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In 1991 March Commodore released its first CD console, the CDTV (Commodore Dynamic Total Vision). This console was designed around A500+ and some components of the A2091 SCSI controller and came in standard 43 cm HiFi format. The CDTV has anticipated many modern design concepts like the integrated CD-ROM drive.
68000 @ 7-28 MHz
68020 @ 14-33 MHz
68030 @ 16-50 MHz
All CDTVs have a socketed 68000 @ 7.14 MHz on their motherboard. Upgrading the processor requires the use of an accelerator board attached to the 68000 socket - many of those A500 internal accelerators fit inside the CDTV.
up to 2 MB Chip RAM
up to 32 MB Fast RAM on processor boards
up to 8 MB Fast RAM on expansion cards attaching to the diagnostic port
up to 256 kB on proprietary memory cards
The CDTV has 8 ZIP sockets on
its motherboard, which take 256k×4 ZIPs giving 1 MB Chip RAM in total. The Chip
RAM can be expanded to 2 MB.
Internal expansion cards, which connect to the diagnostic connector, allow the
addition of up to 8 MB 16 bit Fast RAM. Processor cards featuring a 68020 or
better add up to 32 MB 32 bit Fast RAM. The special CDTV memory cards can be
used as RAM expansion increasing the RAM amount by 64 or 256 kB.
Fat Agnus - ECS display
controller
Super Denise - ECS graphics coprocessor
Paula - audio and I/O controller
Gary - system address decoder
DMAC - DMA controller
Kickstart ROMs
EPROMs containing CDTV specific code
The CDTV's ECS chip set supports the following screen modes:
Low | High | Super | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PAL, non-interlaced PAL, interlaced NTSC, non-interlaced NTSC, interlaced |
320×256 320×512 320×200 320×400 |
640×256 640×512 640×200 640×400 |
1280×256 1280×512 1280×200 1280×400 |
50 Hz, 15.75 kHz 50 Hz, 15.75 kHz 60 Hz, 15.75 kHz 60 Hz, 15.75 kHz |
|
Productivity Super72 |
640×480
- 640×960 400×300 - 800×600 |
50 Hz, 31.5 kHz 72 Hz, 24 kHz |
1× diagnostic slot
1× DMA expansion slot
1× proprietary memory card slot
1× video slot
The 80 pin diagnostic slot
offers nearly the same signals as the A500's side expansion connector, it is
meant for any type of expansion device.
The 30 pin expansion slot can be used for DMA expansions, e.g. SCSI controllers.
The proprietary memory card slot (40 pins) takes memory cards of 64 kB or 256 kB
size. These cards can be used as RAM expansion or flash memory; the content is
battery backed up.
The 30 pin Video Slot is occupied by the video module, but this unit can be
replaced by other expansion devices.
The CDTV features a single speed
(153 kB/sec) caddy loading CD-ROM drive. The supported CD formats are ISO-9660
CD-ROM, Audio CD, CD+G and CD+MIDI.
CD+G is a special Audio CD containig low resolution still images. CD+MIDI has
MIDI tracks encoded along with the CD audio portion, allowing to play along with
a synthesizer attached to the CDTV MIDI ports.
1× serial DB25 male, RS232
1× parallel DB25 female, Centronics
1× video DB23 male, analog RGB
2× mouse/game, 5 pin DIN female
2× stereo audio, RCA jack
1× external floppy DB23 female
1× keyboard, 6 pin female mini-DIN
1× MIDI In, 5 pin DIN female
1× MIDI Out, 5 pin DIN female
1× IR port
1× 6.3 mm stereo headphones jack
1× 40 pin CD-ROM header
UK version
1× S-VHF
1× composite video, RCA jack
USA / Canadian version
1× RF In
1× RF Out
1× composite video, RCA jack
European version
1× Scart
All the video connectors (except
the RGB port) belong to a removable video module, thus enabling different
configurations for different countries. The module is much the same like an
internal A520.
The floppy drive controller supports up to four devices, all connected
externally.
The CD-ROM interface is a crippled SCSI-I connector and needs a special CD-ROM
drive connected to it.
The MIDI ports are a part of the standard serial port circuitry. The CDTV can
use either a serial device or a MIDI device, but not both at the same time.
Battery backed up clock - front
panel time display
Keys on the front panel to control the CD player
Power and CD drive LEDs
Infrared remote controller