CD-i Frequently Asked Questions

Version: 940228v2.2

Questions answered in this document
What is CD-i?
What CD-i discs are available and where can I purchase them?
What CD-i players are available ?
Where can I buy a consumer CD-i player?
What are the differences among all of these CD-ROM based platforms?
What are CD-ROM/XA bridge discs?
I have a computer with a CD-ROM/XA drive. Can I play CD-i discs on it?
How do I make discs for CD-i?
What is an authoring system?
Should I use an authoring system or should I have a software engineer write
a custom program?
If I decide to use an authoring system, how do I know what hardware and
software I need?
Can I use a Macintosh or PC based authoring tool to create CD-i discs?
I am involved in CD-ROM and I would like to make CD-i software. How
can I port my PC, Macintosh, CDTV, or VIS title to CD-i?
What is an emulator?
What support does Philips provide for the development of CD-i titles for
home entertainment ?
What support does Philips provide for professional or educational applications?
Is CD-i proprietary? Do I need a license to produce CD-i discs?
What are the Red, Yellow, Green, Orange, and White Books?
How do I get a copy of the Green Book (CD-i Full Functional Specification)?
What are CD+Graphics discs?
What are Photo CD discs?
What are multi-session discs?
What are Karaoke CD discs?
What are Video CD discs?
Organizations that provide CD-i information, products and services
Related documents for prospective CD-i developers

*****************************
What is CD-i?

CD-i is an entertainment and information system that plays digital data
stored on a compact disc.  The CD-i player connects to a television set
or to a color monitor.  You may also connect a CD-i player to your
stereo system for higher quality audio.  CD-i discs are used in the
home, in education, and in business.

CD-i is the first multimedia technology aimed at a mass audience.  CD-i
allows the multimedia designer to blend different media in the form of
visual, audio, graphic, and computer data into a single experience for
the user.  CD-i allows the user to interact with the information on the
disc and to guide the presentation in a meaningful way.  CD-i lends
itself to informational titles, games, encyclopedias, educational
material, and many business applications.  With the addition of a
special hardware module, CD-i players can now play feature films and
other video material.

Besides CD-i discs, CD-i player can play Compact Disc-Digital Audio
(CD-DA), CD+Graphics (CD+G), Photo CD, and, with a Digital Video
cartridge, Karaoke CD and Video CD discs.  A CD-i player is a
self-contained computer system with specific video, audio and control
hardware and software, and an optical disc drive.

CD-i technology was developed jointly by N.V.  Philips of the
Netherlands and Sony Corporation in Japan.  The primary goal of the two
companies was to develop a worldwide standard so that CD-i discs would
run on all CD-i players anywhere in the world.  To that end, they
published the CD-i Full Functional Specification, which is more commonly
known as the Green Book.  Any changes or extensions to the CD-i standard
must be approved by both Philips and Sony before they become an official
part of the specification.

***
What CD-i discs are available and where can I purchase them?

Philips has an extensive catalog of home entertainment titles.  In the
United States, you may call a toll-free number 1-800-845-7301 for a
catalog and for referral to a retail location where you may purchase
discs.  CD-i discs are also available via mail order; call the toll-free
number 1-800-824-2567.  CD-i software (discs) is also being stocked at a
limited number of record stores that sell audio tapes, compact disc
audio titles, videotapes, etc.  Rental of CD-i discs is also being
tested in a limited number of markets.  Samples of professional titles
are available through Philips Interactive Media Systems.

***
What CD-i players are available ?

There are three classes of CD-i players:  consumer, professional and
development.  Consumer players are players for home use and are sold
through retail outlets.  Professional players have specific features,
such as connectivity, floppy disk drive, or portability, and are more
expensive than the consumer player.  Development players have features
that enable title development, such as debugging tools and the ability
to connect to an emulator.

The CD-i 220 player, which is designed for consumers, is available at
major home electronics outlets around the world.  Professional and
development players are sold by Philips Interactive Media Systems and
their VARs.  Philips currently markets several CD-i player models.  The
CD-i 605 is designed for professional applications and for software
development.  It contains a floppy disk drive and can connect to a
keyboard and other computer peripherals.  It can alsobe connected to an
emulator and has software testing and debugging features.  The CD-i 360
player is a portable player that is sold in the professional market and
is not currently available to home consumers.  It is particularly useful
for point of sale presentations, such as those used by pharmaceutical
companies to provide product information to physicians, because it can
be carried by the sales representative.

Companies besides Philips for example, Sony, Samsung, Goldstar,
Matsushita, Sanyo, and Kyocera also manufacture various CD-i players.

***
Where can I buy a consumer CD-i player?

Consumer CD-i players and discs are available at major home electronics
outlets around the world.  In the U.S., you may call a toll-free number,
1-800-845-7301, for referral to the nearest retail store that sells CD-i
players and discs.  Rentals of CD-i players are also being tried in a
limited number of test markets.

***
What are the differences among all of these CD-ROM based platforms?

CD-i, VIS, 3DO, CDTV, CD-ROM, MMCD, Macintosh CD-ROM, MPC,
Sega CD, TTI, FM-TOWNS/Marty are some of the many different platforms
for delivering CD-ROM based entertainment and information applications.

All of the aforementioned platforms (and others not mentioned here)
usually utilize the same kinds of components:  specific audio, video,
and user input hardware; a computer system; and a CD-ROM drive.
However, the components all have different characteristics and features
and are, therefore, generally incompatible.  If you have a title for any
of those systems, it will not work on any of the other platforms unless
special steps have been taken by the developer of the title to ensure
compatibility with more than one platform.

All of the above-mentioned systems play CD-DA discs. Some play CD+G
discs, and some play CD-ROM/XA bridge discs like PhotoCD.

This current world-wide incompatibility presents big challenges for both
users and developers, but it is a fact of life until the dust settles
around the prevailing format(s).

***
What are CD-ROM/XA bridge discs?

CD-ROM/XA bridge discs are discs that can be played on a personal
computer with sufficient hardware and software, on dedicated players,
and on CD-i players.  CD-ROM/XA bridge discs contain audio-visual data
and adhere to the CD-ROM/XA standard.  Therefore, they can be read by
any computer with a CD-ROM/XA drive.  The computer needs a special
program to play the audio visual data from the disc.  In addition to the
audio-visual content, CD-ROM/XA brdige discs contain a CD-i application
program that allows you to play the content on a CD-i player.  It is
also possible to have players dedicated to playing a specific type of
CD-ROM/XA bridge disc.

The most well-known example of CD-ROM/XA bridge discs are Photo CD
discs.  Photo CD discs contain graphic images in a specified structure
and a CD-i program.  These discs can be played on a Photo-CD player, a
CD-i player, and on a computer using a separate Photo CD access program.

***
I have a computer with a CD-ROM/XA drive. Can I play CD-i discs on it?

Some manufacturers claim their CD-ROM/XA drives are CD-i compatible.
They probably mean that the drives can read CD-i compatible data.  That
does not mean that a computer attached to their CD-ROM/XA drive can run
CD-i programs.

The CD-i standard includes specifications for audio, video and computer
hardware.  In contrast to a CD-ROM drive, a CD-i player contains a
complete computer system that runs its own operating system.  For a
system to be CD-i compatible, it needs to have a Motorola 68000 family
central processing unit, special audio and video hardware, and a special
operating system called CD-RTOS.  A CD-ROM/XA drive connected to a PC or
a Macintosh does not meet the CD-i specification and, thus, cannot play
CD-i discs.

***
How do I make discs for CD-i?

The creation of CD-i discs involves the development of audio and video
assets and an interactive program.  CD-i uses a real-time operating
system called CD-RTOS (Compact Disc Real-Time Operating System).
CD-RTOS is a specialized operating system designed specifically for CD-i
and is based on the OS-9 real-time, multi-tasking operating system.

CD-i titles can be developed through the use of an authoring system,
such as MediaMogul from OptImage, or may involve custom software
engineering, using C or 68000 assembly language programming.  As a rule,
if the title design is complex or if the design requires a great deal of
interactivity, custom software engineering is required.  The software
engineering effort can be reduced through the use of software
development tools and specialized software libraries, such as the Balboa
Run-Time System.

***
What is an authoring system?

An authoring system is a specialized system that allows a producer or
designer to design and assemble the elements of a multimedia
presentation without any software engineering.  OptImages MediaMogul and
Script Systems ABCD-I are examples of authoring systems used for CD-i.
Often, authoring systems allow you to custom engineer add-on modules or
to buy add-on modules that provide additional functionality.

There are a several authoring systems for CD-i on the market.  The
capabilities and ease of use of these systems may vary widely.  If you
have questions about the suitability of an authoring system for your
title design, ask the vendor for references to other CD-i developers who
have produced similar types of titles with the system in question.

***
Should I use an authoring system or should I have a software engineer write
a custom program?

Authoring systems can reduce development time and effort and make CD-i
technology accessible to those who do not have software engineering
skills.  The design of a title produced with an authoring system is
typically constrained to a fairly low level of interactivity and
complexity.  The creativity of the interactive designer can make these
constraints less apparent to the user.

If, however, you wish to produce a title that is more interactive or
complex, such as an action game, custom software engineering becomes a
necessity.  Typically, titles designed for the consumer marketplace
require this type of complexity and are much more expensive to produce
because of the custom software engineering required to complete them.
Custom engineering is done by writing C or 68000 assembly language
programs that directly interface with CD-RTOS, the operating system for
CD-i, or that make use of the Balboa Run-Time System libraries
(available from OptImage).

On the other hand, many applications for presentations, point of sale,
marketing, and training may lend themselves very well to use of an
authoring system.  If a sound and slideshow with some branching is
adequate for a design, then an authoring system will probably serve
well.  Authoring systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated and
their developer's continue to enhance them to add functionality.  For
example, MediaMogul now allows the use of Digital Video segments as
assets for a CD-i title and also allows the use of plug-in modules to
expand its functionality.  Nonetheless, no authoring system currently on
the market allows the title designer to approach the complexity of
design that can be attained with the services of a skilled CD-i software
engineer.

***
If I decide to use an authoring system, how do I know what hardware and
software I'll need?

The supplier for your authoring system typically can provide a complete
solution, including hardware and software.  Basically, your authoring
system will either run on a CD-i 605 (development) player or on a
personal computer.  You will need to prepare your audio and video assets
on a high end personal computer and convert them there to CD-i format.
First you will need personal computer programs and hardware for the
capture or creation of images and programs for the editing of audio and
images.  Some examples of these off-the shelf programs for the Macintosh
are Adobe Photoshop, Studio 32, Macromind Director, and DigiDesign Sound
Tools II.  You will also need tools to convert your assets to CD-i
format; these are called audio and image conversion utilities.

In addition you'll need cables and networking software to let you connect
your player to the personal computer and you will need an emulator so that
you can test your work in progress. 

***
Can I use a Macintosh or PC based authoring tool to create CD-i discs?

Commonly used Macintosh and PC based authoring tools such as Macromedia
Director or Authorware or Toolbook cannot be used to create CD-i titles.
As yet, there is no easy way to convert the output of those tools into a
CD-i format disc image.

These personal computer platforms and the CD-i platform differ too much
for good cross-platform authoring.  When authoring on a PC or a
Macintosh, you make use of special features of the personal computer,
such as fast video updates, fine image resolution, and fast hard-disk
access.  On the other hand, when developing for CD-i, you want to make
use of the unique features of CD-i, such as DYUV images, two planes,
real-time audio play, video effects, Digital MPEG Video etc., which are
not available when you are using PC or Macintosh tools.

***
I am involved in CD-ROM and I would like to make CD-i software. How
can I port my PC, Macintosh, CDTV, or VIS title to CD-i?

It is not trivial to port a CD-ROM title to CD-i.  However, through the
use of careful design and production techniques, it can be done with a
lot less effort than starting from scratch.

In our experience title development is about 25 to 50% platform specific
and 50 to 75% platform independent.  In case of authoring, the actual
process of scripting and assembling the presentation is platform
specific.  In the case of custom C programming, the software design and
implementation is largely platform specific.  On the other hand, the
specific title design, the source audio and video assets, and the
integration system can be platform independent.

Our porting guidelines in a nutshell are:

-Keep all your source assets in their high quality, original form (for example,
in the form of 24-bit RGB images and 44 KHz PCM audio) .
-Make sure the encoding pathways for all your assets are automated, or at
least well documented.
-Separate your code into platform-specific and general parts, if possible.
-Verify that the design specification will translate successfully to CD-i. This
can be done by prototyping or proof of concept engineering.
-Then, reimplement your title using the design, which has been modified, if
necessary, for CD-i, any reusable code, and the original audio and video
assets.

***
What is an emulator?

CD-i programs are developed to run off of a compact disc on an optical disc
drive. You cannot properly play back and test your programs from the hard
disk of the computer you are using to develop the programs for your CD-i
application. The data delivery system and CD interface, the data rate, and
the (slow) access time of the CD drive need to be taken into account. Thus,
it is necessary to emulate play of the application from optical disc. An
emulator is an intelligent computer-peripheral device with a high-capacity
hard disk. During CD-i development, a disc image is built onto the hard disk
of the emulator and the disc image can be played as if it were on an optical
disc. The emulator removes the need to burn new CD-i discs at various
stages of development process to use for functional testing, and can, thus,
save a lot of time and money.

***
What support does Philips provide for the development of CD-i titles for
home entertainment ?

Philips Media co-funds a limited number of titles and acts as a distributor
for selected titles from independent CD-i developers. 

Co-Productions
Philips Media reviews proposals from prospective co-producers. To prepare
a proposal, describe the subject matter for the title in two or three
sentences. Because Philips cannot guarantee confidentiality in the handling
of your proposal in the early stage of the proposal process, we advise you
not to send a detailed outline or discussion of your ideas. But, do provide
detailed information on your company (brochures, company background,
etc.), its personnel (resumes or biographies), and facilities. Because Philips
receives a large number of proposals, a response will take at least three
weeks. Upon approval of your proposal for further consideration, a next
step would be a business plan and a mutual confidentiality agreement. 

Distribution for Independent Producers
As part of Philips Media's publishing activity, independent producers are
encouraged to seek distribution agreements for their CD-i titles. Philips
establishes and maintains distribution channels worldwide. The procedure
for obtaining a distribution agreement with Philips is outlined in a document
titled Guidelines for Distribution License Agreements, which is available
upon request from the  International Product Management and Distribution
office, Philips Media Electronic Publishing.

***
What support does Philips provide for professional or educational
applications?

Philips Media Systems is responsible for sales and support of CD-i
development systems and players for use in the professional marketplace.
This group can assist developers in designing and putting together
hardware systems and can direct developers to suppliers of development
software and authoring systems.

Suppliers of development systems typically offer complete CD-i
development systems that include the hardware and software required for
the type of application desired.  The often provide training and
technical support, as well.

***
Is CD-i proprietary? Do I need a license to produce CD-i discs?

Content developers for CD-i do not need a license.  Manufacturers of
CD-i players and CD-i discs do need a patent license from Philips.  A
content developer may obtain the same information package that is
received by licensees for a fee of $5000.  If they wish only to obtain
the CD-i Full Functional Specification (Green Book), they may sign a
non-disclosure agreement and pay a fee of US $200.

***
What are the Red, Yellow, Green, Orange, and White Books?

Philips and Sony jointly developed compact disc technology and they co-own
the patents. The two companies have written and now maintain a set of
specifications for the encoding and formatting of digital data on compact
discs. Each specification is referred to by a color designation and the cover
of the specification is that color. These specifications detail the accepted
industry foundation for interplatform compatibility. A description of each of
the color coded specifications follows:

-Red Book
This is the specification for Compact Disc-Digital Audio. All audio CDs
adhere to specification in the Red Book, and are, thus, assured to play on
any CD audio player in the world.

-Yellow Book
-This specification defines the computer-based CD-ROM standard. The
standard specifies the sector format on disc. There are two sector formats:
Mode 1, CD-ROM , 2048 byte sectors, and Mode 2, CD-ROM/XA, 2324
byte sectors. Mode 2 sectors also contain end-of-record markers, interrupt
triggers, data type specifications, etc. Other standards, such as ISO 9660 and
Apple HFS, which may be used in combination with the Yellow Book
standard, define the directory and file structures.

-Green Book
This specification builds on the Red Book and the Yellow Book and is the
specification for Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-i).

-Orange Book
This specification covers writable CDs, including CD Recordable (CD-R),
magneto-optical cartridge systems and single- and multi-session recording.

-White Book
This specification covers the Video CD format.

These specifications are available from Bert Gall, Philips Consumer
Electronics in The Netherlands. 

***
How do I get a copy of the Green Book (CD-i Full Functional
Specification)?

The Green Book is available from both Philips and Sony. The Green Book
can be obtained from Bert Gall, Philips Consumer Electronics in The
Netherlands. The various regional CD-i associations, such as CD-i
Association of North America and CD-i Association of Europe, have also
made special arrangements for their members to obtain this specification.
(Note that the Red, Yellow, Orange, and White Book are available from the
same source.)

***
What are CD+Graphics discs?

CD+G is a format that allows a music producer to add still graphics to a
CD-DA disc. This format has been used to a limited degree; it has been
most common in the Japanese marketplace.

***
What are Photo CD discs?

Photo CD discs are a special type of CD-ROM/XA bridge discs that allow
you to put 35 mm photographic images on disc for play back on a dedicated
Photo CD player or on a CD-i player. Photo CD allows you to display your
personal photographs on your television set. The Photo CD disc contains a
special CD-i application program that allows your pictures to be played back
on a CD-i player. Photo CD discs can be multi-session discs. This means that
after you have had pictures from your first roll of film burned into the
disc, you can have the photo processor add pictures in additional disc
burning sessions until the disc is full.

Photo CD has also added an interesting source of high quality
photographic images for developers of CD-i.  It is possible to read
images from a Photo CD disc via a CD-ROM XA drive and, using Photo CD
access software and image conversion utilities, to use the images as
source assets for a CD-i disc.

***
What are multi-session discs?

An optical disc is typically made in one session.  The data on a
single-session disc cannot be changed, and data can not be added to the
disc.  However, the Orange Book specifies a special format for
recordable CDs:  multi-session discs.  This format allows you to use one
disc for one or more additional recording sessions.  After the initial
data is burned into the disc, it is possible to add data during future
sessions until the disc is full.  Since you cannot change information on
a recordable disc, a new session should contain a table of contents
comprised of the old and the new information on the disc.  The system
that reads a multi-session disc needs to take this into account.  It
should not look for just any table of contents or directory of a CD-ROM
disc; it should look for the last table of contents or directory.
Because of this issue, many older CD-ROM drives cannot read
multi-session discs.

***
What are Karaoke CD discs?

Karaoke CD discs are a special kind of CD ROM/XA bridge disc that allow
you to play Karaoke discs on a dedicated Karaoke CD player or on a CD-i
player equipped with a Digital Video cartridge. The Karaoke CD standard
was developed jointly Philips and JVC. It features the ability to play
full-screen, full-motion video and CD-quality audio using the MPEG-1
compression standard. Note that CD-i players with an added Digital Video
cartridge can play Karaoke CD discs; CD-i discs do not play on a Karaoke
CD player. 

***
What are Video CD discs?

Video CD discs are a special kind of CD-ROM/XA bridge disc that allow
you to play feature films and music videos on a dedicated Video CD
player or on a CD-i player equipped with a Digital Video cartridge.  A
computer equipped with the appropriate hardware and software could also
play Video CD discs.  The Video CD standard is supported by Philips,
JVC, Sony, and Matsushita.  It is based on the Karaoke-CD standard and,
thus, features the ability to play full-screen, full-motion video with
CD-quality audio, using the MPEG-1 compression standard.

*****************************

Organizations that provide CD-i information, products and services
CD-I Associations
CD-i Association of North America
11111Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90025
USA
Contact:       Laura Foti Cohen
Phone:         +1 310 444 6613
Fax:           +1 310 479 5937

European CD-i Association
Attn.: Lynda Russell-Whitaker
Philips House, 1-19 Torrington Place
London WP1E7HD
United Kingdom
Phone:         +44 71 331 1593
Fax:           +44 71 580 6757

Authoring and Development Systems--Worldwide
OptImage Interactive Services Company, L.P.
1501 50th Street, Suite 100
Des Moines,   IA 50265-0252
Phone:         +1 515 225 7000
               Toll-free - U.S.: 1 800 234 5484
Fax:           +1 515 222-2080

All OptImage representatives may be reached at the numbers listed above.
Western Region: John Washburn
Eastern Region: Craig Zimmerman
Central:        Pam Wilber
Southeast:      John Brown
International Interactive Media SA (I2M)
2229 Routes des Cretes
Sophia Antipolis, Valbonne 06560
France 
Phone:         +33 92 94 21 30
FAX:           +33 92 94 21 32

Script Systems Inc.
115 Metropolitan Drive
PO Box 601 
Liverpool, NY  13082

You may also contact Philips Media Systems  or Philips Professional
Products for information on development systems.

Philips Hardware
World Headquarters
Philips Media Systems
P.O. Box 80002
5600 JB Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Contact:       Cees van Versendaal
Phone:         +31 40 736228
Fax:           +31 40 735871

East Asia
Philips Interactive Media Asia Pacific
c/o Philips Hong Kong Ltd., Consumer Service
Site 7, Ground Floor, Whampoa Garden
Hung Hom
Kowloon
Hong Kong
Contact:       Charles van Often
Phone:         +852 773 5332
Fax:           +852 334 5482

Australia
Philips Australia Centre
3 Figtree Drive
Homebush NSW 2140
Australia
Contact:       Gordon Lee
Phone:         +61 2 7428311
Fax:           +61 2 7644060

North America
Philips Professional Products
2200 Sutherland Avenue, Suite 100
Knoxville, TN 37919
FAX:       +1 615 541 5825
Contacts:

Educational 
Marketing:     Bernie Mitchell
Phone:         +1 615 541 5828

Corporate
Marketing:     Jerry Huffman
Phone:         +1 615 541 5829

The Green Book and Other Optical Disc Specifications
Bert Gall
Philips Consumer Electronics
Coordination Office Optical & Magnetic Media Systems
Building SWA-1
P.O. BOX 80002
5600 JB EINDHOVEN
The Netherlands


Home Entertainment Title Development
Philips Media Electronic Publishing
11111 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Childrens Titles
Sarina Simon, President

Games Titles
David McElhatten President

Music, Enrichment, Game Show, and Special Interest Titles
Ann Kronen, President
  Laura Cohen, Special Interest
  Music, Ted Cohen
  Social Games, Steve Radosh

FMV/Digital Video Group
Graham Williams, President

*****************************
Related documents for prospective CD-i developers
CD-i Development Environments
CD-i Directory
CD-i Publications
CD-i Technical Summary
You may request the publications listed above from:
Developer Services
Philips Interactive Media
11050 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone:         +1 310 444 6158 or +1 310 444 6159
Fax:           +1 310 477 4953

*****************************
DISCLAIMER:  This list is made to the best of the knowledge of the
authors, but inevitably there may be errors or omissions. Philips and the
authors accept no liability for the information presented herein. 

For comments, additions, and corrections, or if you have other questions,
contact:

From Europe and the Middle East contact:
Hein Zegers
Philips Interactive Media Centre
Maastrichterstraat 63
B-3500 Hasselt
Belgium
Phone:         +32 11 242167
Fax:           +32 11 242168
Internet:      hein@pimc.be


From the Americas and Asia contact:
Lucy Lediaev
Philips Interactive Media
11050 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
USA
Phone:         +1 310 444 6519
Fax:           +1 310 477 4953
Internet:      lucy@aimla.com
CompuServe:    72056, 1130


