DVD Playback hack on Nintendo Wii

***bandit*** · May 19th, 2007, 17:01

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).

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

**steve520** · May 19th, 2007, 22:06

thats cool

**voltorben** · May 19th, 2007, 22:12

yeah, thats really cool

**ICE** · May 19th, 2007, 22:17

i dont have a modchip....

**royvedas** · May 19th, 2007, 22:53

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.

**Basil Zero** · May 20th, 2007, 00:45

Nice Find!

**meatstick** · May 20th, 2007, 03:36

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