From: acs_brath@rivers.acc.uwrf.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: CDTV INFO. WANTED. Answers needed...
Date: 29 Sep 92 08:45:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: rivers.1992Sep29.144558.58
Organization: University of Wisconsin - River Falls

In article <9708@cbmger.de.so.commodore.com>, peterk@cbmger.de.so.commodore.com (Dr Peter Kittel Germany) writes:
> In article <92272.161449IO00844@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> IO00844@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (((ZERO))) writes:
>>
>>What can a CDTV do that my 500 couldn't?
> 
> Play *real* CDTV titles, i.e. play CDXL movies. (You could do this also with
> a 500 if you purchased an A570.)
> 
>>What can an A500 do that my CDTV can't?
> 
> Run a number of games that are programmed so badly that they *only* run
> on a plain A500.

There are also some CDTV titles that wont play on 570.

> 
>>Can I run any amiga software in the drive w/CDTV? (word processors/games?)
> 
> Any that's programmed after the rules, yes. This is ok for the majority of
> applications, not so very much for games.
> 
>>Can I hook a printer up to CDTV?
>>Can I hook a modem up to CDTV?
> 
> Yes, it has all these connectors like any other Amiga.
> 
>>Can I hook a hard drive up to CDTV?
> 
> There's nothing (yet?) available from Commodore, but here in Germany,
> there are at least two companies offering this. 2.5" drives. There is
> sort of a bay or slot in the back of the unit that can take this.
> 
I talked to ICD tech support and they have succesfully installed a 
ICD IDE interface w/ a 2.5 inch drive that they mounted under the 
CD drive.
They also have tested ICD FlickerFreeVideo and AdSpeed.

There are some quirks with the IDE interface and the CDTV.
	- the AdIde is usually disabled on startup if you hold in the left
	mouse button.  This wdosent work w/CDTV because C= remaped the mouse
	keys to do something else on startup that ICD cant override.
	- To boot the Harddisk you must do the following due to priority 
	changes in startup devices (That's what they said).  You must
	have a Floppy Drive attached at all times! To boot it turn on 
	CDTV w/ no CD in and no Floppy in drive.  When the screen shows
	the CDTV symbol then insert a disk in the Drive. When the screen 
	goes blank then eject the diskette and the HardDrive will boot.

>>Can I run European Demos in PAL mode with CDTV?
> 
> To change a CDTV unit between PAL and NTSC, you have to solder some
> jumpers. It has both sets of crystals built in, but only one is connected
> at a time. You can't build in a switch, because it involves (I try to
> remember) ca. 7 solder jumpers, directly having RF, where you can't
> connect wires to some outside switch.
> 
  I can check, but for my A500 and A2000 i use a special diskette that 
switches the modes temporaraly.

>>I heard that joysticks are incompatible with CDTV, but there is an accessory
>>I can buy to get them to work..what is it?
> 

There is one joystick port on the back.  But I think it is a round din 
jack.  If you buy the CDTV trackball kit it has 2 normal joystick ports on
it.  Also some companies are selling something called the Briquette
that is the CDTV trackball - trackball (mainly the ports).

> Well, every such input is internally hardwired to the IR remote receiver.
> So there is a device with an IR transmitter you can put on your table and
> plug any joystick into. Recently I heard that some company is also offering
> access to the internal connections, but this seems to involve soldering
> changes to the mainboard, surely not recommended by Commodore.
> 
>>I heard you can play CD's (music) on CDTV, how easy is it to do this? (Insert
>>and play?)
> 
	It also plays CD+g and CD+MIDI disks, and it looks much better
than CD-I.

> Yes, just put any CD (music or CDTV title) in a caddy and insert it. The
> device automatically recognizes the type of the CD and chooses its mode.
> For a music CD, you get a nice screen with all operating means to choose
> a track or deselect some tracks or play the tracks in random order, or or or
> 
>>Can I extend the memory of CDTV?
> 

ICD sugested that I get a MegaChip 500 upgrade.  They have tried this.  
ICD also said that if you add a harddrive that the harddrive take a few 
k for its drivers and this causes some programs to run out of memory. 

> See above for harddisks, same issue.
> 
> -- 
> Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel  // E-Mail to \\  Only my personal opinions...
> Commodore Frankfurt, Germany  \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk

Any questions please ask.