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PS3 Gets DivX Support, Coming Soon to Xbox 360

Posted by Zonk on

Mpegged writes "The popular DivX video codec will soon be supported on the PlayStation 3 via a future firmware update. DivX CEO Kevin Hell also hinted that support is coming to the 360 as well. 'During the SMid Cap conference call with investment firm JP Morgan, Hell was asked if the recent deal that will see DivX codecs shipped with new versions of Microsoft's standalone Media Center Extenders means that such support will also be arriving on the Xbox 360. "Yes!" was his immediate reply, although he quickly qualified that confirmation with a disclaimer that the deal was still in the negotiation process and had not yet been finalized.'"

117 comments

  1. DivX... do people still use that? by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 2, Informative

    Everyone I know uses an XviD or h.264 codec these days. I haven't seen a new DivX video for a couple years.

    1. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by CestusGW · · Score: 1

      True, but lots of people, myself included, have large digital video libraries that we don't want to spend time and effort on transcoding. Digital video can stick around, usefully, in older formats - unlike, say, VHS, Beta or Laserdisc. This is a welcome announcement.

      --
      Too much repetition my too much repetition!
    2. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by PrescriptionWarning · · Score: 1

      I have a few older movies from my library in DivX, though most now are XviD. I definitely do not want to go through all 100+ of them and transcode to H.264 though. Besides, most DVD players play DivX and XviD just fine, so why move to 264?

    3. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Wordsmith · · Score: 5, Informative

      Divx support means the ability to decode those Xvid files (at least in theory). Mpeg-4 Part II, of which both codecs are implementations, is set up so that implementations can vary in their encodes (like, say, two different MP3 encoders would do), decoding should work identically.

    4. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Fluffy+Bunnies · · Score: 3, Informative

      No. The two encoders have some mutually incompatible features. Some xvid encodes will work with the divx decoder, while the ones that actually use xvid's good features (like multiple b-frames) simply won't. (unless divx has changed radically in the last year or so)

    5. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Shrubbman · · Score: 3, Informative

      That's simply an issue with Divx's decoder not fully supporting the spec, similar to how certain h.264 encoded videos with some of the more advanced features enabled can't be played back on the ipod. The only reason not to support the full spec in software would be hardware limitations, which shouldn't be an issue for either the PS3 or 360.

    6. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Fluffy+Bunnies · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's not the only reason. According to TFA, this is being done by the divx team: what incentive do they have for providing support for features their codec does not use? Features that, as a matter of fact, puts show product in a bad light. I guess we'll see when the thing is released, but I'm not holding my breath. Well, I don't even own a PS3 so why should I...

    7. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by m50d · · Score: 1

      As others have said, XviD==DixX. And it's still useful for older hardware, though generally inferior to h.264.

      --
      I am trolling
    8. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only reason not to support the full spec in software would be hardware limitations, which shouldn't be an issue for either the PS3 or 360.
      Well, hardware limitations, and programmer limitations. Many advanced codecs take years to get full, widely-available implementations with reasonable performance. You can define reference encoders and decoders and things, but getting a codec out into a marketplace, with all of its features, can take much longer.
    9. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by aichpvee · · Score: 1

      According to the online user's guide, PS3 already supports h264.

      --
      The Farewell Tour II
    10. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OR Sony could use some of that GNU/Linux evangelism and just use an open source implementation.

    11. Re:DivX... do people still use that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'd think that people posting stuff like this would try playing one of their XviD pirate rips with DivX, or DivX videos using ffdshow's XviD decoding before speaking...

      You'd also think they'd notice what XviD is spelled backwards. It's kinda fucking obvious.

  2. Xvid support by ProfBooty · · Score: 2, Informative

    The article indicates support for XviD, or at the very least being able to detect XviD files in the PS3 2.0 firmware.

    --
    Bring back the old version of slashdot.
  3. Neither have I... by siDDis · · Score: 1

    I thought DivX was dead...and XviD is IMHO dying to H.264
    Anyway there should also be support for the Matroska container so I can play the DRM free versions of my HD movies.

    1. Re:Neither have I... by damaki · · Score: 1

      DivX dying? I guess you did not see all these certified players. And you probably do not know that some DivX certifications include h264 too.

      --
      Stupidity is the root of all evil.
    2. Re:Neither have I... by sanosuke76 · · Score: 1

      I think wishing for Matroska will be about like wishing for Ogg Vorbis support on DVD players a few years ago. Corporations are always the last to accept a free and popular format - look how long it took to accept mp3's! Regardless, I think this is a decent step forward.

      --
      My 229 is all the Sig I need http://thegunwiki.com/
    3. Re:Neither have I... by HairyNevus · · Score: 1

      I second the appeal for Matroska support.

      --
      You were critically hit for no damage. The bruise will look nice, and maybe the scars will make good party talk.
    4. Re:Neither have I... by Amouth · · Score: 1

      i am still wanting a decent Music player that supports FLAC..

      --
      '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
    5. Re:Neither have I... by karnal · · Score: 1

      Look up Cowon's audio players. Got myself a D2 (flash based, 4gb or 8gb now with a usable SDHC slot to boot!)

      --
      Karnal
    6. Re:Neither have I... by Carrot007 · · Score: 1

      get a last gen ipod and use rockbox, i previously used cowon players but i broke it and the ipod represented better value for money and i was using rockbox on the cowon so it was an easy move!

      --
      +----------------- | What is the question!
  4. DivX Players? by techpawn · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I have a DivX Player... It's called a computer...

    --
    Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country did to you
    1. Re:DivX Players? by DrXym · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I have a DivX Player... It's called a computer...

      Good for you. Next you're going to say that your computer is hooked up to your TV and everyone else should do the same?

      Fact is the PS3 and the 360 are plugged into a TV by definition and have more than enough power to play music and video. In that capacity it makes perfect sense to utilise them as multimedia jukeboxes.

    2. Re:DivX Players? by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      Good for you. Next you're going to say that your computer is hooked up to your TV and everyone else should do the same? Well, I know people who have no problem hooking up a HTPC form factor PC to their TV. They don't have to be larger than a console. They can then also be built with components to make them fan free, because decoding vids generally don't need extreme perfomance. I mean, if you aren't interested in games or stuff, you can just as well do that with a PC. The one advantage I still see with a game console would be that you in the case of the PS3 get a heavily subsidized Blu-ray player.
      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    3. Re:DivX Players? by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 1

      And, you know, it plays games. That's just a bit important.

      --
      "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
  5. Huh? by Silverlancer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 already support H.264; why in the world would anyone use DivX when a better option is available?

    1. Re:Huh? by king-manic · · Score: 3, Funny

      Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 already support H.264; why in the world would anyone use DivX when a better option is available? \

      Because they're too lazy to convert 500 gigs of porn.
      --
      "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
    2. Re:Huh? by DrXym · · Score: 1
      I think you are right for new content. There is no earthly reason whatsoever for encoding content to ASP if your devices support H264 (AVC). The quality of AVC is better, the compression is better and AVC is the chosen format for portable devices going forward.

      ASP is still good for existing legacy content though. Transcoding ASP to AVC yields pretty awful quality vids so anything that allows you to watch them without conversion is a good thing.

      The PS3 is already an awesome multimedia device and it just keeps getting better. Europe gets a twin tuner DVB-T and PVR functionality arriving early next year. Korea already has IPTV. It can't be long before a DLC service launches for it too.

    3. Re:Huh? by siDDis · · Score: 1

      Because the Matroska container isn't supported! Which means you cannot have h.264 video + ac3/dts audio.

    4. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      h264 comes in many flavors. The PS3 cannot (won't) play anything above level 4.1, although there are rumors of 4.2. Either way, it's not good enough seeing just about every "x264" recording is set to 5.1, which should really be used for ultra-mega-wega HD.

      The other issue is the container. The PS3 will not play mkv, and mp4 doesn't like ac3 5.1 sound. Currently you can split the streams apart, try to fudge the video level down to 4.1 and remux to vob format, with an extension the PS3 will accept, say .mpg. However, it's very hit-n-miss.

      What we really need is VLC to be on the PS3, and cut out all the crap. xbox360 owners seem to have their own limited support issues, but they're having great success with HD WMV, which sony won't touch.

    5. Re:Huh? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      What we really need is VLC to be on the PS3


      The PS3 can run Linux, so it already has VLC builds available.

    6. Re:Huh? by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 2

      The MPEG-2 Transport Stream can contain H.264 video with AAC, AC3, or DTS audio. It is actually the format used by Blu-ray Discs. The BD file and folder structure can by placed on a DVD which is referred to an AVCHD. The PS3 needs the filesystem to be UDF 2.50 or higher though.

    7. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The PS3 plays my encoded for PSP .mp4 files just fine, and they are level 2.1.

      Linux/ppc VLC sadly enough is no good, crappy sound, no Xv support and no widescreen signal on an old PAL 16/9 CRT keep holding me back to use an old xbox (XBMC) for mediaplayback.

    8. Re:Huh? by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 1

      A better extension when playing the hit-or-miss game is .m2ts. But you are right, the fact that most of the .mkv files I find are H.264 5.1 is a pain.

      I just saw a post on another forum saying that .m2ts files played from the XMB will now output 5.1 audio with the 2.00 firmware upgrade. I'll have to check that this evening.

    9. Re:Huh? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Because the consumer electronics industry seems to be settling on DivX-on-DVD as the poor-man's HD format. If you walk into any electronics store, you'll find around half the DVD players are "DivX certified".

      In that context, it's as silly to talk about refusing to support it in the face of superior codecs as it is to talk about MPEG2 in the same way.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    10. Re:Huh? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      What we really need is VLC to be on the PS3, and cut out all the crap. xbox360 owners seem to have their own limited support issues, but they're having great success with HD WMV, which sony won't touch.


      Too late. A variation of WMV-HD (WMV9) is already in every Blu-Ray player out there as part of the spec. You may know it by its alternative name, VC1. (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD all support the same codecs - MPEG2, H.264 (aka AVC), and VC-1.).

      Of course, most recent Blu-Ray releases use AVC while a number of HD-DVDs use VC-1. But it's in the Blu-Ray spec, and it has to be supported. (Early Blu-Ray releases used MPEG2...)

      Anyhow, VLC on PS3 will suck if you're talking about porting the Linux version. Think - framebuffer access only. You'd think upscaling a DVD to 1080p, a reasonable job for most players, and something the PS3's built-in DVD player can do natively (too bad the upscaler isn't that great, IMHO - good for static benchmarks, lousy for video), but just drops frames when forced to do it via the framebufffer.

      DivX/XviD support is good, anyhow - even though everyone's (including portable players) moving to MPEG4-AVC (h.264), there's still a ton of MPEG4-SP/ASP (DivX/XviD) files out there.
    11. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Linux on the PS3 cannot access the video hardware direct and doesn't have a decent driver. VLC is pretty shit on Linux/PS3 considering the power of the hardware. Neither Sony or Nvidia are going to give Linux a proper video driver, so Linux as a media center on the PS3 is still-born. In fact, if you bother to try it, you'll see Linux on the PS3 is pretty crap in general. Very slow, limited RAM. If you're not coding for the cores, you're wasting time installing it. It's worse that an old pentium 4.

    12. Re:Huh? by timster · · Score: 1

      Except that Linux support on the PS3 is lousy and useless. Just like it was on the PS2 -- that was so bad that everyone forgot it existed and got excited all over again about Linux on the PS3.

      I suppose this cycle will start all over again with the PS4.

      --
      I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
    13. Re:Huh? by dosius · · Score: 1

      I've got a ton of AVIs with ac3 audio. (Mostly in divx or xvid format.)

      -uso.

      --
      What you hear in the ear, preach from the rooftop Matthew 10.27b
    14. Re:Huh? by fyonn · · Score: 1

      What we really need is VLC to be on the PS3

      never mind VLC, what we need is something equivalent to XBMC on the ps3. hell, if sony made something that good as a PSN download, I'd pay for it.

      come on sony, do what your customers want for a change!

      dave

    15. Re:Huh? by MBraynard · · Score: 1

      Well, my story. Everything I get from Bittorrent (tv shows) is in DivX. I'd like to watch them on my TV. Right now there is some kind of live transcoder but I'd really rather not have to deal with that.

    16. Re:Huh? by tcolberg · · Score: 1

      Transcoder360, the program that does on the fly conversion of assorted file formats to something the 360MC can play, works well enough for me. Though I would prefer native DivX and XviD support because processes like Transcoder360 just add those two extra steps that make it that much more unusable for anyone in the household but me to get a movie or TV show going. I want devices that everyone can use, not ones that are reliant on me doing the button pushes.

    17. Re:Huh? by Silverlancer · · Score: 1

      x264 is normally set to 5.1 because everyone uses --partitions all, and p4x4 partitions require Level 5.1. Of course, the PS3 isn't as restrictive as it should be; you can make it play simply by modifying the header to say "4.1".

    18. Re:Huh? by CodyRazor · · Score: -1

      Because re-encoding 1TB of xvid into h.264 would take a loooong time, especially when you have to work out different settings to preserve full quality for every type of file. And besides, re encoding it isnt going to add more quality to whats already there...

      Oh wait i just rememebered, I have all originally purchesed DVDs, even the for the shows they never released, so... yeah.

      --
      So Skulldilocks threw acid on the schoolchildrens' faces, cause somebody from the bible told her to do it!
    19. Re:Huh? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      n fact, if you bother to try it, you'll see Linux on the PS3 is pretty crap in general. Very slow, limited RAM.


      Oh come now, a 3.2 GHz system with 256MB of RAM should run Linux acceptably, especially with a window manager like E17. Though I'd swap that with fluxbox. Remember that many out of the box XP systems intended for home use had 256MB of RAM.

      Considering what a PS2 with a Linux kit installed can do, the PS3 should work better.

    20. Re:Huh? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Except that Linux support on the PS3 is lousy and useless. Just like it was on the PS2 -- that was so bad that everyone forgot it existed


      Smile when you say that, pardner. :-) Linux on the PS2 wasn't useless and it's not forgotten:

      [CronoCloud@midgar CronoCloud]$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
      cpu MIPS
      cpu model R5900 V3.1
      system type EE PS2
      BogoMIPS 392.39
      byteorder little endian

      [CronoCloud@midgar CronoCloud]$ cat /etc/redhat-release
      PS2 Linux release 1.0

      Heck PS3 Linux users have it easy, since it's a PPC Linux they have tons of binaries available and don't have to compile everything.

    21. Re:Huh? by iainl · · Score: 1

      .avi containers will hold ac3, yes - the problem is that .m4v containers won't. And that's what the 360 is looking to find an H.264 video stream in.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    22. Re:Huh? by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 already support H.264; why in the world would anyone use DivX when a better option is available? http://thepiratebay.org/top/201
      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  6. They use them because... by Erioll · · Score: 1

    They use them because most people don't want to re-rip and re-encode their library of movies AGAIN. They'll probably use the new codec for new things, but for everything already done, they're not going to spend the time to re-do them for questionable benefit (the source material is only up to a certain quality anyways).

  7. PS3 Media Center by king-manic · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I've read a few dozen times people chiming in saying the PS3 isn't a good media center because it didn't support DivX, I suppose this is a move to address that.

    --
    "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
    1. Re:PS3 Media Center by DrXym · · Score: 2, Informative
      DivX certainly represents the last significant piece in the puzzle. The PS3 already supports MPEG-2, MP4 pt 2 SP, AVC, jpeg, png, MP3, WMA, AAC, ATRAC and has streaming support via UPnP and DNLA. Next year it's getting PVR functionality in some regions and possibly downloadable content from PSN.

      I think it's shaping up to be the ultimate multimedia center. The 360 is also making efforts to improve it's multimedia support, but you'd probably have to get the 120Gb to make any decent use of it.

    2. Re:PS3 Media Center by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The PS3 already supports MPEG-2, MP4 pt 2 SP, AVC, jpeg, png, MP3, WMA, AAC, ATRAC and has streaming support via UPnP and DNLA. Next year it's getting PVR functionality in some regions and possibly downloadable content from PSN.

      I think it's shaping up to be the ultimate multimedia center. The 360 is also making efforts to improve it's multimedia support, but you'd probably have to get the 120Gb to make any decent use of it.

      As a Media Center Extender, the Xbox 360 can use the hard drive(s) and PVR/tuner in any Media Center Windows PC on the network (XP Media Center Edition, Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate). If you have one of those versions of Windows, I think the Xbox 360 far exceeds the PS3 as a multimedia center. Otherwise, the PS3 will probably be better with the rumored updates and add-ons.
    3. Re:PS3 Media Center by DrXym · · Score: 1
      The PS3 can also do streaming including watching movies, TV, music, pictures etc. from any capable DNLA server which includes media center, but also Nero MediaHome, TVersity, Azureus, eMule and a pile of others. It doesn't even have to be Windows driving the server.

      The PS3 implementation isn't perfect and sucks on codec support but it does work. It will work superbly once Sony add Mpeg-4 Part 2 & 10 native support instead of requiring transcoding to MPEG-2.

  8. All I can say is... by CaseM · · Score: 2, Insightful

    it's about f*****' time!

    I hate transcoding with a passion - the best media centers out there (TVersity, Orb) still seem somewhat buggy and just stop working sometimes. They're great, but if I have to remote admin to my media server to stop and restart the service to watch a TV show, then I'm less inclined to want to bother with it. At their best, transcoders (for obvious reasons) lower the quality of the video to get it over to your console/system of choice.

  9. Why the moaning? by coldgunner · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Can't understand the complaints as to why we didn't get xvid etc, I mean, they didn't have to add divx and its better than having none at all

    1. Re:Why the moaning? by m50d · · Score: 1

      It's not a lot better than nothing, really. I move from having to transcode all my media to....still having to transcode all my media (yes, it takes up a bit less space, but that's less of a factor than the convenience). Which suggests it's just a PR move rather than an attempt at something actually useful.

      --
      I am trolling
  10. And here I am.. by xtracto · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Shit... and here I am with my Wii accessing Opera and trying to see youtube videos with crappy quality and choppy.

    I guess the worst happened as the Wii isn't really good for anything, not games nor media center... none of the 7 games I own really make me play it any more (Zelda, Red Steel, Paper Mario, MonkeyBall, WiiSports, WiiPlay, Excite Truck)... and the prospects are not really nice (Mario galaxy??? yaawn).

    --
    Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    1. Re:And here I am.. by kamapuaa · · Score: 1
      No, you don't understand, or at least you haven't read enough Slashdot - the Wii is about having *fun*. High-end technical specifications or a library of worthwhile games isn't necessary! It's all about the *fun*!

      Have I ever mentioned about the excellent parties I have, where I break out Wii Sports Bowling? Or my wife, who I regularly conjoin into playing Wii Sports Tennis with me? Or all the old people I'm aware of who picked up a Wii of their own, after waiting in line at Gamestop? It's all about the *fun*, not fancy-shmancy technical specifications.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    2. Re:And here I am.. by illegalcortex · · Score: 1

      You clearly don't understand. Every console should also be an internet browser and a media center. What are you thinking, that there's some other magical device that could be used to browse the internet and play movies? Snap out of it.

    3. Re:And here I am.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      then stop fucking whining and trade it in for a 360 you twat.

    4. Re:And here I am.. by Floritard · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Those are all pretty boring games you have honestly. Pickup Resident Evil 4 and Metroid. As for Super Mario Galaxy, well if you're not anxious to play the game starring Nintendo's main mascot in what is so far critically and most probably soon commerically his best game in years, then what exactly did you buy a Wii for in the first place?

    5. Re:And here I am.. by MBGMorden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Unless you were being sarcastic, I think it was pretty obvious that the GP isn't having fun with the Wii. Just because some others tell you that this new magic console is *fun* doesn't make it so. Fun is subjective.

      I don't own a Wii, but my brother does. It was indeed fun, for an hour or so. I have no real further inclination to mess with one again though, and after the novelty factor wore off he doesn't play it anymore either (he's back to playing his PS2 again).

      Different strokes for different folks. I know some love the Wii-mote concept, but for me it's a gimmick that gets old VERY quickly. I'll make the same comparison as I have to DDR. DDR is an awesome game. I have gone through 4 mats and still play a lot. It's a good concept with a unique input method. Making the leap from "DDR is fun!" though to "hey, we should make all our games revolve around a dance mat!" is not a wise move. The Wii-mote is the same way. Nice toy for a game or two, but overall, a standard controler is far better suited to most games.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    6. Re:And here I am.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know what jackass modded you up, but you should try practicing what you preach. Here's a hint: You can't say "different strokes for different folks" and then come with completely unfounded assertions about what's "best" for games.

      I tend to prefer the Wiimote for console gaming in general, and I really wish I had the option to use one in Lost Planet, Halo 3, Dead Rising and so on. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone, but it means you're a presumptuous asshole for saying it's not right for games in general.

      Well, I guess we'll see by next generation, when every damn console is going to have a controller for aiming at the screen and include motion sensing capabilities. I'm not saying it'll be forced on you, I'm saying there will be that option for every major console. Then I'll just link people back to this post, which will predictably be -1, Flamebait, and just say "I told you so you".

    7. Re:And here I am.. by Gravatron · · Score: 1

      Re 4 was good, but if you already played and beat it on the cube or ps2, its just the same game with mouselook and waggle. Metroid is grand, and Galaxy (despite me not being wowed by the gamestop demo) is suppose to be pretty amazing.

      As to why he bought a wii? Probabaly same reason I did: It was hyped up as the be all end all savior of gaming. It was suppose to be the biggest thing since videogames first hit, but really, all it was is the same old stuff with mouselook and waggle, and a handful of neat game that don't really take advantage of the console for the most part. I'll pick one up again in a few years, but honestly, its cube 2.0 to me, with all the same short commings.

    8. Re:And here I am.. by steveo777 · · Score: 1
      My brother too owns a Wii. Since he's recently taken up residence in my basement, it means I don't have to buy one. I play the thing all the time though. Mostly for Mario Strikers: Charged and MP3 Corruption. And when Smash Bros Brawl comes out... oh.. it's going to be great.

      That said, the Wii is going to be off for about a month whilst I play through Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect. I just love games. So if it's fun, I want to play. If it's not fun, I don't want to play. But, that's what games are, entertainment... distraction. And most of us prefer the aspect of having fun. Some of us want to scare the living daylights out of ourselves and play Silent Hill. Others prefer excitement, adventure (a jedi craves not these thigns) So, yeah, the poster you were replying to most likely was being sarcastic, but really not doing a bang-up job...

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
    9. Re:And here I am.. by Alzheimers · · Score: 1

      The only reason I yawned while playing Mario Galaxy was because I lost track of time and stayed up an extra two hours playing it. It really is digital crack.

    10. Re:And here I am.. by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      I guess the worst happened as the Wii isn't really good for anything, not games nor media center... none of the 7 games I own really make me play it any more (Zelda, Red Steel, Paper Mario, MonkeyBall, WiiSports, WiiPlay, Excite Truck)... and the prospects are not really nice (Mario galaxy??? yaawn).

      Why bother owning a device that isn't really good for anything?

      You should sell your Wii to me. I'll give you $200 for it... $300 if you include the games.

    11. Re:And here I am.. by Mattsson · · Score: 1

      The few fun games I've tried on the Wii was hampered by the compulsory us of the wiimote, making them... unfun.
      On the other hand, the few games I've tried on PC, PS3, Xbox or Xbox360 lately have been hampered by the games being to much centered on "Oooh! Cool graphics!" rather than gameplay.

      Wii minus the wiimote would be a nice thing though.
      I have a cluttered apartment. Some Wii-games are almost impossible to play there.
      Too few games let you choose for yourself, forcing you to use the wiimote even if you just want to sit in the sofa and enjoy a fun game without having to clear a space around you.

      Disclaimer: I don't own a Wii. I've just borrowed one from time to time.

      --
      /.Mattsson - My native language is not English, so please don't whine over linguistic errors. (That's lame anyway...)
    12. Re:And here I am.. by invaderkong · · Score: 1

      What?! Games can be fun without having the latest and greatest graphics with a storyline that's just a regurgitation of every other game that's come out before it? No no no Sir, this will not do! I only play games that look awesome but whose graphic novelty wear off because I just realized I've been playing the same exact game as the predecessor except now it looks pretty. Replay value? Social settings? For shame, have you no respect? You should be playing awesome PS 360 games in your dark dark basement while yelling at 12-year olds for being *noobs*. You should be looking down you nose at these so called *casual* gamers, who just come along and enjoy a simple video game. And your wife? How dare you encourage her to play a video game with you or even speak to you at all! She should be playing World of Warcraft, having an online affair because you don't have time to play a game with her let alone speak to her. You know she understands you've got to unlock that one last achievement on Halo of Duty before you're off to *pwn* some *nubs*.

      Clearly Sir, you have no clue what it means to be a gamer. Now go away so I can play some more Unreal Quake Fortress 25 and forgo having any contact with the outside world because its a dirty vile place with Wiitards roaming freely ruining my image as an uber cool gamer by making video games popular to a wider market. I finally have some free time now that my wife went on a trip to meet some friend she met on World of Warcraft. I don't have to deal with her nagging about what would I like for dinner or if I want to have sex or when I'm going to get a job.

    13. Re:And here I am.. by Burpmaster · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I don't mean to troll, but you're absolutely begging for this comment. Seriously, you bought Monkey Ball and even Red Steel? You appear to be bitter about spending good money for crap games and now you don't want to spend any more money on the system responsible even if the game is good.

      If the Wii is so worthless, then can you name one system that has had a better game lineup in its first year? (Bonus points if it's not a Nintendo system.) The Wii has Zelda (as a launch title), two Mario platformers, and the Virtual Console lineup. Yeah, you're bored of two of those and you've dismissed the third (a game with the highest average on Metacritic, 97, out of all current-generation consoles). But the question still remains, what other console has offered you a better first-year experience?

    14. Re:And here I am.. by DeionXxX · · Score: 1

      Well, Mario Galaxy has received really excellent mark from many in the gaming community. It is definitely a must own title. On another point though, what games really have so much staying power that you will play it after you've beat it? Unless you play with friends, or online, there's very little reason to re-play a game. That's why they keep coming out with new games, so you have something to keep you playing.

      Just sell your games on Ebay, or GameStop if you're lazy, and buy some new games.

    15. Re:And here I am.. by iainl · · Score: 1

      "Wii minus the wiimote would be a nice thing though."

      Yes, it's called a Gamecube, and should be in the second-hand section of your local games store for a pittance. Worth every one of the small number of pennies it'll cost you, as long as you pick up Metroid Prime, Pikmin, Mario Sunshine, Ikaruga, F-Zero GX, Super Monkey Ball and/or Resident Evil 4 at the same time.

      I still love my Cube, and have no real need to pick up a Wii until they're readily available and a bit cheaper - I've got a 360 as well for when I want graphical sheen and online stuff.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    16. Re:And here I am.. by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't quite call Mario Galaxy must-own. I don't know why the GP was dismissing it so casually, but the reason I do is because I can't stand 3D Mario games. Every one has sucked. I'm not trying to trash-talk Mario here, and I don't know if that's why the GP doesn't care about Galaxy, but I'm just saying, there is at least one legit reason to not be excited about it.

      --
      "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
  11. Definitely The Pr0n... by blueZhift · · Score: 1

    It's funny, but you make a good point. Pornography has definitely played a part in the history of media format wars and is credited in part for the win of VHS over Beta. Sony wouldn't allow porn on betamax. More recently, Sony initially refused to allow porn on the Blu-ray format, but I think they have quietly relented on that. So it is not too far fetched to say that DivX support may have something to do with porn. At the very least, the legacy DivX libraries other posters have mentioned may play some role in the decision of support. But, of course, a lot of those libraries probably contain a fair amount of, *ahem*, adult material. It certainly won't hurt PS3 sales!

    In the end though, my guess is that adding DivX support is not a huge technological problem, and given the fierce battle Sony and Microsoft are engaged in, each wants as many bullet points as possible. In the end, competition is good for the consumer!

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
    1. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by Gravatron · · Score: 1

      I don't think there was ever a ban of blu-ray porn, just no one wanted to make it as filming porn in HD was expensive, and face it, you don't want 1080p man-butt on your 40 inch screen. Toss in how the internet killed the porn video industry, and it just wasn't a high priority for the pron companies.

    2. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by king-manic · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's funny, but you make a good point. Pornography has definitely played a part in the history of media format wars and is credited in part for the win of VHS over Beta. Sony wouldn't allow porn on betamax. More recently, Sony initially refused to allow porn on the Blu-ray format, but I think they have quietly relented on that. So it is not too far fetched to say that DivX support may have something to do with porn. At the very least, the legacy DivX libraries other posters have mentioned may play some role in the decision of support. But, of course, a lot of those libraries probably contain a fair amount of, *ahem*, adult material. It certainly won't hurt PS3 sales!

      In the end though, my guess is that adding DivX support is not a huge technological problem, and given the fierce battle Sony and Microsoft are engaged in, each wants as many bullet points as possible. In the end, competition is good for the consumer! Actually both your stories are myths. Beta did in fact have porn on it in every time span VHS did. The myth that it didn't may have been common and motivated people to buy VHS but Beta did indeed have porn. The myth itself is what likely had influence.

      HD DVD vs Blu-ray is even less influence due to the wide scale spread of porn on the internet but also because it's untrue. The CEO of Digital Playgrounds (a Porn studio) complained Sony wasn't giving him enough support and claimed Sony didn't want porn on blu-ray at a Porn conference. Immediately afterwards Vivid announced a line up of hd porn for blu-ray. It seems it was just grapes from one studio that wanted more support. It doesn't seem Sony had any ban or policy against porn on blu-ray ever.
      --
      "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
    3. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by nuzak · · Score: 1

      > Sony wouldn't allow porn on betamax.

      [[citation needed]]

      > More recently, Sony initially refused to allow porn on the Blu-ray format

      Urban legend. They won't press porn discs in their facilities. Neither will Disney. There's already plenty of blu-ray porn out there (me, I think a certain level of definition is just too much).

      --
      Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
    4. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by hurfy · · Score: 1

      "They won't press porn discs in their facilities. Neither will Disney. There's already plenty of blu-ray porn out there (me, I think a certain level of definition is just too much)."

      Rofl

      Maybe that is why someone is building* a blu-ray factory here. The volume estimates seemed kinda low to me but this could explain a lot ;)

      *building really meaning remodeling an old hotel and putting a press on one floor until they get enough juice hooked up for more.

    5. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by blueZhift · · Score: 1

      I did a little more digging and came up with this

      http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197004081

      which would imply that while Sony didn't seem to want porn on Beta, they did not actually forbid it. Indeed their blunder was that Beta was initially designed for a 1 hour format, which is fine for TV shows, but people were recording and watching a lot of movies, many pornographic. Sony was slow to come out with a longer format, so VHS won the day. They just guessed wrong on how people were going to use VCRs. An interesting thing to note here is that on both sides of the Beta-VHS issue, the engineers balked at longer tape formats for quality reasons. The JVC VHS engineers were overruled by parent company Matsushita, so there we are.

      --
      To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
    6. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe if the porn industry wasn't so gratuitous with the man-butt it wouldn't be so heavily pirated. You can only stop mid-stroke at the sight of man-butt so many times before you think it's just not worth the money.

    7. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by rworne · · Score: 1

      Yup. Back in the late 80's The Wherehouse had a sizeable Beta section for rent that rivalled the VHS section, along with a porn section divided into VHS and Beta.

      --
      I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
    8. Re:Definitely The Pr0n... by rworne · · Score: 1

      There's a ton of blu-ray porn.

      Here you go (definitely NSFW):
      Amazon Blu-Ray JP pr0n

      Note: you might need to tell Amazon.jp to show adult content to see the thumbnails

      --
      I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
  12. Too little.... by Seakip18 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Too late. I just got mythTv setup and running and I like it a helluva a lot better than the Xbox360 and the Windows MCE I had on a virtual machine with transcoder. I'm now looking at a tuner card to get OTA shows. They are some big problems such as dealing with overscans and the resolutions. But I'm a lot more optimistic about OOS overcoming this than Microsoft eventually implementing a fully-functional media frontend with the xbox360.

    One more benefit is that my MediaCenter is actually quieter than the Xbox360(I own a 360, so take that as you will). Not sure about the PS3.

    --
    import system.cool.Sig;
    1. Re:Too little.... by DJProtoss · · Score: 1

      The PS3 is a bit quieter than the 360. If you don't hit the cpu / keep it somewhere cool it will spin the fans right down (which is nice), but neither of the boxes are really as quiet as you might want.

      --
      "Success is based on knowing how far to go in going too far"
    2. Re:Too little.... by entmike · · Score: 1

      Too late, why? Because you, the minority, run MythTV and MCE in a Virtual Machine instance? Bravo! You are not the target audience!

    3. Re:Too little.... by Seakip18 · · Score: 1

      I try not to go for the troll, but whateves.

      It's short sighted thinking like that kinda discourages looking for a better solution. MythTV offered a simpler/better way to show my ripped Dvds for example (BTW, it is running on a machine by itself, no virtual instance). Xbox360, with it's purported extender, was supposed to fill in this void, using a media center edition to do it all. What I got instead was the choice of encoding in WMV9 or transcoding it with a quality hit.

      I'm not saying the Xbox or PS3 is at fault for this; they are game consoles first and they both fill those roles quite well. But, when Microsoft Gaming Division is going to implement a media player into their flagship product do you really want to lock your users in to what they can encode with or what quality they want? I didn't think it was worth it and eventually canned running MCE and letting the Xbox360 go back to the reason I bought it for. I realize the fact that I was not gonna settle for something I was not happy with might make me a minority, but I'm feeling better already.

      My point is that I WAS the target audience that they lost because of codec support. I'm not going to be buying my episodes of family guy off of XboxLive, nor streaming my media with their Extender. MythTv will fill this need and more.

      --
      import system.cool.Sig;
    4. Re:Too little.... by Gingernads · · Score: 1

      Good luck with playing PS3 games and BluRay films then.

      Seriously, I have a MythTV setup and it's good but to compare it to the PS3 is pointless. MythTV is exactly what Sony et al would prefer you didn't use, so clearly it will do lots of things you want it to. The kicker is that it also won't necessarily do what they don't want you to do (listings, anything DRM, proper PVR etc...) A PS3 will support 'endorsed media' as well as increasing varieties (soon to include DivX I read somewhere) of other media as preferred by the user.
      So ultimately you can choose Cake, Eat or both.

      If you say "too late", then what really were you in the market for? Iit certainly wasn't a games console.

      --
      Your optimism strikes me like junkmail addressed to the dead.
  13. Kevin Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How the Hell do you end up with a last name like that?

  14. xbmc by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 1

    My XBMC plays all of the above and more. It's a staple in my living room and even passes the wife acceptance factor. Everything is served from a Debian server using the XBMC streaming protocol.

    I can't wait until the linux port is complete and I can start doing HD stuff.

    1. Re:xbmc by snowraver1 · · Score: 1

      I agree with you. I have an XBMC and my XBOX is on 24/7. Best way to spend $150 and an afternoon, hands down. My G/F loves it and can use it without me home(!).

      For all you people that have tons of video and don't want to watch it on the computer, XBMC is the way to go.

      --
      Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. This comment may not be copied in any way including, but not limited to caching.
    2. Re:xbmc by DJProtoss · · Score: 2, Insightful

      True, although the linux port is probably a ways off yet [ especially what I really would like, which would be a linux port running on the PS3. Yes, I'm somewhat sick like that ] Big problem with XMBC is ( as alluded to above ) it can't cope with HD, and (worse) it can only cope with h264 to a somewhat limited extent.

      --
      "Success is based on knowing how far to go in going too far"
    3. Re:xbmc by CJ145 · · Score: 1

      I also love xbmc and can't wait for the linux port to be finalized. If you have not used xbmc you are really missing out on a great media player. The ui is great and easy to use as well as easy to modify. Also it will be able to play the very popular mkv container.

    4. Re:xbmc by AbRASiON · · Score: 2, Informative

      I can't believe there's not more posts about this, XBMC is probably the best media server option for low definition there is.
      Simple and easy to use, looks good, works well, is now reliable and packed full of features.

  15. Question by Mr_Silver · · Score: 1

    In light of this and given that I'm not prepared to cough up money for a PS3 or an XBox360, does anyone have any recommendations for a DVD player which will play DivX and XviD?

    Most important requirement is the handling of multiple films on one DVD. Apart from that, I'm keen to go with a recognised brand name rather than an obscure Chinese one.

    The Philips DVP642 was an oft recommended one but has now been discontinued. Recently I've been hearing good things about the Pioneer DV-696AV-K.

    Any thoughts?

    --
    Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
    1. Re:Question by someguy456 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I love my Philips DVP 5960.

      The killer feature for me was the front-side USB port, which lets me play movies right off of a flash drive.
      Throw in easy region-free hacks + HDMI/1080i support and I've got myself a winner for around $75

      --
      Robert Bindler
      A Computer Science student's views on technology.
    2. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oppo DVD players support them, and they'll do upscaling too. My Oppo 981 does a pretty fine job of xvid/divx compared to my old Philips 642 (which is gather dust in a closet).

    3. Re:Question by iainl · · Score: 1

      I've got one as well, and while I use DVD+RW instead of a flash drive (it doesn't like my iPod as a drive), I find the framerate can be a bit stuttery. Transcode360 and the 360 media centre gives much nicer-looking results.

      When it works - Transcode360 is flaky and annoying on Vista. Which is why I'm looking forward to the 360 playing divx/xvid natively.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  16. Set-top PCs? by tepples · · Score: 1

    I have a DivX Player... It's called a computer... But how large is its monitor? I'm pretty sure that most people with a PC don't know how to connect it to a TV, especially an analog TV, and many of those who do know how are not willing to buy another PC for the TV room.
    1. Re:Set-top PCs? by Fluffy+Bunnies · · Score: 1

      Laptop. S-video. Not that hard, really, and no need for a second PC. Though I guess not everyone has a laptop...

    2. Re:Set-top PCs? by feed_me_cereal · · Score: 1

      I have a laptop, but svideo looks like poop on my hdtv. I'm hoping the PS3 can upscale / anti-alias?

      --
      "Question with boldness even the existence of a god." - Thomas Jefferson
    3. Re:Set-top PCs? by iainl · · Score: 1

      Does your HDTV not have a VGA input? Does your laptop not have a DVI output (I'm assuming you can at least afford a DVI-HDMI dongle; they're only a couple of quid)?

      My rather more expensive problem is not having a laptop of my own, just my wife's work one which they aren't too keen on my filling with codec packs. So I'll be using the 360 and DVD player to get my video files to the HDTV for now.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    4. Re:Set-top PCs? by Fluffy+Bunnies · · Score: 1

      Use mplayer or portable vlc player. No need to install anything.

    5. Re:Set-top PCs? by iainl · · Score: 1

      Ahh, I didn't think of that, just trying to get it working under WMP. Ideally, I'd want an executable that will run straight from my iPod, so I don't need to install anything. But the only way that springs to mind for that is running it from a Knoppix CD, and then I've not got the ability to place the file on another one.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  17. The codecs I miss by nonos · · Score: 2, Insightful

    They removed the PS2 BC codec and added divx ? Is the PS3 a game console ?

    1. Re:The codecs I miss by DrXym · · Score: 1
      Yes, the PS3 is a games consoles. And a kickass multimedia system. Why do you believe the two to be mutually exclusive propositions?

      As for BC, buy the 60Gb while you can and quit complaining.

    2. Re:The codecs I miss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      shut up Microsoft fanboy.

    3. Re:The codecs I miss by sanosuke001 · · Score: 1

      You do know that Backwards Compatibility isn't a codec, right? It's physical hardware that they removed from the PS3 to make it cheaper to build. The DivX codec is software which adds zero cost to the building of the PS3. Most people have been saying they don't want BC for higher cost so Sony removed it. They dropped $100 off the price. If you really need BC, go buy a PS2 for $100.

      And next time, try not to sound stupid and ignorant when bashing Sony.

      --
      -SaNo
    4. Re:The codecs I miss by donaldm · · Score: 1

      Actually if you live in the US, Korea or Japan you can get the 80GB PS3 which has BC but only 85% to 95% of PS2 games work since BC is done in software although the PS2 graphics engine is still on board. If you are from Europe, Australia, New Zealand or the UK then the 60GB (BC done in software) is the way to go if you can find one. I personally find BC is the way to go on a PS3 since a smoothed and upscaled PS2 games looks great and improves the replayability of the game although to be fair a bad game still sucks.

      If people want BC they also have to realise that PS1 and PS2 games are region locked and a US PS1/2 game will not play on a UK PS3 and vice versa. PS3 games on the other hand will play on all PS3's since they are not region locked. Movies on the other hand are split into three regions but it is up to the movie company to implement region locking.

      On a side note with regard to movies. I am currently in the Phillipines and here the VCD (yes I did say VCD) is king. DVD is a poor second and with the exception of PS3 games I cannot find BD or HD-DVD movies. Please note the prices I am quoting are from legitimate department stores. Spiderman 3 and Transformers the movie not the cartoon series is approx US$4.50 on VCD and the DVD release is approx US$8.00. From this you can see why movie studios like region locking.

      With regard to DivX this is great proposal although it is not implemented yet. One thing I don't think anyone has thought of yet is the proposal by Sony to add PVR capability to the PS3 and by adding support for different codex's may make the PS3 into one great home entertainment system. The biggest problem is going to be deciding if you wish to watch a BD movie, a smoothed and upscaled DVD or a (name your codex) movie or use it as a PVR or a (dare I say it) a games machine :-)

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
    5. Re:The codecs I miss by nonos · · Score: 1

      Of course I course I know, _you_ sound stupid not noting the irony here.

      PS2 backward compatibility was done in software on the 60 Gb PS3 models, so it costed nothing ; removing is not related with the $100 price drop. Removing it was just a (stupid) marketing decision.

      DivX codecs are implemented in software, ok, but DivX is not a Sony property : these codecs are licenced, licences cost money ; like for the rumble controllers, Sony will have to pay to get DivX playback on the PS3.

      So : PS2 backcompat costs nothing, DivX codec costs money. Hope you learned something today...

    6. Re:The codecs I miss by nonos · · Score: 1

      Concerning the price, I hardly can only buy a 40Gb right now :-( I don't complain, I just wish Sony marketroids change their mind and reintroduce the cost free software backward compatibility.

    7. Re:The codecs I miss by DrXym · · Score: 1
      and reintroduce the cost free software backward compatibility.

      If it were cost free they wouldn't have dropped it. I guess in order to drop the price by $200 that was one of the things they had to remove to cut costs.

  18. hell == bright by tepples · · Score: 1

    How the Hell do you end up with a last name like that? By having ancestors from Austria.
  19. media transcoder for PS3 (and xbox and lots else) by nan0 · · Score: 1

    fuppes is awesome

    here is is

    of course, no FF/REW, but it plays everything (thanks to ffmpeg ;)

  20. Philips DVP 5960 by toy4two · · Score: 1

    I have a Phillips DVP-642, it has serious bug though even in the last firmware made for it if you use a HDTV iva component with it. All XViD movies get squished and additional black bars added on the top and bottom, so you only get to use about 1/3 of your screen to see the movie, the rest is black bars. That bug was fixed in the DVP-5960.

  21. PLANT ALERT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Enjoying your SONY paychek, you corporate shill?

    1. Re:PLANT ALERT by king-manic · · Score: 1

      Enjoying your SONY paychek, you corporate shill? -AC

      Actually these people provide my paycheck. I just happen to be a pedant, who dislikes mis information. Can you refute there was porn on beta? Can you refute there is porn on blu-ray? how about the sales figures? People holding contrary opinions aren't always shills.

      a excerpt from an article:

      Aside from the occasionally repeated myth that only Sony made Beta machines (easily refuted by a visit to BetaInfoGuide), the other often-repeated assertion is that a major factor in Beta's demise was that the adult movie industry didn't get behind it. It's an odd statement because there doesn't appear to be a shred of evidence to support it. Pick the name of any of the 1980's major porn video distributors (IMDB is good for this), google the name along with the word "Betamax," and you'll turn up all kinds of references to releases in Beta and VHS. PC world

      Blu ray porno.
      --
      "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
  22. What about container support? by works · · Score: 1

    Call me when they agree to support Matroska (.mkv). Now that would be news.

  23. So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even most of the cheapest throwaway DVD players come with MPEG-4 support these days. "DivX" certification is unnecessary, old-hat BS.

    Not exciting.