website/content/museum/philips-vg-5000.md

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 image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware connectors screenshots emulators links videos related oc_id source VG 5000 /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_system_s1.jpg /companies/philips Philips label value NAME VG 5000 label value MANUFACTURER Philips label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Netherlands label value YEAR end of 1984 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1986 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic label value KEYBOARD AZERTY, 63 keys (chicklet keyboard)\ 33 Basic statements\ 10 accentuated letters\ Editing keypad label value CPU Zilog Z80 label value SPEED 4 MHz label value RAM 24 kb (up to 56 kb) label value VRAM 8 kb label value ROM 18 kb label value TEXT MODES 40 x 25 (15 x 80 only in assembler) label value GRAPHIC MODES None (pseudo 320 x 250 resolution with semi-graphic symbols) label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND 1 voice, 4 octaves label value SIZE / WEIGHT 28 x 21 x 4,2 cm / 820g label value 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) label value POWER SUPPLY External PSU (VU 0022) label value 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 label value PRICE 242 (France, dec. 84)\ 120 (France, oct. 86) photos adverts hardware connectors software emulators links videos 259 title subtitle text image SPINNING PHILIPS VG-5000 /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_anim.gif title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image 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. /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image RADIOLA VG-5000 /media/museum/photos/radiola_vg5000.jpg title subtitle text image SCHNEIDER VG-5000 /media/museum/photos/schneider_vg5000.jpg title subtitle text image 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. /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM Power supply, expansion pack, dot matrix printer, 2 x joysticks, cassette recorder, ROM cartridges and cassette software. /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_system_1.jpg title subtitle text image 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 ! /media/museum/photos/philips_vg5000_coque_1.jpg title subtitle text image 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. /media/museum/pubs/philips_vg5000_pub1.jpg title subtitle text image RADIOLA ADVERT. 1 /media/museum/pubs/radiola_vg5000_pub1.jpg title subtitle text image RADIOLA ADVERT. 2 /media/museum/pubs/radiola_vg5000_pub2.jpg title subtitle text image RADIOLA ADVERT. 3 /media/museum/pubs/radiola_vg5000_pub3.jpg title subtitle text image CONNECTIVITY SKETCH /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_schema_extension.gif title subtitle text image VU-001 Joysticks They are the same as Videopac controllers. /media/museum/hardware/none.jpg title subtitle text image 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). /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_adapt_uhf.jpg title subtitle text image VU-0022 Power supply /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_psu.jpg title subtitle text image 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 ! /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_16k_cart.jpg title subtitle text image VG-5200 Joystick interface This is used to plug two joysticks... It connects at the rear of the VG-5000, on the expansion bus. /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_5200.jpg title subtitle text image 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. /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_addon.jpg title subtitle text image VG-5216 Inside /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_addon_inside.jpg title subtitle text image 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. /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg5000_vg5216_various.gif title subtitle text image EXPANSION PORT /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_port_extension.gif title subtitle text image POWER SUPPLY DIN 5 connector /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_prise_alimentation.gif title subtitle text image VIDEO OUTPUT DIN 8 to SCART connector /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_prise_peritel.gif title subtitle text image JOYSTICK DB9 connector /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_vg5216_joy.gif title subtitle text image PRINTER PORT /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_vg5216_printer.gif title subtitle text image CARTRIDGE PORT /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_vg5216_cartport.gif title subtitle text image TAPE RECORDER DIN 8 connector /media/museum/connectors/philips_vg5000_prise_magneto.gif title subtitle text image CARNET D'ADRESSES Address file system /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_carnet_adresse.jpg title subtitle text image FICHIERS Files /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_fichier.jpg title subtitle text image BUDGET /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_budget.jpg title subtitle text image SALUT L'ARTISTE /media/museum/software/none.jpg title subtitle text image L'ÉCOLE DES SINGES Monkey academy ...or how to learn mathematics with monkeys. /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_monkey.gif title subtitle text image CALCUL MENTAL Fonctions mathématiques /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_calcul_mental.jpg title subtitle text image COMPLÉMENTS ET MULTIPLES Grammar and syntax educational game /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_complements_et_multiples.jpg title subtitle text image MES PREMIERS MOTS CROISÉS (VOL. 1 & 2) My first crosswords /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_mes_premiers_mots_croises_v1.jpg title subtitle text image LA CLÉ DES CHANTS Musical games /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_clef_des_chants.jpg title subtitle text image CARTE DE FRANCE (MER, FLEUVES, VILLES ET MONTAGNES) Map of France Geographic games /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_carte_de_france.jpg title subtitle text image MICROJEUX Cocktail de jeux /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_microjeux.jpg title subtitle text image SYSTÈME MÉTRIQUE Metric system /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_systeme_metrique.jpg title subtitle text image LIRE VITE ET BIEN Read quick and well /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_lire_vite_et_bien.jpg title subtitle text image MOTS EN FLEURS Construire des mots /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_mots_en_fleurs.jpg title subtitle text image LA CAROTTE MALICIEUSE Repérage et déplacement sur un plan quadrillé /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_la_carotte_malicieuse.jpg title subtitle text image LA DÉCOUVERTE DU BASIC Volume 1 /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_basic_volume_1.jpg title subtitle text image LA DÉCOUVERTE DU BASIC Volume 2 /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_decouverte_basic.jpg title subtitle text image LA MOTO INFERNALE /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_moto_infernale.gif title subtitle text image LE FOU VOLANT /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_fou_volant_1.gif title subtitle text image US RALLYE /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_rallye.gif title subtitle text image GLOUTON Munchkin /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_glouton.gif title subtitle text image LE MONSTRE DE L'ESPACE Space monster /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_lemonstre_1.gif title subtitle text image TORTUES Turtles /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_tortues.gif title subtitle text image FOOTBALL Soccer /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_football.gif title subtitle text image L'ABEILLE Spina the bee /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_labeille.gif title subtitle text image BRIS DE GLACE Hard hat /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_bris_de_glace.gif title subtitle text image CITADELLE Textual adventure /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_citadelle.gif title subtitle text image HÉLICOPTÈRE /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_helicopter.gif title subtitle text image VIKING /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_vikings.gif title subtitle text image BACKGAMMON /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_backgammon.gif title subtitle text image DIVERTISSEMENTS 4 simple games /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_divertissements.gif title subtitle text image MISSION OMÉGA Excellent 3D space action ! /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_omega_2.gif title subtitle text image STAROC Scramble type game /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_staroc_2.gif title subtitle text image SIMULATEUR DE VOL Flight simulation /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_g_simulateur_de_vol.jpg title subtitle text image TAROT /media/museum/software/philips_vg5000_ss_tarot.gif title url platform text DCVG5K http://dcvg5k.free.fr/ Windows The only VG5000 emulator ! title url text La page des fans du VG-5000 http://vg5000.free.fr/ VG-5000 dedicated website. Enjoy as it is the only one! title url text french TV advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIK8wQKKLQs Length: 31 s /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.