🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec22.101147.9560@iscsvax.uni.edu> bartusek@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
> I am curious about the use of full screen/full motion video on CDI.
> I'd like to know if it is available or when it will be available with
> full motion video?

The Philips CD-I players currently on the market do not have any FS/FM video
capabilities.  They do, however, have a cartridge slot on the back which is
intended for an MPEG-I video extension sometime during 1993.  As always, the
modules will probably be available to developers at a premium price before
a general consumer launch.

> And I'd like some information on the user-friendly ability of the system.

For more general information on CD-I or on authoring systems for CD-I you
can contact OptImage at 1-800-CDI-5484 or your local Philips rep.

Eric Miller
Director, Multimedia
Microware Systems

In article <1992Dec22.101147.9560@iscsvax.uni.edu>, bartusek@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
|> Is anyone working with Phillips CDI & their authoring system, that just came
|> out for consumer use in October?  I am curious about the use of full screen/
|> full motion video on CDI. I'd like to know if it is available or when it will
|> be available with full motion video?  And I'd like some information on the
|> user-friendly ability of the system.  Thanks!
|> 
|> Marc A. Bartusek
|> University of Northern Iowa
|> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|> 

	Philips CD-I and authoring systems have actually been out and about for
a couple years ( I went to the 3rd CDISC conference last April ). FMV, on the
other hand, is in a "not quite released" state. We currently have one of the 20
or so boards in existance sitting in the back room. It is in target form factor
(to fit into existing consumer players), but obviously needs another revision or
two. After a few plays, it starts to overheat and glitch fairly seriously.

	The board will do full-screen, full-motion video in full color, off of a
CD. This is fairly impressive (to me at least), especially when listening to all
these folks talk about the $15,000 systems they need to run 200x300 sub-windows
at 10fps. (Okay, maybe I exaggerated. So sue me.) Development systems are at a
premium right now, and are priced accordingly (at least the encoding part is). I
believe the systems are all sold through OptImage in Des Moines (1-800-234-5484,
tell I sent you and want a commission). Far as I know, all the boards in
existance and in production at the moment are spoken for, but I could be wrong.

	The software interface is, at best, horrible. Well, maybe I'm
exaggerating again. But, at the least, it is horribly documented. The working
sources we were given are full of magic little bits of assembler, traps to the
OS, unidentified signal handler actions, etc.

	I'm not sure when consumer availability is scheduled for FMV, but I
would imagine it would be sometime 2nd or 3rd Qtr. '93. When titles will be
available is another matter. Oh, and the consumer upgrade is supposed to be
about $100. How they're going to do that when the board we have was supposed to
cost $6000, I don't know . . . .


-- 
Walter Hunt					walter@optimla.optimage.com
OptImage Interactive Services Company, L.P.	walter@optimla.aimla.com
11040 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite #300		netcom!optimla!walter
Los Angeles, Ca. 90025				(310) 445-5718

In article <Bzq5GM.57p@optimla.aimla.com>, walter@optimla.aimla.com (Walter Hunt) writes:
>
> 	The board will do full-screen, full-motion video in full color, off of a
> CD.

Any comments on subjective quality? Would you compare it to VHS? Broadcast?
S-VHS?

> This is fairly impressive (to me at least), especially when listening to all
> these folks talk about the $15,000 systems they need to run 200x300 sub-windows
> at 10fps.

No, those are just the X-Windows-based systems. :-)

Lawrence D'Oliveiro                       fone: +64-7-856-2889
Computer Services Dept                     fax: +64-7-838-4066
University of Waikato            electric mail: ldo@waikato.ac.nz
Hamilton, New Zealand    37^ 47' 26" S, 175^ 19' 7" E, GMT+13:00

In article <1992Dec24.132337.12978@waikato.ac.nz> ldo@waikato.ac.nz (Lawrence D'Oliveiro, Waikato University) writes:
>
>Any comments on subjective quality? Would you compare it to VHS? Broadcast?
>S-VHS?

Subjective video quality: 'better than VHS'.
I have seen more than 6 different samples now:
- James Bond (fair, artifacts in the cargo space of the Landrover)
- the Three Tenors (fair)
- Pink Floyd (good)
- NFL (bad, lot of artifacts)
- CD-I commercials (fair)
- some others I don't recal (fair)
(fair = slightly better than VHS; good is a lot better; bad is yeccchh)

Subjective audio quality: 'a lot better than VHS'.  It is somewhat better
than MiniDisc, about the same as DCC, slighty inferior to CD or DAT.

Quality depends completely on:
- quality of source material: Get first generation copies, it is worth the
  effort.
- carrier of source material: D1 is best, stay away from any composite video;
- specific encoder used: There will be a lot of competition out there. Some
  encoders will do some material better than others. Even when real-time
  encoders are available, the slow, software decoders might remain to be
  used since their quality can be more up-to-date.

Lex van Sonderen
Philips Interactive Media
Manager Knowledge Transfer
lex@aimla.com
CompuServe: 71552,2204