After focussing more on compact CD-i models in the 4xx CD-i player series, Philips returned once again to the 'component' model size in 1996 with the CD-i 740. When Philips decided to discontinue their CD-i business, they still released one of the best CD-i players in 1996. The Philips CD-i 740 player was the very last CD-i player to be released by Philips. Perhaps one of the more rare players of Philips, the CD-I 740 is the most advanced consumer CD-i player ever made.
Something that made me wonder is the info on ICDIA about the CD-i 740: It should have featured an RS232-port. Alongside two seperate ports for input devices, I have never seen the RS232 port on any CD-i 740 that came along. Is it a mistake or are there different versions? The CD-i 740 players had extensive controls for playing of CD-Audio at the front of the player. Build-in Incorporated Digital Video. It was only available in a very limited edition. When they appear on eBay it is regularly sold for over 500 euros a piece in recent years. The player itself is 43.5 cm width in a design that fits other Philips audio/video Hi-Fi component products like the FR751/752, DCC600/730 ,CD751 player etc.
The CD-i 740/05 version is a trial run model. I have never seen a retail version of the 740/05, but this version had the coax antenna connections back on the player. On other CD-i 740 players these connections were not available.
[Thanks, guru_vaz]