CDTV - is it worth getting one?

[alexh]

jmbattle wrote:
Has anyone ever tried to mount the CD32 motherboard inside a CDTV, or would the custom 1x CD-Rom interface be prohibitive?

What would you connect to the LCD, buttons etc? I agree that the CDTV case is nicer than the CD32 one.. but a heart transplant is not going to be easy / practical.

jmbattle wrote:
On a similar note, assuming the DVD-Rom drive could be replaced, and that it was hooked up to a CD32 with the FMV add-on, would DVD movie playback be possible?

No. It's an MPEG1 decoder and DVD's are MPEG2.

[amigadave]

Found a great site for the CDTV here .

With all this discussion about the CDTV, it motivated me to take mine apart to install the updated custom extended ROM chips that I received a few weeks ago, a Kickstart ROM switcher, and DKB Megachip.  I need to dig out my AdIDE as well and install it with a 2.5" hdd before I close the CDTV up again.  

I seem to have found a problem when I opened up my CDTV.  The extended ROMs are soldered to an inverted pcb that is then inserted into the CDTV mobo with pins going into not only the two extended ROM sockets, but also a socket that connect to the 10 pins of CN29.  To upgrade I could try to just install the upgraded extended ROMs into the mobo sockets located at U34 & U35, but I am concerned that all the circuitry on the extra pcb which originally contains the extended ROMs must be there for some reason and therefore must be needed.  My other option is to desolder the original extended ROMs and solder the upgraded extended ROMs into the original extra pcb. Does anyone know anything about this extra pcb with the extended ROMs for the revision 2.2 CDTV mobo?  

I have taken a few pictures, but a recurring problem with my card reader in my PC prevents me from uploading them at this moment.

Edit:  Thanks again to "Jeff" for programming the updated EPROM extended ROMs for me.

[Jeff]

It sounds like you might have the developers Flash board installed. Check this page out about half way down for the Flash Update software.

[/quote]CDTV Information Page

[amigadave]

Although I could not find a picture of the developers Flash
Board, I think you might be right.

I have installed the EPROMS you sent me and my DKB MegaChip
and all is working fine.  I found a CDTV compilation CD
that showed me that I now have 2mb of RAM and the start-up
screen is now showing 2.7 in the bottom left corner instead
of 0.1 which was shown before. Kickstart is currently v34.5.
I think that equates to v1.3.3, but I am not sure.

The developers flash board is removed, but I will keep it
in case I need to use it in the future for another flash
update if anything beyond version 2.7 is found or created.

I am very surprised to find it in my dented CDTV that does
not seem to have any other special additions to it.

I guess I will install the Kickstart ROM switcher next, but
the clip with the wire running to the DKB MegaChip from pin
36 of the Gary chip runs right over the Kickstart ROM and
the wire is not long enough to go around it.

Edit: The Kickstart ROM switch covers the area that the Flash Memory card that holds the original PROMs on it, so I will not be able to use both at the same time, but since the EPROMs you Jeff sent me are working well, I won't need the Flash Memory card right now.  I could not get the CDTV to start up when switched to the 2.05KSROM, but I am off to the other room to retrieve the floppy drive and my WB2.1 disk to see if it boots okay and to also see if the CDROM will show up on the WB when running OS2.1 from floppy.

[amigadave]

Someone here sold me a bad KS 2.05 ROM, because when I replaced it with another known good 2.05 KSROM my CDTV boots okay from the CD-ROM and the Floppy Drive.

Oh well, at least it is working now with my KSROM and the switcher and I have the option of both OS1.3 or OS2.1.

Now I will have to find that AdIDE and see if I can get it to boot from a hard drive.  The info page I found on the Net said that it probably would not and that it might not be able to use the CD-ROM drive with the AdIDE installed, but I am pretty sure I have read about other Amiga users booting their CDTV's from a hdd.

[hardlink]

amigadave wrote:
Now I will have to find that AdIDE and see ...

The problem I see stacking items on top of the CPU socket is the clearance to the top cover; anybody know what the limits are? I don't want to cut a hole in the top of the case, so I've wondered if I could make an expansion to lift it a bit. There was something like this, a new top case half for the A4000D, to allow all the Toaster/Flyer gear to fit inside.

[amigadave]

hardlink wrote:

The problem I see stacking items on top of the CPU socket is the clearance to the top cover; anybody know what the limits are? I don't want to cut a hole in the top of the case, so I've wondered if I could make an expansion to lift it a bit. There was something like this, a new top case half for the A4000D, to allow all the Toaster/Flyer gear to fit inside.

There is very little room to stack above the 68000.  Even the Kickstart ROM switcher has maxed out the height inside and will be right up against the top of the case cover when it is closed up again.  My Derringer 030/50MHz will not come close to fitting under the case and I am not going to cut it, or run with the top off.

I might try a 68010, or AdSpeed w/14MHz 68000, but there are reports that the AdSpeed does not work with the onboard CD-ROM drive.

[rockape]

Hi,

There is a SCSI drive header inside the CDTV for installing a hard drive.

see http://www.cnctechniker.de/amiga.html

but the maker of the SCSI connectors site says

Leider ist keine CDTV Hardware mehr lieferbar - eventuell nächstes Jahr...

Sorry, all CDTV Hardware is sold out - perhaps next year...

Regards, Michael

aka rockape

[HopperJF]

I had one for a while, for novelty only.
The 1.3 and only 1Mb lets it down otherwise it would have been quite good.

[amigadave]

rockape wrote:
Hi,

There is a SCSI drive header inside the CDTV for installing a hard drive.

see http://www.cnctechniker.de/amiga.html

but the maker of the SCSI connectors site says

Leider ist keine CDTV Hardware mehr lieferbar - eventuell nächstes Jahr...

Sorry, all CDTV Hardware is sold out - perhaps next year...

Regards, Michael

aka rockape

It would be great if I could connect to the internal SCSI controller to add a hard drive, but it is probably very hard to find a slimline 2.5" SCSI hdd.  I think trying to fit the AdIDE inside is my best bet. Now if only I could find it.

@HooperJF,

I have 2mb RAM and AmigaOS 2.1 working plus the Kickstart is switched, so I can go back to OS 1.3 at any time.

[amigadave]

Got my card reader working again, so I uploaded a couple pics of the CDTV Flash Memory Rev A card that was installed inside my CDTV before I replaced it with the upgraded extended KS ROMs that Jeff programmed for me.

They should be visible in a day or two in the CDTV section of the A.org photos.

If anyone is interested in buying it, I am thinking of selling.  I can send you the pics via email.

[Jeff]

@Dave
PM Sent about the Flash board

-Jeff