CD-i member Blazers collected a complete list of CD-i releases that were released in the original USA grey long box: Including cardboard wrap and a sticker on the front. How many CD-i titles were released like this? Philips Media of America stopped with this format somewhere in 1993, when they started to use standard, genral CD Audio jewelcases for all CD-i releases worldwide. CD-i member Blazers: "I recently obtained what I think is the full set of US longbox CDi releases. I can't be absolutely sure, though, as there was no such list to be found online and to my knowledge mine is the only one. I had to piece it together from images of other CDi collections and over a year of Ebay listings. I'd like to ask if this list is indeed a complete accounting of every single longbox release, and if not what ones are missing."
A while back The World of CD-i shared a list with all USA CD-i releases, recently updated by us to make it even more complete. This list covers also the CD-i titles that were released in a jewelcase. In the specific list of today, you'll find the 'first generation' of USA CD-i releases, as you can recognize them in the pictures.
For just over a year I've been after a complete Philips CDi US longbox set. That is, every single CDi that had a physical release in the original tall, hard plastic flip-open boxes with cardboard outer sleeve. Why did I decide to do this? Well, unless I completely missed it, there doesn't actually seem to be a complete list anywhere online about which titles were released in this specific format, a format that I happen to be quite taken with. These are surprisingly nice to look at and have a real quality feel to them. I wish Philips had stuck with this format instead of switching at some point to the later regular jewel cases with slipcovers.
With no ready list available, I had to make my own. In the end, there seems to be 97 distinct US Philips longbox format releases. Yet, I can't be entirely certain about that. Quite a few of these releases were VERY hard to obtain, and are much less common in this format than in the later CDi release style.
It's entirely possible that I've missed a few, and I would like to ask the community to check their own CDi collections and see if I'm missing a few longbox releases. And to note, there is one thing that I still need: a slipcover for Berenstain Bears. I have a line on a copy but simply haven't heard back from the potential seller in a while.
As with any other collection, there are several titles that are vastly more difficult to find than others, rare due to low print runs, poor sales, or some other reasons. The following are the 10 rarest US Philips CDi longbox releases, in order of their rarity. If anyone reading this decides to go for the set, these are the ones that you should be willing to buy entire large lots just to obtain. You will be waiting a very long time for them to come up for sale by themselves, if they ever do."
- Anne Willan Presents The Food of France. This the rarest CDi longbox title, and one of the rarest US CDi releases period. It did have an overseas release.
- The ACT College Search '92. US exclusive CDi. This was also released only in longbox format. Easily the 2nd rarest longbox CDi.
- CD-I Music Book: Classical Guitar Volume 1. This is different than the other, more common Classical Guitar title. Very rare, possibly a variant.
- David and Goliath. The rarest of several rare religious CDi titles. Fairly expensive, too.
- Berenstain Bears: On Their Own and You On Your Own. Not tough to find in regular jewel-case format, but rare in longbox format.
- Sailing: A Guide to Sailing and Seamanship. Still available on Amazon, but it never came up on Ebay in over a year of searching.
- The Flowers of Robert Mapplethorpe. Possibly the most expensive longbox title. Cinemassacre has an amusing video of this CDi. While this CDi is possibly the tamest CDi in terms of content, be warned that Googling about the artist will result in some highly NSFW results. DO NOT look this title up on anything other than your personal device.
- More Dark Fables from Aesop. Sequel to The Dark Fables of Aesop. I only saw two copies pop up in over a year.
- Moses: The Exodus.
- Moses: Bound for the Promised Land.
- A National Parks Tour
- A Revolution in Color
- A Visit to Sesame Street: Letters
- A Visit to Sesame Street: Numbers
- A Visit to the Valley of the Pueblo and the Amparo Museum
- Alice In Wonderland
- Anne Willan Presents the Food of France
- Backgammon
- Battleship
- Beauty and the Beast
- Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby
- Caesar’s World of Gambling
- Cartoon Jukebox
- CD Shoot
- CD-I Music Book: Classical Guitar Volume 1
- Children’s Musical Theater
- Classical Guitar
- Classical Jukebox
- Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia
- Connect Four
- Cool Oldies Jukebox
- Dark Castle
- David and Goliath
- Defender of the Crown
- Dutch Masters of the 17th Century
- Earth Rhythms
- Escape From the Cyber City
- Gardening By Choice: Flowers and Foliage
- Gifts to Behold
- Girl’s Club
- Golden Oldies Jukebox
- Harvest of the Sun
- How the Camel Got His Hump
- How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
- How to Photograph Nature
- International Tennis Open
- James Brown Nonstop Hit Machine
- Jazz Giants
- Jazz Guitar
- Jigsaw
- Laser Lords
- Lords of the Rising Sun
- Louis Armstrong
- More Dark Fables from Aesop
- Moses: Bound for the Promised Land
- Moses: The Exodus
- Mother Goose Hidden Pictures
- Mother Goose Rhymes to Color
- Mozart: A Musical Biography
- Mystic Midway Rest in Pieces
- NFL Football Trivia Challenge
- Noah’s Ark
- Paint School I
- Paint School II
- Pavarotti
- Pecos Bill
- Pegasus
- Pinball
- Power Hitter
- Prelude
- Rand McNally’s America: U.S. Atlas
- Rembrandt: His Art and the Music of His Era
- Rhythm Maker
- Richard Scarry’s Best Neighborhood Disc
- Richard Scarry’s Busiest Neighborhood Disc
- Rock Guitar
- Sailing: A Guide to Sailing and Seamanship
- Sandy’s Circus Adventure
- Sargon Chess
- Stamps: Windows on the World
- Stickybear Reading
- Story Machine: Magic Tales
- Story Machine: Star Dreams
- Tell Me Why I
- Tell Me Why II
- Tetris
- Text Tiles
- The ACT College Search ‘92
- The Art of the Czars
- The Berenstain Bears: On Their Own and You On Your Own
- The Best of Draw 50
- The Dark Fables of Aesop
- The Emperor’s New Clothes
- The Flowers of Robert Mapplethorpe
- The French Impressionists
- The Palm Springs Open
- The Renaissance Gallery
- The Renaissance of Florence
- The Riches of Coins
- The Story of Jonah
- The Story of Samson
- The World of Impressionism
- Time Life Photography
- Treasures of the Smithsonian
- Video Speedway
- You Sing Christmas Favorites
- Zombie Dinos from the Planet Zeltoid
[Thanks, Blazers, AtariAge]