DVD Playback hack on Nintendo Wii

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May 19th, 2007, 17:01
bandit

DVD Playback hack on Nintendo Wii

In order to get the DVD Playback to work on the Nintendo Wii, you will need a modified console with a modchip. So far, it has only been tested with WiiKey with all other modchips to be tested on soon.

- There is no ETA until WiiVision can confirm all attributes are fully functioning. When there are ETA's and when that time comes, people will be complaining and spreading rumors. So he would like to avoid this.
- The app will allow you to play original single layer DVD movies (store bought movies).
- The app will also work in ANY region of Wii fitted with ANY modchip that is capable of booting GC homebrew.
- The app supports both standard and widescreen TV/DVD formats.

So I really liked the MFE for GC homebrew... But its lacking in many ways.

My latest project is a new homebrew app that specificly plays DVDs. It's still bound to the GC-Linux (because we still can't load Wii homebrew), but has greatly been improved in playback quality and region support.

This new app is derived from the "proof of concept" that is MFE, but is all fresh code and loads media without the need of a FileSystem mount emmbedded on each media (eg. the DVD Drive FS mount that has to be included on all media MFE loads).

I'm still in development phase, but have tested a couple canidates with good results.

Support currently includes:
- 4.7G DVD Media (-r, +r, +rw, and of course "originals")
- Region Free
- Multi-Language Subtitle Support

The only real downside to this is that you have to load the DVD containing the app, then swap the DVD you want to watch when asked. It's going to stay that way untill we get true Wii homebrew support (and getting there is way beyond me).

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...iDVDPlayer.jpg

Since the application is run via GC Homebrew, you will need a GameCube controller to operate the controls of the DVD UI. There is no way to run Wii Homebrew as of right now. Once there is, things will probably change.

This is the menu of the app, here it allows you to eject, play/pause, and displays the title of the dvd inserted, uses the "b" button to toggle this screen on/off and continues to play/display the dvd unless "start" is pressed to pause. (sorry the image sucks, my camera is old).

Controls:
Toggle menu: B
Play/Pause: Start
SlowMotion: A
Goto Disc Root: Y
Goto First Chapter: X
FF: R Trigger
RW: L Trigger
Next Chapter: C-Stick Right
Previous Chapter: C-Stick Left

DVD Menus Navigation: D-Pad
DVD Menus Select: Start

Eject the disc at anytime: L+R Trigger Combo

After doing more testing, I've decided to ditch the Menu UI and here's why:

System Memory usage and availability: For the app to be able to support standard single layer store bought DVD's, it has to run on top of GC-Linux. Although GC-Linux is small, it still uses quite a bit of the available ram leaving a smaller amount available for the app and its decoder/buffer. If I port my app to direct boot, we loose ALOT if not ALL of the quality and compatibility (simply because the ram and video/audio device support is very limited and mostly has to be writen from scratch).

All of the navigation controls will remain as well as the app/disc loading features.

This evening I will be testing a stripped build allowing a larger decoding buffer.

Here is a link to the video. Its kind of grainy due to crappy webcam but still visible and WiiVision talks about it.

Source: WiiNewz

DIGG THIS
May 19th, 2007, 22:06
steve520

thats cool
May 19th, 2007, 22:12
voltorben

yeah, thats really cool :D
May 19th, 2007, 22:17
ICE

i dont have a modchip....
May 19th, 2007, 22:53
royvedas

So cool (on a kind of "proof of concept" kind of level) and yet so extremely irrelevant - but then again I can already see that a few people think it is cool - so peace be with you all.
May 20th, 2007, 00:45
Basil Zero

Nice Find!
May 20th, 2007, 03:36
meatstick

sadly it is a fake, they just used the first image the found on Google and photo shoped the menu in
http://images.google.ca/images?q=mat...=1&sa=N&tab=wi
May 20th, 2007, 03:40
acn010

Quote:

Originally Posted by theICE_MAN

i dont have a modchip....

i dont have a modchip either
anybody knows which modchip is the best one availble to buy? thanks in advance:thumbup:
May 20th, 2007, 03:40
Man

^^^^ buzz kill, i hope its real, im getting my modchip tomorrow, so i hope it is real.
May 20th, 2007, 03:46
acn010

which one your buying
May 20th, 2007, 03:47
Video_freak

You can't play DVDs on the Wii?! O.o
May 20th, 2007, 06:28
bandit

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatstick

sadly it is a fake, they just used the first image the found on Google and photo shoped the menu in
http://images.google.ca/images?q=mat...=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Very good point. We'll have to see and what Wiivisions response is

Quote:

Originally Posted by acn010

i dont have a modchip either anybody knows which modchip is the best one availble to buy? thanks in advance:thumbup:

The original post has links to where you can buy. So far I have reviewed only CycloWiz v1. I just received CycloWiz v2 in the mail. WiiD and WiiKey soon to be installed and reviewed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Video_freak

You can't play DVDs on the Wii?! O.o

It can play DVDs, just not movies.
May 20th, 2007, 10:10
homebrew1973

The idea sounds good, but to make it even better how about the ability to play DivX files?
May 20th, 2007, 11:20
voltorben

meatstick is probably right.. But hey, who the **** doesnt have a dvd player anyway?

And if you look at the video he has made, he could might as well be playing the dvd on his dvd-player. We dont see him boot it from the wii menu or anything. He is just pressing the dvd remote control at the same time as his gc controller.
May 20th, 2007, 12:38
TheFoil

Component cable support

The most important question is:
Does this, unlike MFE, support component cable output?
May 20th, 2007, 13:15
bmemike

You can probably get a DVD player for the same cost of the modchip.
May 20th, 2007, 16:06
Man

Quote:

Originally Posted by acn010

which one your buying

im buying a new one that is not on the market yet, i personally know the guy and he is putting it out next week or so, its really cool, the firmware is blank, so you can flash anychips firmware to it.
May 20th, 2007, 16:52
bandit

Quote:

Originally Posted by Man

im buying a new one that is not on the market yet, i personally know the guy and he is putting it out next week or so, its really cool, the firmware is blank, so you can flash anychips firmware to it.

So then its pretty much like any of the open source firmwares. You insert your own code into a PIC chip. WiiFree is coded off of WiiKey with slight variation.
May 20th, 2007, 17:08
acn010

ok i got you ;)
May 20th, 2007, 22:01
sappo

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrew1973

The idea sounds good, but to make it even better how about the ability to play DivX files?

You can already do this with MFE :D
May 22nd, 2007, 03:26
Man

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandit

So then its pretty much like any of the open source firmwares. You insert your own code into a PIC chip. WiiFree is coded off of WiiKey with slight variation.

Ya its pretty cool, the guy gave me a prototype and it works like a charm, no problems what so ever, he said that i could come back and he would give me a final production one. the firmware is sooo simple to flash to, the pic coder has a serial port, and the chip is external, and it slides right off of a little base, and you can flash whatever, i love it soo much, the homebrew is amazing, but i digress, i dont think that this DVD thing is real unfourtunatly.:( :( :(
May 22nd, 2007, 04:30
pt9087

Im not a fan of the Wii (i think its SHITE, not meaning any offence at all because i know alot will take it), Haha does that mean it doesnt have DVD playback! i can buy a dvd player for £10 and the wii is what £150 Haha Nintendo suck!
May 22nd, 2007, 04:51
Gold Line

noob. you can buy a wii+dvd for £190 and the 360 is £200 so its the same price you should learn math, it will help you a lot in life.
May 22nd, 2007, 10:21
Man

^^^ haha i dont really even see the need for a DVD player in the wii, i guess it would be cool, but dont we all already have a couple DVD players, and if you dont, i highly dout your going to put a modchip in a wii and be able to figure this prosses out anyways lol.
May 22nd, 2007, 10:27
Gold Line

Quote:

Originally Posted by Man

^^^ haha i dont really even see the need for a DVD player in the wii, i guess it would be cool, but dont we all already have a couple DVD players, and if you dont, i highly dout your going to put a modchip in a wii and be able to figure this prosses out anyways lol.

your right. Most computers/laptops can ply dvd's anyway, so why would you need the wii/ps3/360 to play dvd's?
May 22nd, 2007, 10:44
jim80b

i have a Wii, and i like it, but i strongly question the need for it to play DVD's

1. the Wii does not currently have a remote, for dvd playback you don't want to use a controller.

2. as pointed out eariler, who does not have a dvd player...

3. the wii does not have a digital output. how are you going to enjoy surround sound?

4. the wii does not output video above 480i.

recommended solution, if you want to watch divx's & dvds, buy an xbox1 and install xbmc
if you want to watch DVD's buy a good dvd player
May 22nd, 2007, 10:54
jim80b

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gold Line

your right. Most computers/laptops can ply dvd's anyway, so why would you need the wii/ps3/360 to play dvd's?

lol
why would you play a dvd on a PC rather than a dvd player...

1. the pc creates a LOT more background noise
2. the screen will be smaller than your normal TV (generally)
3. the sound system will not be as good (generally) as your normal one

so for my case. i would rather watch a dvd on a xbox1 because:
its displayed onto a 40" screen
its sound is full dd5.1
there is minimal "fan noise"
there is zero hdd noise
i can use a remote to control it
theres a sofa so i can share my experience

or i could watch it on a laptop, on a 15" screeen with crappy tinny sound...

WAY of topic, lets get back to it
the wii sould NOT be used as a dvd player.
(but the PS3 and 360 SHOULD be)

both other systems are geared up for next gen video playback (blueray and hddvd)
both claim to upscale dvd's to a HD res
both have remotes
both output digital sound for an amp to process into suround sound
(but both are noisy)
May 22nd, 2007, 12:44
pt9087

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gold Line

your right. Most computers/laptops can ply dvd's anyway, so why would you need the wii/ps3/360 to play dvd's?

Fool, jim^^^ said it all!:rofl:
May 22nd, 2007, 12:52
sj1220

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May 22nd, 2007, 13:17
Gold Line

Quote:

Originally Posted by pt9087

Fool, jim^^^ said it all!:rofl:

dont post stupid things this is not the junk forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim80b

lol
why would you play a dvd on a PC rather than a dvd player...

1. the pc creates a LOT more background noise
2. the screen will be smaller than your normal TV (generally)
3. the sound system will not be as good (generally) as your normal one

so for my case. i would rather watch a dvd on a xbox1 because:
its displayed onto a 40" screen
its sound is full dd5.1
there is minimal "fan noise"
there is zero hdd noise
i can use a remote to control it
theres a sofa so i can share my experience

or i could watch it on a laptop, on a 15" screeen with crappy tinny sound...

WAY of topic, lets get back to it
the wii sould NOT be used as a dvd player.
(but the PS3 and 360 SHOULD be)

both other systems are geared up for next gen video playback (blueray and hddvd)
both claim to upscale dvd's to a HD res
both have remotes
both output digital sound for an amp to process into suround sound
(but both are noisy)

dude i just said a pc and laptop can play dvds i never said i would rather watch it on a pc or laptop. i ment if you dont have the cash to buy a dvd player just watch it on your pc/laptop its better than nothing.
May 22nd, 2007, 14:05
pt9087

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gold Line

dont post stupid things this is not the junk forum.

dude i just said a pc and laptop can play dvds i never said i would rather watch it on a pc or laptop. i ment if you dont have the cash to buy a dvd player just watch it on your pc/laptop its better than nothing.

:rofl: Haha! :D
May 22nd, 2007, 22:02
Man

wow, thanks for ****ing around in a serious forum, btw we have gone quite off topic, as there really isnt a need for a wii DVD player, and there probably wont be from this guy, seems a little fishy to me.