website/content/museum/jvc-hc-95.md

---
title: JVC HC-95
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1986'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80A
params:
  name: HC-95
  company: /companies/jvc
  company_name: JVC
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: HC-95
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: JVC
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1986'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: MSX Basic 2.0
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 73 key with 5 function keys, numeric keypad and 4 arrow keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80A and HD64180 (custom JVC processor)
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3.58 MHz (Z80A) - 6 MHz (HD64180)
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: 'Video Display Processor : V9938 (MSX-VIDEO)'
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: 128 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 86 KB (48 KB BASIC, 16 KB Disc BASIC, 16 KB System)
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 x 24 / 32 x 24
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 64 x 48 / 256 x 192 / 256 x 212 / 512 x 212
  - label: COLORS
    value: '512'
  - label: SOUND
    value: 3 channels, 8 octaves
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 40.5 (W) x 38.1 (D) x 7.6 (H) cm. / 7 Kg.
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Parallel, 1 cartridge slot, Tape recorder, Serial RS232, TV/RF, Composite video in/out, audio Left/Right in/out, RGB video in/out, 2 x joysticks, 2 x custom card slots
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 3.5'' floppy disc drives (720 KB double side, double density)
  - label: OS
    value: MSX Basic 2.0
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in switching power supply unit
  - label: PRICE
    value: From £800 - 19800 Yens
  tabs:
  - photos
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: BACK SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** TV/RF modulator output\
      **(2)** RGB in/out on one DB 25 connector\
      **(3)** Composite video in/out\
      **(4)** Audio left/right in/out (4 RCA jacks)\
      **(5)** Parallel printer connector\
      **(6)** Tape recorder DIN plug\
      **(7)** Keyboard connector\
      **(8)** Custom JVC expansion card housings\
      **(9)** Serial RS232 DB25 connector
    image: null
  emulators:
  - title: BlueMSX
    url: http://www.bluemsx.com/
    platform: Windows
    text: Excellent free MSX emulator
  - title: fMSX32
    url: HTTP://WWW.RETRODEV.INFO/
    platform: Other platform
    text: The excellent fMSX, but ported onto the GamePark GP32 handheld console.
  - title: openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection.
    url: http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: This new MSX emulator can reproduce, among many other MSX, MSX2and MSX2+ machines, both Panasonic Turbo-R models. Be sure to get the catapult frontend and the system roms from FUNET.
  links:
  - title: MSX Faq
    url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org
    text: Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX.
  comments:
  - author: JamesD
    date: Tuesday 27th October 2015
    text: |-
      Correction, there is no native mode on the 64180. That''s a feature on the Hitachi 6309\
      A 6 MHz 64180 is supposed to be twice as fast as a 4 MHz Z80\
      BYTE magazine published a design for a CP/M compatible 64180 system in the Sept/Oct 1985 issues
  - author: JamesD
    date: Sunday 15th January 2012
    text: Percent
  - author: JamesD
    date: Sunday 15th January 2012
    text: That was supposed to say 20$ faster
  - author: JamesD (USA)
    date: Sunday 15th January 2012
    text: |-
      The HD64180 was manufactured by Hitachi. Zilog now sells the same thing as the Z180 but with minor differences in the buss signals.

      The 64180/Z180 add a native mode which executes code 20$ faster once enabled, new instructions allow smaller more efficient code, an MMU allows addressing up to 1MB of memory, illegal opcodes are trapped, etc...
  - author: Pharoah (USA)
    date: Saturday 24th December 2005
    text: |-
      512 colors, interesting!\
      That's 9 bits :)
  related:
  - /museum/canon-v-25
  - /museum/kawai-kmc-5000
  - /museum/msx-2
  - /museum/panasonic-fs-a1
  - /museum/panasonic-fs-a1f
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f1xd
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f500
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f700
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f9
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-g900f
  oc_id: 862
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230605033223/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=862
    date: '2023-06-05'
---

The JVC-95 conformed to the maximum graphics specification of the [MSX-2](/museum/msx-2/) standard. However, like the [Pioneer PX-7](/museum/pioneer-palcom-px-7/) it also carried a sophisticated hardware interface that handled video superimposition and various interactive video processing features.

In fact, the case housed two separate electronic cards. One was purely MSX, the second was dedicated to additional video functions. Several programs were bundled with the system, they allowed pictures, graphs ot texts to be mixed with any video source.

Another interesting aspect of the HC-95 hardware was it's double prrocessor feature. User could select between the usual Z80A/3.5 MHz processor and a custom JVC processor called HD64180, running at 6 MHz.

JVC tried to sell its HC-95 in Europe with no success, probably because of the Commodore [Amiga](/museum/commodore-amiga-1000/) competition. The Amiga already had built-in video superimposition function (GenLock). Eventually it has been sold only in Japan.