Posted By
MMS
on 2018-12-19
15:41:04
 |  Re: Commodore plus/4 in a CDTV like case.
Really nice idea!
A1200s were built into tower housing for better expandibility, but hardly seen anyone who was interested in a modern/good looking computers fits to the living room environment (CDTV was really like this, CD32 was a big step back from this aspect, looked very "cheapo")
I think you may need to tinker a Keyrah.
https://www.vesalia.de/e_keyrahv2.htm
You can assemble into the desktop housing the motherboard + PSU, you connect the Keyrah to the Mobo instead of the original keyboard. You assemble/glue the Keyrah connectors into the front, so from that moment onwards you can connect the (ATARI style !) joysticks and the USB keyboard to the Plus/4 via the front connectors. So you get rid of the DIN round joystick connectors too. 
It will NOT look like a Plus/4, but I think you may even connect a wireless keyboard to this setup.
(The question pops up, which USB keyboard would fit into the Plus/4 aesthetics?
Maybe this older Logitech?
https://www.infolex.hu/kep/21265/nagy/logitech-k310-usb-feher-fekete-moshato-billentyuzet.jpg)
Getting a proper looking, cheap housing?
CDTV is not cheap at all.
Commodore CDTV is really nice, but may cost you a smaller, older car 
This one is a cheap one, maybe go up "only" to 400€
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Commodore-Amiga-CDTV-Model-CD-1000/223286166938?hash=item33fce4859a:g:0m0AAOSwi6dcFYP5:rk:11:pf:0
Hard to find a not operating CDTV, just the housing.
If you look closer, you can see, it looks almost the same as some black Japanese receivers from the 80s, and you are exactly told you are looking for HIFI like case. I think doing some commodore logos would be easier and cheaper.
So, if you look for a not operating one ("for parts") you can find really nice black HIFIs from the older ranges.
This one look OKish:
10 times cheaper than the cheapest CDTV,
very sleek/elegant look, and you can swap the front inputs to the Keyrah, but hidden till not opening the door. So your work should not look extreme good
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIONEER-Plasma-Display-System-Media-Receiver-HDMI-Black-PDP-R05FE-Faulty/312370081303?epid=2256318736&hash=item48bab52e17:g:I7cAAOSwD2tcETnX:rk:12:pf:0
Or an older not operating model. but what to do with the volume knob?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-VSX-C300-Heimkino-AV-Multi-Channel-Stereo-Receiver-Slimline-Verstarker/264060517968?hash=item3d7b3bbe50:g:FnIAAOSwdUJb9udH:rk:2:pf:0
Aslo worht considering the more modern looking VHS recorders. This SONY made im Hungary
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-RDR-DC100-HDD-DVD-Recorder-160GB-HDD-DVB-Freeview-Tuner-HDMI-Player/163320551501?hash=item2606a9d84d:g:6~4AAOSwxG9bx4iw:rk:21:pf:0
And this very exclusive (and originally very very expensive) Bang & Olufsen DVD1: the loaders were my personal responsibilty to ship in a perfect quality to the Danish factory, and visited them two times)
You can get it for few €s now,back in the time it was close to 800€
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bang-Olufsen-DVD1-DVD-Player-B-O-MCMXCII/153309011589?epid=83106759&hash=item23b1edde85:g:X1YAAOSwaIpcGUob:rk:37:pf:0
And this one also look OKish and look really similar to CDTV for 15€:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dvd-Player-MARANTZ-DVD-890/113449412335?hash=item1a6a1ca6ef:g:RloAAOSwpz5bQ63r:rk:15:pf:0
(BTW 10 years ago I wanted to make a PC into the housing of an older very slim and nice Apple LC475 housing, but I gave up after checking the cost of the parts, plus the limitations. Still looks cool.
http://www.oldmac.jp/image/lc475-01.jpg
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