website/content/museum/acorn-computer-bbc-master-aiv.md

---
title: Acorn Computer BBC Master AIV
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- United Kingdom
years:
- '1986'
cpus:
- 65C02
params:
  name: BBC Master AIV
  image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_bbc-master-aiv_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/acorn-computer
  company_name: Acorn Computer
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: BBC Master AIV
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Acorn Computer
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: United Kingdom
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1986'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: 1986-7? Very small run.
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: BBC BASIC. BCPL provided with package.
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Standard QWERTY, 10 function keys + arrows, plus numeric keypad
  - label: CPU
    value: 65C02
  - label: SPEED
    value: Unknown
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: MOS 65C102 at 4MHz, Turbo co-processor model
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: Taken from main RAM, up to 44K?
  - label: ROM
    value: 48K-128K, expandable, includes LVFS (Laservision Filing
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 x 32/25 (2 colors) / 40 x 32/25 (2 or 4 colors) / 20 x 32 (16 colors) / 40 x 25 (Teletext display)
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 640 x 256 (2 colors) / 320 x 256 (4 colors) / 160 x 256 (16 colors)
  - label: COLORS
    value: 16 (8 colors + flashing option), True colour from the video data on LV-ROM
  - label: SOUND
    value: 3 channels + noise & envelope control, 7 octaves
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Complete set - heavy ;)
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 1MHz BUS, Analogue, RGB, Disk, RS423, User port, Econet, Tape, Parallel printer. Captive SCSI lead.
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: None
  - label: OS
    value: Master Operating System (MOS)
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU, 240V AC
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Philips VP415 LV-ROM, Acorn AKF-11 monitor (SCART), Acorn Trackerball (Marconi RB2).
  - label: PRICE
    value: £4,000+ (UK, 1986)
  tabs:
  - hardware
  - emulators
  - links
  hardware:
  - title: VOLTMACE DELTA CONTROLLERS
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'Voltmace modified its Database videogame system controllers to be sold for micro-computers, mainly Acorn systems : BBC and Electron (with Plus-1 interface). As the keypad was of no use anymore, it was reduced to only 3 fire buttons.'
    image: /media/museum/hardware/voltmace_joysticks.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: The BBC Lives !
    url: http://www.nvg.org/bbc/emulators.php3
    platform: MS DOS
    text: This excellent site has a complete list of Acorn systems emulators
  links:
  - title: Acornusers.org
    url: http://www.acornusers.org/
    text: The acornusers.org server hosts several Acorn web sites
  - title: 'Chris''s Acorns: BBC Master AIV & Domesday Project'
    url: http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Computers/Domesday.html
    text: Info and pictures of the AIV system
  - title: comp.sys.acorn.games FAQ
    url: http://www.landfield.com/faqs/acorn/games/
    text: newsgroup FAQ
  - title: Nice page about the BBC AIV system.
    url: http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/retrotech/abc.htm
    text: ''
  - title: RetroBBC
    url: http://www.strafom.force9.co.uk/bbc/Retrobbc/Index.htm
    text: Mainly a software archive. Cool !
  - title: The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library
    url: http://8bs.com/
    text: Lots of stuff to see and download
  - title: The BBC Lives!
    url: http://bbc.nvg.org/
    text: The net's largest site catering for enthusiasts of Acorn's range of 8-bit micros
  - title: The Stairway to Hell
    url: http://www.stairwaytohell.com/
    text: Electron and BBC support. Excellent site with a lot of stuff !
  - title: The Unofficial Acorn Computer User WWW Server
    url: http://www.poppyfields.net/acorn/
    text: ''
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: Programming of Acorn computers
  comments:
  - author: Malcolm Ramage (United Kingdon)
    date: Monday 23rd May 2011
    text: More info and pictures of the AIV system can be found at http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Computers/Domesday.html plus pictures of the machine internals.
  related:
  - /museum/acorn-computer-atom
  - /museum/acorn-computer-bbc-master
  - /museum/acorn-computer-bbc-master-compact
  - /museum/acorn-computer-bbc-model-a-b-b
  - /museum/acorn-computer-electron
  oc_id: 989
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608163555/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=989
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

In 1986, the 900th Anniversary of the Norman Domesday Book, the BBC and the National Curriculum, amongst other UK bodies, endeavoured to produced a 20th Century equivalent. Recently the Domesday project has had renewed interest, as the sense of producing such an ambitious undertaking then storing the results on a strange, and now forgotten, format has been called into question many times since!

For old-computers.com readers, the interesting bits are not terribly interesting - but they are scarce. The presentation was viewable on one of two platforms - the main, and the one most associated with it, was the BBC Master AIV (Advanced Interactive Video). This isn't an 'official' term - as far as Acorn and the BBC were concerned, they wanted schools to purchase the system in the belief that it was essentially what they were used to. The BBC Master was an off the shelf Master Turbo, with an additional SCSI interface (possibly electronically derived from the SCSI interface built into the ACW), and an additional filing system to access the LV-ROM.

The VP415 LV-ROM was an industrial Philips Laservision player, already 'programmable' according to the Laservision standards. The storage was broken down into volumes, with data encoded along with the video content (which can be played separately). The SCSI interface allowed data retrieval but this was also possible via the RS-232 interface - and a module to allow the other machine popular in schools at the time access - the RM Nimbus. The actual data format on the disc was controlled by LV-DOS in the player, and VFS in the BBC series computer. Whilst the Master AIV was most definitely marketed for this application, the documentation is quite vague about whether a BBC B could be used, implying that merely the VFS ROM is required!

Video from the laserdisc was mixed using a genlock incorporated in the base of the VP415 with data generated by the Domesday applications and displayed on a SCART monitor.

Applications allowed searching of film content, further exploration of the information, such as going into a house pictured (within limitations, of course!), and statistical analysis of data gathered in a project that involved schools all over the UK. It's quite likely that many people of my generation contributed, in some small part, to the Domesday project.

Additional discs were produced for educational purposes, hoping to expand the applications of the AIV system, but the late 80s was to see the advent of Microsoft's "Multimedia PC" standard, Philips' own CDi, and many other CD (rather than LD) based systems. LV-ROM, in addition to the video and still frames, could store just under 400Mb of data on a 12" optical disc - whilst the video would take up more space on CD, the media was physically fragile and was eventually to be rendered obsolete with the end of the VP415.

Projects to restore the Domesday project are hampered by copyright law and the restrictions of accessing the data, The most successful is Leeds University's CAMeLION project, an emulated system, with some PC-based applications. I am undertaking my own 'accessible' project, to attempt to make the material useable in a wide range of consumer friendly appliances, but like everyone else, am tied by the fragility of the hardware (if anyone has parts for the VP415 I need spares!) and of course, copyright law.

---

Thanks A LOT to Richard Kilpatrick for all this info.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>