Pioneer MPC-LX200-TV

A base model MPC-LX200.

The **Pioneer MPC-LX200-TV** is the first and only Macintosh clone with built-in television capabilities.

## History

Pioneer was among the few Japanese companies that had obtained a license from Apple Computer to build Macintosh-compatible computers. Their first such system was the MPC-LX100, which was based on a Quadra 630 logic board with a full 33MHz Motorola 68040 processor that contained a floating-point unit. It was shown at Macworld Expo Tokyo 1995 and was the only officially-licensed Macintosh clone not to use a PowerPC processor.

The MPC-LX200 series was released on July 1, 1996. Available options included a television tuner (MPC-LX200-TV) or 640MB magneto-optical drive (MPC-LX200-MO). Each shipped with a copy of *EGWORD 6.1 and EGBRIDGE 7.1*, and demos of *Marathon* and *Racing Days*.

Faster PowerPC 604-based systems were shown by Pioneer at Macworld Expo Tokyo 1996 and 1997. However, Pioneer left the Macintosh clone market in October 1997, after Apple had formally ended its licensing program with the release of Mac OS 8.

## Hardware

The MPC-LX200 series is based on a Cordyceps logic board with a 100MHz PowerPC 603e processor. The layout and internal components closely correspond with the Power Macintosh 6300 series and can support an Apple TV Tuner Card, though the tuner supplied with the MPC-LX200-TV is different and is connected through the LC slot. With some electrical modification, the logic board of an MPC-LX200 can be swapped for a faster Alchemy or Gazelle logic board (from a Power Macintosh 6400 or 6500), which could then be upgraded with a PowerPC G3 processor up to 500MHz. Other upgrades include the first DVD-ROM drive for the Mac market from Pioneer.

## Gallery

MPC-LX200-TV main logic board with daughter cards.Back panel of an opened MPC-LX200-TV.
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mac Clones (Mac OS Compatible Systems): Pioneer, EveryMac. Accessed 2019-01-11.
2. ↑ Mac OS Clone World (Japanese) by T\_Matsuda, Seven Colors. 1999.
3. ↑ Macworld TV Tokyo 1995 by KandaNewsNetwork,Inc., YouTube. 2013-08-29.
4. ↑ Asian Macintosh NuBus clones by Franklinstein, 68k Macintosh Liberation Army. 2018-10-11.
5. ↑ Pioneer: MPC-LX200 Specs, EveryMac. Accessed 2019-01-11.
6. ↑ Pioneer: MPC-LX200-TV Specs, EveryMac. Accessed 2019-01-11.
7. ↑ Pioneer: MPC-LX200-MO Specs, EveryMac. Accessed 2019-01-11.
8. ↑ LX200発売 (Japanese), Pioneer. Archived 1997-01-29.
9. ↑ Mac World EXPO 1996 (Japanese) by Takayuki Nakano, Web.targz. 2004. Accessed 2019-02-06.
10. ↑ Macworld Tokyo: Of Cameras and Macs by Chuck and Linda Shotton, Tidbits. 1997-03-03.
11. ↑ Today in Apple history: Apple outwits clone-makers with Mac OS 8 by Luke Dormehl, Cult of Mac. 2018-03-08.
12. ↑ PIONEER MPC-LX200-TV へAlchemy搭載のために by PowerPC, Yahoo! GeoCities (Japanese, Shift JIS). 2005-11-15. Archived 2018-11-05.
13. ↑ Performa 588 の PowerPC 化改造方法 by samac309, Yahoo! GeoCities (Japanese, Shift JIS). Archived 2018-11-06.
14. ↑ Pioneer... by udonyaki, Nifty Cocolog (Japanese). 2009-04-23.
15. ↑ PIONEER MPC-LX200-TV でDVD再生 by PowerPC, Yahoo! GeoCities (Japanese, Shift JIS). 2005-11-15. Archived 2018-11-19.

## See also

* Apple Interactive Television Box (1994-1996), Apple's first effort to develop a set-top box.
* Apple TV (2007-present), Apple's current digital media player and microconsole.
* DayStar Digital, another licensee and manufacturer of Macintosh clones.
* Mac mini (2005-present), Apple's small desktop computer which added HDMI output in 2010.
* Macintosh TV (1993-1994), Apple's first attempt to integrate a computer and television.
* Pippin (1996-1998), Apple's ill-fated consumer multimedia platform.

## External links

* MPC-LX200-TV at Pioneer (Japanese, archived 1997-01-29)
	+ Customer Support > Software / Firmware Download at Pioneer (Japanese)
* PIONEER MPC-LX200-TV スペック at Yahoo! GeoCities (Japanese, Shift JIS, archived 2018-11-05)
* PIONEER Mac のページ at Asahi-Net (Japanese)
* Pioneer MPC, quand Pioneer vendait des Mac sous sa marque au Japon at Journal du Lapin (French)
	+ Un clavier de Pioneer MPC pour Mac at Journal du Lapin (French)
* LX200-PCI G3 by Kazuya at Nifty (Japanese, archived 2004-10-12)
* Pioneer MPC-LX200-TV at the Apple Wiki