Digital information display eg for video games

A digital information display apparatus comprises a control console 10 adapted to accept compact discs 11 bearing encoded information. The console 10 is connected through an access device 13 to a communications channel 14 which provides a menu signal enabling the console to display on a TV monitor 12 a menu of the information on the disc 11. The user selects from the menu which information from the disc 10 to access and the console checks the user's available credit. If the user has sufficient credit to access the selected information on the disc 11 the access device 13 provides a release signal allowing the encoded information to be accessed. The user pays in accordance with their actual usage of the digital information held on the disc.