website/content/museum/philips-cd-i-210.md

---
title: Philips CD-i 210
categories:
- Consoles
params:
  name: CD-i 210
  image: /media/museum/photos/philips_cdi210_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/philips
  company_name: Philips
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  - connectors
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: PHILIPS CDI-210
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/philips_cdi210_system_2.jpg
  - title: REAR
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      From left to right :\
      \- power in\
      \- serial connector\
      \- audio stereo output\
      \- video output\
      \- SCART video connector\
      \- Expansion slot for Digital Video Cartridge
    image: /media/museum/photos/philips_cdi210_back_1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/philips_cdi210_inside_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: FIRST ADVERT (1989)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This brochure was jointly published by Philips and American Interactive Media (the Philips/PolyGram joint venture that was set up to develop CD-i consumer software prior to the launch of the hardware). It was intented to give a general overview of CD-i's functionality in a consumer area. The brochure was presented to visitors of multimedia fairs and business partners at around 1989. The CD-i unit (including the remote control) that is displayed is an artist's impression of a player, it was never actually produced. The first consumer CD-i player, the CDI 910, appeared on the market in the US in October 1991.

      Source = [The New International CD-i Association](http://www.icdia.org/)

      Thanks to [The New International CD-i Association](http://www.icdia.org/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/cdi_pub_1.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: CD-I TOUCHPAD
    subtitle: '#22ER9017'
    text: |-
      The CD-i Trouchpad was the first game controller for CD-i. It was based on the Gravis Ultrapad and was build by Logitech. The thumbstick could be removed, and it could be used upside-down.

      Info taken from [The New International CD-i Association](http://www.icdia.org/)
    image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_cdi_pad_1.jpg
  - title: CD-I THUMBSTICK
    subtitle: '#22ER9051'
    text: |-
      The CD-i Thumbstick was an IR controller based on the Enhanced RC5 standard. It was bundled with the CDI 205, CDI 910 and with early version of the CDI 210 and the CDI 220.

      Info taken from [The New International CD-i Association](http://www.icdia.org/)
    image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_cdi_ir-controller_1.jpg
  - title: CD-I COMMANDER
    subtitle: '#22ER9055'
    text: The CD-i Commander is an IR controller based on the RC6 standard. It was bundled with most CD-i players, except for the early ones that included the CD-i Thumbstick. RC6 alows for pressure differences resulting in various cursor movement speeds.
    image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_cdi_ir-controller2_1.jpg
  - title: ROLLER CONTROLLER
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/cdi_roller-controller_1.jpg
  connectors:
  - title: SERIAL INPUT (FRONT)
    subtitle: 8-pin mini-DIN
    text: |-
      1 - nc\
      2 - rxd (input)\
      3 - txd (output)\
      4 - nc\
      5 - ground\
      6 - cts (input)\
      7 - rts (output)\
      8 - +5v (100 mA max)
    image: /media/museum/connectors/cdi_input-front_mini-din_8-broches_femelle.jpg
  - title: SERIAL INPUT (REAR)
    subtitle: 8-pin mini-DIN
    text: |-
      1 - rxd1 (input)\
      2 - rxd2 (input)\
      3 - tx2 (output)\
      4 - rts1 (output)\
      5 - ground\
      6 - nc\
      7 - rts2 (output)\
      8 - +5v (100 mA max)
    image: /media/museum/connectors/cdi_input-rear_mini-din_8-broches_femelle.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: SOME SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR CDI SYSTEMS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/philips_cdi210_software_1.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_dragnoslair_box.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 1
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_dragnoslair_ss1.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 2
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_dragnoslair_ss2.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 3
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_dragnoslair_ss3.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: International Tennis Open was considered for a long time the best Tennis game on any console with its impressive digitalized graphics.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_tennis_box.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 1
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_ss_tennis_1.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 2
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_ss_tennis_2.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: This is maybe the best game for the CD-i. For the time, it was revolutionary. You ARE in the movie !
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_maddogmaccree_box.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 1
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_maddogmaccree_ss1.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 2
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_maddogmaccree_ss2.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_micromachines_box.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 1
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_micromachines_ss1.jpg
  - title: SCREENSHOT 2
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Le Monde du CD-i](http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/) for this picture.
    image: /media/museum/software/cdi_micromachines_ss2.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: CD-ice
    url: http://www.zophar.net/cd-i.html
    platform: MS DOS
    text: This is the first (and so far, only) CD-I emulator, written by Pete Dabbs
  links:
  - title: CD-i Collective
    url: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Capsule/3570/
    text: contains a lot of comprehensive descriptions of CD-i titles (mostly games), including screenshots and opinions
  - title: CD-i Fan Club Nederland
    url: http://cdi.eigenstart.nl/
    text: Another CD-i dedicated website in dutch... quite a lot of interesting content there too
  - title: Interactive Dreams Videogames
    url: http://cdii.blogspot.com/
    text: websitre dedicated to CD-i
  - title: Le Monde du CD-i
    url: http://www.lemondeducdi.fr.st/
    text: Excellent multilingual site with a lot of info there, especially about software
  - title: The Black Moon Project
    url: http://blackmoon.classicgaming.gamespy.com/default.asp
    text: The aim of this site is to become the premier resource for Philips CD-i related material. Including Reviews, Movies, CD-ice Emulator Compatibility, Boxart, Manual Scans and anything else that could possibly be related to the CD-i.
  - title: The New International CD-i Association
    url: http://www.icdia.co.uk/
    text: This website is dedicated to the Compact Disc Interactive system. It provides you with lots of technical background information, downloads, overviews and other resources on CD-i. A must !
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: CD-i news group can be used for all your CD-i inquiries, including CD-i players, compatibility, PC access of CD-i discs (including driver software and versions), authoring, availability of software and spare parts.
  comments:
  - author: Wolverine Bates
    date: Thursday 23rd October 2014
    text: |-
      I won''t argue that the games were complete and utter crap (they were), having been there myself. However I will say the CD-i platform was utter nirvana if you worked for a company that subscribed to Muzak or AEI Music on disc and you were an easy-listening junkie, as home CD-i was descended from a platform (CD-BGM) meant for just that. And it remained 100$ compatible with it. Usually 37800 Hz ADPCM (type "B") audio, mono or stereo. That was an advantage (although a very minor one) it had over the other CD-based video game platforms of the day.

      Don''t forget, the original Playstation used a disk format that was essentially CD-i with an ISO9660 TOC.
  - author: Jeice1990
    date: Wednesday 29th December 2010
    text: 'Dr. Raptorheimer was wrong. This system was never gonna be the CD add-on for the SNES. It was first worked on in the mid-1980s and never really intended to be a game console, until the final few years of its life span, at which point is had become utterly outdated for games (talk about bad timing!). Notable games on the system included the acclaimed "Burn: Cycle", the hilarious (intentionally or not) "Hotel Mario" and of course a version of the infamous "Dragon''''s Lair"'
  - author: Jeice1990
    date: Saturday 4th December 2010
    text: I bought one from a person that works at the same place as my dad. Crazy system (with games that often seem to use still-photos and FMV as graphics), but I like it.
  - author: Dr. Raptorheimer
    date: Tuesday 14th September 2010
    text: Ah the retarded offspring of Nintendo''s soured relationship with Sony. The CD-i was nintendo''s Laundered attempt to try and make a Playstation-esqe system before the ill fated 64DD failed. It was to be blunt a horrid system with its only notable game being a Russian Zelda with simple platforming and horrid cut-scenes.
  - author: Daz (Wigan)
    date: Saturday 2nd June 2007
    text: The CDi was such a revolutaniary part of computing, but has been forgotten by many, my old 210 broke, but I had to get another, that is now working, Games such as Mad Dog, with actual DV footage, and a light gun, haven't been surpassed to date. Nintendo's "Wii" system seems to attempt the only revival of this interactive part of the system, but thus far have failed.
  oc_id: 1006
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604130332/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1006
    date: '2023-06-04'
---

The CD-i 210 was a stripped down version of the CD-i 220, lacking the chique opening door in front of the tray. Also, its FTD-display was slightly less sophisticated. Several versions of the CD-i 210 have been produced, each with minor differences (shell version, digital video cartridge compatibility model, CD loading mechanism version, etc). But the CD-i 210 is nowadays certainly the most common CD-i system found worldwide.

The CD-i 210 is thus part of the big CD-i family. CD-i is short for Compact Disc Interactive. It is an interactive multimedia system combining moving and still video, audio and program content on a compact disc, which can be played back in a dedicated CD-i player.

CD-i was jointly developed by Philips Electronics NV and Sony Corporation in the mid 80s. Together, both companies defined CD-i's basic specifications in what is know as the Green Book. They decided to use the well-tested OS-9 operating system from Microware Systems Corporation, which was designed for embedded, real-time applications. Microware was also heavily involved in the CD-i design process. Eventually, Philips took the biggest part in the development process, being responsible for at least 90% of CD-i's development.

The basic CD-i specification allows a CD-i player to display full screen animations in 128 colors over a 16.7 million color background, or play partial screen moving video in a lower framerate in 16.7 million colors, both with accompanying sound. However, these capabilities are extended when a Digital Video cartridge is placed in the player. In this case, the player is able to display full-screen, full moving 30 fps video in 16.7 million colors according to the MPEG-1 standard. Although Digital Video is not a part of CD-i's basic specification, it is generally considered to be a "must-have" extension to a CD-i player since it adds an enormous audiovisual performance boost to the system.

A Base Case CD-i player should be able to decode standard PCM audio as specified for CD-Audio, as well as a dedicated audio coding scheme called ADPCM, or Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation. A CD-i player equiped with a Digital Video cartridge is also able to decode MPEG-1 layer I and II audio.

CD-i can display both main planes in either normal, double or high resolution, which are 384x280, 768x280 and 768x560 respectively. CD-i highest resolution (768x560), used for QHY images, is the highest resolution that can be made visible on a normal TV set, so CD-i takes TV-technology to its edges.

Note that there are no system performance differences between the various players. Although there are various models of CD-i players, every CD-i disc will perform exactly the same in terms of system speed or audio and video quality on every CD-i system.

---

Info compiled from the excellent [CD-i FAQ 2000 Edition](http://www.icdia.org/faq/index.html). If you want to know more about CD-i, go there !