From: philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough)
Subject: Re: CDTV is dead.
Organization: University of Toronto, Dept. of Statistics
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 07:25:50 GMT

In article <kdarling.714139821@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu> kdarling@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) writes:
>philip@utstat.uucp (Philip McDunnough) writes:
>>>My question is: why would you even _want_ to mention CDTV?   CD-I has
>>>the better technology, much more backing and longterm planning, and
>>>is certainly a helluva lot more likely to evolve in a timely manner.
>>
>>This is not obvious. CD-I has the SNES connection while CDTV has the 
>>Amiga one. Do people want a unit that can be easily turned into a computer?
>>If yes, then CDTV has it all over CD-I. As far as the better technology,
>>this may be true now in certain areas. It won't be when MPEG arrives. 
>
>Which part didn't seem obvious?

The part about evolving in a timely manner. Both CD-I and CDTV are yaers
ahead of the necessary technology needed to bring real interactive full
colour motion video to family rooms.
>
>CD-I has the better base design for its purpose; no arguments possible.

By definition I suppose. However from an Amiga perspective, CDTV should be
far more appealing.
>
>CD-I has more backing; it's already benefiting from competition within
>manufacturers:  the Japanese players which have been shown are fancier than
>the Philips' player.  And as you know, Philips, Sony and others are (or soon
>will be) in competition with color LCD portable players.  

Well Sony is all over the map. I haven't seen many CD-I units, so I can't
really say what is coming out of Japan. I do think that portable players
are a waste as a consumer item.
>
>CD-I has more longterm planning.  First off, Philips helped Kodak create
>Photo CD, and PCD discs include CD-I player code.  That's thinking ahead.
>Second off, even further longterm planning is already in effect, with phone
>companies working on discs with Yellow Pages (business ads/ service lookup),
>publishers doing magazine supplements, GTE working on background TV disc cues,
>you name it.  Their plan is to eventually make players a must-have common
>item by ultimately making their usefulness widespread and easily apparent.

Philips is well known for its strong research committment. No doubt about
it. They have spent a long time on CD-I. This does not mean it will 
succeed in the marketplace. I guess we shall soon see. Photo CD has not 
been officially released up here yet, and few people know anything about it.
>
>CD-I will evolve: already most people believe that CD movies will become
>available shortly.  That takes money and connections (Philips' Polygram
>just bought another Hollywood studio, btw).  Moreover, Philips has been
>heavily involved in HDTV research, and already makes digital TV chips.
>Heck, Sony went to the trouble a while back of making their own MPEG
>decoder just to try it out in a handheld CD-I movie player.

CDTV will also evolve. In fact the future of it is closely tied to the
future of the Amiga in general. Assuming the Amiga will continue to be a
strong force in the computer world, I can only conclude that CDTV will 
succeed (doesn't mean CD-I won't).
>
>Do you really believe that Commodore will (or can!) invest even a fraction
>as much effort and longterm planning??  If so, I've got a bridge for sale :)

Nope I don't. They don't have to. They can ride two waves: (1) the Amiga
and (2) CD-I's education of consumers.
>
>As for turning into a computer, if that's important (and I don't think so,
>but) how will CDTV stand up to that rumored (;-)) Tandy PC based CD-ROM box?

Well I consider this to be the crucial point. The ability to be turned into
a remote computer is very important from my perspective, and is a big 
advantage over the CD-I units I have seen and read about. As for a Tandy
based CD-ROM MPC(?) unit...who knows. MPC titles will have to be priced far
more reasonably than they are at present. In fact the whole entertainment,
information, gaming, etc...world had better wake up to the fact that consumers
do not write out purchase orders. Unless they  change their pricing habits,
they will all fail. $400 for a $40 reference CD...
>
>CDTV isn't competition to CD-I.  CDTV is mostly competition to other Amigas.
>Speaking of which... if I were Commodore, I think I'd add a disk drive bay
>to my next CDTV model.

Why, current hard drives are small enough to fit in the present model. I've
already indicated that a SCSI interface is available for both internal and
external drives. Now if you mean floppy,...I'd agree.

Philip McDunnough
University of Toronto
philip@utstat.toronto.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy