Different versions of IFU-30?

[TGX16]

I've resently bought these two Breifcase CD interface units but they do not look the same?
One look like this on the lid:

And on the inside it got these little metal dots just below the CD connector

The other one looks like this on the lid:

But on the inside it does not have the little metaldots:

The CD unit I got have a little metalplate on the bottom that correspond with the small metaldots:

Now then:
Are there two diffrent CDplayers too?
If so:
Does either realy need the dots or is it like one only functions with and the other only without?
I considerd selling one unit but as I'm trying to collect all variants of the PC Engine this now seem impossible if there are more than one variant of each unit perhaps even more than one of the White, black and Grey ones too?
Collecting PC Engine hardware is like trying to dig a hole on a mudpit.....

[nat]

Yes, there are two different versions of the CD player. Some don't have that metal plate. It's some sort of grounding plate. I would say it's a safe bet it doesn't "need" the grounding plate, otherwise the units that ship without one wouldn't function.

[SignOfZeta]

The two different versions date back to the short period where they were selling IFUs and CDROMs separately to avoid VAT. There is no functional difference, you can swap them around, use them with any CDROM2 unit, or even a US TG-16.

[Black Tiger]

I had a boxed PCE + CD-ROM set which the PC Engine had no RF-out. It might not have had a channel selector either. All I remember is that it could not function on its own and you could only hook it to a TV through the Interface Unit.

[TGX16]

The two different versions date back to the short period where they were selling IFUs and CDROMs separately to avoid VAT. There is no functional difference, you can swap them around, use them with any CDROM2 unit, or even a US TG-16.

So my next question is: Which is which?
And There are several versions of the system cards like 1.0 2.0 2.1 which came with which model?
(Yes I know there is a ver. 3.0 too but it was sold sepratly was'nt it?)

[grahf]

I had a boxed PCE + CD-ROM set which the PC Engine had no RF-out. It might not have had a channel selector either. All I remember is that it could not function on its own and you could only hook it to a TV through the Interface Unit.

I've never heard of anything like that before. You're talking about a white PCE, right?

[Keranu]

On an extremely minor and insignificant note, I once noticed between two PCE CD cases (not the IFU-30, the actual drive itself) that one had a metal rod that went through the entire hole on the back of the CD lid and the other case used two smaller rods for support instead.

[henrycsc]

This is the 1st version (IFU-30 on briefcase cover).  The CD Rom 2 was sold separately in the box in this pic:


I believe that the first version was to minimize an electronics tax in Japan at the time.  Once the tax ended, the CD-Rom2 was packaged with the IFU-30.


The later version had the CD-Rom2 included (CD-Rom2 on briefcase cover) and was sold in this packaging:

[SignOfZeta]

Its not that the tax ended, its that the loophole they were exploiting by packaging them separately ended.

I had a boxed PCE + CD-ROM set which the PC Engine had no RF-out. It might not have had a channel selector either. All I remember is that it could not function on its own and you could only hook it to a TV through the Interface Unit.

...I've never seen or heard of that before and I think it would be a big deal if you found something like that.

[shubibiman]

Wow! Nice find, I had never noticed that!

[Black Tiger]

I had a boxed PCE + CD-ROM set which the PC Engine had no RF-out. It might not have had a channel selector either. All I remember is that it could not function on its own and you could only hook it to a TV through the Interface Unit.

...I've never seen or heard of that before and I think it would be a big deal if you found something like that.

I assumed that all combo packages came like that. It was the early days of the internet for me, when I was still using my Saturn Netlink and most english speaking Turbo/PCE fans knew very little compared to today. I remember clearly that there was no video hookup, because I also had another white PCE which I compared it to and when I eventually sold the combo set, I made sure to include the unit without video output, or else I would've been left with a brick.