Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!jonabbey
From: jonabbey@cs.utexas.edu (Jonathan David Abbey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: CDTV- Let's clear the air...
Summary: CD-I.. it's the real thing.
Message-ID: <296@atacama.cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 9 Apr 91 01:39:54 GMT
References: <23238@know.pws.bull.com> <1991Apr8.191453.13243@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 64

(Ethan Solomita) writes:

>	This is also a good question. I can't believe that this
>can be produced at as good a price as CDTV. And if it comes down
>to a quality/price issue, we all remember Sony/Beta.

The reason that VHS blew the doors off of Betamax included the fact that
only Sony supported Betamax, whereas the rest of the industry were
making cheaper and better VHS machines.  In this case, the Betamax lesson
points the wrong way at Commodore, unless the rumour of Commodore licensing
of the CDTV technology comes true in a serious way.

[...]
>	Two years is unrealistic. Kevin is claiming September or
>so, but I don't know about that. I'll believe it when I see it. I
>HAVE seen CDTV and it is shipping.

Undeniably a point in our favor, but I would believe the projected release
date.. 

[...]
>	If CD-I ships doing everything that Kevin says without
>any catches or negatives and it sells for $1,000, then maybe it
>will dominate CDTV. Of course, the feeling I'm getting from
>Kevin's post (mainly because I've never heard anyone else say
>these things about CD-I) is that you are getting a dream system
>for a ridiculously cheap price. Reminds me of the NeXT, except I
>know that Panasonic, etc., are in this for the money.

I've not heard that CD-I came with a blitter, but everything else he's said
holds with what I've heard.  The mere presence of a quality compression
scheme in hardware gives CD-I an immediate technological advantage.  The
rest of the specs sound very good as well, and a large number of manufacturers
will be making it.

Commodore has the advantage of a large base of software that could be quickly
transferred onto CD's from existing floppies.. Shadow of the Beast et al.
They also have the advantage of first release and name brand recognition in
the home computer market as a good value.  (Those durn C64 adds were potent.)
And, they've got the nice James Sachs artwork, a better name for their
device (although whether third party manufacturers would want to throw their
manufacturing support behind a standard called Commodore Dynamic Total Vision..
8-), and a small horde of loyal Amigans that could give it a bit of a push
in the states and a whale of a push in Europe.

Still and all though, it grieves me that CD-I should be so far in advance of
the Amiga technologically speaking.. it does make sense, though.  Intel and
company are not dull-witted, they have just been locked to a lackluster
standard in the PC world.  I would trust them to do a bang-up job when given
a fresh page, and CD-I has been in development for years.

It'll be interesting to see if Commodore advertises this thing well...

>	-- Ethan
>
>Q: How many Comp Sci majors does it take to change a lightbulb
>A: None. It's a hardware problem.


-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jonathan David Abbey              \"Take your place on the great Mandela" P,P&M
the university of texas at austin  \  jonabbey@cs.utexas.edu     "Love me, love
computer science/math?/psychology?  \ (512) 472-2052              my Amiga" -Me