Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!apple!rutgers!mcnc!taco!hobbes!kdarling From: kdarling@hobbes.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: CDTV- Let's clear the air... Message-ID: <1991Apr9.145504.14048@ncsu.edu> Date: 9 Apr 91 14:55:04 GMT References: <23238@know.pws.bull.com> <1991Apr8.191453.13243@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> Sender: news@ncsu.edu (USENET News System) Organization: North Carolina State University Lines: 52 In <1991Apr8.191453.13243@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes: >In <23238@know.pws.bull.com> ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) writes: >> >>8. I heard that CD-I was still at least two years away? When will a >> unit aimed at the home market and costing under $1000 be shipping? >> > 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. Ooops, Tom, sorry... I forgot to mention September is the latest word, tho I wouldn't be terribly surprised if a media blitz starts sooner, or if a trade show display took place before then. Of interest perhaps: at the Tokyo Electronics Trade Show last fall, over 30 exhibitors were showing CD-I players and/or titles. That was also where Sony showed off the LCD handheld player (see Popular Science Jan '91, page 41 for a picture) which is about the size of a 5" floppy drive. And over 180 companies worldwide have joined a CD-I Consortium; more expected. > 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) [...] You weren't looking, is all ;-). Nothing unusual about that, altho *surely* most of us have a copy of the Amazing Computing issue which sneak-previewed the A3000 (V5.N5 May 1990)?? If so, check page 40 for a mostly accurate full page description of CD-I and its threat to CDTV. I have a lot of other references, but not in Amiga magazines, sorry. Will post some either here or in the CDTV thread. > ...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. Right. Panasonic, Sony, Philips, Magnavox, RCA, Sharp, Sanyo, Pioneer, Yamaha, JVC, Matsushita... they've invested millions. Dream system? Not MY dream system (I dream of cheap virtual-reality :) But I'm utterly dumbfounded that so many people are convinced that nice but hardly amazing (these days) NTSC graphics must cost a lot. Either you've been reading only Amiga postings for too long, or been stuck in college . Good golly. You can already buy some of the CD-I chipset right now at a "ridiculously cheap price". So your feeling is correct: just as with mass-produced CD-Audio players, VCRs, and TVs, you'll be getting neat technology at amazingly low cost. Nothing special about that, tho. Welcome to the wonderful world of home consumer electronics :-). cheers - kev