DVD player in wii?

[brasssmunky]

ok
i know the wii has the hardware capabilities to play DVDs
but yet the console lacks the software to do so
so, i saw those mod chips for the wii
i see you can use burned DVDs (for playing "backup" games)
and i was wondering why they dont add to those chips, with a DVD playing function....
or..
if nintendo
would stop being dumb...
and either release a firmware update with DVD playback functionality
or wii-ware with it
either way
my wii NEEDS DVD PLAYBACK!
please respond with any feedback, or solutions to my problem...

[Shane R. Monroe]

Here is the problem with DVD playback, and certainly why Nintendo purposefully left it out.

The cost of adding MPG2 playback, Macrovision support, etc. is about $10 PER UNIT (from what I understand - that is REGARDLESS of units shipped). Lots of people already bitched about the Wii being $249 vice $199. Another $10 was something they felt they could afford to drop (after all, let's see a show of hands here of anyone without a DVD player already?) ...

Thanks to the internet connectivity, they could offer a DVD channel anytime for a fee. My GUESS is - when Japan gets the new Wii+DVD, they will gauge response and offer the service via Wiconnect24 in other regions should this go over well.

I also believe the DVD player was left out INTENTIONALLY to allow them further differentiation from "the other two" consoles, both which are boasted at "media centers" as well as game consoles. Nintendo WANTS different - it is what works for them - and seemingly they were right.

[brasssmunky]

well....
my only DVD players are my consoles...
i'd rather not have extra hardware in my entertainment center, and i want the wii to be more of a media center...
and so does most people...
i mean, theres nothing wrong with having MP3 playback abilities...
or streaming media from the PC
or having a wii-ware that is a DVD player...
i think nintendois doing themselves harm by not letting us have a DVD player in a console which has the technology to do it...

[Cap'n 1time]

well....
my only DVD players are my consoles...
i'd rather not have extra hardware in my entertainment center, and i want the wii to be more of a media center...
and so does most people...
i mean, theres nothing wrong with having MP3 playback abilities...
or streaming media from the PC
or having a wii-ware that is a DVD player...
i think nintendois doing themselves harm by not letting us have a DVD player in a console which has the technology to do it...

You would be better off buying an Xbox, hacking it, and putting XBMC on it, as it does everything you suggest and more.

Nintendo felt that everyone that wanted one owned a DVD player by now and thus there was no need to spend the extra money on something no one would really use in their console. To me thats a great way to save money. Nothing dumb about it.

[S34MU5]

Wii, has a DVD channel confimed for jap, most likely it will be here to.

[DPyro]

The DVD player I got here is some crap $50 one from Walmart. I'd rather use my wii to play DVDs than the $50 one.

[souLLy]

if a dvd channel popped up I'd definitely pick it up if it was cheap... it'd be nice to not have to flick between my dvd player and my wii.

[brasssmunky]

You would be better off buying an Xbox, hacking it, and putting XBMC on it, as it does everything you suggest and more.

Nintendo felt that everyone that wanted one owned a DVD player by now and thus there was no need to spend the extra money on something no one would really use in their console. To me thats a great way to save money. Nothing dumb about it.

honestly...
if i was willing to spend that kind of moeny on this then i wouldnt be asking about anything...
and, i am not saying its nota bad idea to not have the DVD function be stock
but it needs to be at least a wii ware you can get
which someone else stated on here that it is in japan...
can anyone help me by telling me what the projected US price would be based on the jap version?

[S34MU5]

Got wario ware today, pretty sweet.

Need to get mine online.

The DVD player I got here is some crap $50 one from Walmart. I'd rather use my wii to play DVDs than the $50 one.

In a shop called ASDA they were selling DVD players for £10 = $20 and they sold out in a hour.
But all the scots up here are pikey s$#@!

[brasssmunky]

You would be better off buying an Xbox, hacking it, and putting XBMC on it, as it does everything you suggest and more.

Nintendo felt that everyone that wanted one owned a DVD player by now and thus there was no need to spend the extra money on something no one would really use in their console. To me thats a great way to save money. Nothing dumb about it.

actually
i might just get my old xbox out and sacrifice my existing xbox live cappabilities....
hmm, now jus tto go find my old soft-modding gear etc.