Commodore International Ltd is claiming a breakthrough in home entertainment systems with its Commodore Dynamic Total Vision interactive multimedia player, previewed at the summer Consumer Electronics Show over the weekend. The new player is described as a synthesis of Compact Disk and advanced computer technologies, and is claimed to be the first consumer-oriented product to combine the high storage capabilities of Compact Disk with the multitasking capabilities, audio, graphics, sound and processing power of an advanced personal computer into a single unit. The machine is built around the Motorola 68000 presumably a stripped-down version of the Amiga, but no-one at Commodore was available to confirm this. It is designed to connect directly to a television set and home stereo unit to become an interactive entertainment, information and education centre. It is designed for infra red remote control, and Commodore is looking for 100 titles – from reference works to games – to be available by the time the thing is on the market this autumn. Commodore is also looking for courses on things like cooking, sports, foreign languages, and special learning programs for children and it sees music, from rock to opera, being enhanced with video graphics – each costing from $30 to $100. The machine itself has a target price of less than $1,000, but key elements, such as an infrared computer keyboard, infrared joysticks, a 3.5 floppy disk drive, a printer and a video genlocking card to enable users to mix computer graphics with live video will be extra. The player is compatible with conventional audio Compact Disks at eight times oversampling, and with the emerging standard for CD+G Compact Disk with Graphics – the CD version of the new Fleetwood Mac album Behind the Mask is claimed to have graphics as well as the music on it – if anyone had the means to display the pictures!
