Philips CD-i 400/500 Series RGB Board

While the Philips CD-i might not be remembered as a classic games console by most people, it is nevertheless undeniably an interesting piece of gaming and computing history in its own right.

Here at VGP, as classic collectors ourselves, we love to stock and support niche products and understand how it can be frustrating tracking down low production run parts for vintage gaming hardware. When our friends over at Mobius Strip Technologies said they were no longer producing the CD-i RGB boards, we offered to step in and fund another batch ourselves and now we’re pleased to offer this part with worldwide shipping.

This product is the first RGB board made specifically for the Philips CD-i 400 and 500 series. This board is a completely custom circuit designed by Mobius Strip. It offers a proper 0.7Vpp RGB signal, 0.35Vpp 75ohm combined sync (CSYNC) signal, and a TTL CSYNC signal. Sync signals are built from the H-Sync and V-Sync signals directly from the video encoder to ensure proper timing. This sync signal is 100% compatible with the OSSC, as well as Sony PVM monitors.

Depending on your plans and target system you can purchase the mod here with a choice of either a 9 pin Mini-DIN connector (Sega Megadrive/Genesis 2 style) or an 8 pin Mini-DIN connector (popular on RGB modded NES, Atari and other systems, usually wired to this specification). If you already have a DIN connector or plan to do the installation differently, simply choose “not required” from the drop down menu above.

Installation instructions

For installation instructions, please click here. Please also take a moment to consult the Github page here, for any updates or additions to the installation instructions.

Installing this mod requires soldering skills, please study the instructions carefully and ensure you are confident enough to carry out the work yourself before ordering. Please do not purchase this part unless you are confident with a soldering iron. While community support may be available in our forum, we cannot give technical support with DIY installations, nor can we offer refunds or compensation for parts damaged due to bad/incorrect DIY installations.

If you’re not confident installing this mod yourself, you can order a fitting service here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose this board over the “PC Engine amp-based” modification found online?

• Sync signal on this board is not using composite video. Using composite video for sync can cause noise and failure to sync on some devices
• RGB levels are a proper 0.7Vpp versus >1.0Vpp signals seen on the “PC Engine amp-based” modification
• RGB and 75ohm CSync signals are 100% safe for use with the OSSC and consumer grade devices. No risk of damage due to over-voltage
• Built-in RGB Enable pad. No more soldering in a pull-up resistor
• Accurate colour reproduction matching OEM output

I don’t have a 400/500 series, will this still work?

The mod is compatible with all Philips CD-i consoles with a BT9106, BT9107, or BT9108 encoder. A list of models known to contain this encoder is as follows:

210/40
210/60
220/60
220/80
220/97
FW380i
450 (Tested working)
470 (Tested working)
490
550 (Tested working)
5000
9000
GDI-700M
GDI-750
GDI-1000
TV: 21TCDI30
740/00
615/00
660/00
670/00
DVS VE-200 (Tested Working. Requires resistor swap)

Does this work with HDRetrovision cables, RAD2X, Genesis/MegaDrive 2 SCART cables?

Yes, this board can be made to work with these cables. Simply remove and bridge the 75ohm resistors and 220uf capacitors on RGB lines and use the TTL CSync pad for sync. These cables contain the necessary resistors etc to convert this TTL sync signal into proper 0.7Vpp sync voltage compatible with consumer grade equipment.

Can I use this on a PAL CD-i?

Absolutely. This board is compatible with both PAL and NTSC CD-i units. Please note this board does not modify refresh rates, enable switching of refresh rates, or convert from 50hz to 60hz or vice versa.