Philips CD-i 400/500 Series RGB Board Installation Service

Available now (handled by our partners BetaGamma Computing in Greece). Please allow for shipping and processing delays due to bad weather in Corfu. UK customers MUST e-mail us first about ANY upgrade/repair work (except NI).

All repair/upgrade work is carried out subject to our terms and conditions. Once you have placed your order, details of where to ship your hardware will be sent to your e-mail address. Prices do NOT include return postage.

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 an installation service for this part.

Purchase this product and ship us your CD-i console and we will install and test the RGB upgrade for you. The price includes both the RGB upgrade board and the fitting service.

This 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 preferences we can install the upgrade 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 upgraded NES, Atari and other systems, usually wired to this specification). If you require a different installation please contact us first. Please include the RGB cable you intend to use with the console when you send in your CD-i.

Prefer to DIY fit your board? Click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose this board over the “PC Engine amp-based” upgrades 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” upgrade
• 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 upgrade 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. Please include the cable you wish to use with your console when you send it to us so we can ensure it is compatible.

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 alter refresh rates, enable switching of refresh rates, or convert from 50hz to 60hz or vice versa.