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Presentation manual for Commodore CDTV THE COMMODORE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER`S POINT OF VIEW. For Commodore, the CDTV represents the continuation of a increasing technological progresses tradition. Commodore changed people`s way of thinking of computers, with products like the C64 and the Amiga family sistems. Today in the world there are more than 10 millions of C64s and more than 2 millions of Amiga systems. I have been actively involved, since its conception, in CDTV development. Personally, I think that the CDTV, like the video-recorder in the last 10 years, will change deeply our information channels. Part of my trust in CDTV, as a new product in the "consumer" kind, comes from my insistence in making the CDTV as a product based on the affirmed Amiga technology and, thing even more important, as a product that even I can use. Since last 25 years my main aim has been the development of a powerful product, involving and easy to use for everyone who thinks that using a computer is a must-to-do experience. I am glad to announce that CDTV reached this simple but basic technic requirement. The simply usage has been the first step to reach our primary aim of helping, with the CDTV, in completing and encouraging the human process of comprehension. The CDTV works in a intuitive level, due to its transparent technology. Since a CD is inserted in the caddy, the attention is paid to the contents and the applications;NOT to the attempt of making the device work!! The CDTV starts a new era for the consumer electronic and computer Companies, defining their natural and inevitable convergence. The CDTV integrates the total Amiga chips functionalities with the high storage capacity and quality of CDs, and everything in a single fine-design device. The CDTV starts the Interactive Multimediality era; this word has soon become the password of the 90`s for everyone who operates in the computer industry, in the publishing and in its connected sectors, in information and entertain ment. WHAT IS CDTV? Simply the natural connecting of a smart home product,with real control over your TV, with the other electronic rooms of your house, with a new kind of CDs which contain audio,graphics,video and texts. As the videorecorder and the films did in the 80`s, the CDTV and the Interactive Multimediality will mark the 90`s. The CDTV is starting an era that will offer to people the power of computers without their complexity, allowing the access to some of the more sophistica- ted and entertaining applications in the world. Everything easy and enjoyable with the ONLY use of a simple infra-red remote control and with.....a surprising price. With Interactive Multimediality we shall change the concept itself of teaching, of entertainment, of work and game. Will be available,in fact,new ways of information for home, for personal growth,for musical applications, for the entertainment, for artistic applications. Schools,for example, will get new tools, new courses, libraries and didactics helps just with a key-press;modules should be created to do on home TV the homework assigned at school. The CDTV is the ideal tool also for the work world;either sells or technic department or a Company assistance will become more efficient thanks to CDTV`s interactivity that for example,gives the possibility to create information points for the sell point, product demonstrations,or -why not- organize the training for the selling power. The CDTV and the richful growing Multimedia industry will force us to redefine our traditional acknowledgements about communicating,teaching and the entertainment. In the process we will create a new code based on sounds,images,texts and capacity that will help us in defining more accurately the human experience. Commodore has been one of the first Companies recognizing that a product, to get success, must be the more international possible;the CDTV is really an international product. In fact it has been designed with the needs of the world`s main technology companies in mind;simply by changing the power supply cable the CDTV can operate in NTCS,Super NTCS,PAL or monitor standards,all around the world. Also the titles now available demonstrate this global approach;first, those titles have been published by the best world developers and,second,many titles will be available in various languages,all around the world. Irving Gould THE HIGH-END OBJECTIVES The high-end objectives that Commodore set for the CDTV are, mainly, the develop of a interactive multimedia solution for a certain number of different markets. The principles of multimediality and interactivity fit well to solutions about entertainment and amuse, education and company presentations, about communications in the sell points and information systems: for mass-markets, for niche and vertical ones. With the CDTV launching Commodore finds itself facing up new areas like the consumer electronic and publishing ones. Those elements will help in making Company offer more smooth and complete, thanks to major presence than first Commodore one, who presented information technology products. As the developers and other partners involved in the CDTV project start changing their Commodore vision, a new generation of multimedial interactive products will start which will help the comprehension method of human mind; therefore they should make a rich titles and applications library, able to offer creative solutions that will change in many way people`s life. Moreover, the Company is intended to let other manufacturers borrow the base-CDTV system license; this will have a massive impact on the market. In this way Commodore will guarantee a firmed and common positioning, from the geographic point of view,over all the markets so to get a big slice in the market it pointed at. THE LOW-END OBJECTIVES The initial effort represents the first step to get to the high-end objectives. During this phase our aim is to develop a good distribution net trough those entrepreneurs better demonstrating the product and having the right profile and the target of their selling-points frequenters. Those dealers talented in actively showing the product, situated in city crucial points, can make this innovative consumer kind sensitive,being the first in purchasing the product. Often this kind of consumer buys a new product not pretending a particular kind of applications, simply pretending to be the "first in line". Actual limitation of interesting titles will not be a problem for this kind of consumers, some of them probably already have an Amiga 500, so they can easily keep on purchasing Commodore offers. Good press and public-relationships with a mass public will give the ability to focalize Commodore role as a rising peak in this market,thanks to CDTV and compact disks. In a sinergic way,then, highly selective advertising campaigns, such as promotions will attract the first purchasers, pointing on the new life style suggested by CDTV. During the launch phase will be basically important expose the titles near the CDTV itself to let people know and to avoid confusion so to get the top impact and the top effect. HOW TO POSITION THE CDTV AS INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PRODUCT Product Positioning We need to distinguish between the CDTV system positioning,for it we have a total-control license, and the titles positioning,having less control. CDTV positioning,besides, should consider four well defined kind of addressees: # consumers # entrepreneurs world (both existing and potential) # developers (both existing and potential) # anyone in industry and commercial world who can support this market The right-positioning directives should be used in various contests and should be dense,believable and compatible.The right-positioning directives should consider these considerations: 1>Commodore is the first Company in consumer market having an interactive multimedia CD reader.The system bypassed the historical division between consumer electronic products and computers, isolated in different market segment. 2>Our high-end expectations for the product should not transpare in low-end and in the launch phase,because of the development delay for the most interesting titles. 3>We should not create confusion among consumers talking about formats-war; we must avoid any comparison with Philips CD-I 4>Consumer electronic products from other companies will be price competitive. POSITIONING DIRECTIVES The Commodore CDTV is the first in a new consumer electronic products generation, an interactive multimedia system for home and school,which makes possible the exciting combination of Hi-Fi sound and moving images,between text and graphic,and all viewable on home TV. CDTV uses a new CD type that suggests entertainment for oneself or for, for learning and entertainment in front of the TV. Normal audio CDs can also be heard with astonishing results. CDTV is easily connected either to TV or Hi-Fi so to choose and control a new world made of sounds and images and,like in a trip,to explore with just a remote control streets and cities searching interesting pieces of information directly from the disk. CDTV is an interactive system,in fact lets the user intervene in an active way in what wants to view or hear choose. Contrary to what happens, for example, for prepackaged programs as TV ones, seen passively,with CDTV anyone is free to choose the argument and to deepen even the littlest details. TV lets us just to change channels;CDTV system instead will upset our way to view or hear in the next 10 years and over. THE CDTV COMPARED TO OTHER COMMODORE PRODUCTS CDTV is directly derived by Commodore Amiga microcomputers series and is perceived by many Company internals as an associated product or like a "sister" Commodore is not intended to consider it in this way in positioning in the great consumers`market. We are intended,anyway, to satisfy the may Amiga owners needs (we suppose they will be more than 3 millions when CDTV launch will end); for this we are developing a CD-Rom as an Amiga peripheral. The advantage in having a large installed Amiga systems base is that the software developers can create CDTV titles with the tranquillity an the security to count on a large market that asks new titles, even if a CDTV owners critical point has been reached. Some Company sectors think that CDTV launch will help in reinforcing Commodore reputation as game-only computer maker, and this fact can damage the strategy that wants to get a significant PCs market part.Surely this will not happen if CDTV marketing, if every Commodore filial will work professionally and in a consistent way. CDTV system can,instead,help really a lot in creating a Commodore image as an innovative leader in multimedia development. INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIALITY TECHNIQUES The combination of CDTV and compact disk titles allows a two-way communication process between the device and the individual or the group using the device. The communication to the user occurs through a combination of sounds (trough TV or Hi-Fi speakers) and monitor or TV images.Using,in fact,a video menu or intuitive icons series, CDTV applications allow the user to put questions and get answers. The audio output can be indifferently a digitized sound,thanks to its internal chips, or a sound took directly from compact disk. These sounds can be mixed and integrated, according to the required communication requests of the application and to the disk available capacity. The quality of the audio stuff on the disk may vary according to stuff quantity; the higher the quality will be, the smaller will be the length. The higher quality level, with 16-bit stereo sound is reached thanks to the typical audio CDs 44.1 Mhz (Note From Translator: shouldn`t be "Khz"??) oversampling.With these quality levels the maximum reachable is 74 minutes. With the lowest quality level,that is,in 4 Mhz (NFT:again???) monophony, 28 execution hours are possible. The CDTV video output is the same of the Amiga 500 one. Particularly, the CDTV produces a 512 vertical lines video image, with 50hz frequency in the PAL version. This image is generated by a dynamic video co-processor,(known as blitter), that can produce and move complex and coloured images on the screen. All this is supported by a 1mb video memory and by 8 sprites per scanning; the results are: 320x256 PIXELS,not interlaced,with 32 colors or 4096 in HAM mode 320x512 PIXELS,interlaced,with 32 colors or HAM 640x256 PIXELS,high resolution,up to 16 colors 640x512 PIXELS,high resolution,up to 16 colors This technology can pruduce the following multimedial techniques: TEXT 40,80 and 120 rows per line GRAPHICS bit-mapped images COLOUR PHOTOS bit-mapped digitized ANIMATION 16 frames per second MOTION VIDEO in CDXL mode, on 1/3 of screen, at 12-15 frames per second Answers to CDTV communications are possible in many ways: INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL Can be used to move an arrow on the screen and choose an icon, either to move over buttons to choose an option. INFRARED JOYSTICK Allows a more accurate control in positioning with the arrow or over other icons. CABLE OR INFRARED KEYBOARD For many-text-requiring communications;querty kind or with others fonts sets. MIDI INTERFACE FOR MIDI PERIPHERALS USAGE. Musical applications can become interactive thanks to the possibility to connect the CDTV,trough MIDI IN port,to musical instruments, for example a MIDI (Musical Instruments Digital Interface) keyboard. OTHER I/O PORTS:SERIAL,PARALLEL,FLOPPY DISK DRIVE. CDTV TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS PRODUCT CDTV=Commodore Dynamic Total Vision Processor/Speed Motorola 68000 16/32 bit 7.14Mhz Co-processor 3 custom chips (Agnus,Paula,Denise) ensure to the system video,sound and graphic performances CD-ROM DRIVE Sony or Philips type in Mode 1,Mode 2 standard with a minimum access time of 0.5 seconds,maximum 0.8 seconds;for CD-ROMs,CD+Audio ad CD+Graphic in ISO-9660 standard. Disk storage capacity 650MB CD AUDIO 8xoversampling.Audio Output 1.4 RMS, 10 K OHM Response frequency 4-20 Khz Channels separation -92db Harmonic Distortion 0.02% at 1Khz Top audio capacity 28 hours in AM Sample rates from 44Khz to 6 Khz Dual 16 bit D/A converter more than 64 attenuation levels REAR PORTS Stereo headphones jack.Personal memory card port. VIDEO OUTPUT Analogic and Digital RGB.PAL composite.RF modulation. Genlock optional (CDTV,video or mixed) VIDEO DISPLAY 512 lines /vertical frequency 50Hz.Maximum video chip memory=1Mb 4096 colours palette, 8 sprites per scanning. EXPANSION PORTS Intelligent video port for optional genlock and RF card 25 pins connector.DMA slot for SCSI,LAN,etc. CDTV TITLES CDTV uses many kinds of compact disks. CD AUDIO Is possible to use actual CDs that offer a big range of titles for family entertainment. CDTV is the only device able to choose any hear or search option simply with the panel on the TV screen. Audio CD sector represents a massively improving sector,even if in many European countries reactions are different;anyway represents a key sector in consumer electronic market. CD+G (GRAPHIC) Are those CDs sold in records stores that give not just a stereo sound, but also,using a CD channel,images that may be artist photos,singer or group biography, much more than what traditional records offer. Very interesting is the use of these CDs with lyric operas;in fact while hearing music trough Hi-Fi,on TV appear the opera booklet texts. CD MIDI With these CD is possible to let musical instruments connected to the CDTV trough MIDI port, to play recorded music. This feature makes the CDTV similar to a sequencer able to generate musical tracks mixing sound from another CDTV or a musical computer. Multimedial CDTV CDs The CDs for CDTV are based on ISO-9660 standard for data archiving on CD-ROM at a sub-DOS level on an optical disk.Not all CD.ROMs may be viewed on CDTV, however,and this is a operative system feature, it is able to search and read CD-ROMs made on various systems.The CDTV is on of these CD-ROM system. CDTV uses a big range of multimedial techniques like text,graphics,sound, animations etc.User can interact with the system using a remote control or the MIDI port, or with the many options allowed by the rear ports,totally similar to the Amiga ones.CDTV can be genlocked with an external video source so to become a video workstation.Is also possible to connect a keyboard,with or without cable,to get major functionalities in text applications. The main and ideal arguments for CDTV can be grouped in large areas: ART AND FREE TIME TEACHING/LEARNING ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC CULTURE PHOTO CDs Thanks to a very recent Commodore and Kodak partnership,our CDTV will exclusively be able to read Kodak Photo CDs.It is a new,original system that lets to store photos on a particular CD so to view them on home TV connected to the CDTV. Soon we will be able to give our rollers,negative or positive to Kodak labs to store up to 100 photos on a CD so to view them at home. CD XL This is the last novelty in CD fact.Thanks to a particular process is now possible to have moving colour images;this opens new horizons to the CDTV applications;in fact these can be integrated with movies of every kind, from didactics to entertainment. PRODUCT STRATEGY The CDTV marks the convergence between computers producers and consumer electronic producers,introducing,therefore, a new products category. Commodore intention is to make CDTV the standard for the CD-ROM great multimedial market.Even if our attention is paid mainly to consumer market, we shall not underestimate other important markets like school,training,sel ling points and specialized business if we want an insured success. Following are the specific areas where we shall move to reach the mid-end objectives. 1)Reduction of the basic CDTV system price. 2)CDTV accessories development,an expanded and updated version.Development is already planned to allow a major presence in stores and product variation. 3)License agreements.Many contacts with some of the most important companies interested in producing under license the CDTV are on work. 4)Constant and regular new titles production. 5)CD performances enhancing. On work are several solution to enhance CD performances, like CDXLs that allow a limited motion on a screen portion. These factors together will help in strategically positioning the product and in representing Commodore as an emerging and innovative company in electronic sector.Besides will help in marking with CDTV the "de facto" standard in the big CD-ROMs market. THE COMPETITORS As a new product category,Commodore interactive multimedial CDTV system presents itself in the market without direct concurrents. "CD-I" (INTERACTIVE-COMPACT-DISK) Philips,with an other electronic producers`passive support, started proposing a full-screen full-motion-based system with a VHS-like quality. Philips hasn`t yet reached and will not reach this aim. Philips plans to release in the autumn of `91 a cheap CD-I system with about 40 titles. When releasing it will not have the MPEG full-motion-video standard.System price will be approximately 1.800.000 Italian lires, CDs price isn`t known at the moment HOME COMPUTERS Amiga 500 and the recent low-end home computers proposed by IBM and Apple (with or without CD-ROM) represent a different products line that will only indirectly represent a valid competition.These products are planned for different functions (word processing,spreadsheets) and are usually positioned in other home rooms and gain a different ergonomic relation for the user who operates at half a meter from the monitor while he stays 2/3 meters from the TV connected to CDTV. VIDEO GAMES Major authorities in videogames theme already foresaw a big sells reduction, mainly in American market and particularly Nintendo. But the new 16-bit generation systems will propose some interesting news for the 1991 pre-Christmas period CD-BASED GAMES MACHINES FROM SONY/NINTENDO Those products have been recently announced to press but the technical features are unknown and prototypes still don`t exist. With these potential competitors is important to remind that the CDTV advantage is given by its big benefits that it can offer from the point of view of audio (CD,CD+G,CD-MIDI) , of games (with sprites and blitter) of encyclopedic works (thanks to the big storage capacity and to the multimediality) and of the telecommunications (thanks to a modem port and to the expansions that will make it a real computer) CDTV PACKAGE CONTAINS In the CDTV package you will find the following things: #The CDTV itself #The remote control with 2 batteries #The instructions sheet for the first connection #A "caddy" to protect your CDs and a welcome disk #Three cables;one for electric supply,one for RF-type antenna TV connection for the PAL version and a stereo one for monitor connection. Optionally is available a SCART-SCART connection cable. ACCESSORIES FOR CDTV Available at the launch: CD1400 CD caddy;two black caddies set to house and protect the multimedial CDs the CD-ROMs and the audio CDs. Available in `91 summer: CD1200 trackball:trackball lets a more accurate and fast choice among the arguments proposed from the most interactive titles that need immediate responses.Thanks to two jacks is possible to connect the actual joysticks. It`s available either in cable or infrared version. CD1252 infrared mouse: It`s a cableless two buttons mouse,with batteries who lets to use CDTV from far,making easier the on-screen objects search. CD1300/CD1301 video genlock: Genlock allows to mix CDTV graphic with images from a videocamera,from a videorecorder or from broadcast TV channels to save then on a normal videorecorder.The genlock can be used in a video-only mode,in a CDTV+Video combined mode or in a CDTV-only mode. It can be controlled from the remote and fits well for many home or industrial applications; either NTCS or PAL versions will be available. Other accessories available in the future will be: CD1410 Speakers:a couple of stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers and connecting cables. CD1401/CD1405 Personal Memory Cards: these memory cards are very useful to store data to use later. For example is possible to store a game position or points,to select images or text.Either in 64Kb or 256Kb version. CD1210: Game Controller: this infrared transmitter has two ports to connect joysticks;includes battery and optional connecting cables. DEVELOPERS SUPPORT PROGRAM. CDTV developers are supported directly from the Special Projects Group of West Chester with an information package published every 6/8 weeks which contains specific technical informations for CDTV background. About 100 CDTV have been given in use to the developers with the relative tools i.e. the compression utilities.Commodore spent a lot either in titles developed under CDTV-Publishing mark or third-parts ones.In some countries Commodore acts like a not exclusive distributor for many titles developers in the aim of introducing the titles in the same CDTV distribution channel. Every title developer has the same kind of manufacturing to guarantee an uniform look. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY The store must be chosen accurately and should have these characteristics: -an area to do individual presentations and demonstrations. -areas with the possibility to connect the CDTV with a TV and a complex hi-fi with interactive demos running. -a selling area to expose and sell CDTV titles -selling personnel able to answer about features,applications and main CDTV competitors. The shopkeeper should become the reference point for people who will buy the CDTV. SELLING ARGUMENTS For Commodore is important to set a right sell policy to be proposed to shopkeepers.In many situations Commodore will sell the CDTV to shopkeepers who have never dealed with Commodore and have never sold anything like the CDTV.This kind of shopkeeper uses to have contacts with TV,HI-FI, videorecorders,reproducers etc. suppliers, therefore it`s important to help them in correctly defining the CDTV role. Selling arguments can be resumed as follows: * Commodore is an affirmed company in the area of formation and learning camps in family sphere and has developed a new product, the CDTV,fruit of a big experience,that will let you get significant facturate and profit slices. * The CDTV system will let you,as distributors, to enlarge your business range in the entertainment area with educative scopes for all the family without big investments on the way of seeing it, and this new business will become,for you, always bigger in the next years. * The CDTV system introduces a new interactive multimediality concept trough a combination of new generation CD players and a new kind of Compact Disks. Our player,connected to home TV offers words and images, and connected to Hi-Fi system, the sound;in fact the CDTV reads the normal audio CDs,the CDs plus graphic and the MIDI CDs This lets you give concrete answers with a SINGLE CD player to your potentials in learning,games and entertainment themes. SUM OF THE MAIN BUYING MOTIVATIONS As the CDTV is not intended from the public like a computer, the reasons to buy it will be different from the ones of every other product first sold from Commodore.Following are some of the motivations who will determine a CDTV purchase. PRICE The price is in line with the price of other consumer electronic products (for example a 21" colour TV) Other producers are going to release similar products in this price range to be in line with purchaser economic capacity. AVAILABILITY The relatively easy availability of alternative products will allow the potential purchaser to wait for their launch in stores;therefore the request should not be stimulated if the product is not available in the store. STYLE AND DESIGN Consumer electronic products are similar to home furniture and are very visible,so to the consumer won`t see an antiestethic product with cables and electric accessories in view;the CDTV fits perfectly in the furniture. EXPLANATION OF THE PRODUCT AND OF ITS BENEFITS Usually consumers aren`t experts and the shopkeeper should guide them, paying attention to not give too technical informations to avoid client confusion. QUALITY Qualitative standards are usually very important for the consumer. SERVICE AND SUPPORT It`s important to offer a very good service after the purchase. TITLES Should be exposed and sold with the CDTV to make the consumer see either titles availability and importance,variety and creativity. In the future CDTV titles can be sold also in book and music stores. THE SHOPKEEPER May vary from the little Hi-Fi seller to the stores of mass selling. The little shopkeeper usually has qualified personnel with a good product knowledge,interested in satisfying the Buyer. Big selling chains,instead, are used to manage a big range of products,and usually the personnel has a very low product knowledge,and doesn't insist much,without incentives from the director or the producers. THE CONSUMER Normally has got no technical knowledge and,in the shop,may easily be influenced by the seller and can change his mind about either the product or the model. IDEAL CONSUMER PROFILE Families with 6-15 years children and well-off youths. Age 22-35 years Sex mainly males Socioecon.Level self-employed/clerks Consumers Own 2 or more colour TVs,Hi-Fi, audio systems,buy regularly electronic products,are well informed on the new technologies Home comp.possess. May have a computer,but it is not a prerequisite,or may have had a computer in the past;may be Amiga users. Other possessions Change car every 3 years Buy CDs or videos for more than 10 titles/year How they buy Look for new products Look for an active dialogue with the selling personnel Look on prochures to get information about the product Life style Innovators,leaders,thinkers. Active and interested in their hobbies Sporting mans,travellers,specialized press readers,steady Televiewer WHY BUY A CDTV? "I decided to buy a Commodore CDTV because i want to improve the experience i can get from my TV and my Hi-Fi system.I want be able to learn interesting subjects like story,stranger languages and then i want to have qualified experiences with musical applications. I also want be able to see the new CDs with graphic and connect my electronic keyboard to the CDTV to play my preferred music.More,all my family can see discs on CDTV" QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Q. How much time a new title development requires? A. Obviously depends on the matter of the title and on the quality and quantity of the original stuff.For example, the Grolier Encyclopedia needed relatively little time, thinking at the project aim: three months to trace more than 9 millions of words, many thousands of images and more than a hour of audio. This has been possible because all the elements was already available in electronic format. The work requires to draw and code an user interface,to convert the existing searching-engine and to test the results;in other conditions this work this work will have needed years of work. Q. What is the CDTV? A. The CDTV is one of the first systems of a new generation of consumer electronic products;it's a sophisticated CD audio and video player to be connected to the TV and to the Hi-Fi. The CDTV reads a new kind of CDs for personal and familiar entertainment for learning and entertainment programs. Audio CDs and CD+Graphic also are played with superb results.The choice of interesting informations,images and sounds is made with JUST an infra-red remote control. Q. What's the meaning of "interactive"? A. The CDTV is an interactive system because who uses it becomes active in the choice of what he wants to see or hear.Instead of passively look at a pre-defined spectacle,the user can choose the most important arguments and deep at own liking. Interactive means,besides,involving and stimulating one's creativity to get new ways. Q. How does it work?Is it easy to use? A. Commodore designed the CDTV so to make it easy to use;in fact is sufficient connect the CDTV to the TV,then the audio cables to the right and left speakers of your Hi-Fi,and then insert the CD in the reader and follow the instructions that will appear on the TV. Q. How much data can be stored in a CD? A. The CDTV CDs can store more than 650 Megabytes of digital datas,which is pair to about 250.000 text pages and thousands of colour images.The storage of memorizable informations depends on the proportion between sound and moving or not images. Q. What is the price of a CDTV A. The public selling price,at the launch, is 1.300.000 (NFT:Italian) lires including remote control,caddy to protect the CDs,audio/video connections cables and welcome disk. Q. Why a caddy is needed? A. Because those new CDs require a major precision in the header alignment from the laser compared to normal audio CDs and even the fingerprints may interfere in reading the datas. The caddy ensures protection and precision for reading mechanism. Q. How much will the discs cost? A. From 25 to 90 thousands (Italian) lires due to the content;obviously an encyclopedia will cost more than a recipe-book Q. The CDTV can be transformed in a Amiga-like home computer? A. Certainly yes, but being a consumer electronic product made to stay in the room where usually there is the TV and the Hi-Fi,we don't think that many people will expand the CDTV functions. Will be possible buy accessories like the trackball, a special remote control to put on the armchair where to connect one or two joysticks or a keyboard. Q. Which discs will be available? A. At the launch more than 40 titles will be available,with arguments from the medical dictionary to recipe-books,from astronomy treatise to the world atlas, from the science manuals, to art and culture ones.There will also be a big availability of CD+graphic. Q. Which languages will be available for the titles? A. This is the first product that allows to have multilingual versions of the same title on the same disk.This means lower prices for the consumer and the possibility to have the same title available at the same time in many countries.The first titles are in English version,but the developers are already working in the realization of titles in many languages; now 6 titles are available in Italian Q. Which is the quality level of the audio side of the CDTV? A. The CD audio is a 16 bit 8xoversampling,it means that it is a good player that will be the natural complement of your actual Hi-Fi system.If have in the past bought a CD player, you'll see that the CDTV will give you a better quality;moreover,the image on the screen will let you program more easily the track you want to hear. Q. What's the difference between CDTV and Philips CD-I? A. First of all,Commodore has already launched either the CDTV and the titles,Philips,hasn't! The CDTV is the result of advanced and proved technologies: an operative system,a CD-ROM drive and an infrared remote control. The product has been amply tested before the launch,the prices of the titles are acceptable and there is a big developers community who has hundreds of experience years on Commodore systems. Q. Will CDTV have full-screen full motion video? A. At this moment this possibility is limited to a screen portion,that,for the new interactive titles,satisfies any need,even the more creative one. The full motion video will be available in next future,when the international standard for compression,in developing phase by MPEG,will be defined.Anyway,we don't think the full motion video to be essential,but to be a more feature. But when will be available,there will be no problems to make the CDTV compatible with the new needs. Q. Does the CDTV support the MIDI Interface? A. The CDTV is fully MIDI compatible and has a built-in in and out MIDI interface. Even the not musician expert can make his electronic keyboard play,for example,the preferred music,using all the keyboard features. Q. What is the personal memory card function? A. Its usage is limited just by the user's inventive for the many applications of the programs.First of all it is portable,thus allows to bring everywhere a game status or points,preferences,a keyword to stop other's access etc... This board can be used to edit big information quantities to "block" part of the infomations.For example a database can be sold on a CD at 120.000 lires; with a cost 30.000 with a personal memory card (part of a set of 5 ones) is possible to access a fifth of the informations.In this way a price demolition is got,and the user can buy just the interesting part of informations.