CDi Fan Appreciation Thread

[bwestdpm]

Maybe that’s it then 

they came as part of the cdi lot years ago on ebay

 

i paid around $170 for like 25 games ….7 of which have this label…and the console so it wasn’t like was selling them as rare

 

 

[bwestdpm]

Here is another question hopefully someone knows. I’m looking into getting the jeopardy game. I do have 2 IR remotes and one Philips game pad

 

but when I plug in the game pad I can only use it not the remote….when using the remote I have to restart the console before it recognizes the game pad

 

so how can we play this game with two people trying to “buzz “ in to answer first???

 

will it recognize both of my IR Phipps remotes at the same time and just not the game pad or so I need another method? Thanks!

[CatPix]

What is your console model?

The Philips 450 (and 550 I think) doesn't have a built-in IR sensor, you need an IR accessory.

If you have any other model, then IR should always work with or without the controller.

Maybe, check if you have plugged the controller in the correct input - most CD-i have connectors for 2 controller, but input 1 is for controllers, 2 is for controllers and other inputs as well. I never tried to plug in 2 controllers and use the IR remote.

 

For your video issue, I suspect, as other have suggested, that your TV detect the CD-i video blanking or changing resolution when you leave a game (on my CRT display, it "flashes" so clearly the video change at this moment is brutal) and think that your A/V device was switched off.

You may wanna look in your TV options to disable the blue screen option or the change of input.

[bwestdpm]

Thank you

 

model is 210

[derSammler]

55 minutes ago, bwestdpm said:

Here is another question hopefully someone knows. I’m looking into getting the jeopardy game. I do have 2 IR remotes and one Philips game pad

 

but when I plug in the game pad I can only use it not the remote….when using the remote I have to restart the console before it recognizes the game pad

 

so how can we play this game with two people trying to “buzz “ in to answer first???

 

will it recognize both of my IR Phipps remotes at the same time and just not the game pad or so I need another method? Thanks!

Afaik you would need two controllers for that (and the port splitter if your model has no "Input 2"). The remote is always controller 1. If you attach a gamepad to input 1, that will become controller 1. So you can not play two-player games that way.

 

Note that the remote is not encoded. You can use every CD-i remote and it will just work. Their is no pairing and the system can not distinguish between different remotes.

 

//edit:

It would probably work with the remote as controller 1 and the gamepad as controller 2 on input 2. But the 210 has no input 2. So at the very least, you need the port splitter.

Edited February 7, 2022 by derSammler

[bwestdpm]

Ok so I need a port splitter any idea where I can get one???

 

or if I understand I could use two IR remotes but then for jeopardy it wouldn’t recognize for a 2nd player they would both just “ring” in as player 1….so port splitter it is…now gotta find one haha

[bwestdpm]

Ok I see one on ebay

 

so With model 210

Do you know if I buy this splitter and plug my game controller pad into the “2” port on it if they cdi would recognize the IR remote as player one and the game pad as player 2 or so I need to buy a second game pad also? Thanks 

Edited February 7, 2022 by bwestdpm

[derSammler]

55 minutes ago, bwestdpm said:

Do you know if I buy this splitter and plug my game controller pad into the “2” port on it if they cdi would recognize the IR remote as player one and the game pad as player 2 or so I need to buy a second game pad also? Thanks 

Good question. I have the splitter myself and the ports are clearly labeled "1" and "2". But I don't know if that is hard-coded or if the controllers are just enumerated and the first one found is controller 1, no matter on which port.

 

Since you need the splitter anyway, I'd say just try it. In the worst case, you also need to get a second gamepad.

[+sixersfan105]

@bwestdpm what is your complete model number of your player? As in, what are the two digits after the slash? 210/XX, with the XXs being two numbers. That will actually tell us whether your player needs a splitter or not, so don't go buying one just yet without more info...

[bwestdpm]

Ok thank you I will check after work tonight and post

[derSammler]

1 hour ago, sixersfan105 said:

@bwestdpm what is your complete model number of your player? As in, what are the two digits after the slash? 210/XX, with the XXs being two numbers. That will actually tell us whether your player needs a splitter or not, so don't go buying one just yet without more info...

That info is not needed. All 210 models have only one port for a pointing device. The other one on the back is serial only and can not be used for a pointing device. The /XX only gives options like DVC pre-installed or additional video-out ports.

 

Simply check the manual. It says on page 9 that the splitter is required:

https://www.manualslib.de/manual/594835/Philips-Cdi-210.html?page=9#manual

Edited February 7, 2022 by derSammler

[+sixersfan105]

23 minutes ago, derSammler said:

That info is not needed. All 210 models have only one port for a pointing device. The other one on the back is serial only and can not be used for a pointing device. The /XX only gives options like DVC pre-installed or additional video-out ports.

 

Simply check the manual. It says on page 9 that the splitter is required:

https://www.manualslib.de/manual/594835/Philips-Cdi-210.html?page=9#manual

That's simply not true. Obviously it was the case for that specific model that is linked in the manual above, but the numbers after the slash are VERY important for hardware differences in CD-i models. Philips made hardware (and software) revisions every "20," typically. Check out this link, which makes this clear: http://www.icdia.co.uk/players/comparison.html

There, you will see that the 210/00 (and all revisions before you get to 210/20) can use controllers (or any "pointing devices") in the front port AND back port and that player is NOT compatible with the splitter. The 210/20 (and all revisions before you get to 210/40) can also use controllers (or any "pointing devices") in the front port AND back port and that player is NOT compatible with the splitter. Then, once you get to the 210/40 (and all revisions before you get to 210/60), only the front port can be used for controllers/all pointing devices, and this model IS compatible with the splitter to give two-player functionality. Similarly, the 210/60 and all revisions thereafter can only use controllers/pointing devices in the front port, and this model IS compatible with the splitter to give two-player functionality. 
 

By the way, the two-digit codes after the slash are region codes, and they are /00 for Europe mainland, /05 for the UK, /11 for Japan and /17 for the US. So, for example, a 210/20 sold in the US is coded 210/37 (20 + 17), etc. But, as noted, the major revisions were every "20," per the linked chart and as noted above. Cheers. 

 

[+sixersfan105]

3 hours ago, derSammler said:

Note that the remote is not encoded. You can use every CD-i remote and it will just work. Their is no pairing and the system can not distinguish between different remotes.

Also not true. Certain earlier players, notably the 205/00 and all codes after the slash, the 910 and all codes after the slash, and the 220/00 and all codes before you get to 220/20 use the RC5 IR protocol, meaning those players can only use an RC5 remote and will not work at all with the newer (and more plentiful) RC6 protocol remotes. The attached picture below is the only wireless remote compatible with the aforementioned players that use the RC5 protocol. 

[bwestdpm]

Cdi210/40

[+sixersfan105]

35 minutes ago, bwestdpm said:

Cdi210/40

Got it, thanks for providing this very important info. Given that information, the back port on your player is NOT compatible with controllers and you will need to obtain and utilize a splitter on your player's front port to give you two-player functionality. Obtaining an official OEM splitter would probably be the easiest, but note that hobbyists have been known to make their own, too, so you could ask around on here or on in the Facebook groups or Discord servers in case you would prefer to go the route of making your own or having someone make one for you, if you deem the cost of an official splitter as being too much. 

 

Also, to circle back on the issue you're having with your TV with respect to exiting back to the main menu of your CD-i - have you tried a different TV? It is likely a TV-specific issue.

[bwestdpm]

Yep working great on older smaller tv wow what the heck 

[+sixersfan105]

Glad to hear! And not all that surprising given what @Austin had said the other day about LCDs. 

[phoenixdownita]

DIY splitter: https://www.theworldofcdi.com/make-your-own-cd-i-port-splitter-for-2-player-games/

but as you know there isn't a whole lot of 2 players games  list here:
https://www.theworldofcdi.com/cd-i_encyclopedia/up-to-2-head-to-head/

It seems Jeopardy is in another category -> up to 4 alternatively
https://www.theworldofcdi.com/cd-i_encyclopedia/up-to-4-alternatively/

[Seob]

Here is one of my cd-i players . It is the cd-i 470 model with dvc. Added it to my stereo set, at first to be used as a cd-player, since my set when i found it only came with the tuner, amplifier and dcc deck. Last week i added a dual cassette deck and cd player to replace the 470. As a cd player it is a bare bones player. On the player itself, you can only start and stop playing a cd. No track skipping since it only has 3 buttons. For track skipping you need a rc6 compatible remote control. I changed the cd pickup carrier since the player didn’t spin up the disc. And i already modded the timekeeper to accept a standard cr2032.

The 470 is down at the bottom just above the dcc player.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Seob

[+sixersfan105]

52 minutes ago, Seob said:

Here is one of my cd-i players . It is the cd-i 470 model with dvc. Added it to my stereo set, at first to be used as a cd-player, since my set when i found it only came with the tuner, amplifier and dcc deck. Last week i added a dual cassette deck and cd player to replace the 470. As a cd player it is a bare bones player. On the player itself, you can only start and stop playing a cd. No track skipping since it only has 3 buttons. For track skipping you need a rc6 compatible remote control. I changed the cd pickup carrier since the player didn’t spin up the disc. And i already modded the timekeeper to accept a standard cr2032.

The 470 is down at the bottom just above the dcc player.

Quite the tower setup! Seriously, very cool. You don't see a lot of those components very often, especially in the US where I'm based. The 470 and 490 have intrigued me for some time now. Definitely a much smaller form factor than my 220. 

[bwestdpm]

Any tips for finding a mouse or game pad for cdi without spending 200-400 bucks on eBay??? Thanks!

[Leonard Smith]

1 minute ago, bwestdpm said:

Any tips for finding a mouse or game pad for cdi without spending 200-400 bucks on eBay??? Thanks!

I can sell you a Mac Gravis Gamepad if you're willing to mod it.
That's all I can really offer.

 

[bwestdpm]

Ah thanks i wish I could but my soldering and mod skills are about as basic as you can get. I’ve attempted 3 projects in my life and only one worked haha now I leave it to the pros

[+sixersfan105]

43 minutes ago, bwestdpm said:

Any tips for finding a mouse or game pad for cdi without spending 200-400 bucks on eBay??? Thanks!

Lauraiss' adapter for Genesis/MegaDrive controllers is quite good: https://lauraiss.wordpress.com/. He charges €38 including shipping for that adapter.

 

I bought my new in box CD-i mouse from this eBay seller last year. I'm assuming since they no longer have an active listing for that product, that they are now sold out, but perhaps you could message them and ask. It's my understanding they've been selling them for years, so they must have had pallets upon pallets of them...

 

There's a new in box CD-i Trackerball, which many people prefer over the mouse, for sale over at Dutch Game Boys for €99, which is a little over $100 US, plus €25 in shipping costs to the US.

[bwestdpm]

8 minutes ago, sixersfan105 said:

Lauraiss' adapter for Genesis/MegaDrive controllers is quite good: https://lauraiss.wordpress.com/. He charges €38 including shipping for that adapter.

 

I bought my new in box CD-i mouse from this eBay seller last year. I'm assuming since they no longer have an active listing for that product, that they are now sold out, but perhaps you could message them and ask. It's my understanding they've been selling them for years, so they must have had pallets upon pallets of them...

 

There's a new in box CD-i Trackerball, which many people prefer over the mouse, for sale over at Dutch Game Boys for €99, which is a little over $100 US, plus €25 in shipping costs to the US.

Thank you I emailed the eBay seller and will check out Dutch game boy site maybe that would work good for games like 7th guest…not sure if either would be good for a laser gun game like mad dog but maybe with a try