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title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params
title categories types origins years cpus params
Philips VG 5000
Computers
Home Computer
Netherlands
1984
Zilog Z80
name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware connectors screenshots emulators links videos comments related oc_id source
VG 5000 /companies/philips Philips
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NAME VG 5000
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MANUFACTURER Philips
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TYPE Home Computer
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ORIGIN Netherlands
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YEAR end of 1984
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END OF PRODUCTION 1986
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BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic
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KEYBOARD AZERTY, 63 keys (chicklet keyboard)\ 33 Basic statements\ 10 accentuated letters\ Editing keypad
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CPU Zilog Z80
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SPEED 4 MHz
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RAM 24 kb (up to 56 kb)
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VRAM 8 kb
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ROM 18 kb
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TEXT MODES 40 x 25 (15 x 80 only in assembler)
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GRAPHIC MODES None (pseudo 320 x 250 resolution with semi-graphic symbols)
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COLORS 8
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SOUND 1 voice, 4 octaves
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SIZE / WEIGHT 28 x 21 x 4,2 cm / 820g
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I/O PORTS Tape recorder DIN plug (1200 or 2400 bauds)\ Video output (DIN to SCART)\ Power DIN plug\ Extension port (2 x 25 pins)
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POWER SUPPLY External PSU (VU 0022)
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PERIPHERALS VG 5200 - Joystick interface\ VG 5216 - Expansion unit\ VU 0001 - Joytsick\ VU 0011 - SECAM Modulator\ VU 0031 - 16k RAM cartridge\ VW 0010 - 40 columns printer\ VW 0020 - 80 columns print
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PRICE 242 (France, dec. 84)\ 120 (France, oct. 86)
photos
adverts
hardware
connectors
software
emulators
links
videos
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SPINNING PHILIPS VG-5000 null
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LARGE VIEW null
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KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP Philips chose the French company RTC (RadioTechnique Compelec) to manufacture the VG 5000. This company also manufactured the French 'Minitel' videotext terminal which keyboard was very similar to the VG 5000 one. null
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RADIOLA VG-5000 null
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SCHNEIDER VG-5000 null
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ELECTRONIC BOARDS Same kind of electronic board design can be found in other RTC products like, for example, the Philips/Schneider/Radiola Videopac game consoles. **(1)** Tape recorder interface card\ **(2)** Keyboard connector\ **(3)** 16 KB ROM holding the Microsoft BASIC interpreter\ **(4-5)** 2x8 KB RAM chips (Nec 4168) hold the 16 KB of user RAM\ **(6)** Z80A processor, here a SGS version\ **(7)** Thomson EF-9345 video chip. Also holds 110 ASCII characters and 128 graphic characters. 192 additional characters could be defined by the user.\ **(8)** 8 KB video RAM dedicated to text and graphic display. null
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COMPLETE SYSTEM Power supply, expansion pack, dot matrix printer, 2 x joysticks, cassette recorder, ROM cartridges and cassette software. null
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ALL-IN-ONE This strange and massive 'all plastic' console integrates color display, computer, joysticks, cassette recorder and handbook. With some imagination, it looks like the StarTrek Enterprise spaceship's main desk ! null
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PHILIPS FRENCH ADVERT. **Two generations amazed...** Perhaps a bit too much though... but the scene is beautiful and we can only admire the originality of the Philips' communication campaign which, for once, is not exclusively focused on the young Basic apprentices. null
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RADIOLA ADVERT. 1 null
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RADIOLA ADVERT. 2 null
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RADIOLA ADVERT. 3 null
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CONNECTIVITY SKETCH null
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VU-001 Joysticks They are the same as Videopac controllers. null
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VU-0011 Secam modulator This little box transforms the RGB video signal from the SCART plug into a modulated signal with an aerial plug (orange on picture). null
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VU-0022 Power supply null
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VU-0031 16k RAM cartridge I know it's written MSX on it, so it was surely also meant for the Philips MSX machines as the VG-8000 or 8010... But the VG-5000 is definately not an MSX computer ! null
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VG-5200 Joystick interface This is used to plug two joysticks... It connects at the rear of the VG-5000, on the expansion bus. null
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VG-5216 Expansion unit The VG-5216 expansion unit is the add-on which makes a little more bearable the VG-5000... It offers a RAM bonus of 16k, that is to say a total of 40k (30k left for the user) and 56K with the additional 16k cartridge that you can plug into the unit cart slot (47k left for the user). But it should be noticed that the cart slot available on this add-on will have never been used by anything else than this 16k RAM cartridge ! The VG-5216 box makes it also possible to connect a VW00100 or VW0020 printer via a small plug located at the back of the unit. Lastly, thanks to two sockets at the back, it's possible to connect 2 joysticks, like with the VG-5200 interface. null
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VG-5216 Inside null
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VG-5216 How to mount the unit The unit is mounted on the top of the VG-5000 and is connected through the expansion port at the back of the computer. null
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EXPANSION PORT null
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POWER SUPPLY DIN 5 connector null
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VIDEO OUTPUT DIN 8 to SCART connector null
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JOYSTICK DB9 connector null
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PRINTER PORT null
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CARTRIDGE PORT null
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TAPE RECORDER DIN 8 connector null
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CARNET D'ADRESSES Address file system null
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FICHIERS Files null
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BUDGET null
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SALUT L'ARTISTE null
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L'ÉCOLE DES SINGES Monkey academy ...or how to learn mathematics with monkeys. null
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CALCUL MENTAL Fonctions mathématiques null
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COMPLÉMENTS ET MULTIPLES Grammar and syntax educational game null
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MES PREMIERS MOTS CROISÉS (VOL. 1 & 2) My first crosswords null
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LA CLÉ DES CHANTS Musical games null
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CARTE DE FRANCE (MER, FLEUVES, VILLES ET MONTAGNES) Map of France Geographic games null
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MICROJEUX Cocktail de jeux null
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SYSTÈME MÉTRIQUE Metric system null
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LIRE VITE ET BIEN Read quick and well null
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MOTS EN FLEURS Construire des mots null
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LA CAROTTE MALICIEUSE Repérage et déplacement sur un plan quadrillé null
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LA DÉCOUVERTE DU BASIC Volume 1 null
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LA DÉCOUVERTE DU BASIC Volume 2 null
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LA MOTO INFERNALE null
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LE FOU VOLANT null
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US RALLYE null
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GLOUTON Munchkin null
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LE MONSTRE DE L'ESPACE Space monster null
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TORTUES Turtles null
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FOOTBALL Soccer null
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L'ABEILLE Spina the bee null
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BRIS DE GLACE Hard hat null
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CITADELLE Textual adventure null
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HÉLICOPTÈRE null
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VIKING null
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BACKGAMMON null
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DIVERTISSEMENTS 4 simple games null
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MISSION OMÉGA Excellent 3D space action ! null
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STAROC Scramble type game null
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SIMULATEUR DE VOL Flight simulation null
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TAROT null
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DCVG5K http://dcvg5k.free.fr/ Windows The only VG5000 emulator !
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La page des fans du VG-5000 http://vg5000.free.fr/ VG-5000 dedicated website. Enjoy as it is the only one!
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french TV advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIK8wQKKLQs Length: 31 s
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Dan Sunday 17th November 2019 The Philips VG 5000 definitely isn''t the first homecomputer by Philips. They had several systems like the P2000 series before the 5000!
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zozo (france) Thursday 30th October 2014 j''oubliais, c''était ma 1ere machine !!! et j''étais content mais j''avais pas encore mon propre moniteur je devais utiliser la télévision de la maison un grand handicape.
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zozo (france) Thursday 30th October 2014 j''en ai ue un en 1985 processeur tournant à 4mhz !!! le plus rapide des 8 bit a l''époque. dommage qu''il n''y est pas eu de sprites et plus de couleurs.
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Quesnel (France) Monday 8th July 2002 Hello, i'm a french and i search a book and a cassette game for a VG5000. Thank you!\ Laulau@chez.com Bonjour, je suis francais et je recherche des jeux, programmes, magasines pour le VG5000 (en clair tout pour le VG5000.\ Voici mon site: www.chez.com/laulau\ mon e-mail: laulau@chez.com
/museum/radiola-vg-5000
249
url date
https://web.archive.org/web/20230607192921/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=249 2023-06-07

This computer was created and made in France by a company called RTC. It was released by Philips. It was not MSX compliant and or compatible with the other Philips VG computers. The basic was written by Microsoft.

It was designed to be a cheap computer for beginners and school purpose. Philips planned to develop a lot of peripherals for this computer : synthetiser, memory card, floppy disk unit, videodisc interface, etc... but none of them was realised. Finally, it had a limited success.