Get Ready For Divx On Xbox

donnacha points to this ZDNet story which says that hackers have built a Divx player for Xbox. "As previously discussed ( Divx - The Real Xbox Killer App), the ability to play reasonably high-quality films, speedily burned onto inexpensive CDR media, is going to make (modded) Xbox ownership a far more attractive proposition. This will take Divx beyond the desktops of those with broadband connections and into the living rooms of those who don't own computers. Expect to see a resurgence of Xbox sales and much confusion in MS as to whether or not this is a good thing."

Comments

Over hyped

[PyroMosh]

The person who submited the article is seriously overestimating the importance of this. People without computers don't hack their x-boxen. Trust me on this one. I doubt anyone is going to go out and buy an x-box just because of this. But I do wonder weather MS will think this a Good Thing(TM) or not.

Re:Over hyped

[Slashamatic]

There are plenty of other consoles that have been mod-chipped, and many of those are in the hands of non-techies. Quite often it is just so that they can get over regional encodings on games.

Maybe if DIVX is all that the mod will give the non-techie types, then it will fail.

Re:Over hyped

[donnacha]

The person who submited the article is seriously overestimating the importance of this.

Um... that would be me. I don't generally have a tendency for hype but, in this case, all the pieces that are needed to make Xbox a powerful proposition are falling into place. It's important to stress that I'm not pro or anti MS, I'm just trying to predict how things will be in about a year or so.

People without computers don't hack their x-boxen. Trust me on this one. I doubt anyone is going to go out and buy an x-box just because of this.

That's not how it will work. There's already a burgeoning community of people willing to either mod people's existing Xboxes or sell pre-modded machines. The wholesale prices of these chips appear to go as low as $30 and they are becoming increasing easy to fit, with 12 wires options now replacing the original 29 wire options.

I would suggest that it will become quite common for people to offer modding for about $90 dollars or pre-modded machines for about $270. In somes cases the prices will be even lower than this as budding entrepaneurs, just like MS themselves, will subsidize the initial costs in the interests of developing a substantial customer-base in their own community to whom they can sell films and games on an ongoing basis.

In terms of both skill and capital, the bars to entry are extremely low and I expect that everyone will soon have a "friend-of-a-friend" who will offer these services.

Re:Over hyped

[Nindalf]

The ease of the mod is only one half of its potential appeal. The other half is value.

The ability to play Divx on CD-R is just not a big deal. Sure, you'll probably see a few hundred or thousand video-trading geeks setting this up, so they can watch their stuff on the TV. There might even be a few who would buy an Xbox specifically to watch movies on CD. But you're just not going to see this make the difference to hundreds or millions of people.

My reaction on hearing about this was, "So what?" And I even know what Divx is, which is more than you can say for the general population.

Ordinary people don't think, "Hey, I'll go out and spend $300 so I can watch piles of the second-rate bootleg videos you can buy from that creepy kid who never goes outside!"

You should learn the difference between, "Hey, this is exactly what I was looking for!" and "Wow! Everyone is going to want one of these!"

Re:Over hyped

[Wakko Warner]

Excellent distinction but, all the same, I really do think that from a price / utility / necessary skill point of view, this trend has all the elements necessary to cause a fundamental shift in content piracy, especially in the majority of the world where most people don't already own DVD players.

That's great, but you're very wrong. While there may be a huge online pirated-movie trade, there's absolutely no physical analog in the real world. I can't drive into the ghetto and pick up "Attack of the Clones" on DivX. (I can get it on VHS or, perhaps, even VCD.) I can't mail-order the latest movies, or even good old ones, on DivX (I can on DVD.)

There's no market for this. There is nobody clamoring for something to play all their DivX movies on (those people already have computers.) Nobody needs this. Therefore, this is not a big deal.

- A.P.
- A.P.

Re:Over hyped

[Wakko Warner]

You completely missed the point.

I'm proud that you can download divx's on your computer.

My mom can't. She doesn't have a computer.

The whole point of this article is that this is supposed to open a whole new world of piracy to everyday people without a computer or knowledge of how to use one.

It won't.

- A.P.

SVCD and Divx are different formats

[ringbarer]

SVCD is essentially a DVD MPEG2 file, cut down so that it'll fit on a normal CD. You can normally fit around 45 Minutes worth of SVCD video onto a CD. Ideal for TV shows, admittedly.

Divx on the other hand has much more efficient compression, to the point of being able to fit a full movie onto a single CD.

The convenience of only having to find one file and burn the one CD is what's going to assure Divx has a future.

Apparently...

[NTSwerver]

...XBox developers are going to be the first to move into Microsoft's new headquarters.

Re:This is why I got an X Box

[kyoko21]

Yep same reason why I got an XBox. Sure I have a PC. I have in fact several PCs. Too many PCs. But I don't want to move all that stuff into the living room and hook it up to the TV (not to mention buying tv-out cards).

With the XBox hacked to play alternative media formats, such as DivX, VCD, DVD, mp3, WMA, it makes it more useful, and all nicely integrated in the same box.

If MS was smart, instead of letting possible revenue slip away from them, they should just release some form of XBox Media Player that will allow more for more functionality on the XBox. If I could pay $30 bucks to get my XBox to play DivX 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, standard mpeg, standard mpeg2, mp3s, wma, without opening up my XBox, I would pay for it. And since I bought an XBox, and if there are some decent games out there, I just might consider buying a game. (Of course, going back to the issue of quality games because honestly, there just hasn't been that many great ones, except for DOA3 or Halo).

Unless MS want to see potential $$$ slip away, they would jump on the bandwagon. Hey, if you can't release decent games, at least make the box better and get people to buy the console. Heck, it's the same price as the PS2, and I don't see anyone trying to hack that. Though, it is conceivable to get DivX to run on PS2 if you had the Linux Dev kit and compile the code yourself on there... but that's 150 bucks you gota shell out. Do the math.

or you could...

[numatrix]

So let's see, I can spend $200 on a machine that I probably wouldn't otherwise buy to watch divx movies, or I can buy a $50 dreamcast and use the divx player that's been around for a while on that. Hmm... difficult decision. Not to mention there are already emulators for ALL of your favorite old-school platforms for the dreamcast. -jordan

Re:or you could...

[karnal]

While that is definitely some fun information (re- dreamcast), it's not for everyone.

Per the divx page on dcemulation.com,:

"Status: - Videos can be up to 496x496 but 320x240 or lower recommended."

So, no real full-screen 720x480 video for me.....

Conflicting Information...

[cornjchob]

I followed the link to the story, then to an xbox hack site, XBOXHACKER, and upon entering that sites FAQ, it said that DivX play wasn't possible, at least not yet. Who's right? the faq's here

Re:This is why I got an X Box

[randomErr]

Dreamcast can play DIVX and standard MPEG4.

Check out PocketDIVX at Project Mayo

Killer App?

[DarkZero]

I don't see how this is ever going to be a killer app for the X-Box. Unless Electronics Boutique and Toys R Us start selling pre-modded X-Boxes, far less than one percent of X-Box customers will have DivX functionality. The same really applies to all modded systems. With a modded PS2, I can download hundreds of free games. However, PS2s with mod chips are so rare that the international community of people online that are trading PS/PS2 games is, at most, ten thousand people out of the twenty-six million plus PS2 owners in the world.

Sure, this is a killer app for a couple of geeks, but it isn't going to change the X-Box's sales or revolutionize the movie industry.

"A resurgence of xbox sales"? WTF?

[mcc]

Why do you think this will be a huge thing for x-box sales? Just because the xbox is a PC doesn't mean it's the only thing that could do that. It would be absolutely no harder to create a divx player for playstation, or dreamcast, or just about anything else. OK, so no one bothered. Someone could, and probably will if it turns out there's a demand for this kind of thing. Keep in mind, of course, that the nonexistence of a playstation etc version of this might mean that no one thought it was worth the bother, not that no one could or that Sony stopped them.

I mean-- OK. Let me start over. First off, this is a nifty hack, and second off i'm glad people are making steps toward unlocking the stupid "copy protection" controls that keep any really independent development from happening on the xbox.

But i just don't see this being something revolutionary. I know people for whom this would be useful, and i know people who would use it. But think: it can be assumed anyone with the ability to burn cds also has the ability to play divxes on their computer. So, lets look at their options:

1. Buy an inexpensive computer->tv tuner/converter cable thingy from Radio Shack that would allow you to use a tv as the monitor for your computer. Watch divxes on your tv using whatever program it is that runs divxes fullscreen now.
2. Buy a several-hundred-dollar Xbox, go through a complicated, possibly expensive transaction in which your xbox is modded and your warranty is broken. Hook that up to your tv. Then, every time you want to watch a divx, you have to burn it to a CD-- which costs money-- and transfer it to your xbox.

I don't think so. This will probably raise publicity and possibly interest by people in the xbox (though i can't imagine it would be much), and this will probably be something really neat for people who own xboxes already. But i can't realistically imagine this becoming something people would buy an xbox for.

That being said, i think this is the funniest line i've ever seen on zdnet:

The developer, who identified himself only by his hacker name, "d7o3g4q," said in an email..

Whatever. Wake me up when they get linux running on it.

P.S. : I hate divx. I wish MPEG4 didn't have these stupid licensing terms. Grr.

Say what?

[Rogerborg]

• much confusion in MS as to whether or not this is a good thing

You are joking, right? First, this requires a hardware mod, which Microsoft despises - hey, it's a Microsoft Xbox, packed full of juicy Microsoft intellectual property and trade secrets, right? They'll likely have mods prosecuteds as DMCA violation, because they bypasses DRM mechanisms.

But worse than that, it allows godless heathens to run FREE SOFTWARE on their hardware. Given the foaming-at-the-mouth FUD they vomit forth whenever the GPL is mentioned, expect them to suggest that Evil Pirates will run the notorious hacker OS Linux on it, allowing the viral GPL to spread throughout the whole Interweb, corrupting and assimilating all that it touches. ZDnet will faithfully reproduce pretty much any FUD they produce about this.

Further, given that PVR opponents seem to have escaped a mainstream press drubbing for describing ad-skipping as theft, expect them to assert that Xbox purchasers have an implied obligation to purchase Microsoft - and only Microsoft - games and add-ons for it, to support the subsidised initial purchase. I'll even predict the phrase, which will be spoken by a flat voiced, dead eyed corporate zombie: "Of course, the Xbox is about having fun, and we want legitimate Xbox purchasers to have fun. But they have to be responsible about it, and support legitimate software development. We think its very important that we educate legitimate Xbox gamers about this, and that we explain why hacking our Xbox and running pirate and viral GPL software kills legitimate developers. And their children, their beautiful golden haired children. Won't someone think of the legitimate software developers' golden haired children!" Er, OK, that last bit might just be implied (or feature as a ZDnet "editorial"), but you get the point. ;-)

And lastly, what do they care about DivX? They are busy touting the DRM benefits of WMF and trying to persuade hardware manufacturers to support WMF alongside MPEG2. They do not want other players in this game. Note that their apologists at ZDnet invite you to infer that DivX is only useful for piracy. Yes, I know that de facto it is heavily used for distributing unlicensed copies, but that's because it's a damn efficient codec with cross platform implementations. If unlicensed copies switch to using WMF (with the DRM turned off) to distribute, will that become a "controversial" format? I think not.

No, I don't see that Microsoft will be in confusion about how to handle this. It's their box, containing their trade secrets, and we should keep our filthy commie hacker hands off of it. The hobbyist market is simply too small to make a difference to their income: in fact, every Xbox purchased by a hacker loses them money. They won't like this. They won't like it at all.

and why do they have space for 3 bios images

[johnjones]

ok micrsoft are not complete fools

first of all the bios will be updated and so I am guessing will be the OS to support Windows Media

MS has signed a bunch of DVD people to the wmp format and will at some point start to release films now for a studio whats better
DVD
o expensive media due to the newness
o lots of region independant players (so they cant really relase when they want)
o cracked so that people can copy them

WM format
o can use a CDROM and boy are those cheap
o Control over regions
o Control over Copying
o Control
o Total Control

yes if it starts up then soon their will be a crack for wmp formats (search theregister.co.uk for version7)

now the mods will have to be invented for the Xbox as sson as then change the bios

thank god MS didnt use a decent arch and put the whole thing on a chip so we can Bus snoop (-;

regards

john jones

Re:This is why I got an X Box

[PepsiProgrammer]

Having the Xbox sell more while not selling games causes microsoft to lose money. The consoles are sold at a loss.

Living Rooms?

[hendridm]

> This will take Divx beyond the desktops of those with broadband connections and into the living rooms of those who don't own computers.

Give me a break. For the most part, anyone savvy enough to be able to install a mod chip into an X-Box probably already has a PC. Do you think the average Best Buy shopper is going to install one of these? Most people I know with X-Boxes don't even know how to solder, and even if they did, they would be too afraid to do it on their new $200 console. Only those who are savvy, already have a spare computer and just want a cheap DivX player, and those with the intestinal fortitude will do the Mod chip (which is still a lot of people, of course, but not my parents).

Analogous to Playstation Mods

[Oishii]

In Australia, the modding of playstation (one)s was a HUGE thing about a year ago. Why? Because then you could play copied games. And yes, neighbourhood kids with a little savvy made quite a decent income out of being an "all stop shop". Mod-chipping was usually a $25AUD fee. ($US15)

Come in, get your PS modded, buy a pirated game or three from my extensive copy library. Build your own collection, yes siree, at just $7 (AU) per disc, you too can have a game collection the envy of your friends.

So, these same gameplaying Xbox owners, what do you think they'll say when the neighbourhood kid starts offering (1) a mod, (2) pirated Xbox games and (3) the latest release movies - especially in countries where hollywood delays the release date FAR behind the US one.

I think there's a large market, provided the cost is right.

The Big Deal �

[Mulletproof]

In itself, this is not going to send MS sales through the roof. It's not going to create a massive hype that gamers will flock to the stores in droves. DivX simply won't do that. It's mainly an internet traded format, and people who have internet have computers and monitors. Sure, it'd be nice to watch a DivX in your living room, but most people are going to say big deal before going through the hassle of modding their Xbox for that capability. Targeting VCD playback capability would have done more for sales, especially in Asia. It is has a huge market in both legal and pirate sales. It's a widly accepted format and it's a physical medium anyone can obtain without having to burn it themselves (ie; that person without a PC and/or burner)

Be that as it may, here's The Big Deal(TM): This and other exploits prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the Xbox can and will be cracked. I don't care what you think about MS, you're looking at a small, $300 PC that you'll eventially be able to do anything with. Scream and hollar all you want, but that's a good deal.

Stay with me now, because you might find this a tad intersting. Eventially word will get out that this machine can be cracked at will. HD mods? Linux? MP3 (or WMA in this case) jukeboxes? Pirated movies? No probs. No matter how much MS says they don't like this, it's a totally win/win situation for them and their Ultimate Xbox Goal; Control of the livingroom. Question: Would you be more willing to buy the new (more powerful) Xbox 2, knowing that it can probably be eventially easily hacked like the original? Just maybe. Oh, did we mention that MS has learned a few lessons by incorporating some of the hacks as native support, making it more useful to you? "Hey, now I don't have to go through any trouble to get ______ capabilities." Would you be more willing to buy it? They do it all the time in their other products. Whether by accident or design, MS really has the capability to subvert alot of unwitting consumers with the Box.

Yes, you're very wrong.

[Wakko Warner]

There's no mass market for pirated content nowadays.

Nobody purchases stuff they can steal for free.

There will be no pirate Divx market. Most (or even a significant number of) people will not base their purchasing decisions on whether or not their DVD player can handle pirated content. They do not do this now, either.

Please, stop smoking crack.

Thank you.

- A.P.

Re:This is why I got an X Box

[issachar]

downloaded TV shows. Yes, this is also copyright infringement, but unlike DVD's or CD's, sometimes I just can't get the show any other way. The number of times the stupid CRTC rules have resulted in me recording the wrong channel and missing a show are too many to count.

.