CD-i FAQ 2000 Edition
Latest update: June 29, 2003
Here, you will find the most up-to-date CD-i FAQ available on the web. It has been written early in 2000, and special care was taken into account to include the current CD-i situation.
This FAQ is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF), for easy off-line reference.
Download CD-i FAQ / PDF Version 2.0 - February 21, 2001 (334 KB)
The FAQ is also available in Italian.
0. About this CD-i FAQ
0.1 What's the goal of this FAQ?
0.2 Who wrote it and who maintains it?
0.3 Who helped along the sidelines?
0.4 How can I contact the author?
0.5 What's the official status of this FAQ?
1. The CD-i System
1.1 What is CD-i?
1.2 Who invented CD-i?
1.3 Is CD-i propietary?
1.4 What is the Green Book?
1.5 What versions of the Green Book are available?
1.6 Where can I get the licenses?
1.7 Will any CD-i disc play on any CD-i player?
1.8 What's a Base Case player and a Base Case disc?
1.9 Does CD-i support full-screen moving video?
1.10 What disc types can be played on a CD-i player?
1.11 What are the advantages of CD-i over PC-based interactive systems?
1.12 How is CD-i related to other TV-based interactive systems?
1.13 What is the official CD-i logo?
1.14 What is the correct way of writing CD-i?
2. CD-i applications
2.1 In what aeras is CD-i used?
2.2 How was CD-i used as a consumer device?
2.2.1 Who made consumer CD-i titles?
2.3 How was CD-i used in professional areas?
2.3.1 Which companies used CD-i?
3. CD-i techniques
3.1 What are CD-i's basic specs?
3.2 What CPU does CD-i use?
3.3 What OS does CD-i use?
3.4 What's a Real-Time system?
3.5 What is sector interleaving?
3.6 What's CD-i's sector format? What about mode 1 and 2, form 1 and 2?
3.7 What's CD-i's disc structure?
3.8 What filesystem does CD-i use? Is it based on ISO09660?
3.9 How much RAM does CD-i incorporate?
3.10 What is the CSD?
3.11 What kind of CD-drive is being used in a CD-i player?
3.12 How does CD-i audio work?
3.12.1 Does CD-i support Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital or MPEG multichannel?
3.12.2 Can CD-i play back MP3 files?
3.13 How does CD-i video work?
3.13.1 What is the screen resolution of a CD-i player?
3.13.2 Does CD-i make a difference between PAL and NTSC?
3.13.3 Does CD-i support wide screen (16:9) TV sets?
3.13.4 How does CD-i Full Motion Video work?
4. CD-i players
4.1 Which companies sold CD-i players?
4.2 What CD-i players are available?
4.3 What is the difference between a consumer and a professional CD-i player?
4.4 Does system performance differ between the various players?
4.5 What are the differences between the various player shells?
4.6 What does the /00, /20, etc. after the type-indication mean?
4.7 What do I need a Digital Video cartridge for?
4.7.1 Is there a difference between the various Digital Video cartridges?
4.7.2 Is the extra RAM used by non-DV CD-i titles?
4.8 How much NV-RAM storage space does a CD-i player have?
4.8.1 I cannot delete items from my CD-i player's memory, why?
4.9 What pointing devices can be connected to a CD-i player?
4.9.1 How many ports for pointing devices does a player have?
4.9.2 What's the difference between RC5 and RC6?
4.10 Can a keyboard be connected to a CD-i player?
4.11 Can a CD-i player be used for accessing the Internet?
4.11.1 What was Tele-CD-i?
4.12 Can a CD-i player read CD-Recordable (CD-R) or CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) discs?
4.13 Can a CD-i player read multi-session CDs?
4.14 How can the CD-i player be connected to a TV and stereo system?
4.15 What is the Digital Out connector on some players used for?
4.16 Is there a difference between PAL, SECAM and NTSC?
4.17 Can CD-i be used on DTV, IDTV or HDTV television sets?
4.18 Is a CD-i player Y2K-proof?
5. Disc types
5.1 What is a CD-i disc?
5.2 What is CD-i Ready?
5.3 What is CD-Digital Audio or CD-DA?
5.4 What is CD+Graphics?
5.5 What is CD-BGM?
5.6 What is a CD-i Bridge disc?
5.7 What is Video-CD?
5.8 What is Karaoke-CD?
5.9 What is Photo-CD?
5.9.1 What Photo-CD variants are available? Do they all play on CD-i?
5.9.2 What are the differences between the various Photo-CD applications for CD-i?
5.10 Will CD-i play Picture-CD?
5.11 Will CD-i play CD-ROM discs?
5.12 Will CD-i play Sony Electronic Book (Data Discman) titles?
5.13 Will CD-i play Super Video-CD?
5.14 Will CD-i play Super Audio-CD?
5.15 Will CD-i play HDCD, CD-Video, CD-MIDI or CD-Text?
5.16 Will CD-i play DVD discs?
5.17 Will a DVD player play CD-i discs?
5.18 I'm having troubles playing a CD-Extra (CD-Plus, Enhanced CD). Why?
6. Video-CD on CD-i
6.1 What's the difference between a Video-CD and a Digital Video on CD-i disc?
6.2 What are the differences between the various Video-CD versions?
6.3 What CD-i applications for Video-CD were available?
6.3.1 What are the differences between the various versions of Video-CD on CD-i?
6.3.2 What version of the CD-i application should be used for the different Video-CD versions?
6.3.3 How can I customize the Video-CD on CD-i 3.x application?
6.3.4 Where can I get a CD-i application to use with my Video-CD creation tool?
6.4 I have a Video-CD. Why won't it play on my CD-i?
6.4.1 Why does the video on my home made Video-CD freeze?
6.5 Why can't I fast forward or reverse with some discs?
6.6 What is Video-CD 3.0?
6.7 What is CVD or Chao-Ji?
6.8 What is Super Video-CD?
7. CD-i auhoring
7.1 How is CD-i authoring generally done?
7.2 What is disc building?
7.3 What is a CD-i authoring or development player?
7.4 What is a CD-i emulator?
7.5 Do I need special hardware to make a CD-i title?
7.6 What is OptImage?
7.7 What CD-i authoring tools were available?
7.8 Where can I get CD-i authoring tools?
7.9 What is the easiest way to make a CD-i title?
7.10 How can I write a CD-i disc image file?
7.11 How can I make a Video-CD?
7.12 How can I make a Photo-CD?
7.13 How can I play my pictures on my CD-i player?
7.14 How can I make a CD+Graphics?
8. CD-i mysteries
8.1 Can I connect a CD-i player to a display terminal?
8.1.1 How can I access a CD-RTOS/OS-9 prompt using a CD-i player?
8.1.2 What hidden applications are burnt into the CD-i player's system ROM?
8.1.3 What hidden information is available on some CD-i titles?
8.1.4 Can I transfer data from the CD-i to my PC?
8.2 How can I enable/disable the open/close function of the drawer?
8.3 How can I enter the features of the CDI 660/670 key-disc?
8.4 How can I access an X-rated CD-i title?
8.5 What hidden features are there in other CD-i titles?
9. CD-i on other platforms
9.1 Can I run an interactive CD-i title on my PC?
9.2 Can CD-i be emulated on other platforms like a PC?
9.3 What was the PC/CD-i card used for?
9.4 Can I view the contents of a CD-i disc on my PC?
9.5 What is an IFF file?
9.6 How can I watch pictures of a CD-i disc on my PC?
9.7 How can I listen to audio of a CD-i disc on my PC?
9.8 How can I view Digital Video sequences of a CD-i disc on my PC?
10. Copying CD-i discs
10.1 Are CD-i titles still copyrighted?
10.2 Are CD-i discs copy-protected?
10.3 Will every CD-Recorder be able to write CD-i discs?
10.4 What software can be used to copy a CD-i title?
10.5 Why can't I copy a particular CD-i title?
10.6 Can I copy a CD-i title to a videocassette?
11. The current CD-i situation
11.1 Is CD-i still being used?
11.2 Are CD-i players still being manufactured?
11.3 Is CD-i still being sold?
11.4 Can I rent CD-i players?
11.5 Where can I buy CD-i titles?
11.6 Which books have been published about CD-i?
11.7 Where can I find CD-i related information on the Internet?
11.8 What good alternatives are there for CD-i in the consumer area?
11.9 What good alternatives are there for CD-i in the professional field?
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