The Amiga CD³² is the first 32-bit state-of-the-art video entertainment system. The Amiga CD³² is based on the Amiga's technology and features the AGA chipset (256,000 colors simultaneously out of a palette of 16.8 million colors). You simply connect it to your TV and/or your stereo like any other HiFi device.
Yes, the Amiga CD³² can handle various CD formats:
- Standard audio CDs in HiFi quality (16 bit with 8 times oversampling)
- CD+G discs, that's CD plus graphics, where music titles are
accompanied by changing graphics (e.g. for Karaoke)
- CDTV CDs, these are discs for the predecessor model
- Amiga CD³² titles (software)
- with the FMV (Full Motion Video) module even Video-CDs with movies or
music videos can be played back at VCR quality
Yes, software solutions are available from add-on vendors.
Quite a bit. Following the tradition of Amiga computers, the Amiga CD³² offers everything you need to display computer graphics, animations, and film sequences. All of these may be accompanied by synchronized sound. You can also interactively control external devices like laserdisc players. This is what multimedia really means. On the Amiga platform this is everyday business since its very first days in 1985. Today you can choose among a wide range of professional software for this area, which is usable on all Amiga models, even the Amiga CD³².
The average CD has an enormous storage capacity: over 600 Megabytes of digital data - which is equivalent to 250,000 pages of text. When compared to floppy disks or cartridge modules, this huge capacity means that graphics and sound can be experienced in much more detail, more realistic and more exciting. This quality in graphics, color, and speed is not possible with floppy disks or cartridge modules.
Yes, data like game situations and high scores or names can be stored in an internal CMOS memory, much more convenient and faster than a floppy disk. With a "software key", you can also protect your most important entries against overwriting.
It's a snap! Just connect the Amiga CD³² to your TV as you would a VCR. Additionally, you can connect the stereo output jacks to your stereo amplifier.
The Amiga CD³² comes with an 11-button controller, the "Joypad". It provides smooth, exact, and fast control in every situation. Function keys that can be software configured allow super fast reaction for exciting entertainment; you can jump, run, throw, block, etc. You also have control in all 8 directions.
Yes, already in the base configuration it's possible to play films in a unique format developed by Commodore (CDXL). With ca. 15 frames per second they are shown in nearly full screen format.
With the optional MPEG module (or FMV module, for Full Motion Video), which adheres to the world standard Video-CD or CD-Movie, up to 74 minutes of film in S-VHS quality can be played back from a CD. Films like Top Gun, Godfather, Star Trek and others have already been announced by Paramount Home Videos. Besides such movies, Sony will provide music CD albums together with their video clips in the future. The innovators of this standard formed a consortium where the partners are Sony, Paramount Home Videos, Commodore, JVC, Matsushita, and Philips. On the Amiga CD³² such MPEG movies can get overlayed with Amiga-generated graphics. When compared to video cassettes, Video-CDs promise lower production costs and more robustness, as it's already known from audio CDs. The FMV module for the Amiga CD³² just slides into the back of the base unit and is immediately operational.
They run on a 32-bit Amiga, which has a complete multitasking operating system and state-of-the-art graphics capabilities. This adds much flexibility to the software, as all of the built-in features of the normal Amiga systems can be used.
A multitude of entertainment and information programs are available: games with action, adventure, role playing, strategy, or board games. Simulations and information programs round out the picture. All titles come with digitized speach and sound.
Available examples are a world atlas, a cook book, tips for gardening, or a health advisor. The complete works of Shakespeare and much more are offered in the computer, video, or CD departments. There are ca. 200 Amiga CD³²-specific titles available.
The CD³² is used by a Canadian bank as the interface with which its customers can do homebanking. A small box is attached to the CD³² which contains a telephone modem and an infrared receiver. It is connected to the TV receiver and operated via a remote control.
In a similar direction some projects are heading where several companies want to build so-called Settop Boxes based on the CD³². Settop Boxes are named this way because you put them on your TV receiver and connect them to it. You operate them via a remote control and can switch comfortably between the hundreds of upcoming satellite channels, surf the Internet, use online services like commercial data banks and homebanking, or simply play some recreational games. Due to its low demand for RAM or other storage, the Amiga is perfectly suited as the platform for such applications.