Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nintendo DS TV Adapter Hands-On Review

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the two-screens-no-waiting dept.

Nintendo DS News writes "Lik Sang have posted a great hands-on article examining the new Nintendo DS TV Adapter. From the article: 'Both projects are converters displaying the image of your Nintendo handheld on Television sets. One is for the Gameboy Advance SP, the other is, more interestingly for the smoking hot Nintendo DS system.'"

47 comments

  1. Not so fast... by dalmiroy2k · · Score: 2, Informative

    The unit is a prototype and a distributor is need, so don't expect it any time soon...

  2. Less than useless. by theSpaceCow · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Is there a market out there full of people who want to use their portable devices in the least portable way possible? And in the case of the DS, a way that not only can't capture the device's full functionality, but hinders it as you look back and forth between your handheld and the television?

    On my Nintendo add-on scale of 1 to Power Glove, this gets a -3.

    --
    I support the separation of oil and state.
    1. Re:Less than useless. by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 1

      Is there a market out there full of people who want to use their portable devices in the least portable way possible?

      The Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for the GBA looked MUCH BETTER in a TV Set (or emulated in your PC) than in the GBA itself.

    2. Re:Less than useless. by Soybean47 · · Score: 1
      On my Nintendo add-on scale of 1 to Power Glove, this gets a -3.

      I'm a little confused by your scale. Does it assume that the Power Glove is the best Nintendo add-on that has ever or will ever exist? Or is "Power Glove" a negative score, and 1 the highest rating available?
    3. Re:Less than useless. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is there a market out there full of people who want to use their portable devices in the least portable way possible?

      I don't know how big the market is, but I'm definitely interested in this. I have the GBA adapter for the GC and use it all the time. I actually don't use the portables anywhere except home. So, why do I even have a handheld? Because they have games I can't get anywhere else, 2d Metroids and Castlevanias, Advance Wars, etc... The 2D and turn based strategy genres are almost non-exsistent on the TV consoles, so a portable is usually my only choice for these genres (aside from the PC - which is missing some of the best games). I'm not even interested in the portability of the handheld systems, the only time I can game, I already have access to my TV, so I may as well play on that.

    4. Re:Less than useless. by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "Is there a market out there full of people who want to use their portable devices in the least portable way possible?"

      If the DS's (or GBA's) main selling point to you is "portable," then no. If it's "good games," however, then yes, there is always a market to play those good games on a television.

      "Good games" is why I have a GBA Player attatched to my GameCube, and why I'm worried about not seeing a GBA slot on the Wii.

    5. Re:Less than useless. by justinmikehunt · · Score: 0

      True as that may be, that (i'm assuming) was with the game boy player, which is different than this... This is basically sticking a camera up to the screen and putting it on TV... So if it looks bad on the screen, blowing up the bad image won't make it look better like the GB Player would.

    6. Re:Less than useless. by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Is there a market out there full of people who want to use their portable devices in the least portable way possible?

      Some of us old people prefer to play with a larger screen. It's kinda hard to hold the SP or DS and a magnifying glass at the same time.

    7. Re:Less than useless. by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      Eh? The resolution stays the same from the GBA to the TV in either case. All the GB player does is blow up the same pixels until they are big enough to fit on a tv. TV's have much, much, much lower resolution than many realize.

    8. Re:Less than useless. by elrous0 · · Score: 1
      I wonder if he's restricting the scale to real numbers. And, is this a straight linear progression or is some sort of algorithm involved? Kudos to him for ignoring the convention of the more obvious "Scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the Power Glove"!

      -Eric

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    9. Re:Less than useless. by blincoln · · Score: 1

      Is there a market out there full of people who want to use their portable devices in the least portable way possible?

      I'm not interested in portable gaming at all. However, there were a handful of GBA games (Metroid, mostly) that I wanted to play. So I got a Gameboy Player for my Gamecube.

      When someone (Sony, preferably) gets around to letting me play PSP games on a TV in a way that doesn't involve a crappy mini-cam kludge, I will probably buy a few of those too.

      --
      "...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
    10. Re:Less than useless. by MaverickUW · · Score: 1

      Didn't MadCatz release a GBA player for the Gamecube that used the memory card slot instead of hooking to the bottom to play GBA games? Anyone know how that works.

      Unless it's been limited by Nintendo based on how they handle hardware for the Wii, this still might work with it. If it would, MadCatz suddenly looks like they made a very smart move!

    11. Re:Less than useless. by 0NoQuarter14 · · Score: 1

      I'd imagine Nintendo will announce a wifi DS player for the Wii.

    12. Re:Less than useless. by grumbel · · Score: 1

      In the times where Gameboys where still green and blurry I used the SuperGameboy Adapter for the SNES a lot, in times where the GBA was increadible dark I used the GameboyPlayer for the Gamecube a lot, now however with the GBAsp and the DS the portable displays are good enough that I only very seldomly use the GameboyPlayer. This new TV adapter on the other side doesn't seem rather useless, since he doesn't produce a better picture then the portables, but simply caputured.

    13. Re:Less than useless. by damsa · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There are websites out there where people record their best Mariokart times and you can see the video of them. So there is a market abeit a small one of people who is in the market for this.

  3. Nintendo Tii Vii by dividedsky319 · · Score: 2, Funny

    If Nintendo came out with an official tv adapter, would they call it the "Nintendo Tii Vii"?

    1. Re:Nintendo Tii Vii by TooMuchEspressoGuy · · Score: 1

      It would be the "WiiVii," pronounced like "WEEEEEEEEEEEvee!"

      --
      Many Bothans died to bring you this sig.
    2. Re:Nintendo Tii Vii by Ryz0r · · Score: 1

      Oh dear Lord. We've got at least another 5 years of this. I think Nintendo's real plan was to have the slashbots make so many lame "Wii" jokes that we're driven to buy one just to get away from slashdot!

      --
      Peace, Love, Unity, Respect
  4. Wishes for DS and GBA on TV by SoapDish · · Score: 1

    I know many people that want to use DS games, on a TV. I see this as a great temporary solution. A more permanent solution could be something like the Super Gameboy Cartridge for the SNES. The revolution (Wii) could do this right with an attachment that connects a DS cartridge to the system, and one in the DS, so you can use it like a controller over WiFi, or the like. This would be best if it used the NintendoWiFi connection, and multiple systems as controllers (splitscreen multiplayer). Optional integration, which adds more to the games without limiting those players without a DS would also be great.

    1. Re:Wishes for DS and GBA on TV by tenton · · Score: 1

      You mean like the GameBoy Player for the GameCube? Plays GBA games through the GameCube (it's an attachment that goes on the bottom of the GameCube and you put your GB games into it).

      I wonder if there will be a DS player for the Rev...Wii .

    2. Re:Wishes for DS and GBA on TV by BigCheese · · Score: 1

      I originally thought the GBP would look like crap because the GBA images are really small. I was very suprised at how well it worked.
      They have some very clever engineers at Nintendo.

      --
      The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. - Edward R. Murrow
    3. Re:Wishes for DS and GBA on TV by SoapDish · · Score: 1

      Thanks, I completely forgot about that since I never had a GBA, but I remember thinking that player would be great if I had one. I jumped from the original GB to the NDS.

  5. Ugh. by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It looks just like the insanity they're trying to push with the PSP: a small camera pointed at the handheld's screen. Yes, there are DS games I'd be interested in seeing on a television, but this is not the way I would do it.

    1. Re:Ugh. by theJML · · Score: 1

      Yeah, and the quality in the screen caps shows that a camera doesn't pickup everything from LCD's well... nor does the lense properly deal with aspherical issues at such a close distance, nor are the colors great, etc...

      But you gotta admit, if all it is, is a camera, for 30 bucks, I can use it on ANYTHING I want to put on the TV. Just duct-tape this thing to your favorite portable console or laptop screen or whatever and plug it in. My Game Gear will be great with this adapter. But you could even use this on one of those little portible LCD TVs!!! Yeah! Then you could watch TV on your TV! (which is about as effecient a solution I believe).

      --
      -=JML=-
    2. Re:Ugh. by karnal · · Score: 1

      But you gotta admit, if all it is, is a camera, for 30 bucks, I can use it on ANYTHING

      As long as it's not down your pants, that is.

      --
      Karnal
  6. No thanks by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll pass on this. Why would I want to sit a foot away from my TV to use this? Not to mention, I don't like the idea of getting fingerprints all over my TV screen.

    --
    This guy's the limit!
    1. Re:No thanks by steveo777 · · Score: 2

      Just tie/tape/glue a few meter sticks together. Voila! TV stylus.

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
  7. Almost forgot. by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "but hinders it as you look back and forth between your handheld and the television?"

    Never played Zelda: Four Swords Adventure or Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles?

  8. Rev Wii by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wii!!!!!

  9. Stupid by Mr.Dippy · · Score: 1

    Whoever buys this needs a punch in the groin. Congratulations. You just bought a device that makes playing games that much more difficult.

    --


    -Dipster
  10. It really can't be done on DS by randomErr · · Score: 1

    It been mentioned that DS be done through Revolution. Thats fine and all, but what about the stylus games? Kirby wouldn't play anywhere as well on anything other then an LCD screen with some sort of stylus.

    --
    You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
    1. Re:It really can't be done on DS by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

      It can be done in a similar way to using a GBA as a controller on your Game Boy Player. We already know the Wii will have wireless capabilities, so you rig a hypothetical DS Player to transmit what the DS would interpret as a "single-card download play" and you use your DS as the controller.

      That, or you use the Wii remote as the stylus, pointing it at the screen in the place where you'd want the stylus to be.

    2. Re:It really can't be done on DS by arose · · Score: 1

      What rock have you been living under? The Revo^H^H^H^HWii is all about he new controler which will be able to point on a 2D plane among other things.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
  11. Remember seeing nintendo version of this by sentientbrendan · · Score: 1

    at penny arcade expo. They had two lcds, one for each DS screen. I don't recall seeing a camera on theirs... I think they just rigged some kind of video out. Maybe they had special DS units for that though... but I bet that the ones on the market could be made that way.

    If I actually *had* a DS, I'd just bug nintendo to release their official solution, which seemed like a much better design overall.

    1. Re:Remember seeing nintendo version of this by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      I think they are using this.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  12. Wrong approach. by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

    As you may know, the DS transmits its screen contents over some RF signal. Someone found the signal with his TV tuner. I think that's what Nintendo uses to display the DS screen contents on the TVs at expos. The proper approach would be to identify and reverse engineer that signal.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    1. Re:Wrong approach. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Evidence?

    2. Re:Wrong approach. by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      As you may know, the DS transmits its screen contents over some RF signal. Someone found the signal with his TV tuner.

      I'm pretty sure you just made that up.

      The DS transmits its screen contents from the mainboard to the LCDs via thin ribbons of metal called "wires".

    3. Re:Wrong approach. by Low2000 · · Score: 1

      The parent poster is correct that there is some interference from the DS that can cause a barley decernable replica of it's image to be displayed on a TV.

      I doubt though, that this is the same technique used at Expos since there are usualy many of these units placed next to eachother and I've not seen them interfere with eachother.

      I saw watched in operation at Penny Arcade Expo myself and the image was very crip.

    4. Re:Wrong approach. by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000957024222/

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    5. Re:Wrong approach. by TheNumberless · · Score: 1

      This doesn't mean that the DS is actively transmitting its signal (that is, in fact, incredibly unlikely). All it means is that the signal is transmitted to the display in a format somewhat compatible with American television, which isn't particularly surprising. Also, since all electrical currents "broadcast" rf, it's not particularly surprising that this can be picked up in certain cases.

      For more information on this phenomenon, google "Van Eck phreaking."

      Now, actually using these signals in a general, reliable way that would be acceptable to most consumers would be quite a long shot.

  13. Nintendo DS by suv4x4 · · Score: 2, Funny

    or now knows as Nintento Puu.

  14. I need to take a wicked yes by otis+wildflower · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Seriously, who comes up with this stuff? I thought "Viiv" was stupid, but this is schoolyard taunting hell stupid...

  15. Awesome by AugstWest · · Score: 1

    The review is done by what will be the main seller of it! That rocks!

    1. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you bother to read the review? It wasn't exactly 100% positive. And if there was conflict-of-interest (which is the ONLY possible reason for posting your comment) then wouldn't the review be WOW BUY THIS NOW 110%!!!!!1? Since it isn't that by any stretch your comment is irrelevant, inaccurate and pointless.

      Oh, wait. This is *slashdot*. Inaccurate, irrelevant and pointless comments by (presumably)dull people are what this place DOES. Carry on.

  16. Old people by SteeldrivingJon · · Score: 1

    The market for this sort of thing would be old people who want to play that 'Brain Age' game but for whom the DS screen is illegibly small.

    --
    September 2011: Looking for Cocoa/iOS work in Boston area Cocoa Programmer Quincy, MA
  17. Nice try but ... by VGfort · · Score: 1

    I'd like something official that worked like the Super Game Boy did. The screenshots of the TV show a rounded black blur on the sides. At first I thought it was a an adapter to watch TV on the DS, not the other way around.