News – The world of CD-i

#CDiDay on Twitter

Our member and Live Streamer CDiArcade started in March of this year on Twitter an exciting project!
It’s called #CDiDay and the objective of it is very simple but also very pertinent…
Every Friday, he tweets CD-i related messages with or without pictures adding every time the hashtag #CDiDay.
In April (a few weeks after the site opening) we got a nice chat together and he invited me to help him in his honourable quest.
I am now proudly inviting you to do the same if you have a Twitter account.

Every Friday, tweet a CD-i related message using hashtag #CDiDay. More than once a day if possible!

The more people will see it, the more about CD-i they will talk on Twitter!
With some luck, your followers will retweet them. It is a good way to spread the good word over the net and who knows… call the attention of game journalists or other retro specialists.

It’s in your hands now to help us! Long life to #CDiDay!

You can find and follow me on Twitter under @omegalfapt.

ASSEMbler Games forums going to close?

This is official from ASSEMbler’s team in this post:
https://assemblergames.com/threads/this-forum-to-close-in-30-days.71032

You can read from the Admin:

Current account status -$2880 ($120 x 24 months)
It cannot continue at such a loss.
Thank you for being companions for 23 years journey.
-ASSEMbler

ASSEMbler Games is the place that get the very first information about Mario Takes America for CD-i!
https://assemblergames.com/threads/mario-takes-america-phillips-cd-i.12062

It is more than just CD-i, this a place that helped people to develop all kind of game’s systems, selling stuff and so much more… A major lost for internet and gaming lovers! ;(

It is in fact a little bit stranger for a forum to be so expensive… $120 each months…?
I do believe there is lower prices for the objective of the forums.

If nobody buy the forum or if no money is found to pay the bills, then the last breath will be Saterday 29th of 2019…

Burn:Cycle Original Soundtrack Remastered

23 years after the released of Burn Cycle, Simon Boswell have remastered all the original soundtracks of the most famous CD-i game.
In October 2017 the 11 soundtracks, just like the ones on disc 2 (audio CD) but with an amaizing and beautiful sound for your hears have been remastered to listen in loops mode!
Any lover of the game will jump into the link below to buy it, that is for sure.

Do not miss this!

Available at:
Bancamp
Spotify
iTunes
Amazon

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.

CD Graphics – A forgotten format

I am an Alphaville fan, this is known from everyone. As they do have a CD Graphics (CD+G) album called Alphaville – The Breathtaking Blue, this format is for me very precious for me.

There is another person with the same felling about the CD+G discs, I am talking about Orlando Arroyo, his name may not be familiar to you as it should be.
I meet Orlando back in 2004, when he was in search of all CD-G discs. This is when Le Monde du CD-i (now The World of CD-i) started to include all the collection in the data base.
Orlando Arroyo and his friend Steve Martin decided to create a website that include all CD+G discs ever created, the CD Graphics Museum, with videos (also available on there YouTube channel), screenshots and disc information.

You really should take a moment and visit this real museum dedicated to this forgotten CD format.

Orlando shared with us on our Facebook Support Group an historic picture from a magazine he can’t remember the name. You can see this picture at the top of this article.
This is a timeline that goes from 1877 until 1991, more than 100 years, and the Philips CD-i is the start that everyone is awaiting!

The CD-Graphics was a very expected format in the early 90’s, music album with pictures on screen that can play on any Audio-CD or CD+G player, with text appearing on screen to sing along. The Karaoke discs was about to born!
Philips couldn’t left this CD format out of the CD-i player and extend the wide list of compatibility that this interactive system offer.

Thank you Orlando! Thank you to preserve this format for future generations!

CD-i goodies for all tastes!

TEEPUBLIC is based in New York (USA) and it’s the world’s largest marketplace for independent creators to sell their work on the highest-quality merchandise.
An independent artist is paid with each purchase made on TeePublic. Since 2013, independent artists on TeePublic have earned around the globe.
They got the idea to sell products with Philips CD-i logo and I really love this idea!
You can choose about 26 different T-shirts colours, or just buy other goodies like:
Coffe Mug, Travvel Mug, Hardcover Handbook, Spiral Notebook, Tote, Pillow, Phone Case, Lapetop Case, Baseball T-Shirt, Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Crewneck Sweatshirt, Tank Top, Hoodie and finally there own homemade sticker logo design!

Get your goodie right now for a good cause!

Thank you “CD-i Guy” @Philips_CDi from Twitter for this info!

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 😉

Console Purist Chronicles

I have been invited by Stacy Burns, owner of one of the biggest Facebook groups called Console Purist, also member of The World of CD-i, under the username of Benaiah.
He needed to fill a void on his Facebook group about CD-i information, and I am so glad he turns to me to take this challenge. I am really exited to show to the world this underrated system, loved by ones and hated by others. Part of the people that does not love it have been influenced by crappy YouTube videos and other jokes when they most of them didn’t even tried once to play a CD-i title.

I am posting every Friday, to follow the #CDiDay Twitter movement, and this way improve in a higher level the divulgation in the same day of CD-i related information. You will find reviews, repairs, opinions, and other kind of stuff all write by myself, Omegalfa.
Each chronicle will get a topic on the our forum community, so you will be able to contribute with your opinions.
I am also adding in this section all the chronicles I will post there. A new Top Menu link called “Console Purist Chronicles” have been added to find all the posts, so take a good seat and have a good reading!

1st – 07/02/2020

What is the best CD-i player for a rooky?

Coronavirus COVID-19 advices

Dear Community,

With the very sensible situation our world is facing, it is not enough giving more advices.

If you have the possibility to work from home, please stay home.
Wash your hands and face frequently, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose without a disinfected hands.
Be even more careful if you are asthmatic!
If you have grandpa’s or old parents, they are also a risky group.

If you feel fever, difficulty to breathe, cough, avoid people and call your doctor our your country health emergency system.

REMEMBER:
– The coronavirus is 400 to 500 Nano meters, so most masks may bloc it.
– If someone infected sneeze at 3 meters of you, the virus will fall to the floor until touch you.
– When the virus is on metallic superficies, it will be stay alive for around 12 hours.
– It can stay alive on clothes for around 6 to 12 hours. Your habitual detergent can kill it. If it is clothes that can not go to the machine, put them in the sun light for some hours.
– In our body, the virus will travel through the humidity of our noose and mouth. It will go down to our trachea and install into our lungs, causing pneumonia. This part can take 5 to 6 days.
– Pneumonia will give you high level of fever and difficulties to breathe but you will not feel the usual cold feeling of the fever.

HOW TO AVOID (OR TRY TO):
– The transmission is mostly due to direct contact, touching material, tissues, or people. WHASH YOUR HANDS!
– The virus will die after approximately 10 minutes in your hands (due to the body heat), but in 10 minutes a lot of things can happen, like touching our eyes, mouth and noose. WHASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY!
– You can use mouthwash liquid, to minimize the quantity in your mouth. This way you can remove it or kill it before it can access inside your body.
– Clean your laptop and desktop keys, clean your cell phone, Android, etc..
– The car’s steering wheel also need to be cleaned as your gear box handle.
– Drink water, avoid letting your trachea stay dry. Drink water frequently, this way it will not go to the lungs and the gastric acid of the stomach to kill him.

FOR YOUR, YOUR FAMILLY, AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, WHASH YOUR HANDS AND STAY AT HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

This world pandemic situation may stay for some more months, WE CAN NOT TAKE THOSE ADVISES AS USELESS.
Countries are spending millions and millions to try to stop it, and we know how much they love money…

Stay safe, play some games at home!
Use your CD-i to watch movies, play games, keep you children playing kids games… a lot of things to do to be entertained with!

Discworld on CD-i fully playable

This information comes directly from our Facebook Group member Roberth Rivero who posts this news about a YouTuber called Manmonkee. Manmonkee talks about Discworld game, under various formats, including CD-i:

A YouTuber called Manmonkee dropped a bomb of a comment a month ago revealing something truly unexpected…It seems that Atari approached Perfect 10 Productions/Teeny Weeny Games (where Manmonkee worked) in order to port Discworld to the Jaguar CD, which never moved foward beyond the discussional phase via phone. Damn, we lost a good one…But you may be wondering what does this has to do with the CD-i? Well here’s the real kicker: Manmonkee confirmed to me that the CD-i version of Discworld was not only finished but fully playable as well. So there you have it CD-i fans, you lost a good title as well 🙁

I am glad to see that our return has shaken the community!

Here is Manmonkee’s YouTube video: