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Because sometimes preservation is a BATTLE. Support pls?
Here is a letter we just sent to our local retro game store after calling them and asking if they do console repair. It is very long because this ended up being such a rabbit hole.
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Good evening! I believe we spoke on Monday about undertaking repairs for our CD-i player, and you gave me this email address so I could send you the documentation and research I have uncovered for you to look over. It appears to be a fairly well documented procedure, just a delicate one--something I'm hoping you might be able to do for us if we provide these instructions (and the replacement components,) but I wanted you to look over these articles just to make sure. Apologies that it took so long to write; I had to make sure everything was in order.
REPAIR #1: TIMEKEEPER CHIP FOR THE PLAYER
This is the big one. We are experiencing an error where the player no longer works because any attempt to power it on takes it to a screen in which it declares that the memory is full and that files need to be removed to clear up room, but the only "files" that appear in the subsequent list look like bizarre garbage data. Deleting them and exiting out of the screen simply takes us right back to that same screen with those files returned. There is no way to progress past this screen and therefore no way to play games.
It turns out that the "Memory Full" error is a common and well-known phenomenon among CD-i players that have a certain timekeeper chip; it is simply what happens when the timekeeper chip's internal battery runs out. Depending on the player's make and model, one can replace the battery or the entire chip.
https://retrostuff.org/2020/06/26/philips-cdi550-and-cdi450/
This article is a good overview of the Philips CDI450 and 550 models. In our case, our player is a Magnavox CD-i 450/17. This is essentially a rebranded OEM version of the Philips CD-i 450/00 with Magnavox' name on it and a Digital Video Cartridge already installed. For all intents and purposes, I believe you can assume anything in this article that refers to a CDI450 applies to our machine and that you can treat ours as a 450, with the exception of already having a DVC (something this article claims that 550s have but 450s don't.) Most importantly, the section "Timekeeper replacement" should apply to our player as a 450. Without actually having looked inside at the motherboard to make sure, I am almost positive from the research that we've done that our player's timekeeper chip must be the M48T08-150PC1 this article mentions.
https://retrostuff.org/2021/12/31/nvram-rtc-solutions-for-philips-cd-i-players
This article goes into more depth about replacing or upgrading this chip. It covers a lot of bases (what chip is installed and whether it's even a timekeeper, let alone how best to replace it, depends on the player model) but again, I believe we are dealing with what is essentially a glorified CDI450 with an 8 KB Timekeeper, specifically an M48T08-150PC1 which is discussed in the "M48T08 (new)" section.
This article also recommends installing a 28-pin IC socket to the motherboard and then placing the new replacement chip in that, rather than soldering the replacement chip directly to the motherboard the way the old one was, simply to make future replacements easier (so we don't have to deal with this much soldering every time, presumably.) It does warn that the added height from the socket makes this a rather snug fit that may bump against the top of the system's cage, and that this solution is therefore not possible with taller chips (such as most 32 KB models.) However, the M48T08-150PC1 is a fairly short chip; in that picture with the caption "8 / 32 KB NVRAM height" with the circuit board balancing on top of all the chip models, it is the one second from the right, one of the shortest ones in the image. Therefore, it would seem like unsoldering and removing the old M48T08-150PC1 timekeeper chip, installing a 28-pin IC socket in its place, and then putting a new replacement M48T08-150PC1 timekeeper chip in the socket should be in the "kind of a snug fit but it should still work" range.
https://estore.st.com/en/m48t08-150pc1-cpn.html
This is the link to order new M48T08-150PC1 timekeeper chips, which are still being produced. We have not ordered one yet, because we wanted you to look over all this information and determine whether this was something you could help us with before we did. Assuming that you are comfortable moving forward with this, we have two options: I can either order this part, wait for it to arrive, and then bring it in along with the CD-i and everything else when we do the handoff, or (since we'd be bringing everything to you anyway) Gamers Anonymous could order it, let us know when it has come in, and we will gladly reimburse you and include its price as part of the cost of the repair.
Regarding the 28-pin IC socket, this is where I have to admit that our research has come up a bit short. This article is an excellent resource for finding the exact make and model of timekeeper chip we need and a link on where to buy new ones, but it doesn't elaborate beyond "install a 28-pin IC socket" (which kind/model? Or do they come in different kids/models? Where would we be able to acquire one, if Gamers Anonymous doesn't keep such things in stock already?) If we need to provide one of these as well, then just let us know and we'll be happy to do so under the same arrangement as above (either we can order one and bring it in with the system or you can order one and we'll reimburse you.) We just might need either your help or more research on this end to find the proper part here, is all.
REPAIR #2: POWER CORD FOR THE PLAYER
Compared to the complex procedure that is CD-i timekeeper chip replacement, we have another issue with the player but hopefully this one is a more simple and straightforward one. The part where the system's AC adapter/power cord plugs into the system itself attaches and snaps into place via a modular connector (the kind of connector that phone or Ethernet cables have, though I'm unsure of this one's specific size.) However, the tab that snaps it into place has broken off. The power cable itself still works just fine; the only issue is that now there is nothing securing it in place, and therefore it can fall out if the system is bumped or moved.
(Please see attached photo of the power cable to see what we mean.)
Is this something that can be fixed? Can the head/connector on this cable perhaps be replaced with a new one? If so, would we need to provide a replacement connector as well, or is this the kind of part Gamers Anonymous would carry?
REPAIR #3: IR EMITTERS FOR ROLLER CONTROLLER
Our CD-i player also includes a "Roller Controller," a type of controller with a giant trackball mostly intended for point-and-click children's titles. Said controller has lost the ability to move the cursor (the trackball part does not work at all) though if you happen to load a game or menu where a clickable button or object happens to be right under the cursor, we have confirmed that the action buttons and clicking things still work. The trackball simply cannot move the cursor anymore.
Like the timekeeper chip issue above, this apparently is also a fairly well known phenomenon that can be traced to the IR emitters inside the controller degrading over time. Here is an article with a detailed breakdown on IR emitter replacement:
https://www.instructables.com/Philips-CD-I-Roller-Controller-Repair/
In this case, we already purchased four replacement LTE-302 emitters from Digikey in anticipation of taking the controller into Gamers Anonymous and having this repair done years ago, but circumstances kept us from following through with that (especially once the pandemic started.) We still have both the controller and the new IR emitters, though, so we could bring those in as well along with the console for the other repairs. Now might finally be the time to get this done while we're there having the rest of the CD-i worked on anyway, you know?
Note that in the above article, we purchased LTE-302 emitters from Digikey which do not have the assembly, and so step three in the above article (removing IR emitters from assembly, marked as optional) can be skipped.
Whew, that should do it for now, I think. Thank you so much for looking all of this over, and for any thoughts and possible assistance you can provide. I know that CD-i console/controller repair isn't something that Gamers Anonymous deals with very often compared to other systems--the CD-i tends to be a forgotten and overlooked thing, after all--but we are preservationists hoping to focus on CD-i titles for this very reason. The CD-i emulation scene is completely nonexistent, physical hardware is tied to parts that degrade over time (hence our repair requests in this letter,) and there simply aren't as many people interested in CD-i preservation as there are for other systems, but that is precisely why I'm so dedicated to this cause, and why I would like to have these repairs done if possible so that I can continue my work on this front. Someone has to, right? :)
Thank you so much!
-----
Never be a collector: not only is it one of those "crack would be cheaper" hobbies, but it also apparently turns you into a goddamn electrical engineer.
There are nights when I look at things like this letter, look at the sheer lengths I go to just to bring things like the Interlight saga to some sort of conclusion, and I ask myself... is it all worth it? The time and research and learning what an M48T08-150PC1 chip even is, let alone the difference between the old and new ones? The money (which we're actually kind of tight on right now) that goes into all these parts and repairs and scan converters and capture cards and whatnot? All just for... this?
But then I look at the comments that video got. The fact that we posted the first-ever footage of that game, and what it meant to those commenters to finally have documentation of it after their childhoods, and... yeah. Yeah, I could never walk away from all this. I believe in the cause too much.
But man.
Anyway if you want to help out (because $oof), we're currentlysix five holy heck we actually did it followers on Twitch away from the magic 50 threshold at which point we can claim affiliate status and set up channel points and subscribers and all that fun stuff. A friend suggested getting a Patreon to help with expenses like this in exchange for the content we're creating, a way for you to support us in our mission. That's a good idea, but at this point, it's probably easier to just do that through Twitch, you know? Like, if you support us then you can subscribe? Only you need to be affiliate for that, and we need just a few more followers to qualify for affiliate we have the followers and just need to stream more to get the other stats up AAAA THANK YOU. ;A; So, please consider giving us a follow if you haven't already, just to put us over the top. And if you want to give us Patreon-esque support so we can excavate through more lost media, then maybe consider subscribing to our Twitch channel once we're big enough for that to become an option?
https://www.twitch.tv/kjorteo
At the very least, follows and spreading the word are free. :3
Anyway, thank you for your time, as always.
-----
Good evening! I believe we spoke on Monday about undertaking repairs for our CD-i player, and you gave me this email address so I could send you the documentation and research I have uncovered for you to look over. It appears to be a fairly well documented procedure, just a delicate one--something I'm hoping you might be able to do for us if we provide these instructions (and the replacement components,) but I wanted you to look over these articles just to make sure. Apologies that it took so long to write; I had to make sure everything was in order.
REPAIR #1: TIMEKEEPER CHIP FOR THE PLAYER
This is the big one. We are experiencing an error where the player no longer works because any attempt to power it on takes it to a screen in which it declares that the memory is full and that files need to be removed to clear up room, but the only "files" that appear in the subsequent list look like bizarre garbage data. Deleting them and exiting out of the screen simply takes us right back to that same screen with those files returned. There is no way to progress past this screen and therefore no way to play games.
It turns out that the "Memory Full" error is a common and well-known phenomenon among CD-i players that have a certain timekeeper chip; it is simply what happens when the timekeeper chip's internal battery runs out. Depending on the player's make and model, one can replace the battery or the entire chip.
https://retrostuff.org/2020/06/26/philips-cdi550-and-cdi450/
This article is a good overview of the Philips CDI450 and 550 models. In our case, our player is a Magnavox CD-i 450/17. This is essentially a rebranded OEM version of the Philips CD-i 450/00 with Magnavox' name on it and a Digital Video Cartridge already installed. For all intents and purposes, I believe you can assume anything in this article that refers to a CDI450 applies to our machine and that you can treat ours as a 450, with the exception of already having a DVC (something this article claims that 550s have but 450s don't.) Most importantly, the section "Timekeeper replacement" should apply to our player as a 450. Without actually having looked inside at the motherboard to make sure, I am almost positive from the research that we've done that our player's timekeeper chip must be the M48T08-150PC1 this article mentions.
https://retrostuff.org/2021/12/31/nvram-rtc-solutions-for-philips-cd-i-players
This article goes into more depth about replacing or upgrading this chip. It covers a lot of bases (what chip is installed and whether it's even a timekeeper, let alone how best to replace it, depends on the player model) but again, I believe we are dealing with what is essentially a glorified CDI450 with an 8 KB Timekeeper, specifically an M48T08-150PC1 which is discussed in the "M48T08 (new)" section.
This article also recommends installing a 28-pin IC socket to the motherboard and then placing the new replacement chip in that, rather than soldering the replacement chip directly to the motherboard the way the old one was, simply to make future replacements easier (so we don't have to deal with this much soldering every time, presumably.) It does warn that the added height from the socket makes this a rather snug fit that may bump against the top of the system's cage, and that this solution is therefore not possible with taller chips (such as most 32 KB models.) However, the M48T08-150PC1 is a fairly short chip; in that picture with the caption "8 / 32 KB NVRAM height" with the circuit board balancing on top of all the chip models, it is the one second from the right, one of the shortest ones in the image. Therefore, it would seem like unsoldering and removing the old M48T08-150PC1 timekeeper chip, installing a 28-pin IC socket in its place, and then putting a new replacement M48T08-150PC1 timekeeper chip in the socket should be in the "kind of a snug fit but it should still work" range.
https://estore.st.com/en/m48t08-150pc1-cpn.html
This is the link to order new M48T08-150PC1 timekeeper chips, which are still being produced. We have not ordered one yet, because we wanted you to look over all this information and determine whether this was something you could help us with before we did. Assuming that you are comfortable moving forward with this, we have two options: I can either order this part, wait for it to arrive, and then bring it in along with the CD-i and everything else when we do the handoff, or (since we'd be bringing everything to you anyway) Gamers Anonymous could order it, let us know when it has come in, and we will gladly reimburse you and include its price as part of the cost of the repair.
Regarding the 28-pin IC socket, this is where I have to admit that our research has come up a bit short. This article is an excellent resource for finding the exact make and model of timekeeper chip we need and a link on where to buy new ones, but it doesn't elaborate beyond "install a 28-pin IC socket" (which kind/model? Or do they come in different kids/models? Where would we be able to acquire one, if Gamers Anonymous doesn't keep such things in stock already?) If we need to provide one of these as well, then just let us know and we'll be happy to do so under the same arrangement as above (either we can order one and bring it in with the system or you can order one and we'll reimburse you.) We just might need either your help or more research on this end to find the proper part here, is all.
REPAIR #2: POWER CORD FOR THE PLAYER
Compared to the complex procedure that is CD-i timekeeper chip replacement, we have another issue with the player but hopefully this one is a more simple and straightforward one. The part where the system's AC adapter/power cord plugs into the system itself attaches and snaps into place via a modular connector (the kind of connector that phone or Ethernet cables have, though I'm unsure of this one's specific size.) However, the tab that snaps it into place has broken off. The power cable itself still works just fine; the only issue is that now there is nothing securing it in place, and therefore it can fall out if the system is bumped or moved.
(Please see attached photo of the power cable to see what we mean.)
Is this something that can be fixed? Can the head/connector on this cable perhaps be replaced with a new one? If so, would we need to provide a replacement connector as well, or is this the kind of part Gamers Anonymous would carry?
REPAIR #3: IR EMITTERS FOR ROLLER CONTROLLER
Our CD-i player also includes a "Roller Controller," a type of controller with a giant trackball mostly intended for point-and-click children's titles. Said controller has lost the ability to move the cursor (the trackball part does not work at all) though if you happen to load a game or menu where a clickable button or object happens to be right under the cursor, we have confirmed that the action buttons and clicking things still work. The trackball simply cannot move the cursor anymore.
Like the timekeeper chip issue above, this apparently is also a fairly well known phenomenon that can be traced to the IR emitters inside the controller degrading over time. Here is an article with a detailed breakdown on IR emitter replacement:
https://www.instructables.com/Philips-CD-I-Roller-Controller-Repair/
In this case, we already purchased four replacement LTE-302 emitters from Digikey in anticipation of taking the controller into Gamers Anonymous and having this repair done years ago, but circumstances kept us from following through with that (especially once the pandemic started.) We still have both the controller and the new IR emitters, though, so we could bring those in as well along with the console for the other repairs. Now might finally be the time to get this done while we're there having the rest of the CD-i worked on anyway, you know?
Note that in the above article, we purchased LTE-302 emitters from Digikey which do not have the assembly, and so step three in the above article (removing IR emitters from assembly, marked as optional) can be skipped.
Whew, that should do it for now, I think. Thank you so much for looking all of this over, and for any thoughts and possible assistance you can provide. I know that CD-i console/controller repair isn't something that Gamers Anonymous deals with very often compared to other systems--the CD-i tends to be a forgotten and overlooked thing, after all--but we are preservationists hoping to focus on CD-i titles for this very reason. The CD-i emulation scene is completely nonexistent, physical hardware is tied to parts that degrade over time (hence our repair requests in this letter,) and there simply aren't as many people interested in CD-i preservation as there are for other systems, but that is precisely why I'm so dedicated to this cause, and why I would like to have these repairs done if possible so that I can continue my work on this front. Someone has to, right? :)
Thank you so much!
-----
Never be a collector: not only is it one of those "crack would be cheaper" hobbies, but it also apparently turns you into a goddamn electrical engineer.
There are nights when I look at things like this letter, look at the sheer lengths I go to just to bring things like the Interlight saga to some sort of conclusion, and I ask myself... is it all worth it? The time and research and learning what an M48T08-150PC1 chip even is, let alone the difference between the old and new ones? The money (which we're actually kind of tight on right now) that goes into all these parts and repairs and scan converters and capture cards and whatnot? All just for... this?
But then I look at the comments that video got. The fact that we posted the first-ever footage of that game, and what it meant to those commenters to finally have documentation of it after their childhoods, and... yeah. Yeah, I could never walk away from all this. I believe in the cause too much.
But man.
Anyway if you want to help out (because $oof), we're currently
https://www.twitch.tv/kjorteo
At the very least, follows and spreading the word are free. :3
Anyway, thank you for your time, as always.