A new chapter is included in the official CD-i FAQ 2020 Edition, discussing the current CD-i situation

Section 11: Current CD-i situation


11.1 Is CD-i still being used?

CD-i was used by some companies and museums for their training until around 2010 as point-of-information and point-of-sale needs. This was partly because of the fact that no real substitue for CD-i with the same level of interactivity was developed (see What good alternatives are there for CD-i in the professional field?). Of course these companies had invested in CD-i hardware and production facilities, and the phase-out of CD-i has taken some time. By now, CD-i is not used anymore in any professional application as we know, but there is a community online that remembers the CD-i and everything that it offered in the past.

11.2 Are CD-i players still being manufactured?

Most of the critical components used in CD-i players (such as its audio and video circuitry) reached end-of-live status and are no longer produced by its corresponding semiconductor manufacturers. Hence, CD-i players can no longer be produced, especially not in low quantities. Philips produced its latest high volume batch of CD-i players in June 1999, and will not start up CD-i production anymore in the future.

11.3 Is CD-i still being sold?

No. It's best to search online auction sites like eBay, or ask for second hand equipment in any of the various discussion groups and forums available on the net.

11.4 Can I rent CD-i players?

In the past professional users willing to rent CD-i players for limited time projects contacted Videotronic for more information on renting CD-i players. But in 2020, these parties do not exist anymore. Nowadays you cannot rent CD-i players anymore.

11.5 Where can I buy CD-i titles?

It's best to search online auction sites like E-bay, or ask for second hand software in any of the various discussion boards and news groups available on the net.

Please note that in 2020 there are still movies published on Video CD, mainly in Asia. Although CD-i compatibility is a key requirement for Video-CD titles, some discs (particularly illegal Asian titles) lack the CD-i application and cannot be played (refer to I have a Video-CD. Why won't it play on my CD-i? for more information). Always check before you buy a Video-CD disc on the Net. The Video-CDs from Philips/Polygram are guaranteed to be according to the official standard, and as such CD-i compatible.

11.6 What books have been published about CD-i?

A number of books have been published in the past couple of years covering CD-i's technical features and the ways it can be used. This list is by no means complete. Check with the CD-i Community or any secondhand store or website to see if you can get hold of a copy.

• Introducing CD-I - Addison-Wesley, 1992
• The CD-I Design Handbook - Addison-Wesley, 1992
• The CD-I Production Handbook - Addison-Wesley, 1992
• CD-I, A Designer's Overview - Kluwer, Second Edition 1988
• Discovering CD-I - Microware Systems Corp., 1991
• The Producer's Handbook of Multimedia Authoring for CD-I - Philips Interactive Media Systems, 1992
• The Producer's Handbook for Multimedia Authoring on CD-I - Philips Interactive Media Centre, Second Edition 1995
• CD-i, Een Introductie (Dutch) - Kluwer, 1992

11.7 Where can I find CD-i related information on the Internet?

There are a couple of very good websites dedicated to CD-i. At first of course :-) there is the ICDIA website. This site is the home of the CD-i FAQ 2000 Edition you are currently reading. The latest version of this FAQ is currently published on Interactive Dreams. Furthermore, ICDIA provides you with complete overviews of all CD-i players and accessories ever produced, it offers CD-i related software downloads for use on PCs as well as on CD-i authoring systems, it contains various background articles, software overviews and a lot more. Make sure you visit it when you are searching for CD-i information.

Other good resources of CD-i information are currently Interactive Dreams and The World of CD-i. For a more detailed overview of CD-i websites, please refer to the CD-i Web Links section on the ICDIA website.

11.8 What good alternatives are there for CD-i in the consumer area?

Well, if you want to play video games, you need a game console (Sony or Microsoft are the current leaders, but also streaming videogames is reaching the market). For other services mainly the internet took over its place. Movies and music are offered via streaming services. Of course you can still rely on CD audio players and DVD / Blu-Ray players. Also for interactive reference titles the internet took over the place with all kinds of great websites.

The CD-i concept (offering all kinds of formats in a single player) was rather unique and far ahead of its time. Today, the internet is the best alternative to anything that CD-i offered in the past.

If you want to have a device that does it all, then just leave the CD-i player in your living room (or make sure you get one!). It can always be used as an Audio-CD player, a Photo-CD player or a Video-CD player. And it plays all of your existing CD-i titles as well!

11.9 What good alternatives are there for CD-i in the professional field?

CD-i became very popular in the professional area. It was widely used in a wide variety of appliations, most notably for training and point-of-sale and point-of-information. CD-i was a cheap device, requiring no special training on how to use it, no setup or difficult installation procedures, and it delivers very acceptible, TV-like video and sound.

Again web-based applications in combination with a PC offer the best alternative to what CD-i offered in the past (and better with all the online functionalities!)

[Thanks, Jorg Kennis, Sebastiaan Batenburg]