSCDEX installed" and drive D: will now behave exactly like the original CD-ROM.
4. Switch to the CD-ROM drive: Type D: and press Enter.
5. Run the software: The player is called TMMPLAY.EXE. Simply type:
   TMMPLAY.EXE
   and press Enter. (If you ever need to double-check the filename, type dir *.exe to list the executable files on the disc.)

CPU Speed (Cycles): Software from 1991 was physically timed to hardware like the Intel 386 processor. DOSBox usually tries to run as fast as your modern CPU allows, which can cause 30-year-old video players to run at lightspeed or instantly crash.

• Press Ctrl+F11 repeatedly to slow down the emulation speed (decrease CPU cycles).
• Press Ctrl+F12 to speed up the emulation speed (increase CPU cycles).

Fullscreen Mode: Once the app is running smoothly, you can press Alt+Enter to force DOSBox into fullscreen mode to experience the video exactly as it was meant to be seen in 1991. Press Alt+Enter again to return to a window.