PS2 Gets A Working Divx Player 150
An anonymous reader writes "Over the weekend, the PS2reality team released the first working Divx player for the Playstation 2. Site is in spanish, so try using babel for translation. Works with Divx 3 and up. You can also swap your avi cd-roms if you have a modchip or you can use the other various swap techniques out there for the PS2. Divx player does require some way of booting the homebrew program, either no-swap modchip or modchip+bootdisc( e.g swap magic, gameshark, etc.) would work."
Or.... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:WOW (Score:5, Interesting)
I have only two even slightly negative comments about Qcast: it won't play any movie in a nonstandard resolution (they are working on it) and since there are no VCR-like controls (FF/RW/Scan) you have to be REAL careful with the controller. My wife and I were watching a movie Saturday and my little girl came in and tripped over the controller. Bam! Back to the beginning, and no way to advance to the point where you were watching. That's my only real complaint, and a simple "are you sure?" dialog would fix that.
Other than that, it absolutely works as advertised. I have it installed on 2 PS2s, one at the TV and one at the stereo (both looking at the same machine in my office.) Streams pretty much anything you throw at it, cleanly, glitch-free and with an easy to use UI.
Buy it, it's well worth the cash.
Re:WOW (Score:1)
Re:WOW (Score:2)
QCast? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:QCast? (Score:2, Interesting)
Broadq/qcast is designed to be used on any PS2 (with a Sony NIC). The homebrew player only works with mod PS2's -- that's why it can read data off of CD-- but only specially formatted data!!!
If you look at the homebrew docs, there are a lot of restrictions on how the CD's have to be formatted if you're using a swap method. If you want to use the swap method, you have to make special CD's for use by the system using the CDGEN app, and include a copy of the PS2DivX player on the CD.
If you want to separate out your avi files on a different CD, you need a no-swap modchip. Again, this needs to be made using the special CDGEN application.
Qcast is much easier than this, and it's commercial because they have to press CDs!
Re:Or.... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Or.... (Score:2)
Some people need to learn that they should ORGANIZE stuff better.
Re:Or.... (Score:2)
Re:Or.... (Score:1)
the thing I don't like about qcast is... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why can't qcast mount a remote samba partition or win32 partition? Simplify the life of your customers, please....
Re:Or.... (Score:1)
Re:Or.... (Score:1)
XBox (Score:5, Informative)
Re:XBox (Score:2, Insightful)
Steps to Success (Score:5, Funny)
2) Enlist a few smart friends to help you build a mod chip that allows Divx movies to be decoded
3) Get some recognition for your hack by posting a story to the most popular geek news site in the world
4) Get phone call from Sony's lawyers
5) Get phone call from Web host's sysadmin
6) Learn that you're the defendant in a billion dollar lawsuit
7) Learn that your Web server's disk died, bringing all of your research from the past couple of years down with it
8) Shoot self.
Re:Steps to Success (Score:1)
Sony may also manage to convince the court that there are legal restrictions on allowing unlicenced software to use the software inside the PS2 ROMs. Of course, this doesn't make a lot of sense. This is why big corporation pay a lot of money to lawyers who can make illogical arguments sound like they make sense.
Homebrew vs. pirated (Score:1)
Typically modchips also allow playing of pirated discs.
Do you know of a good way to distinguish homebrew software from pirated software?
Sony may also manage to convince the court that there are legal restrictions on allowing unlicenced software to use the software inside the PS2 ROMs.
That'll be somewhat difficult in light of the Sega v. Accolade decision. It'll be difficult for the plaintiffs' counsel to argue that the DMCA trumps Sega.
Re:Homebrew vs. pirated (Score:2, Insightful)
No. This means that any mechanism that must be circumvented to allow home brew software must also circumvent the copy protection. The fact that they're doing it for a legitimate purpose does not neccesarily make the act itself legal.
It'll be difficult for the plaintiffs' counsel to argue that the DMCA trumps Sega.
But not impossible. Copyright law has changed since then. Also, they could still choose to prosecute in a different country.
Re:Homebrew vs. pirated (Score:1)
I disagree with your assertion of "presumption of guilt". I'd read it as, "The fact that they're doing it for an illegitimate purpose does not necessarily make the act itself illegal."
There have been some setbacks, like DeCSS, but Napster won it's argument, that the system's primary purpose was the distribution of music, not the distribution of copyrighted content, even though an unholy percentage of the traded content was "illegal". I remain confident that the DeCSS rulings will eventually be overturned, once the case gets high enough.
Antitrust? Constitutionality? (Score:1)
Sony explicitly expressed a desire that the DMCA would trump Sega vs. Accolade
The DMCA's circumvention ban doesn't seem written to trump USA antitrust law.
Section 1201(b) is directly tied to copyright infringement and the presence of substantial non-infringing use. The DeCSS case seemed to primarily involve 1201(b) because the way it was packaged (i.e. as a Windows executable) didn't fit the alleged intended use (i.e. playback of DVDs on BSD and Linux). On the other hand, if a mod chip is marketed as being designed for homebrew software development, and it comes with a CD containing a compiler toolchain and source code for example games, then it has a most obvious non-infringing use in line with its marketing, which is enough to satisfy 1201(b).
Only section 1201(a) of the DMCA seems to ban fair use in any way, and I'm not sure 1201(a) is even constitutional. It seems more of a trade secret issue than a copyright issue, and trade secret law is generally the states' job. Has the constitutionality of 1201(a) with respect to game console BIOS been tested in court?
Where's the rest? (Score:1)
10) Profit!!
Re:Steps to Success (Score:2)
10) Profit!
Hmmm (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Hmmm (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally, I live in a bedsit-type thing, so my living-room is also my computer room; easy to watch computery stuff from my sofa.
However, in your average house [hahaha], the computer tends to be in a different room from the sofa, sound system, and/or TV. Whereas the PS2 will be in the right spot. I know several people who have an old PC hidden in their living room for DVDs and divxs... but if there's a playstation 2 there, seems a lot less hassle to just install something nice like this.
Re:Hmmm (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm (Score:3, Insightful)
They want movies on their TV. Qcast allows both of these. I have a Cinema Display and I won't even watch a movie on that. Rather than lying on my couch looking at a 61" Toshiba? No contest.
As for "blowing up your PS2" using Qcast puts far less strain on the graphics chips in the PS2 than GTA: it merely becomes an interface device. IMO, Qcast (and Roomlink, eventually) are the PS2's killer apps.
Get this (Score:4, Interesting)
And video cards are cheap. Just stick it in a PCI slot and set it as a second display. It's the cheapest solution.
I'll be impressed when somebody has a portable DivX players so I can watch TV episodes on the go.
Re:Get this (Score:4, Insightful)
That said, it would probably be less hassle all round to buy a DVD player with VCD capability and reencode the DivXs to VCD.
Re:Get this (Score:2)
Since college students (including me at the time) refuse to see things from the perspective of the real world, we must adapt and interpret their comments as if from the cozy confines of a dorm.
Joe
Re:Get this (Score:1)
I looked immediately around me... at the TV, the laptop on my lap, the sofa I was sitting on, which I often fall asleep on, in this position, after too much tech writing or coding. Hmmm. I live in a 2BR apartment, and given the hectic pace of the last few weeks of my life as a freelancer, I might as well be living in a dorm room, because when deadlines get tight, I find a place that has almost everything I need and just stay put there -- because moving around unnecessarily takes time.
Much of the time, I'm in this mode, and wouldn't need a separate DivX player, but on those occasions where my electronic bits and pieces are spread out among several rooms, it might be handy and might be worth chipping my as-yet-unmodded PS2 for.
FYI: I got reacquainted with the rest of my apartment this past weekend, post-major-deadline... and then another deadline crunch hit. To be continued....
--
* Helen *
Re:Get this (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Get this - (now offtopic...) (Score:1)
Thanks in advance!
Re:Get this - (now offtopic...) (Score:2, Insightful)
On the other hand, the NES emu works perfectly. I've had quite a few excellent games of Bubble Bobble on the subway lately (while listening to MP3's via XMMS)
Re:Get this (Score:2)
Re:Get this (now offtopic) (Score:1)
Thanks!
Re:Get this (Score:1)
Yes, I realize that opening a PS2 is different from opening a PC, but the fact remains that it's not remotely difficult. And considering how much wiring the average person has to do to get a signal from their PC to their TV, this is a very useful product.
I however haven't checked the website yet on the one item that killed the Dreamcasts Divx player: reencoding. I know for formatting purposes, Divx needed to be reencoded to play it on the dreamcast. Usually that was time consuming and a general pain. Anyone know if this one needs that too?
Re:Get this (Score:3, Funny)
Oh and for those posters who want to watch in their living room and ain't allowed to put their computer there, laptops come with tv-outs nowadays. Granted picture quality may suck.
Isn't including DivX support in hardware a bit tricky? Not only do they keep changing but isn't the legal state a bit to unclear for a hardware company to mess around with? Sure they have to pay a royalty for DVD but that is simple. Sign the check and you are in the clear.
Divx hardware support (Score:1)
Re:Get this: The Archos Multimedia Jukebox (Score:1)
It's called the Archos Multimedia Jukebox, and costs about $100 more than the mp3 players.
Thinkgeek:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronic
Tom's Review:
http://www17.tomshardware.com/mobile/02q
Sweet, yes?
Re:Get this (Score:2)
You could also get a 2.4GHz videosender.
But dont give me crap about component color from your xbox being better then SVideo from the PC. We are talking about a freaking divx here!
i'll be impressed when... (Score:1)
I'd want divX, DVD, SVCD, MP3, VCD playback, etc. that can fit in my jacket pocket so I can take it around to another house/office and watch movies without having to lug a laptop.
Plus to complete the functionality, how about CD-R, CD-RW or DVD-R support. Make it connect up via a Firewire cable for high-speed data, recharging, cross platform support and interfacing with DV cameras.
Until then, playing around with consoles will have to do... evening though I only have a Dreamcast.. which can play divx, but only at lously bitrates.
Re:i'll be impressed when... (Score:1)
I have one, and it works great. Small screen though, so it might not be what you are looking for...
Linux kit (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Linux kit (Score:1)
Re:Linux kit (Score:2, Insightful)
I was wondering if anyone knows of any divx players for linux that have been ported to the ps2 yet
PS2 Linux can't read CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, or DVD+RW media. Its only storage devices are the 8 MB memory card and the network connector (and possibly the IEEE 1394 connector).
not removable (Score:1)
the linux kit comes with a hard drive too.
But how do you get things on and off that hard drive? Let me rephrase that:
PS2 Linux can't read CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, or DVD+RW media. Its only removable storage device large enough to hold a feature-length DivX movie is the network connector (and possibly the IEEE 1394 connector).
Re:not removable (Score:1)
The network connector?
Re:not removable (Score:1)
The network connector?
And if your PC is not in the same room as your PS2, and you can't pull CAT5 cable through your walls (either you don't own your home or bringing the rest of your wiring up to the current code is prohibitively expensive), then what do you do?
Re:not removable (Score:2, Insightful)
I dunno, get a wireless router? Run the cable along the hallway? Move the lightweight playstation?
Seriously, if you are geeky enough to have the Linux add-on for the PS2, you probably also have it connected to your home network.
Re:not removable (Score:1)
It amazes me how some people need every little detail spelled out for them.
Re:Linux kit (Score:2)
Re:Linux kit (Score:2, Interesting)
Also I'm sure on the status of the USB CD-ROM support, but I guess it may be possible to plug in an external CD drive which you can use freely.
Re:Linux kit (Score:1)
Re:Linux kit (Score:1)
Will it perform well? (Score:1)
I wonder how well will it perform. Although I'm aware these are two entirely different platforms, I'm kinda disappointed at how bad DivX plays in my P2/400.
Re:Will it perform well? (Score:1)
Re:i think i'm missing the point... (Score:1)
hmm... but you need a modded box for this, so that would let you use broadQ afterall...
Some people just have too much spake time on their hands
Not the intended use... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not the intended use... (Score:1)
Slashdot, the voice of corporate america!
Re:Not the intended use... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Not the intended use... (Score:1)
Some English (Score:5, Funny)
Spanish, pffft (Score:1)
Sounds like a good idea, but... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... (Score:1)
Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... (Score:1)
Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... (Score:1)
Come on... (Score:4, Funny)
From the webpage (Score:3, Funny)
Translation: thanks to those sob's from slashdot, now we cannot release our player due to severe slashdotting. Those goats!
Re:From the webpage (Score:1)
Oy! Raya-punteado!!
(P.S. No habla espanol ;)
Bridging Cultures... (Score:3, Funny)
Debido a la gran cantidad de visitantes que ha recibido la web sobre las 18:00 horas, el servidor se ha venido abajo sin permitirnos tan siquiera, dar un enlace de descarga del reproductor.
Universal in any language: we've been Slashdotted.
Just get a dreamcast and get it over with (Score:1, Troll)
Re:Just get a dreamcast and get it over with (Score:1)
For the improved resolution and FPS.
Congratulations! (Score:1)
The PS2 hardware is quite complicated to develop for, it takes many times to understand how to properly use all the coprocessors, DMA and GPU. That's why this media player is such an achievement.
So once again, ignore the mockery, keep it going!
BroadQ bleh! (Score:1)
Mirrors for downloading the player (Score:4, Informative)
PS2Newz.net [ps2newz.net]
PS2Ownz.com [rr.com]
elotrolado.net [hosteol.com]
crackmanworld.com [afiliadosw...imites.com]
indicedivx.com [indicedivx.com]
bandaancha.st [bandaancha.st]
DivX hardware; ok, What version? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Where have I seen this before? (Score:2, Informative)