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PS2 Gets A Working Divx Player

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."

150 comments

  1. Or.... by GeorgeH · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you don't want to deal with modchips and swapping you can get a Qcast for $50 (thinkgeek sells 'em too) and play MP3, OGG, MPEG and DivX files streamed from a Windows, Mac OS X or Linux system over the network.

    --
    Why can't I moderate something "Wrong" or at least "Grossly Misinformed"?
    1. Re:Or.... by Mysticalfruit · · Score: 3, Informative

      I went out and bought a copy of Qcast a couple of months ago and I like it. It works as adverstised. The only issue I've had is that you have to be very particular in how you encode the divx stuff, otherwise it scarf at the files.

      --
      Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
    2. Re:Or.... by s.a.m · · Score: 2

      Arghh...that page is cool...but geez! It's dooo much damn info on one page!

      Some people need to learn that they should ORGANIZE stuff better.

    3. Re:Or.... by GeorgeH · · Score: 2
      --
      Why can't I moderate something "Wrong" or at least "Grossly Misinformed"?
    4. Re:Or.... by SpaceJunkie · · Score: 1

      Where can I get one in the Uk? I want one!! Nice... I have already got me a network adaptor...

      --
      OrionRobots.co.uk - Robots From sol
    5. Re:Or.... by woody188 · · Score: 1

      I have Qcast also, just set it up last week. It works great, and requires no mod chips to work, unlike the other methods out there... Yes, you have to stream from your own PC, and yes, you could hook a video card right up to your TV. I had a PS2 there already, so why not use it? The server component is Java, and supports Win32/MacOSX/Linux without any issues.

    6. Re:Or.... by GamezCore.com · · Score: 1

      Qcast is where it's at! Until the official hard drive adapter is released, the qcast is the only elegant way to handle video.

      --

      www.GamezCore.com For Hardcore PS2 Gamerz : By Hardcore PS2 Gamerz
  2. XBox by NetJunkie · · Score: 5, Informative

    The XBox media player does most media including DIVX, SVCD, VCD, mp3, etc. The next version due any time has a great interface and even better media support. It would be a great system to make an XBox a good media server.

    1. Re:XBox by gilesjuk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That's hardly suprising, it's a familiar API. You have to commend the PS2 dev scene, they've created their own libraries for the PS2 hardware and built their own development suite.

    2. Re:XBox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, for all three people that own an XBox..

  3. Steps to Success by ekrout · · Score: 5, Funny

    1) Spend several years researching Sony's Playstation 2 entertainment console
    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.

    --

    If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
    1. Re:Steps to Success by yerricde · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Get phone call from Sony's lawyers

      Grounds? What particular copyrighted work are you circumventing access controls on by using a mod chip? The DMCA's circumvention ban applies only with respect to a copyrighted work.

      No grounds? Barratry can get a lawyer disbarred.

      Learn that your Web server's disk died, bringing all of your research from the past couple of years down with it

      A developer who is not smart enough to keep backups deserves it.

      --
      Will I retire or break 10K?
    2. Re:Steps to Success by realmolo · · Score: 0

      Umm...

      Do you understand that he was JOKING?

      You are a fucking idiot.

    3. Re:Steps to Success by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      Typically modchips also allow playing of pirated discs. This means that most modchips circumvent copy protection on all PS2 games.

      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.

    4. Re:Steps to Success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know you think you're funny, but parroting the same joke EVERYONE WHO READ THE MESSAGE THOUGHT OF ALREADY just makes you a wanker.

      Just because someone posts a numbered list doesn't mean you must post the same stupid ??? profit joke.

    5. Re:Steps to Success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just because someone posts a numbered list doesn't mean you must post the same stupid ??? profit joke.

      Yes it does. If my friggin mod points hadn't been wasted on overatting people who decided to put me on their "enemy" list for whatever reason, I'd mod that post up just to annoy you.

    6. Re:Steps to Success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, well sorry. From now on I will post the same joke as well. I stand corrected....

    7. Re:Steps to Success by anarkhos · · Score: 2

      9) ...
      10) Profit!

      --
      >80 column hard wrapped e-mail is not a sign of intelligent
      >life
    8. Re:Steps to Success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      11)???
      12)profit!!!

  4. Hmmm by jbmoll · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well if we all have computers why go buy a ps2 and try and modifiy it when you can watch it on the computer. Seems like a risky way to blow up your ps2.

    --
    J Moll - PC Load Letter - I know what it means!-
    1. Re:Hmmm by Lebannen · · Score: 3, Insightful

      On the other hand, location matters as well.

      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.

      --
      Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggie" whilst looking for a rock
    2. Re:Hmmm by droopus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because, other than geeks....people do not consume media in an unfamiliar paradigm. They want tunes in their car, their portable device or their stereo.

      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.

      --
      "The pie shall be cut in half and each man shall receive.....death. I'll eat the pie."
    3. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So when you get a date are you going to invite her over to sit around your computer monitor to watch a movie? Classy ...

    4. Re:Hmmm by kabrakan · · Score: 1

      Not to mention the portability aspect of PS2's. Personally, I'd rather lug my ~15 lb. PS2 to different rooms of my house, and different houses, rather than my ~60 lb. computer.

      --
      Slartibartfast:"Is that your robot?"
      Marvin:"No, I'm mine."
  5. Get this by Apreche · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you want to watch DivX's on your TV, get a video card with S-Video out. It's a lot easier to plug that into the video in on your television and put another cable from your sound card to your reciever than it is to mod a PS2.
    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.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
    1. Re:Get this by 91degrees · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I am not lugging my PC downstairs just to watch a movie thanks.

      That said, it would probably be less hassle all round to buy a DVD player with VCD capability and reencode the DivXs to VCD.

    2. Re:Get this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      can do that on the gp32: entware

    3. Re:Get this by mrob2002 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The Sharp Zaurus plus tkcVideo lets me watch DivX on the go. A 25 minute TV show compresses down to about 50 Mbytes, so I can fit two episodes onto a 128M Compact Flash card. Pretty watchable too on long boring train journeys.

    4. Re:Get this by numatrix · · Score: 2

      Enter the Sharp Zaurus, using either the mplayer port, OpieMediaplayer2, or the commercial tkcVideo. Not exactly the screen size you're probably looking for, but hey, it works. Plus, the 640x480 zaurus is available in japan.

    5. Re:Get this by matlokheed · · Score: 1

      Actually, a PS2 mod is fairly easy these days. Usually it revolves around removing the case (which you'd have to do to put a PCI card into the PC) and a single wiring solder (usually 2 points). Oh, and plugging in a USB device.

      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?

      --

      "If the good lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn't have invented roller skates." -Willy Wonka

    6. Re:Get this by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 3, Funny
      mmm, ain't these things called laptops? Seriously I had a dell something or other for sometime and a long commute time. So I watched anime fansubs in the train. Worked perfectly except I kept burning my penis :p

      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.

      --

      MMO Quests are like orgasms:

      You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    7. Re:Get this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My video card only has S-video out whereas my xbox has component out.

      On component video, red is red not orange.

    8. Re:Get this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hows the video/audio quality after a 80 ft cable run though?

    9. Re:Get this by isorox · · Score: 2

      Video quality last time I ran an 80ft (25metres in english) cable was fine - However I'm not a videophile. That was a cheap RJ59 coax, and 2 BNC connecters.

      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!

    10. Re:Get this by battjt · · Score: 2

      You don't have TV in your dorm room?

      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

      --
      Joe Batt Solid Design
    11. Re:Get this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      buy a DVD player with VCD capability and reencode the DivXs to VCD

      Except that to make a halfway decent VCD, you need at least two CDs. A DivX movie will compress to the size of one CD and still be watchable... often better than the crappy VCD.

      I encode plenty of movies at 650kbps, 640 x 480, and they look sweet. Always under 700Mb.

      The convenience of just putting a VCD in your DVD player is offset (IMO) by the inconvenience of having to switch disks halfway through the movie. Fine if you miss the old 'intermission', but not for me thanks.

    12. Re:Get this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's getting harder and harder to find those vcd compatible dvd players though, sadly. Glad I got my cheap-ass Apex when I did, because they got sued, by Phillips I think, and cannot put vcd on their standalone players. Funny enough, Phillips doesn't seem to put vcd on their players either. Anyone know a good company that routinely puts vcd on their newer players?

    13. Re:Get this by Helen+O'Boyle · · Score: 1

      I read this. I paused. I didn't get it. I thunk about the alien lifestyle.

      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 *

  6. WOW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This looks the piece of software I've been waiting for.
    I've picked up a sony network adapter to whoop my friends ass in NBA live 2003, but this is what I really wanted to be able to do with a network connection in the living room.

    Anyone try this out yet?

    1. Re:WOW by droopus · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Yep, been using it for months and it's great. I've posted about it at least seven times and I tried submitting stories about Qcast twice: once in early September, once a month later, but they were rejected.

      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.

      --
      "The pie shall be cut in half and each man shall receive.....death. I'll eat the pie."
    2. Re:WOW by kableh · · Score: 1

      Does it support the Sony DVD remote control? The dongle plugs into a controller port so I assume it sends the same signals as a regular controller, but that would be a biggie for me =).

    3. Re:WOW by 1984 · · Score: 2

      Yes, with a caveat. At least for the betas, you couldn't configure the network settings using the DVD remote. But you can control the software with the remote once loaded. Haven't had to reconfigure the network since v1.0 came out, so I haven't checked if this has been fixed.

    4. Re:WOW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Confirmation dialogs are annoying. It would be better to have an undo button that works to undo anything.

  7. i'll be impressed when... by xirtam_work · · Score: 1

    I can get a walkman sized cd player which can play divX. I've seen one that can play VCD's.

    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.

    1. Re:i'll be impressed when... by NextGen · · Score: 1

      Close ... Archos Multimedia Jukebox 20
      I have one, and it works great. Small screen though, so it might not be what you are looking for...

    2. Re:i'll be impressed when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Back in my day, we had to lug around mainframes. fuckin' ungrateful kids.

  8. Linux kit by mtthws · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I know the linux kit for the ps2 has been out for a while, so I was wondering if anyone knows of any divx players for linux that have been ported to the ps2 yet? It seems like it would be a lot nicer to just boot it linux then watch your movie from mplayer instead of having to mod you ps2 and keep changing cds just to watch a divx movie.

    --
    "Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform." -- Mark Twain
    1. Re:Linux kit by noselasd · · Score: 1

      The mod talked about here is much less intrusive and difficult than the linux kit.

    2. Re:Linux kit by yerricde · · 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).

      --
      Will I retire or break 10K?
    3. Re:Linux kit by zero-one · · Score: 2

      ...and the hard disk supplied with the Linux kit and possibly USB storage devices if anyone wants to hack up the kernel to support them.

    4. Re:Linux kit by XMunkki · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As I don't have a PS2 with a modchip, I can't verify this, but I have heard from many instances that if your PS2 can read CD-R:s, so does the Linux. Of course this means that you already must have a PS2 with the necessary mods and thus could use the homebrewn divx player. Advantages with the Linux version are clear. Some people (like me) keep all their divx movies in a separate network server. Plus it's easier to develop for Linux (own patches, frontends, GUIs, filters etc.)

      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.

    5. Re:Linux kit by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      Don't take this too seriously since it's just something I heard someone mention on a DivX message board. But, for what it's worth someone there mentioned he'd gotten mplayer compiled on the ps2 linux, and was getting something along the lines of 8 fps.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    6. Re:Linux kit by gingertwit · · Score: 1

      I have managed to get the openDivx decoder and mplayer compiled on the PS2 Linux kit. Unfortunately, just like the person you mention, I am only able to get 5-10fps :-(

  9. Portable DivX player?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Get the Archos Multimedia 20! 20Gb MP3 and Divx player with a 1.5" screen and a TV out...cheaper than blowing up a perfectly good DVD player, sorry games console, just to play DiVX movies!!!

  10. Will it perform well? by ParnBR · · 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.

    --
    My neighbor's .sig is better than mine.
    1. Re:Will it perform well? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The playstation2 system is extremly optimized for this kind of operation (static operation on streaming data).

      So if the programmers has done a proper jobb, this should outperform a quite highend PC system.

      I think somebody noted that the early japaneze version with software DVD decoding was better than the current that has a hardware chip for the jobb.

    2. Re:Will it perform well? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you haven't tried mplayer, have you? it greatly outperforms windows media player. i don't know however if the windows version is that good as well...

    3. Re:Will it perform well? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have tryed it: Better than spected, it is perfect! I have a chiped PS2, so i burn avi with the player inside (1.5Mb only) so i can watch it on pc or ps2 just droping the cd in, no swaps.

      The real time zooming is amazing smoth, here you see the power of PS2 managing divx.

      Only some small negative points (rebember it is the first beta!):

      -In some rare ocasions, playback can stop and freeze.
      -If the resolution is over 640 (DVD original resolution is over 700), zooming can be a little jumping.
      -If you didn't burned CD in iso mode 2 (PS2 native mode), some times, in some PS2 models, the CD is rejected (not a ps2reality issue).

      I also have the PC connected to TV, but using PS2 is a "plug and play" direct method.

    4. Re:Will it perform well? by ParnBR · · Score: 1

      Not yet, but I'll take a try. Thank you.

      --
      My neighbor's .sig is better than mine.
  11. i think i'm missing the point... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i mean the broadq stuff was released some while ago (september?) and you had this stuff then. if you need a modded ps2 or use one of the horrendous swap disc methods for it couldn't you just easily copy and hack the broadq stuff. i mean it'd be much easier to just use an iso of the broadq.

    1. Re:i think i'm missing the point... by 12013 · · Score: 1
      but broadQ is not yet available for PAL/Euro PS region...

      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

  12. Not the intended use... by PjotrP · · Score: 5, Funny

    So clearly this should not even be on slashdot. Surely this way of using something that is designed to play ps2 games and dvd's to do something else is illegal! Sony might wanna bring a hardware divx player on the market in a later stage. By violating the PS2 in such a way you are effectively stealing money from them which you might have paid for their divx player when it will be released. I hope slashdot will quickly remove this newsitem and stops supporting theft!

    --
    PjotrP
    1. Re:Not the intended use... by Unipuma · · Score: 1

      I'd mod you up as funny if I had any points left.

      Slashdot, the voice of corporate america! ;)

    2. Re:Not the intended use... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree.

      What's the next news item? The IP address of a website waiting to be broken into, the location of the credit card numbers list there, and a script to do it?

      It's not a crime to hold that information, and if anyone wants to break the law, well, Slashdot cannot be held responsible. And besides, if someone is careless enough to hold credit card numbers where people can get them, well, then it's their fault anyway!

      I'm sure the people who break the law with their PS2 consoles are the same people who complain that there aren't enough policemen on the streets to keep an eye on their cars.

    3. Re:Not the intended use... by Solosoft · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not all DIVX is illegal, I could take a family video and divx it and plop it on a CD, Send it to my uncle in toronto or somthin and he could watch it on his PS2. Plus, who fucking cares if the software developers don't make it ... I don't, I found a nice home in linux. So if windows and those shitty game companys die ... fuck them

    4. Re:Not the intended use... by Veovis · · Score: 1

      If Sony wants to release a DIVX player, perhaps they should have done it before the thought came by of modding a PS2 to do such a function? (Gasp! Common sense wins again!)

    5. Re:Not the intended use... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you mod your Harley Davison to fit your likes?

      So do I with my PS2, I modifie it AS MUCH as I want, in the same way I bought a PC to work but after some "modification" also use it to listen mp3 or watch divx...is it a thief to IBM?

  13. Get a flamethrower by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another solutin would be to get one of those tiny computers (can't remeber the name) for around $300, and run Flamethrower Linux on it. It's not completely functional yet, but it looks promising.

  14. Some English by ReadParse · · Score: 5, Funny

    Funny that it's all in spanish except "Make a Donation" :)

  15. this will impress you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have a portable divx player...

    15 inch screen

    stereo speakers

    dvd drive ... 800mhz pIII

    thats right kids, an IBM a22m...! or any other laptop...

  16. Cool! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does it have jaggies?

  17. Why? by schoolsucks · · Score: 0

    The question is why do we need something like this?

    1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What? The DIVx format, or some hardware to play it on?

  18. Re:QCast Tuner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    QCast Tuner decodes things (divx, mp3, ogg, etc) on the PS2 (and has been for quite a while - the PS2Reality player was definitely not the first), it just uses the pc to serve the files, since there is no way to read normal cd-r/cd-rw/etc on a PS2 without modifications or swap tricks - neither of which would be appropriate requirements in a commercial product like QCast Tuner.

  19. Spanish, pffft by p00kiethebear · · Score: 1

    The website may be in spanish, but fortunately the zipped archive comes with a nice little english readme file. Very useful actualy. Now I can take my piracy one step further by watching them on my tv, the way dvd rips were never ment to be viewed! For the longest time i've been confined by this pussy 1600 x 1200 15" laptop monitor but now i can move into a 800 x 600 27 inch screen! muwahaha!

    --
    The Blade Itself
  20. Sounds like a good idea, but... by WookieOnTheRun · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Yah this sounds like a neat idea, but lets rethink this for a second... DVD > Computer (some loss of quality) > DivX (definite loss of quality to save space) > TV (loss of picture resolution now). Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me... I mean I guess its ok if you are all about ripping off movies and old tv shows, but seems like a very expensive round about way to do that.

    1. Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... by Jagen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Please, explain to me how transferring the data from a DVD to the computer results in some loss of quality (considering that the divx encoding stage is yet to happen.) It exists as digital information on the DVD, it exists as the same digital information on my HD but somehow there was a magical degredation of the quality during the transfer?!

    2. Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... by WookieOnTheRun · · Score: 1

      Whatch a DivX really closely... take a look at the pixelation that occurs within the transfer... its definitely apparent.

    3. Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... by Jagen · · Score: 1

      I meant, in your original post you have said there was some degredation of the quality *outside* of the divx compression, and I was just challenging you to explain how that would be.

    4. Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um, when you watch a Divx movie on a TV...your native television resolution in most cases is 640 x 480, this actually "improves" picture quality. If you watch the movies on a computer screen you are watching usually at 1024 X 768 or higher...If you make your Divx movie fullscreen you are of course gonna see all the imperfections because you are taking a movie that generally has the dimensions 350-something by 250 something and blowing it up. The jump to 640 x 480 on TV is not as great...so you see less imperfection, so it will look better than on your computer monitor.

    5. Re:Sounds like a good idea, but... by codingOgre · · Score: 1

      You are very ignorant. DVD --> Computer = no loss of quality. You simple extract vobs off of the DVD to the HD. I can make divx rips of my movies that are indistinguishable from DVDs when played on a television. The quality all depends on the bitrate used. I even keep the dolby digital tracks intact. (and use the directors commentary as a second audio track too).

      --
      Space may be the final frontier, but it's made in a Hollywood basement. --Red Hot Chili Peppers, Californication
  21. pssst... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the linux kit comes with a hard drive too.

  22. Re:Where have I seen this before? by Svenne · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't understand spanish, so I haven't read the article, but the DivX player for Dreamcast is extremely anal about bitrates. I have yet to play a DivX on my Dreamcast with acceptable quality.

    --

    Slagborr
  23. Re:What about my cocksucking Linux kit? by 91degrees · · Score: 0, Troll

    The Linux cocksucking kit is stil in Alpha. WE have decided not to release on the grounds that the bugs are still rather painful

  24. Perfecto!, by ccollao · · Score: 0

    "Site is in spanish, so try using babel for translation."

    Si!!!, usemos todos babel para poder leerlo en Inglés :)

    CCV.

  25. not removable by yerricde · · 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).

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:not removable by joshsisk · · Score: 1

      But how do you get things on and off that hard drive?

      The network connector?

    2. Re:not removable by yerricde · · 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?

      --
      Will I retire or break 10K?
    3. Re:not removable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      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?

      Gee, I don't know. Maybe you could take the PS2 into the other room. But what if you don't have any free electrical outlets? Or if your house doesn't even HAVE electricity? WHAT THEN???

    4. Re:not removable by joshsisk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      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?

      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.

    5. Re:not removable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Move the lightweight playstation?

      Moving the PS2 console away from the largest TV and toward the computer defeats the purpose of watching DivX on a PS2. You might as well just put it on a bootable Movix CD and watch it on your PC.

    6. Re:not removable by joshsisk · · Score: 1

      Duh. Move it next to the computer, hook it it to the network and a smaller TV or TV tuner card, copy all the DivX files you want to the PS2 hard drive, unhook it from the network, move it back to the tv room, hook it up to the big TV. Now the DivX files are on the PS2 even though their is no network cable in the TV room.

      It amazes me how some people need every little detail spelled out for them.

  26. Homebrew vs. pirated by yerricde · · 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.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:Homebrew vs. pirated by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Do you know of a good way to distinguish homebrew software from pirated software?

      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.

    2. Re:Homebrew vs. pirated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      It'll be difficult for the plaintiffs' counsel to argue that the DMCA trumps Sega.

      Interestingly enough, back when the DMCA was being drafted, I remember reading SCEA's submission to Congress concerning the then-proposed bill. In their submission, Sony explicitly expressed a desire that the DMCA would trump Sega vs. Accolade and make unlicensed game-console software categorically illegal.

    3. Re:Homebrew vs. pirated by schlach · · Score: 1

      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.

      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.

  27. Come on... by pctainto · · Score: 4, Funny

    I mean, PS2 has all the hardware to be able to play divx files, so, it seems that making the mod chip would be hard, but not exceptionally hard. People should instead focus on getting divx players to run on PSX or Nintendo 64 (buy cartridge divxs, heh). Come on, make it harder and less usable, like the people that modify C64s...

    --
    I think my principles are reachin' an all time low
    1. Re:Come on... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      how about someone make a version of Mozilla that runs on the gamecube and uses its online adapter? i'd pay for that.

    2. Re:Come on... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..ya, I just paid 39 bucks for a DVD player.

  28. Re:Oh wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I really wonder why this is called a troll. Flaimbait, maybe... But hey some moderator just can't stand a hint of truth ;-)

  29. From the webpage by Espectr0 · · 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. Hasta hace escasos minutos no hemos podido volver a acceder a la web, lo que nos ha obligado a empezar a distribuir el reproductor por otros canales.

    Translation: thanks to those sob's from slashdot, now we cannot release our player due to severe slashdotting. Those goats! ;)

    1. Re:From the webpage by Malcolm+MacArthur · · Score: 1
      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. Hasta hace escasos minutos no hemos podido volver a acceder a la web, lo que nos ha obligado a empezar a distribuir el reproductor por otros canales

      Oy! Raya-punteado!!

      (P.S. No habla espanol ;)

  30. Bridging Cultures... by Slackrat · · 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.

    1. Re:Bridging Cultures... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not everything is about slashdot.... In fact this is very old news, like...3 days old.
      They announced a week before friday that they would be releasing a beta of the player at 18:00 their local time last friday... I tried to get in at 18:01 and the site had already eaten all their allowed traffic. Luckily enough, the player was available on the Edonkey , fault tolerant, high availability network.

  31. Source, binaries for linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is the source available for cdgenps2.exe anywhere?

    Wine barfs when I try running it on my box.

    A Linux binary would be ok too.

  32. Re:FIRST POST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People moderate FPs as seriously as FPers make FPs- which is not really much.

  33. Greatest slashdot's effect ever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As it started two days before the link was posted!

  34. Re:Get this (now offtopic) by robson · · Score: 1

    May I ask, is MAME available for the Zaurus? And if so, would you consider it to be a decent platform for MAME (i.e. are there diagonals on the d-pad, does it handle multiple button-presses, etc.)?

    Thanks!

  35. Re:Get this - (now offtopic...) by robson · · Score: 1

    May I ask, is MAME available for the Zaurus? And if so, would you consider it to be a decent platform for MAME (i.e. are there diagonals on the d-pad, does it handle multiple button-presses, etc.)?

    Thanks in advance!

  36. Divx hardware support by snol · · Score: 1

    Licensing Divx.com's technology for inclusion in hardware is legally a pretty safe bet. Using a less proprietary, more versatile decoder (one based off ffmpeg/libavcodec, for instance) one would have to work out mpeg4 licensing with MPEG-LA, but $.25 per decoder shouldn't be much of a barrier for a hardware manufacturer.

  37. Slashdotted in Spanish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All I got from the translation is that the site was slashdotted.

    Or they had to fire a butler or something.

    "We changed of servant Due to the great n?mero of visits we are ourselves forced to change of servant. PS2Reality Mediaplayer espectaci?n created by our reproducer, colapsa the Web even before hanging player."

  38. the thing I don't like about qcast is... by truffle · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It requires you install software on your host computer.

    Why can't qcast mount a remote samba partition or win32 partition? Simplify the life of your customers, please....

    --

    ---
    I support spreading santorum
    1. Re:the thing I don't like about qcast is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really that big a deal for me, I assume the server doesn't use up a whole lot of CPU cycles. And I have a dedicated linux box that serves up mp3s for rest of my network.

      I figure that if you want the software to be updateable(new codecs) that you need something other than just a mount to your network's file server.

      Just my own wild speculation. I haven't ordered it yet.

    2. Re:the thing I don't like about qcast is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How did it take the Samba team to get things working under Linux? Now do it without an operating system (which the PS2 really doesn't have).

  39. Antitrust? Constitutionality? by yerricde · · 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?

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:Antitrust? Constitutionality? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I didn't say that the DMCA as written does negate Sega vs. Accolade; I just said that Sony have explicitly said that they hope that it does... and therefore I wouldn't be surprised if their lawyers argue in court that it does, the next time they feel like suing the developer of some unlicensed PS2 software (or, more likely, the developer, whoever it may be, of the first PS2 emulator to mature enough to be "ready for prime time")

      As for antitrust, I get the feeling that thus far both Congress and the courts have been treating the DMCA as the copyright equivalent of "state of emergency" legislation that does in fact trump antitrust and any other thing it damn well needs to in order to do its job of preventing the utter collapse of Holl^h^h^h^hWestern Civilization. "How can you pointy-headed liberals think of yabbering about 'antitrust issues' at a time when millions of dollars of movies, music and software are being stolen under our noses every day!?"

  40. QCast? by gilesjuk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The QCast guys couldn't be bothered to make a CD filesystem so they stream the DIVX files from a PC. Ugly solution and it's commercial software. PS2Reality's player reads from any CD, is small enough to be included on the CD and works great with DIVX+MP3 audio AVIs. It's also free. Proof that commercial software isn't always better.

    1. Re:QCast? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's a bunch of crap.

      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!

  41. Just get a dreamcast and get it over with by mikeb55121 · · Score: 1, Troll

    why do all of that work when you can just get a dreamcast that already has a Divx player out there and the player adn most of the games are self bootable?

    1. Re:Just get a dreamcast and get it over with by Artemis · · Score: 1

      For the improved resolution and FPS.

    2. Re:Just get a dreamcast and get it over with by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      `Cause I've already got a mod chipped PS2! "Just getting" a Dreamcast would require both FINDING one (eBay, I suppose?), as well as the financial outlay to purchase it.

  42. Re:Get this - (now offtopic...) by undie · · Score: 2, Insightful

    MAME is available for the Zaurus. Whether or not it's a decent platform for it - that's debatable. The controls are all there (it has diagonals on the D-pad and multiple button presses are supported). The issue right now is speed of emulation - last time I tried the Z version of MAME I was unable to play alot of games at full speed. I'm not sure if this is a processor-speed limitation, or if the code just needs more optimization.

    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)

  43. Congratulations! by axs · · Score: 1

    Giga congratulations to the PS2Reality team for this outstanding work of patience. The player works very nicely, picture looks good and audio is fine.

    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!

  44. BroadQ bleh! by MrBr0wN · · Score: 1

    Finally a divx player yet still no VCD player oh well that will just have to do. Only MAJOR draw back of BroadQ is the point that you still have to have a PC. DiVX can be burnt anywhere and then used on the PS2 with the new util anywhere even in my car. THe whole point of coming out for mods for consoles is so there is no need for a PC except for burning games downloading and such and to use a home theater or for portability. Atleast thats my whole look at things. I don't want to carry my games in my car and afford them to be scratched or thrown on the floor for soemone to step on. They are safe at home, i need a modchop so i can have it in my car with my burnt games. w00t yet Sony nor any console company believe in such an idea.

  45. I said it's too late.. idiot! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    PS2 sucks big time!!!! XBox is way better.. it has games that are as cool as pc games.. so you better forget about your childshit...

  46. Where's the rest? by ShoeHead · · Score: 1

    9) ...
    10) Profit!!

    1. Re:Where's the rest? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      11)???
      12)Profit!!!!

      Look, I'm funny too!

    2. Re:Where's the rest? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're incredibly pathetic. You don't get out much do you?

  47. Re:Where have I seen this before? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1) Site was not slashdotted anyways...it was already down on FRIDAY 29th, when it was planned for release.
    2) It's a very good divx player for ps2. nothing more and nothing less. period.
    3) it's as useful as you wanted the Dreamcast one to be :), but ps2 has LOTS more horsepower.

    (and to end...Dreamcast is better than ps2 all the way down :)))

  48. Cool! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now maybe they can write something to make it FUCKING PLAY MY DVDS PROPERLY!

  49. Mirrors for downloading the player by Tensor · · Score: 4, Informative
  50. But why???? by Sex_On_The_Beach · · Score: 0

    Why waste your PS2 laser to read some DivX CD's. Watching DVD/DivX is a sure way to shorten your console's laser life.

    You would be better in the long run to buy a dvd player/other dedicated device.

  51. Re:Get this: The Archos Multimedia Jukebox by MrZaius · · Score: 1

    The makers of those lil portable USB hard drives that also play mp3s have a new product with an LCD that plays divx files.

    It's called the Archos Multimedia Jukebox, and costs about $100 more than the mp3 players.

    Thinkgeek:
    http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics /mp3/5b44/

    Tom's Review:
    http://www17.tomshardware.com/mobile/02q3 /020809/i ndex.html

    Sweet, yes?

  52. source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Strange that I can't find any sources for the player since they state that it is based on ffmpeg...

  53. DivX hardware; ok, What version? by lander_es · · Score: 2, Interesting

    VCD, SVCD, DVD; ok, Mpeg2 compresion... Mp3; ok, Mpeg layer 3 compresion... but DivX, How many version of DivX are now? Too fast changes for hardware descompresion...