Category Archives: Contribution

Another Blazers exclusive title – Help!


Blazers… again… This guy keeps amazing me everyday…
This time we are talking about a Professional Safety Training for supermarket employees that need the DVC.

Help! Company Emergency Response Training for Super Markets.

This is a triple discs case from 1996 and created by Signum Informatie, it will train employees to be prepared for any kind of health emergency that can happen on a Super Market in The Netherlands.

The employee will do the test/exam alone, an employee number will be given to him (or he use his actual employee number) and using the virtual keypad on screen, he will identify himself to get his test recorded for a future “boss” verification. Then he will have to say if it is the first time he is doing this test or if he already did it.

Presented by a well-known presenter called Jan Douwe Kroeske, he will show you how to use the training CD-i title and also explain the different situations.

Actors (some famous in The Netherlands) will play roles as super market employees and create different situations in Digital Video. After each video you will have to choose between several options. Each right answer will be shown as a green light on the left vertical score line, and every wrong answer will light a red one.

This is a Dutch (The Netherlands) exclusive title, and only spoken in this language.
Super Markets and stores was aimed by this CD-i training disc, like:
Albert Heijn bv, De Boer Winkelbedrijven nv, Hermans Groepbv, Schuitema nv, Samenwerkende Dirk van den Broek Bedrijven.

3 discs in only one set. Each disc content separate categories:
Disc 1:
Introduction, First Aid 2, Test.
Disc 2:
First aid 1.
Disc 3:
Fire Evacuation.

You might also have seen, First Aid 1 is on disc 2 and First Aid 2 is on disc 1. But it is normal and even explained on the back cover:
Note: the chapters aren’t in order on the disc!
Surely for a question of space on the disc.

I have the same opinion as Blazers:
Games like this are why nobody will ever have a complete CD-i collection.


Catalogue numbers confusion and titles languages mixed up!

Our good friend Retroman called me last day and showed me something that made a tilt in my mind…
Look at those two What’s That Bird? copies and discs. Both have the same catalogue number 8100016.
The one on the left just says “What’s that bird?” and the other on the right says “What’s that bird? – Britain and Europe”.
When we look at the discs, the one from the left says “What’s that bird? Europa” and the one from the right keep saying the same as the cover.

 

Now, let’s take a closer look at the disc from the left one…
We have an European catalogue number (8100016), an English title (What’s that bird?), a Dutch/German/Spanish (?) name (Europa) and all the copyrights texts are in French. What a confusion…

Retroman did put the disc on his CD-i player and both titles are exactly the same, 5 languages selection (French English, German, Italian and Spanish). So what happened with other titles out there, happened also here. The same version has been used for different countries.
The confusion here is about “Europa”. In 1992, Philips Media affiliates in Europe was emerging, the way how catalogue numbers should be given might still not be clear at that time, and being a multi-language one, “Europa” might be to embrace more than one country.

This discussion came a few days before MrMii6 and Seventy7 tagged me in the Discord server about Link™ – The Faces of Evil cover variant, using the English title for the Dutch version (with Dutch catalogue number).

I have another title for you that is Dutch that uses the European catalogue number, Body Contour.
But in this case, both discs (this is a double disc title) and the booklet, are using the Dutch catalogue numbers.

Another example are the Video-CD’s, you can easily find this kind of format over the internet, and many of them are subtitled for other languages.
Retroman also showed me one title from of his enormous Video-CD collection, Fine Things, an English language with Dutch subtitles.
This movie is using an European catalogue number (810****) instead of a Dutch one (814****).


CD-i 205 Japanese player and more…

It only could be him… Blazers…
Once again he came to our forum and rubbed it in our face his new entry into his personal collection.
A lot from Japan that includes a wallet with a CD-i player used to be rented (just like the ones in Europe) and many Japanese titles.

Looking at this lot, a particular title jumped into our eyes (and Blazers eyes), we are talking about Horoscope, from 1994. We still have to test it to define if it needs the DVC or not.

Besides this particular title, let’s take a look at the CD-i player, we are talking about a Japanese 205/11 model, using 100V power suply (normal to Japan). The CD-i 205 was the 1st model launched in Europe in 1992 so this model variant is from 1992 or 1993, made in Belgium and sold in Japan by Marantz (Philips bought Marantz in the 80’s).

We can see a difference in the DVC, usually you would read “Digital Video Cartridge for CD-i players”, but on this one you can read:
“This apparatus has been assembled with piece parts from the trial-run and thus not intended for measurement as it don’t meet the requirements of the specifications“.
Knowing that, we can define this specific player was not meant to be sold to public, or at least, the DVC came from the Philips testing department.
Now, Blazers needs to try the 205/11 with this specific DVC and verify if all titles that do need the Cartridge will work perfectly (I do believe so).

If in the USA the CD-i was in the beginning known as “The Imagination Machine”, then in the Japanese market, it was known as “The Super Home Media”.

Thank you Blazers 😉


Clean Air System Informatie CD-i – Presentation discs

When you think you have seen enough obscure CD-i titles… more appears!
Jos van den Berg from our Facebook Group gave us the privilege to show 2 titles from his collection:
Clean Air System Informatie CD-i 1993 and Clean Air System Informatie CD-i 1994, both produced by Merlin Interactive and do not need the Digital Video Cartridge (DVC).

We are talking about Dutch titles, also called Philips Luchtreiniger which means Philips Air Purifier.

Seller used this titles to let consumers watch the different models available in an interactive way, possibly using a portable CD-i player.
We can see 2 discs but, more might exist.

Take a closer look at the CD-i logo on the disc from the first one… the “i” is upside down “!”. Maybe the image got flipped vertically… intentional? We don’t know… But the same logo from the second disc is the correct.

Two new additions to our Professional titles list.

Thank you Jos van den Berg!


Codes Rousseau

DataPro just post on our forum some pictures of a driving school CD-i title.
This makes me remember my youth… damn it… I am getting old… and I am so nostalgic…
All right, let’s go to the subject!
Les Codes Rousseau now known as Codes Rousseau is a French company that still exist nowadays and with more than 80 years of history, focused on teaching you how to drive safely, respecting all the latest regulations.
After your get a driving school subscription, you was forwarded to a room with other students, there, a CD-i player connected to a TV screen and showing a program about a specific driving topic.

This is when Codes Rousseau starts in our story. Many different discs was available, for all kind of licenses stands for many years (until at least 2005) with regular updates.

DataPro showed us a Codes Rousseau – Cours Poids Lourd – C – E(C) – D, a French Truck Driving Lessons.
Other are available like Codes Rousseau – Conduire dans une Circulation Dense for cars B and even motorbikes A.
We have a few to add on our database, this is a question of time.
Other European companies did the same in many countries. In Germany for example, Fahren Lernen did it.

Thank you very much DataPro!


Codes Rousseau – The French driving school way!

We have added more Codes Rousseau titles into our database.
You can see 2 series of discs, one that needs the Digital Video Cartridge, and one that do not need it (based on pictures, text and audio.
We are still missing 1 title from the Digital Video Serie, and we are checking if more titles are missing from the lists.

Digital Video Serie:
88001 – Codes Rousseau – La Conduite dans des Conditions Difficiles (car)
88002 – STILL MISSING
88003 – Codes Rousseau – Conduire dans une Circulation Dense (car)
88004 – Codes Rousseau – Anticiper et Prévenir les Risques (car)
88005 – Codes Rousseau – Diriger le Vehicule (car)

Lessons Serie (no DVC needed):
88160 – Codes Rousseau – Moto – Cours A – AL (motorbike)
88201 – Codes Rousseau – Cours Poids Lourd – C – E(C) – D (Truck)
88431 – Codes Rousseau – CD-i Test nº1 (car)
88432 – Codes Rousseau – CD-i Test nº2 (car)
88433 – Codes Rousseau – CD-i Test nº3 (car)
88434 – Codes Rousseau – CD-i Test nº4 (car)
88511 – Codes Rousseau – CD-i Cours B – Réglementation (car)

Thank you KailoKyra for the pictures!
Thank you DataPro for reminding us those old days 😉

Check the Forum Topic!


Fútbol – Football Spanish version


Every day, I use to search on the web about CD-i related things. During one of them, I found something I didn’t know it existed… the Spanish version of the multimedia title Football.
This title got several versions: Belgium/French, English and Dutch (Voetbal) and now this Spanish one (Fútbol).
I found it on a Spanish 2nd hand selling site and once again, with the help of Pablo, I have now one more Spanish title in my collection.

I haven’t tried it yet, due to the very little time I have to be in front of my CD-i player and the website lately.
Hoping to be back soon, until then, enjoy your CD-i titles!


Huge Collection Pictures!

Our website member RetroMan sent to us a massive contribution with pictures of part of his collection.
Those pictures has been sent in August, but with all the contributions and pages underwork on this site, we are only now able to show it to the world!
We are mostly talking about hardware pictures. We will show you them under several posts as the collection is quite huge!
He also owns more than 1000 CD-i titles… Damn you…  😎
Today let me show you his CD-i hardware boxed!

Thank you very much RetroMan, for the trust you gave to us and also for your patience!  😀

CD-i Players:

CD-i Accessories:


In focus: The Kyocera Pro-1000s CD-i player

One of the hardest CD-i players to find, and very easy on the eye, is the Kyocera Pro-1000s CD-i player..

It comes with a wired remote as pictured but does not have a screen nor the option to upgrade to DV – so the Kyocera will only play base case titles. It is an NTSC system, so plays Japanese and USA titles perfectly, that were designed for NTSC format.

The Kyocera connects to the TV via 3mm stereo phono cables for audio and video (or there is an S-Video output).

The player has a unique shell compared to other CD-i players – it recognises the title of the CD-i being played – a very nice touch. Sadly, as can be seen by the photos, the battery has long gone, meaning game scores can no longer be saved.

The unique player shell has many other features, as can be seen in the pictures.
There is a fab clock display, you can use the calendar to mark birthdays, dates 🙂 and other ‘forget me nots’, and you can tinker with the general options to meet your needs.

Where the Kyocera struggles in comparison to other CD-i players, aside from the lack of DV, is in its playback of discs. Games can crash at regular intervals, and some will not play at all. It is also slightly noisy at times in its reading of discs.

I’m not sure if the CD-i title pictured was ever bundled with the machine, but it may well be that it was 🙂 Following in the footsteps of the Manna Space CD-is, and many others that were only available when you bought a CD-i player.

Overall, the Kyocera Pro-1000s is a compact, unique CD-i player which, if you have some of the prized Japanese titles, will serve you nicely (if you do not mind the occasional boot out!). If you see it, don’t hesitate to grab it 🙂


KLIK the unreleased kids CD-i game!

Thanks to Mike Stancliffe who shared the disc picture at Philips / Magnavox CD-i Collectors Club Facebbok Group, we can now enjoy screenshots of KLIK.
This is an educational title that will help your kids to learn words from different countries with the help of images and animations. Using pictures form the Canadian Éditions Rényi who made several dictionaries full of pictures for children, and published by the Italian Sidac S.p.A, you are able to choose between several languages as:
English (US), English (UK), French, Italian, German, Spanish (European) and Spanish (Latino-american).
This unreleased title from 1992 got his last version with the Testing Phase 2 at 1.02 on April 25 1994. With those 2 dates, we can see how long it took to reach this title build version.

Alan_CDiZone, our titles informer also do have this one, so we will get some more screenshots to add in the future.