NEC's NID addon for the TG-16?

[Psycho Punch]

I remember reading on an issue of EGM about the NID (New Interactive Display) video encoding that would make the TG-16 run 512 color videos at 30 FPS, with 60 minutes per disc, via a special addon/decoder... what happened to it? Anything ever surfaced from it?

[esteban]

I remember reading on an issue of EGM about the NID (New Interactive Display) video encoding that would make the TG-16 run 512 color videos at 30 FPS, with 60 minutes per disc, via a special addon/decoder... what happened to it? Anything ever surfaced from it?

I remember asking Black Tiger about this years ago on the TG-16 yahoo group.

The sad thing is that I have forgotten anything I may have read about NID (I probably even asked if PC-FX and/or NEC's other hardware utilized it in some way).

FOR THOSE INTERESTED:

https://archives.tg-16.com/turbo_play_0005.htm#t08

NID is the last item listed in the TOC...this was from Winter CES 1991...

Also, it seems that page I linked to used to have my thoughts on NID, but I must have cut it out ..perhaps by accident?...

OLD POST ABOUT NID

[esteban]

Turbo Play #10 reveals some NID specs in response to a reader's question, but doesn't give any insights to the rumored device's fate.

http://DoxPhile/?action=magazines&magazine=1&issue=10&page=30

Good find. 

The sad thing is that NID probably, as suggested by editors, would have been used for things like Mad Dog McCree & Who Shot Johnny Rock? & worse...

We didn't need another port of Mad Dog McCree!

[TheClash603]

Never heard of this before.  Very cool stuff!

More info would be awesome!

[ParanoiaDragon]

I remember reading on an issue of EGM about the NID (New Interactive Display) video encoding that would make the TG-16 run 512 color videos at 30 FPS, with 60 minutes per disc, via a special addon/decoder... what happened to it? Anything ever surfaced from it?

I remember asking Black Tiger about this years ago on the TG-16 yahoo group.

The sad thing is that I have forgotten anything I may have read about NID (I probably even asked if PC-FX and/or NEC's other hardware utilized it in some way).

FOR THOSE INTERESTED:

https://archives.tg-16.com/turbo_play_0005.htm#t08

NID is the last item listed in the TOC...this was from Winter CES 1991...

Also, it seems that page I linked to used to have my thoughts on NID, but I must have cut it out ..perhaps by accident?...

OLD POST ABOUT NID

You were on the old Yahoo group?  What was your name?  Black Tiger was Kabuki.  I think I was projectblowed_mc, unless I'm getting it mixed up with one of the other forums/groups...

[SuperPlay]

A little peek at the NID at Summer CES 1991

jump to 1:08

1991 Summer CES

Video uploaded by DigitalNeohuman

[jlued686]

I hope to god somebody has that Bonk suit stashed in their attic somewhere. That is amazing and hilarious.

[DragonmasterDan]

Boy, that's an inconspicuous addon that keeps with the PC Engine's "micro machine" theme... I wonder why it didn't make it to market?  I wonder if their 1,000:1 compression addon, the NNID, was the reason they abandoned the NID.  The NNID (new new interactive display) was also a tech marvel for packing such power into a diminutive package.... below is a rare photo of the NNID prototype.

It's like they attached a Gretag photo machine to a PC engine.

[xcrement5x]

That's a sweet video!  I also so some dude sporting a TG16 windbreaker later on in the vid. 

[esteban]

A little peek at the NID at Summer CES 1991

jump to 1:08

1991 Summer CES

Video uploaded by DigitalNeohuman

I just watched a bunch of videos from this person...I had forgotten how many neat things he captured from CES...and it unleashed my own nightmares concerning the  lethal combination of Evander Holyfield + the Activator.

STOP IT. STOP THE DEMO. There were perhaps, a few people watching the demo (at the time of filming, anyway). I'm sure a crowd may have gathered for some of the demos throughout the day...but, damn!

It also made me wonder about the first video games to allow you to "reverse time"...

The time reversal cubes in Sega's Time Traveler (I never understood why folks loved this game...holographic displays were definitely kool in the early 90's, but I found the game itself to be stiff and disjointed. Plus I was an uber-frugal gamer and played cheap games (quarter), only occasionally splurging on more expensive titles). Before Sands of Time , what games allowed you to "rewind" and fix your mistakes. Of course, for TimeTraveller, it was simply a more creative way to allow you to continue (quarter feed). Reversing the video, a la laserdisc, totally fit the theme of the game and was a nice touch. So, what other early games allowed you to rewind time?

BACK ON TOPIC: We still need to find evidence that NEC did something with NID, even if it was a boring product (PC hardware for information kiosks) available only in Japan.

Sadly, I see lots of boring applications of NID making it to market (information kiosks) instead of something awesome (the ultimate animated digital comic).

[turbokon]

Damn, I wish I can build a time machine and travel back to 1991 and attend this event. Wait I think see me, I'm the one sporting that turbografx-16 sport jacket:)

[TheClash603]

The Activator was a piece of shit.  My friend got one and tried to pretend it was good, but every time he showed it to me or anyone else, we would just laugh at him.

Time Traveler was an awesome game.  Obviously the gameplay wasn't as tight as some of the other offerings at the time, but gameplay isn't what Time Traveler was trying to do.  It was a really awesome example of technology that wasn't available before Time Traveler (and somehow since?).  I used to pump quarters into that game at the local mall until my pocket was empty.

[esteban]

The Activator was a piece of shit.  My friend got one and tried to pretend it was good, but every time he showed it to me or anyone else, we would just laugh at him.

Time Traveler was an awesome game.  Obviously the gameplay wasn't as tight as some of the other offerings at the time, but gameplay isn't what Time Traveler was trying to do.  It was a really awesome example of technology that wasn't available before Time Traveler (and somehow since?).  I used to pump quarters into that game at the local mall until my pocket was empty.

Yes, Time Traveler absolutely had the "wow" factor...I was happy just watching others play, though, and saved my money for other games. Of course, if I didn't have to pay, you know I would have spent hours with it. 

[xcrement5x]

The Activator was a piece of shit.  My friend got one and tried to pretend it was good, but every time he showed it to me or anyone else, we would just laugh at him.

Indeed.  I actually picked one up a couple of years ago, only to have all sorts of problems with it.  Eventually that I discovered the popcorn ceiling in my damn house was part of the problem since it needs to reflect off the ceiling apparently!

Doesn't mean I totally didn't want one as a kid.  In fact, I remember trying to emulate the concept by playing Soul Edge on my PS1 with a DDR pad.  It was a horrible idea, not at least because I lumbered around like and ogre and kept making the PS1 skip.

[esteban]

The Activator was a piece of shit.  My friend got one and tried to pretend it was good, but every time he showed it to me or anyone else, we would just laugh at him.

...

Doesn't mean I totally didn't want one as a kid.  In fact, I remember trying to emulate the concept by playing Soul Edge on my PS1 with a DDR pad.  It was a horrible idea, not at least because I lumbered around like and ogre and kept making the PS1 skip.

Awesome. I never tried using DDR mats to play other games, you know I'm going to have to try this now (PS2 and Wii, here I come).

Also,  I didn't know that Activator relied on the ceiling, too. I wonder if that is true, or that you lived with a haunted popcorn ceiling (supernatural forces often disturb infrared devices).

[OldMan]

I never tried using DDR mats to play other games

It works okay for a few, but sucks for most. Trying to drive with it was funny

I didn't know that Activator relied on the ceiling, too.

Yeah, it bounces the beams off the ceiling. They 'recommend' a flat, white ceiling.
I never liked it, but it was fun to watch my niece kick butt on Eternal Champions with it.

[TheClash603]

I remember my friends and I would play ALL PS1 games with a steering wheel.  The shifter would often be up and down, with the wheel being left and right, with the pedals acting as the buttons.

Typically the guy that was best at the game would have to use the wheel to keep things competitive.