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The CD-i Download & Burning Guide: DIY tutorials how to get ISO's from the Internet and create back-up CD-i discs, anno 2019

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What if you want to make a digital copy of your CD-i game to play in CD-i Emulator, like when your physical CD-i player does not work anymore? We'll show you what the options are to get a copy of your CD-i disc. In this article we will also cover the opposite way: What if you want to play a game that is too expensive to buy? There are numerous places on the internet where you can download CD-i game files, with the right software you can create your own physical CD-i data using a CDR and the ROM file. But downloading CD-i games is also a good way to test the CD-i Emulator. Or to get some childhood memories back without going into the troubles of getting a working CD-i player nowadays. Let's have a look at a few links.


1. How to make a digital copy of your CD-i title?

On the internet there are several software tools available that will able you to get a digital image of your CD-i title. You can download and install the program by clicking on the links below:


CD Mate is a little unknown to CD-i users but my tests are very positive, including CD-i Ready discs, this program is comparable with CloneCD. The CD Mate has received a lot of attention in the CD-R scene recently. 



With IsoBuster, you can extract specific files like audio or video (MPEG) files but you can also create digital ISO/BIN images of the whole title. The downside is the hurdle to get a cue-file. When you want to burn an image on a disc with Nero Roxio or Fireburner, you need the cue-file (cue-sheet). But for digital use like to play in CD-i Emulator, it works very well. It's also a nice tool when you have original prototypes around and you would like to preserve the data. Insert your CD and select 'Extract CD image' from the tab.


CDRWin lets you burn images including cue files. It is easy to use and therefor perhaps the most popular, although the software is not actively supported anymore. After starting it, choose 'extract disc' from the pop-up window and select 'disc image/cuesheet' on top. Leave the settings as how they are.
CloneCD is powerful to extract images of CD-i Ready discs. CD-i Ready discs tend not to work with isobuster or CDRWin, because the software thinks it is an audio CD. With CloneCD, Insert your CD, start CloneCD, be sure to select it is a 'Data CD' and it will create a working image.

2. Where to download CD-i games and how to use them in a CD-i Emulator?

Here you'll find some easy collections of CD-i games:
At the-eye.eu and gametronik.com you can also find the BIOS file that you will need to run in CD-i Emulator. In the case of CD-i Emulator 0.53 beta 4: Place the file in the 'disc' directory, start CD-i Emulator and open the ISO file using the tab.

3. How to make a physical copy of a digital CD-i ISO file?

DiscJuggler is another powerful piece of software that let's you burn your images to a CDR.  There is a free demo version avilable that has all functions available. When you insert a blanc CDR, select 'Burn disc image' out of the list in the 'New Task' menu. Be sure not to change any advanced settings and set the burning speed at the lowest possible.
This is our favourite burning software. In the menu, choose Burn, burn image from the tabs. It's easy software to burn an image on a blanc CDR.
Again, use CloneCD to handle CD-i Ready discs. Look at this list to find out which CD-i titles are actually CD-i Ready discs. You'll also notice when you try it in DiscJuggler, as it can't handle the CD-i Ready format. To burn an image, select 'write from image file' from the first menu. Be sure you write it as a 'Data CD'.

Remarks:
  • Certain CD-i players (like the 4xx series)seem to have trouble with low-cost (like no-branded) CDR's.
  • I recommend you to use the lowest burning speed, because the risk of en error is the lowest in this case!
  • Don't use rewritable discs, they tend to have reading problems on CD-i players.


[This guide has a long history in the CD-i community and goes back to 2005, this time with updated links and new sources. Thanks to our community, who made it as complete as it is now]




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