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User: CronoCloud

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  1. Re:No Divx...No Problem on iPod Video Coming to a Car Near You · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ffmpeg -y -i foo.mpg -title "foo" -bitexact -vcodec xvid -s 320x240 -r 29.97 -b 1500 -acodec aac -ac 2 -ar 24000 -ab 64 -f psp -muxvb 768
    M4V80113.mp4

    finding out the command line sequence for ffmpeg was easier (for me) than trying to figure out some of those PSP video conversion tools out there. Most of which use ffmpeg as their backend.

  2. Re:One more thing... on iPod Video Coming to a Car Near You · · Score: 1

    Sony PSP owners (with 2.foo firmware) can also play AAC, though not the bought songs with Fairplay.

  3. Re:Finally... on iPod Video Coming to a Car Near You · · Score: 1
    What about DRM? Would a Lost episode be playable on a PSP?


    I think the fairplay DRM would prevent it being played on a PSP even if the PSP could play the format.

    Video users encode themselves for their video iPod's might be a different story. If the iPod video format is MPEG4 SP or MPEG4 AVC then yes. Checking the apple website... Well what do you know, it IS MPEG4 SP.

  4. Re:Where's the market? on Video iPod Oct 12? · · Score: 1
    It's an expensive games system whose sole selling point seems to be the Sony-PS connection. The DS is arguably a more useful machine, and it costs half the price.


    PSP selling points:

    It plays games, games with the best graphics ever seen in a portable. Almost, but not quite PS2 quality level. It has an analog stick (the nub) and the four iconic buttons.

    It plays music, mp3, Atrac, and AAC/mp4.

    It plays video, on UMD and memory stick.

    It shows photos

    It's got a web browser.

    It's a USB mass storage device.

    So tell me again, how the DS is more useful?

    I must also add that if you have older firmware, homebrew is available to you.

  5. Re:As a PSP Owner....ITS HUGE!!! on The Gameboy Micro Reviewed · · Score: 1

    The early version face armor available at PSP launch was faulty, I had one too, that wouldn't stay on
    Read online some time later that other folks had the same problem but that there was a fixed version out.. Haven't had any problems with that one.

    YMMV.

  6. Re:As a PSP Owner....ITS HUGE!!! on The Gameboy Micro Reviewed · · Score: 1

    You might like this Pelican Face Armor to protect the screen instead of a bulky case.

    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=999 9999997&product_id=3650773&sourceid=01000000306608 04502498

    As for the boot up times, I've learned to use sleep mode more.

    As for the PSP's size, it's larger than the GBA/SP/Micro, but compared to the original GB/GBC, Lynx, Game Gear, Nomad, etc. it's not that large at all.

  7. Re:I bought my SP for three reasons: on The Gameboy Micro Reviewed · · Score: 1
    (The fact that the GBA screen was WORSE than my Gameboy Color was what prevented me from buying one at first).


    My first GB was a GBC bought during the tail end original Red/Blue Pokemon craze to see what the fuss was all about. I had heard that it was a solid RPG, and it was. I liked Pokemon but the trading aspects (obviously intended for school yard/after school) were a bit frustrating for me as an adult (I eventually got a second GBC to do the trades)

    I was intrigued by the early statements made about the GBA, bigger screen, "portable SNES" and then I saw one. Uggg. The screen was much too dark and it lacked the Y and X buttons to do proper SNES ports. I then realized that Nintendo hadn't learned a thing from gamer complaints about the GB/GBC.

    Then came the GBA SP with it's washed out frontlit screen, and worse d-pad and buttons.

    And now the too small, but "stylish" Micro, that can't play GB/GBC games.

    What I wanted was essentially a GBA with a properly backlit large screen and with a SNES style control layout

    Turns out the closest thing to that is a Sony PSP.
  8. Re:Here is one reason "why" on The Gameboy Micro Reviewed · · Score: 1

    The GBA series systems lack the Y and X buttons the SNES controller has so any SNES port will not control like the original.

    When I first heard of the GBA, I was expecting four face buttons since it was said it could do SNES quality graphics but for some reason Nintendo only put two. Dumb, dumb dumb.

  9. Re:Why? on The Gameboy Micro Reviewed · · Score: 1

    Yes, PSP games have PSone style loading times. It can be annoying.

  10. Re:End Game For The Xbox on Xbox Division Down $4 Billion · · Score: 1

    The Xbox installed base is primarily made up of:

    1) The bulk of the former Dreamcast istalled base


    Yep, a lot of ex-Dreamcasters are Xboxer's now. The frickin controller probably attracts them too. When I first saw the Xbox controller and MS said their focus groups helped them with the design I thought: "What, were they all Dreamcast owners?" Perhaps MS got access to Sega focus groups and testers as part of their WinCE for Dreamcast deal.

    2) x86 pc gamers


    Which explains all the FPS's, but yes the Xbos is the console of choice for PC gamers who do console. I don't know why, since they all complain about analog sticks. Seems like they should have gone with the console with USB ports for their mice and keyboards.

  11. Re:Be careful what you wish for... on Xbox Division Down $4 Billion · · Score: 1

    It was probably the 32MB of RAM limitation that caused them to drop the idea (of the PS2 being more than just a console), it's not quite enough. I've got one of the Linux kits and I love it, I just wish that Sony had done a general release of it at the later $99 price. Let people turn idle big PS2's into cheap web browsing/e-mailing/file storing machines to serve alongside the family PC.

  12. Re:Be careful what you wish for... on Xbox Division Down $4 Billion · · Score: 1

    the PS3 does have HDMI so I suppose an HDMI to DVI dongle is possible. There is/was a VGA cable for the PSfoo standard multi-out connector

  13. Re:Be careful what you wish for... on Xbox Division Down $4 Billion · · Score: 1



    your wish is granted! Too bad the kit was a limited release. I haven't tried compiling OO on it, though I do have AbiWord. use NTSC out, not DTV or VGA which are also supported.

  14. Re:keeping pc gaming alive on Ask Sid Meier · · Score: 1

    Oh please, it's not that hard to throwin in mouse support as an "extra", they don't have to make it the default just support it if you have it. Same goes for keyboard.

  15. Re:Civ type games on other platforms on Ask Sid Meier · · Score: 1

    Analog sticks can simulate a mouse, or since the PS2 does have USB ports isn't it obvious that any such game could support USB mice?

  16. Re:Nintendo Revolution and its possibilities on Ask Sid Meier · · Score: 1

    Should have ported Starcraft to the PSone, that's where all the other PC port RTS's headed. There would have been a larger audience for it. And the PSone has a mouse.

  17. Re:Console Vs. PC Gaming on Ask Sid Meier · · Score: 1

    I believe the terms PC and "consistent hardware" are incompatible.

    "consistent hardware ie exactly the same over an entire platform is more of a console thing.

  18. Re:keeping pc gaming alive on Ask Sid Meier · · Score: 1

    They don't?

    Then I guess my SNES mouse, PSOne mouse and USB mouse for the PS2 don't exist.

  19. Re:keeping pc gaming alive on Ask Sid Meier · · Score: 1
    If they hear gunfire behind them, they can almost instantly be facing the opposite direction, while it takes you a little while.


    Who says you should be able to turn like that. Is that not very unrealistic? Especially if one was carrying: a pistol, a chainsaw, a shotgun, a chaingun, a rocket launcher, a heavy plasma gun and a rather large green ball shooty thing?

    And who says the console folks won't be playing each other and not against PC players.

  20. Re:I like this on Microsoft: We've Been Killing PC Gaming · · Score: 1

    It has mouse support too, the interface actually changes if you plug the PSone mouse in.

    There was also PC version. The developer released the source to it

    http://www.strategyplanet.com/warzone2100/

  21. Re:For many reasons on Microsoft: We've Been Killing PC Gaming · · Score: 1
    I strongly agree, and I'll go even further. I'd suggest that he Xbox represents the way Microsoft can slowly but surely enter the hardware market.


    Right, Microsoft is very dependent on hardware vendors because the average home user doesn't actually directly buy Microsoft software. Go to your local mass market discount store and most of the software on the shelf is games. The Xbox gave MIcrosoft an in, in the game market.

    Suddenly you'll find the next generation game machines with a keyboard, mouse, hard drive, removable media, and network card, all comparable to a low-end desktop PC (how close are they already?).


    Already there, take the Playstation 2 Linux kit for example.

    When do you suppose we'll start seeing productivity applications (email, word processing, spreadsheet, etc.) for these so-called "gaming" platforms like Xbox?


    When? 2002 (2001 in Japan). Again, Sony's PS2 Linux kit, sure it was intended for use as an amateur development platform, but there are people who do use it as a "desktop". Thunderbird, sylpheed, dillo, Firefox, gaim, Xchat, Abiword. Siag. There's performance issues due to the low 32MB of RAM of course.

    My suspicion has been, for quite some time, that Microsoft has very-long-term plans to abandon the OS as a product and focus entirely on what we now call "gaming" platforms.


    I agree, it took them long enough to figure out they needed to do that though. I don't think they figured out they were in trouble in the long term till about 95 or 96.
  22. Re:Blah Blah Blah on Valve's Gabe Newell Speaks on Console Development · · Score: 1

    And how long did the Unreal folks say it took them to get it running on the PS3? Wasn't it less than a month? That's some speedy porting there.

  23. Re:Why is it always PC superiority on Valve's Gabe Newell Speaks on Console Development · · Score: 1

    Looking at the sales numbers, I've always wondered why PC only dev houses haven't done the occasional console game or made certain their good PC game got a good port.

    Lets take Ion Storm, they do a good RPG, Anachronox that's an homage to console RPG's and it never got a console port. Why? Isn't obvious to port that game to an audience that already appreciates such games?

    Or Blizzard, which got it's start doing console dev as "Silicon and Synapse" and then abandoned the consoles. They've got a good action RPG, Diablo, which did get ported by an outside company and got reasonalby good review scores They do a sequel and there's no port.

    Then along comes a company called Snowblind which does what is essentially Diablo II for the PS2 (Balder's Gate: Dark Alliance) using an awesome engine. (mmmm, water) Does Blizzard take that engine and do a console specific Diablo II port? No. Gamers are clamoring for a sequel to BG:DA, they want more! More levels, more classes, online play. Other action RPG's are announced by other companies licensing the engine. Then we hear that Snowblind has been bought by Sony and 2 years later guess what. Theres a Diablo II clone out for the PS2 using the BGDA engine set in the EQ universe. It has more levels, more classes and yes online multiplayer. 1 year later and there's a sequel to that game. Then at PSP launch there's a Diablo clone using a very similar engine from SOE. And what do we get from Blizzard? They announce a third person shooter set in the Starcraft universe done by an outside company. Which is then delayed and then handed off to another company. Makes me want to pimp-slap Blizzards bosses.

  24. Re:Very good point on Valve's Gabe Newell Speaks on Console Development · · Score: 1

    I've always been a bit surprised that 2D/3D strategy type games don't get ported. It's not like the hardware can't handle it. And even if they sell only 100000 copies that's still a lot more than some PC only games sell.

  25. Re:Excuse me? on Valve's Gabe Newell Speaks on Console Development · · Score: 1

    Actually Valve itself didn't do those console ports, they handed those off to another company, Gearbox in the case of the PS2 port of Half-Life.

    Bad decision in the long run, nowadays PC only dev houses really need to get console experience.