The first public talks about the development of CD-i started in 1986. The press wrote about a new standard that was being developed by Philips, Sony and Matsushita and it would become as big as the CD-Audio. In 1990, Philips started selling kits to developers to promote the upcoming CD-Interactive system. In 1991 CD-i launched first in the USA. The specific date that CD-i was first available to the public was October 15. In the first half of 1992, CD-i was also introduced in Europe and in the hometown of Philips, The Netherlands. That always leaves some questions that I'm interested in: Why was CD-i released first in USA? Does it have to do something with the Magnavox brand, and the popularity of the Odyssey console? Or is it just something American Interactive Media (which would become Philips Interactive Media of America later on) pushed through?
On the internet the launchdate of CD-i is not always the same. Our sources claim that CD-i was first launched in the USA on:
October 15, 1991
That means, next year, October 15, 2021, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the CD-i system!
