You can get a special small cable to attach between the two 10k drives to sync the spindles (for RAID purposes, but works even when not using RAID), as long as they're both from the same manufacturer.
They'd better not have drivers for the SBLive or the Sound Blaster 16, then, becuase it's extremely easy to modify the cards to turn the data paths from the chipset to the Codec into a nice, clean (well, in the case of the SB16, anyway) SPDIF signal:
http://sascha.esrac.ele.tue.nl/~jeroens/tech/sb1 6- spdif.html
for the Live, just get the datasheet for the rear out DAC chip and go from there. Really any soundcard that has a separate Codec could be "comprimised" like this, and a quick search didn't turn up any info on an encrypted version of what most chips use now (AC97). Only the REALLY cheap cards don't have a separate Codec or converters.
This would be just for the consumer-grade soundcards, though. The pro stuff shouldn't be affected--after all, many/most pro cards have _only_ digital IO!
Re:Offtopic: DeCSS-related words people get confus
on
The DeCSS Haiku
·
· Score: 1
What they should do is release it encoded with CSS, then GIVE PERMISSION to everyone to bypass the copy controls. That would give DeCSS a legitimate use; therefore DVDCCA would collapse in on itself and disppear with a giant sucking sound!
I don't see how you could mention the PS2's NTSC-resolution (15.7KHz) component output in a good light--espcially when I think about how many months earlier the Dreamcast was relased with VGA-freqency RGB output. Are there any plans at all to give the PS2 a reasonable video output?
Subspace, From Virgin Interactive, is the game I feel is the first massively multiplayer online game. It was in beta test in 1995, when it wasn't uncommon to see over 100 players in an arena (I seem to recall seeing above 200 players on at times). It was released in late 96 or early 97, though, which was around the time Ultima Online was released.
Virgin Interactive went bust, so now the game is widely distributed for free with nary a lawyer in sight. There is still a community of around 10,000(?) players, with maybe 500 on at any given time. The game is a small download (3 megs), which can be found at http://www.subspacehq.com/
Ever See a Dreamcast game on a 21" VGA monitor? Just make your own (dang custom connector!) cable to hook directly to the console's VGA output, then find an older fixed-frequency monitor with slower phosphors (60Hz refresh workaround). It looks STUNNING.
You'll notice that the screenshots linked to are at 640x480 for both the Dreamcast and the PS2. Has anyone busted out the oscillscope on the PS2's video connector to see what's available? There are only rumors of VGA output at this time.
Say...Wasn't VGA introduced with the IBM PS/2? Funny how it took 10+ years for the console world to catch up.
But doesnt the disk come with the needed keys? In my mind, that the same as authorizing me to be able to decrypt information that I bought a copy of.
Re:Cool! A tux logo at boot time?
on
Linux BIOS
·
· Score: 1
Many BIOSes (award post-1996 or so) have what I think is called a "bootblock FlashROM". Basically they allow you to reflash the bios, even if it becomes hosed. You'll need a floppy formatted as an ms-dos(R) system disk, with one bios image on it. Depending on your board mfgr you may need to give the image a special name.
Once you have the floppy you put it in the first floppy drive, hold down some special key combonation then power up the system. I did an altavista(R) search: boot+block&flash&bios&dos&emergency and found a few pages on this stuff.
Anyway, it's rumored that you'll see some information if you plug in an ISA-bus VGA card. Can't say that I'd like to get firsthand experience with that...
If you run strings on the napster beta6 client you'll find what looks like a user survey. Targeted marketing fodder, perhaps?
Another funny thing is when you watch what files the beta client is acessing you'll see that it reads your MS-aIEeeee! cookies, history and cache datafiles.
Actually, If you modify the registry in just the right way (try to erase the digitalproductid key) on a wintel box with Advanced Power Management enabled then the computer WILL ACTUALLY SHUT OFF when booting windows before it notifies you of any error
So what happens to all those DVDs when their copyright expires and they go into the public domain? Is it then legal to bypass the acess controls? Or is the plan to keep extending copyright indefinitely? I guess when the framers mentioned "... for a limited time...." they were speaking of time relative to the age of the universe, then?
I doubt they use anything but switching powersuppies nowadaze, which have no problem with different frequencies...it's all converted to DC before it hits the transformer. There might be an issue with the player using the line frequency to sync the ntsc/pal output....but why would anyone use that crappy (Never Twice the Same Color) connection for a DVD?! You can't do the output justice without using AT LEAST 15kHz RGB (console games, arcade game monitors), but you should really use progressive scanning outputs (VGA+ frequencies). Your wallet will take a REAL beating, though!
I can't stop wondering why they didn't just take the approach of CD-ROM players, which have normal audio-out leads right on the back of the drive. . In fact, until a couple years ago, it was impossible to access the digital audio stream with most CD-ROMs, and people who ripped CDs generally did a analog-digital conversion with their SoundBlaster, resulting in a very noticeable quality loss.
Well, if you look on the back of some CD-ROM drives made in years >=1994, you'll find, right beside the trusty AUDIO_OUT plug, an SPDIF plug. Until recently, SPDIF was the best way to transport digital music losslessly. There are some new schemes now for the hifi nuts... And you've got the "noticiable quality loss" part right--I've NEVER heard a CD-ROM with anything better than barely acceptable quality on the analog outs. Most are unusably bad. Everything from power supply noise to over-filtering the highs. Dont think about playing audio in realtime over the IDE cable, either (at least with any MICROS~1 OS) you'll hit "stop" in a hurry due to bursts of clicking (lost data? no error correction?). But then, how much can one expect from a CD player that costs under us$50?
Slashdot Mirror
You can get a special small cable to attach between the two 10k drives to sync the spindles (for RAID purposes, but works even when not using RAID), as long as they're both from the same manufacturer.
They'd better not have drivers for the SBLive or the Sound Blaster 16, then, becuase it's extremely easy to modify the cards to turn the data paths from the chipset to the Codec into a nice, clean (well, in the case of the SB16, anyway) SPDIF signal:1 6- spdif.html
http://sascha.esrac.ele.tue.nl/~jeroens/tech/sb
for the Live, just get the datasheet for the rear out DAC chip and go from there. Really any soundcard that has a separate Codec could be "comprimised" like this, and a quick search didn't turn up any info on an encrypted version of what most chips use now (AC97). Only the REALLY cheap cards don't have a separate Codec or converters.
This would be just for the consumer-grade soundcards, though. The pro stuff shouldn't be affected--after all, many/most pro cards have _only_ digital IO!
What they should do is release it encoded with CSS, then GIVE PERMISSION to everyone to bypass the copy controls. That would give DeCSS a legitimate use; therefore DVDCCA would collapse in on itself and disppear with a giant sucking sound!
I don't see how you could mention the PS2's NTSC-resolution (15.7KHz) component output in a good light--espcially when I think about how many months earlier the Dreamcast was relased with VGA-freqency RGB output. Are there any plans at all to give the PS2 a reasonable video output?
Subspace, From Virgin Interactive, is the game I feel is the first massively multiplayer online game. It was in beta test in 1995, when it wasn't uncommon to see over 100 players in an arena (I seem to recall seeing above 200 players on at times). It was released in late 96 or early 97, though, which was around the time Ultima Online was released.
Virgin Interactive went bust, so now the game is widely distributed for free with nary a lawyer in sight. There is still a community of around 10,000(?) players, with maybe 500 on at any given time. The game is a small download (3 megs), which can be found at http://www.subspacehq.com/
Ever See a Dreamcast game on a 21" VGA monitor? Just make your own (dang custom connector!) cable to hook directly to the console's VGA output, then find an older fixed-frequency monitor with slower phosphors (60Hz refresh workaround). It looks STUNNING.
You'll notice that the screenshots linked to are at 640x480 for both the Dreamcast and the PS2. Has anyone busted out the oscillscope on the PS2's video connector to see what's available? There are only rumors of VGA output at this time.
Say...Wasn't VGA introduced with the IBM PS/2? Funny how it took 10+ years for the console world to catch up.
But doesnt the disk come with the needed keys? In my mind, that the same as authorizing me to be able to decrypt information that I bought a copy of.
Many BIOSes (award post-1996 or so) have what I think is called a "bootblock FlashROM". Basically they allow you to reflash the bios, even if it becomes hosed. You'll need a floppy formatted as an ms-dos(R) system disk, with one bios image on it. Depending on your board mfgr you may need to give the image a special name.
Once you have the floppy you put it in the first floppy drive, hold down some special key combonation then power up the system.
I did an altavista(R) search: boot+block&flash&bios&dos&emergency and found a few pages on this stuff.
Anyway, it's rumored that you'll see some information if you plug in an ISA-bus VGA card. Can't say that I'd like to get firsthand experience with that...
If you run strings on the napster beta6 client you'll find what looks like a user survey. Targeted marketing fodder, perhaps?
Another funny thing is when you watch what files the beta client is acessing you'll see that it reads your MS-aIEeeee! cookies, history and cache datafiles.
Actually, If you modify the registry in just the right way (try to erase the digitalproductid key) on a wintel box with Advanced Power Management enabled then the computer WILL ACTUALLY SHUT OFF when booting windows before it notifies you of any error
So what happens to all those DVDs when their copyright expires and they go into the public domain? Is it then legal to bypass the acess controls? Or is the plan to keep extending copyright indefinitely? I guess when the framers mentioned "... for a limited time...." they were speaking of time relative to the age of the universe, then?
I doubt they use anything but switching powersuppies nowadaze, which have no problem with different frequencies...it's all converted to DC before it hits the transformer. There might be an issue with the player using the line frequency to sync the ntsc/pal output....but why would anyone use that crappy (Never Twice the Same Color) connection for a DVD?! You can't do the output justice without using AT LEAST 15kHz RGB (console games, arcade game monitors), but you should really use progressive scanning outputs (VGA+ frequencies). Your wallet will take a REAL beating, though!
Well, if you look on the back of some CD-ROM drives made in years >=1994, you'll find, right beside the trusty AUDIO_OUT plug, an SPDIF plug. Until recently, SPDIF was the best way to transport digital music losslessly. There are some new schemes now for the hifi nuts... And you've got the "noticiable quality loss" part right--I've NEVER heard a CD-ROM with anything better than barely acceptable quality on the analog outs. Most are unusably bad. Everything from power supply noise to over-filtering the highs. Dont think about playing audio in realtime over the IDE cable, either (at least with any MICROS~1 OS) you'll hit "stop" in a hurry due to bursts of clicking (lost data? no error correction?). But then, how much can one expect from a CD player that costs under us$50?
http://onastick.net/drew/sinistar/index.html