I have the main unit and keyboard.
type computer
country Japan
year 1985
os MSX basic
cpu Z80A
speed 3.58 MHz
ram 32 +2 KB
rom 48 KB
graphic 256×192
colors 16
sound 3 channels, 8 octaves
ports 2 joystics, cardbridge, tape, RGB & monitor, centronics, Video in/out,
Audio in(2)/out(2), laser disk, system control input, system control output(3),
keyboard, headphone, controller port (2)
The Pioneer Palcom PX-7 — MSX Meets LaserDisc
The Pioneer Palcom PX-7 is one of the most unusual and remarkable machines in the Computer Museum Ata collection — a first-generation MSX computer combined with a built-in LaserDisc player, creating a multimedia system decades ahead of its time. Released in 1984 by Pioneer — best known for its audio and video equipment — the PX-7 allowed MSX software to control LaserDisc playback, enabling interactive multimedia applications that combined computer graphics and text overlaid on LaserDisc video. This combination of analog video storage and digital computing was genuinely visionary for 1984.
LaserDisc and Interactive Media
LaserDisc, Pioneer’s optical video format introduced in 1978, stored high-quality analog video on 30 cm discs with random access capability — unlike VHS tape, a LaserDisc player could jump immediately to any frame on the disc. This random access capability made LaserDisc an attractive medium for interactive applications where a computer could control video playback based on user input. The PX-7’s combination of MSX computing and LaserDisc playback enabled educational applications, interactive games, and information kiosks that would have been impossible with tape-based video formats.
Visionary but Niche
The Palcom PX-7 was commercially unsuccessful — LaserDisc players were expensive, the discs were bulky and costly, and the software library for MSX-controlled LaserDisc applications remained small. But the concept it embodied — interactive multimedia combining video and computing — anticipated CD-ROM multimedia, DVD interactive menus, and ultimately the streaming video platforms of today. The PX-7 is a rare and historically fascinating machine that represented the future more clearly than the market was ready to appreciate.