#CD-I disks available
4 messages in this thread
> Over here in the UK CD-I is just starting. So as not to buy into
> another beta max, what is the latest situation on the hardware sales
> and software availability. Can any one recommend vendors for software >
that supply catologues and supply to the UK?
Hi Gary,
I believe that there are about 80 consumer CD-I titles available in the UK
and that CD-I is for sale at about 900 stores. At the moment I believe that
all the consumer titles are distributed by Philips so they have the only
catalogue, though the titles are co-developed with other companies. There
are also professional CD-I titles for corporate training etc.
If you need more information, such as where to see a demo, please phone the
Philips CD-I Information line in the UK on 0800-885-885. When I did this
myself a few months ago they sent me the Summer/Autumn 92 CD-I catalogue
and a list of addresses for 400 stores where CD-I was for sale at that
time. I uploaded the catalogue as the file CDIUK.TXT in Library 1 of this
Forum – but I'm hoping that it will be updated soon.
If you have further questions, I can recommend asking them in the CD-I
section of the MULTIMEDIA Forum (GO MULTIMEDIA) as CD-I people from
Philips Interactive Media America & the UK are answering CD-I questions
there. In due course I'm hoping that more information files will appear
in the library of this new CD-I section, including a new list of CD-I
titles.
Hope this helps.
Mark
Mark:
We seem to be persisting with this idea that there are bright lines beween
CD-I customers and CDROM Forum members. While it's true that there is a
new section in the MM Forum, it seems generally populated by developers
trying to keep themselves pumped up. I submit that if any CIS user is
looking for market info (outside corporate press releases, anyway), they
are just as likely to find what they seek here as there. CDROM Forum
members are out seeking the best products they can find everyday, and offer
sincere, realistic impressions, not just cheerleading.
Best – Rich Bowers
Rich,
I was replying to Gary Morton's question on the CD-I scene in the UK
about software availablity and catalogues.
Since I uploaded the CDIUK.ZIP list of UK CDI titles to this Forum I
thought it was useful to point this out to him and that at least 80
consumer titles were available (according to my local HiFi store when I
asked them how many titles they had a couple of months ago). As far as I
know the catalogue I copied CDIUK.ZIP from is the only consumer CD-I
catalogue in the UK.
The Multimedia Forum has a new CD-I section since the message traffic about
CD-I has grown to an extent that the Multimedia Forum sysops felt
that it was better to separate it from the original MPC/CD-I/CDTV section.
People responsible for the development of CD-I at Philips Interactive Media
America learnt that CD-I developers were posting questions in the original
MPC/CD-I/CDTV section so some of them (at their own expense and time) have
come online to answer such questions and get feedback from CD-I developers
which is obviously interesting to them. These people are responsible for
technical support to CD-I title development, approving the release of
titles and work on CD-I PhotoCD, CD-I movie and other projects. There are
also people from other companies also answering questions about their CD-I
titles & CD-I development hardware.
One of the nice things about Compuserve is that although it is big, when
you post a question peeple will often point out further places to find
information or relevant places to ask further questions. I have often seen
people doing this and have been helped and helped others like this in the
past. I am obviously not alone in thinking this, since I saw after posting
my message that Albert Dayes had also pointed out the CD-I section in the
Multimedia Forum to Gary.
In various Forums I've often done the same, pointing out where to get
further info on PhotoCD, CDROM drives etc.
Mark
Mark:
I did not mean to be overly "snippy," and if you felt I was, I'm sorry. We
have good days and bad days.
But I do think that the movement I perceive to segregate CD-I from the rest
of the CDROM publishing world is somewhat ironic. Several of the more
popular titles originated in computer-hosted CDROM (like Compton's and the
Sesame St discs), and PIMA is actively encouraging other such publishers to
migrate their products to CD-I. Further, there is much discussion of
integrating the Mac with CD-I capabilities, which puts CD-I physically
(whether or not philosophically or politically) right back in the standard
CDROM genre. All this in the face of some who continue to insist that CD-I
is a whole different thing than CDROM.
It is all marketing, and if everyone is willing to recognize that, then all
is cool. The CD-I flavor of CDROM development is no more nor no less valid
or appropriate than the MPC/VIS flavor, or the Sega flavor, or whatever.
That is my point.
I encourage all who are interested to get the best info they can, wherever
it may reside.
All the best for the new year! — Rich Bowers