Author Archives: omegalfa

Chronicle #28 – What’s it worth – Review

The World of CD-i Chronicles #28

There is many unpublished or unreleased CD-i titles. I am going to review one for you and I choose What’s it Worth? This one never passed Testing Phase 2 and it is available for download at Hidden Palace. You will need to burn it in a CD-R to play it on your CD-i player, or just unzip the file to play it on CD-i emulator.
Use our CD-i Backup guide to learn how to burn the game!

SOME HISTORY: 
This game never passed the Testing Phase 2 and the latest known disc is version 1.03 from 30th May 1994.
Catalogue number 811 004 was already given to this title, but unfortunately, for some reason, it didn’t reach the release status.

SOME FACTS:
Marshall Cavendish Multimedia was an English company related with art and museums, that is why they decided to make a game that will show pieces of art. What’s it worth? is the only game they tried to make and they choose the CD-i due to the pictures quality and promote art in the family.

Read the full article here!


New Addition – Cathédrales Gothiques d’Europe

Here is another extremely rare French title, Cathédrales Gothiques d’Europe.
Our member AretiusRGC shared it with us on Philips/Magnavox CD-i Collectors Club Facebbok group. He found it on a magazine dedicated to sell CD-i titles.

We received pictures of this title and we have also added the title on the database of The World of CD-i.

In this title, you will be able to discover pictures, information and shorts videos about 31 European cathedrals from many cities:
Albi, Amiens, Anvers, Auxerre, Barcelona, Beauvais, Bouges, Bruges, Burgos, Canterbury, Carcassonne, Chartres, Cologne, Ely, Fribourg, Gérone, Leon, Lyon, Milan, Noyon, Orvieto, Paris, Poitiers, Prague, Reims, Rouen, Saint-Denis, Senlis, Sienna, Strasbourg, Toledo, Toulouse, Vienna, Wells and York.


Chronicle #27 – Master Labyrinth review

The World of CD-i Chronicles #27

Have you ever wanted to be inside a labyrinth trying to find your way out? Lost for hours? It is now possible with this CD-i version!
And if you could play it in family or with friends… drinking a beer…?

SOME HISTORY:
Published by and produced by AVM AG/HQ GmbH in 1994, this labyrinth with the walls always in movement is an idea of Ravensburger, the king of board games.
No problem if you can’t remember the board game, you will know how to play it after reading this review.

Read the complete review here!


CD-i Oty07 PCB details

RetroMan send us pictures of the inside of the Oty07, the remote control we reviewed in July here.
He had to change the batteries and took some time to share with us those pictures.

We can clearly see 4 AA batteries for a total of 6 Volts. It is also possible to see the following components:

1x HEF4060BP – 14-stage ripple-carry binary counter/divider and oscillator.
(http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/H/E/F/4/HEF4060BP.shtml)

2x TC4024BP – 7-stage ripple-carry binary counter/dividers. (http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/T/C/4/0/TC4024BP.shtml)

2x 14051B – 8–channel analog multiplexer/demultiplexer.
(http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/M/C/1/4/MC14051.shtml)

1x 14040B – 12-Bit binary counter.
(http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/M/C/1/4/MC14040BD.shtml)

2x? 14093B – Quad 2-input NAND Schmitt trigger.
(http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/M/C/1/4/MC14093BD.shtml)

More components are there, but it is not possible to see them in those pictures with this definition. More pictures would be needed.

Now, I have to clarify some points about another review made by others about this remote.
I don’t know how they see a glass contacts on the remote, as it is only InfraRed LEDs like the ones used on others CD-i remotes.

Also, this remote is absolutely not waterproof, not at all…
We can’t just read things on the internet and take it as definitive answer, we have to read it and be sure what is written is about the specific thing we are talking about, especially when we have no electronic knowledge.
The buttons really generate energy? I would love to see that happening, but in this device… sorry…

I also found all the info and articles/reviews (from the 90’s) when writing the 1st review, but they are about other Oty reference for other purpose (mouse and keyboard). This is what happen when we love to copy/paste things from others… without knowing the subject.

There is no need of any extra device to connect it to a CD-i player, as the IR LEDs works just like an usual CD-i remote.

There is also an EPROM with a white sticker, this is where probably the configuration holding the protocols of the RC5 or RC6 or even both for a recognition by all CD-i players shells.

With RetroStuff.org was are watching the possibility of reproducing this big wireless remote to make a CD-i wireless gamepad. As there is no micocontroller but standard ships, it is possible to reproduce it dumping the EPROM to get the configuration code.

RetroMan already sent many pictures of his collection, and this device is a pretty cool one. Thank you for sharing this with us 😉


Chronicle #26 – Labyrinth of Crete – Review

The World of CD-i Chronicles #26

Do you like puzzle and enigma games? Yes? So Labyrinth of Crete™  is your game! This is a very good game with great great graphics and sound! A “Must Have” in your collection!

Read the complete review with all the screenshots here!