American PS2 gets hardware DVD playback

[GL]

Ack, I forgot the link because I was going to post this before I went out this afternoon. Sony, responding to complaints about the quality of the software decoding software on Japanese PS2s, is going to replace the software with a chip-based DVD playback solution.

-GL

 

[konichiwa]

Nice. Do we know what speed the DVD playback is?

 

[The Stigenator]

damn.. so there is going to be no way to go against teh region coding.. damn!

 

[hominid skull]

They had a ling on the register here a couple of days ago about Wharfedale not being able to get hold of enough LSI Logic chips for there DVD player.

konichiwa - the dvd playback only has to be single speed to watch the movie, i don't know the speed of the dvd drive itself is though.

 

[Soccerman]

oh wow, I'm not impressed

it's not like DVD is really new anymore..

 

[GL]

<< oh wow, I'm not impressed >>



The only thing that sparked my interest is that I've always thought hardware DVD decoding produced better results on the PC side and I was wondering if this lends some truth to my belief. Even with the passthru cable, there's just something about the video my Hollywood+ decodes that makes it seem more movie-like than software decoders. For all I know it could simply be better colour reproduction though.

-GL

 

[Warrenton]

I want a hardware DVD decoder that doesn't have a passthrough, using the feature connector on my video card instead.

 

[TomY]

the Sigma Designs Ventura Plus uses the features connector on some, and I stress some, video cards. I believe Dell computers with Hardware DVD decoding also have the DVD card connected to the video card via ribbon cable. I guess if the video card makers all put a standardized features connector on their cards more of these things would be available to the aftermarket.

 

[Wingznut]

&quot;it's not like DVD is really new anymore&quot;

Really? So what other console can play DVD's? Or, what DVD player can play games?

And puh-leeze don't give me &quot;the PC&quot;, because I hardly want to sit at my desk to watch movies.

 

[BenSkywalker]

&quot;And puh-leeze don't give me &quot;the PC&quot;, because I hardly want to sit at my desk to watch movies.&quot;

That's why you get a hardware decoder and use the TV-Out

 

[Soccerman]

hmm.. first off, DVD decoders+ DVD drives on computers are pretty cheap overall, you can do ALOT with them, and if you don't have one of those, then you PROBABLY have a DVD set top box. and if not, THEN you might want a PS2 for DVD (even then, I wonder how good it will be).

why WOULDN'T you want to watch DVD's on the monitor? you're able to SEE EVERYTHING on it, compared to a TV..

heh, it's interesting, in about 5 years, they're going to produce discs that use Blue lasers (one of the highest frequencies available in mass production form), which are supposedly capable of 100gig's on their own (probably dual sided, dual layered I think).

 

[oxide]

ON a PC is the ONLY Way I watch DVDs. Wake up and smell the coffee, DVD on a PC kicks A$$. My computer drives a DLP projector on a 100+ inch widescreen. The cost of the computer: 500 bucks. Standalone DVDs, PS2 dvds are an OK temporary solution for your &quot;little&quot; 36in TV, until you save enough money to buy a computer and FP, that's the real deal!

 

[Wingznut]

Because I'd rather sit on my couch with my wife, and watch it on my 32&quot; Trinitron.
&quot;Pull up a kitchen chair, honey. The show's about to start.&quot;

As for &quot;That's why you get a hardware decoder and use the TV-Out&quot;... Why not just buy a component DVD for the TV?

I don't know... I guess I just don't understand the fascination with DVD players for the PC. I had one once (with hardware decoder card), but I never used it, so I sold it.

And now they have 16x DVD players... Correct me if I am wrong, but don't movies play at 1x? What's the point of 16x?

Maybe I'm just naive.

 

[oxide]

You're a nice guy.. &quot;hey honey pull up a kitchen chair, while I take the whole leather couch and ottoman, and get me a beer&quot; j/k. The 16x refers to the max data transfers speeds at the center of a disc, playback is still at 1x.

 

[GL]

Wingznut,

My Hollywood+ cost CDN$89, my 10x Pioneer was CDN$140 and the cables to run to the TV was $20. In total this was much cheaper than a cheap set top player with much better quality than the cheaper models.

-GL

 

[Erasmus-X]

Hmmmmm, my $200 (well, after my employee discount at work) Toshiba SD2150 set-top DVD player kicks the crap out of most PC DVD solutions I've seen. Take a $60 decoder card and a $140 drive plus cabling to run to your TV and it costs just about the same. Doing it from the computer is too much of a hassle, especially if you're setting up home theatre. It's much easier to have a simple set-top box that plugs right into the rest of your equipment.

 

[Wingznut]

Heh, what I meant was... That my wife would have to sit in a kitchen chair to watch a movie with me on the PC. I'm not giving up my desk chair, that's for sure.

I understand that 16x means max transfer speeds... But who cares, when movies only play at 1x? It's not like you use your PC-DVD player for something other than movies.

So, about $250cdn... What's that in US dollars, $29? (J/K! )
Well, I suppose if you are saving a few bucks, that makes sense. But, was that the primary reason you bought one for your PC, instead of a standalone? When I bought mine (a cutting edge Creative 2x), I was thinking that applications would actually take advantage of it.

Wait... If you set it up that way, aren't you still using the PC speakers for the sound? So, the sound wouldn't be centered to the TV?

 

[beat mania]

There is a convience factor involved - these hardware decode things are really slow in loading up, plus you have to boot your computer. with a real dvd player, you can just turn the power on and watch, plus you can stop anytime without having to remember which part you stopped at, cuz it'll just go back to where you were when you power up again.
DVD on a computer monitor is alright, if you like watching stuff by yourself, cuz no one in their right mind would wanna watch something with you (sitting on a kitchen chair ). If it isn't on a monitor, than I just have to say, it better be hardware decode, because non hardware decoder tv out suck (opinion formed 1 year ago, perhaps the tv outs now are better, I dunno) Still, I prefer the sound setup in my living room then my computer's.
I have both a region 2 stand alone and a computer dvd player, both hooked up to my wega, because I can record stuff with the computer, plus it can do region 1 stuff. Once I get a region 1 player plus one of those macrovision clean up box, or a region+macrovision free player, that computer's going.

 

[Soccerman]

&quot;But who cares, when movies only play at 1x? It's not like you use your PC-DVD player for something other than movies.&quot;

? that's like saying.. who cares if you have a 52X CDROM when audio CD's only take 1X

&quot;Hmmmmm, my $200 (well, after my employee discount at work) Toshiba SD2150 set-top DVD player kicks the crap out of most PC DVD solutions I've seen.&quot;

how's that? PC DVD hardware decoders are JUST THE SAME as their set top box equivilents, however the combined total is usually somewhat cheaper. (I bring to you a part of the above quote &quot;well, after my employee discount at work&quot.

conveniance factor? what are you using you computer while watching DVD's from your SET TOP PLAYER? ok, sure, you shave off a few seconds, but does that really matter? PC-DVD allows for OTHER software that sometimes comes on the DVD (The Matrix has some, and so does ID4). the potential for the DVD-ROM on the computer is barely realized by anything BUT movies.

so eventually, you'll need one anyway (and THEN the NEXT standard will come out! lol). right now, the price for DVD ROM's is actually pretty high, becuase the demand has increased.

it used to be (when I got mine) that a DVD-ROM typically cost ~$150 CANADIAN, that's like NOTHING U.S. I'd say I got quite a deal, just like when the RAM price was insanely low a month or two afterward!

&quot;opinion formed 1 year ago, perhaps the tv outs now are better, I dunno&quot;

things haven't changed.. (how HARD is it, when DVD Decoders do it with EASE??) yeah ok, if you're the only one watching, and you don't have your computer connected to a projector, or good soundsystem, then yeah, then going to TV is good for more then one person, BUT, when you are the only one, you just can't beat a monitor's quality, and the audio is fine.

 

[GL]

I guess I'm the sole exception where the PC DVD scenario works out perfectly. My computer is only 10 feet from the TV in the basement. I never turn my computer off, so playing a DVD is only a matter of plopping it into the drive, and clicking the mouse button once to get the movie started (at the main menu). My speakers are setup according to orientation of the TV, and for the most part I use these speakers for computer use too.

At CDN$250 last January, that worked out to ~US$150 (250*0.6). It was mainly price as the driving force. I've gone to electronic stores and to start matching the quality of my PC DVD combo, it'd cost me at least CDN$400 although I would get a remote for it I guess (don't have one for the PC).

-GL

 

[beat mania]

hey, is you information really accurate? Doesn't the emotion engine decode mpeg2 by itself in hardware?

 

[Auric]

Hey oxide, I have not kept up on this stuff. What DVD output do you use on the PC? Last I heard the Sigma only did interlaced and the even older Impact that could do progressive only did 24 bit color. Can the DLP take a standard DVI? Do you use a Radeon?? Enquiring minds wanna know

 

[Wingznut]

&quot;? that's like saying.. who cares if you have a 52X CDROM when audio CD's only take 1X&quot;

Well, if all I did is play audio cd's on my CDROM, then that statement might be accurate. However, I load data, rip audio, copy data, and run apps from the CDROM. So, that example is nothing like DVD players.


&quot;the potential for the DVD-ROM on the computer is barely realized by anything BUT movies.&quot;

Exactly! So what's the point of having it 16x? I'm not trying to be argumentative. It's more naivity on my part. The DVD drives keep getting faster, but what's the point?


&quot;when you are the only one, you just can't beat a monitor's quality, and the audio is fine.&quot;

I guess that explains part of it. However, I'd still rather lie on my couch or sit in my chair, and watch it on the TV. Even if by myself.

 

[Zucchini]

Pc dvd allows for relatively cheap quality playback (nice 19inch flat display with 4.1-5.1 setup) You get full animorphic resolution..very impressive. (note, must use good and most current software player/picture on older players not good)

Separate players are great if you have the cash. A nice wide screen HDTV + full 5.1 home theater is required for optimal playback. On a non widescreen you get icky resolution for wide screen

 

[Zucchini]

Oh and i forgot to add, hardware decoder cards suck! Playback quality isn't that hot (both on monitor and tv)and passthrough.. wtf is with pass through! Anyways, if you have a tv that can handle progressive output, i think you could afford not to use your pc as the player anyhow.. so its a moot point.

16x dvdroms are good for those of us that use it as a cd-rom as well. The bugs have been worked out and it gets about 40x for cd transfers. The 16x for dvd part is great for dvd ripping and helps future proof your purchase.

remember HDTV RULES!