"Some" commercial Video-CD won't play
Hello,
I am completely new to the CD-i platform but I am very interested in retro-computing of the 80s and 90s.
I always liked the CD-i platform in a way and recenty found a good offer for a CDI210 device including a DVC.
The Device works (the CD-Reader is a bit picky - im planning to try to replace the CDM 12.04 Module) and for the fun of it, I got some commercial Video-CD.
And now comes the question: Many CD-i Video-CD play just fine but some of them (even the ones published by Philips) just display the copyright screen and then just sit there and nothing happens anymore.
Is this a common problem? The funny thing is, that it always seem to be the same copyright screen (see the attached screenshot). e.g. The Naked Gun 2 1/2 and Total Recall work, but The Naked Gun 1 and The Firm won't work.
Would be glad to get some input from someone who really knows the platform.
P.S. Self-Encoded Movies with TMPGEnc and Burned with Toast for Mac also work
Best Regards
Richard
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I can't say I've come across this problem in particular. The only issues I have had with playing video cds come from using some of the imported Malaysian releases. I started to collect them to expand my VCD collection for my CD-i and most work fine apart from anything post 2000 released by Paramount. These refuse to play on my CD-I but work fine on my Sega Saturn with mpeg card and my PC so I guess they changed up the way they made them somehow.
Have you any other way of trying out your non playable discs such as a PC or VCD compatible DVD player?
Thanks for the reply.
The Videos-CDs I tried are official german releases.
I can play the Data-Files fine on VLC - but I do not have a native Video-CD Player/DVD-Player anymore.
I ordered a new CD-ROM CDM Module, because the Drive is behaving a little strange with some CD and CD-R.
I'll report, if this changed anything.
I guess, the Firmware of the CDI210 is not easyly upgreadable - if it way, I would try that...
Best Regards
Richard
Quote from oonagootasolo on 21/06/2025, 12:18apart from anything post 2000 released by Paramount. These refuse to play on my CD-I but work fine on my Sega Saturn with mpeg card and my PC
The VCD need to have a CDi software player on each disc to play. I think this part is missing somehow on your post-2000 Paramount VCD.
Quote from richard.mayer on 29/06/2025, 19:40Thanks for the reply.
The Videos-CDs I tried are official german releases.
I can play the Data-Files fine on VLC - but I do not have a native Video-CD Player/DVD-Player anymore.I ordered a new CD-ROM CDM Module, because the Drive is behaving a little strange with some CD and CD-R.
I'll report, if this changed anything.I guess, the Firmware of the CDI210 is not easyly upgreadable - if it way, I would try that...
Best Regards
Richard
Not all of these films are Video CDs. Die Nackte Kanone 2 1/2 is a Digital Video on CD-i title. What you are describing is not a mastering error or a missing CD-i application on the disc, but simply an issue with reading the data. Without an application, it wouldn't play at all (no copyright, nothing).
Is your CD-i player a 210/40?
Firmware updates are neither available nor needed. Who gave you that information?
If you have a CDM12.4, this article will help you with maintenance. There's no need to replace it at this point.
Philips CDM 12.1T Laser Sledge Replacement - retrostuff
(It's for a 12.1T, and they are not compatible. However, since the mechanisms are very similar, you can follow most of the instructions.)