Modded DVD players

[lovedaddy]

My vote

Xbox, everytime. My mates got a kiss player hooked up to his Plasma TV. Yea, its ok, but not as good as xbmc. Not even close.

Streaming, much easier updating, skins, more codecs. Then there is the fact that your getting a good games console too.


Oh and if the mplayer case against Kiss turns out to be true, I wouldn't expect many updates at all.

 

[nath]

The kiss player does TV -> dvd? For how much?

 

[Xavier]

The 450 is just a basic dvd/divx player.

The 500 adds network connectivity to stream your files, a developing set of channels including web content and streaming radio.

The 508 adds an 80Gb drive to play content and the 558 full PVR capabilities. last time I checked the 450 came in at £95 and the top-end 558 about £240.

Xav

 

[Xavier]

Oh and if the mplayer case against Kiss turns out to be true, I wouldn't expect many updates at all.

The case in question was based on Kiss allegedly using GPLd code from MPlayer to decode and render dvd subtitles.

Even if mplayer were to win some form of judgement, Kiss players would be unaffected as they no longer use the code in question, instead opting for the new firmware family shown at CeBit last year and availalbe in public releases beyond 2.7.8 (i.e. 2.8+).

Incidentally, Kiss first demoed their new generation of firmware and announced their intention for its rollout before the original mplayer allegations were made, which is why mplayer haven't emphasized that point themselves.

 

[nath]

Given the costs there, I'd have to say that the Xbox seems like better value. Sure, you couldn't do the stuff that the most expensive one could unless you added loads of stuff and it would end up costing more than 240 but you'd also have a console attached. All in all, the KISS thing seems pretty good but I gotta go for the xbox for a general media station. (I don't actually watch dvd's on it, mind.. I watch them on my uber Tosh 520e. It's super!)

 

[Doomy]

The 450 is just a basic dvd/divx player.

The 500 adds network connectivity to stream your files, a developing set of channels including web content and streaming radio.

The 508 adds an 80Gb drive to play content and the 558 full PVR capabilities. last time I checked the 450 came in at £95 and the top-end 558 about £240.

Xav

So to get the functionality of the xbox youd have to spend near enough the same (id even say more). So you get the pvr functionality but lose the games. Personally i would get sky+ with an xbox but the choices are yours.

 

[lovedaddy]

Actually...

If you look at the AV socket on the back of your xbox, you'll notice that it says "AV in/out" (or words to that effect). The motherboard of the xbox has a TV encoder chip built into it, and there is already a group working on bringing TIVO type support to the xbox. It could have been the case that MS were planning on releaseing another dongle to 'unlock' this feature at a later date.

It really wouldn't suprise me if we see full PVR functions in XBMC before the end of its development. However, I wouldn't expect to see that for atleast another 6-9 months (if ever)

 

[Xavier]

Of course it has a tv-encoder, that's how it gets a picture onto the screen with the RF kit.

It doesn't have any video encode function though.

Simple example - a graphics card with TV-out has a tv encoder, typically Philips or Conexant. A ViVo card has a video encoder, which isn't the same as a tv encoder chip.

 

[Xtro]

Shall I just sum up this thread with

Xav : X-boxes are wank0r

?

Not having a go but this seems to be going round in circles

 

[lovedaddy]

it would take

custom hardware to connect, but sadly seems the main group has thrown in the towel. It still wouldn't suprise me to see it in XBMC (or other) in the future.

 

[Xavier]

No Xtro, I own an XBox, I just prefer the Kiss for playback, in terms of picture quality it's a long way of the XBox, having a dedicated hardware decoder is a big part of that...

Anyhow, each to their own.

Xav

 

[Xtro]

Furry muff!

Thought you just didnt like it per se mate.

 

[Xavier]

Heh, nah - nothing like that, I've got all three current consoles and a collection of the older ones. I had two XBoxes at one point, one US one UK, which is why I have the advanced AV pack for my current unit - considered doing the whole XBMP idea but after seeing the quality of the Kiss unit went for it instead. No comparison.

 

[Doomy]

£30 will make you really excited about your xbox. I havent tried or actually seen a KISS player running at all but as i said, a small investment on your part is a definate need. Piss easy to install, and near on impossible to fuck up.

 

[Xavier]

Nah, it doesn't do anything I don't already want, and thus have. Cheers all the same.

Xav

 

[nath]

Playing streets of rage 2 with your xbox controller and through the widescreen tv and surround setup is utterly awesome.. xbox emulation scene == win.

 

[leggy]

There was a link posted on barrysworld that had a list of shit you could do with an xbox. If you can't post it here can someone pm me it pls. Thnx

 

[Deadmanwalking]

There was a link posted on barrysworld that had a list of shit you could do with an xbox. If you can't post it here can someone pm me it pls. Thnx

Don't do it leggy

Having to chip/mod a console to justify it's purchase is bad. And you flogged your Gamecube

Sort your priorities out man!!

 

[leggy]

I'm just curious that is all. I am interested in the KISS player more but I would like to know a bit more about teh evil Brickz0r.

 

[nath]

Having to chip/mod a console to justify it's purchase is bad. And you flogged your Gamecube

Oh don't be Bodhi-esque! The point is, chipping is easy and all that matters is the functionality you get out of it at the end.


Leggy, I dunno what link you're talking about but off the top of my head this is what's available for the xbox.

Xbox media player (playing every format you care to mention, including dvds, streams over network shares etc.)
SNES emulator
Megadrive emulator
N64 Emulator (albeit a bit buggy)
ScummVMx (to play all those classic lucasarts adventures on your xbox...)
Xbox games (forgot about them!)
FTP/HTTP server (xbmc has both)

There's plenty more and I'll edit this post when I think of it but because it's homebrew software is being written for it all the time, there's new stuff coming out for it all the time.

 

[Tom]

Seems to me that Leggy already has something that can do nearly all of the above. A computer.

Get a DVD player Leggy, they're easier to use, easier to sell, and have much better quality DVD playback.

 

[nath]

Yes, of course computers can do everything that an xbox can (bar play xbox games.. I think). But the fact is, having it all plugged in to your tele is spiffy. Also, you're right seperate dvd players are far superior with respect to quality. As I've said before I don't play my dvd's through my xbox because I like über quality. The fact still remains, the xbox is a brilliant media station and in my opinion would be much better value than one of these KISS things.

 

[Doomy]

I was a bit wary about chipping my xbox at first so I bought a 2nd one just to mess about with. Initially i wanted to just run all my emulator stuff (lots) and have a way of watching divx and stuff like that through my PC's tv out. Complete nightmare tho after a few attempts, cabling HELL. So anyway i got the chip running, and havent even looked back once. Even if the pc would do it much better or if a DVD player has a far more decent picture, as Nath said, the ease and functionality easily outweigh the price. And even my girlfriend knows how to use it, shes constantly playing Puzzle Bobble 2 via kawax and to have all my favourite beat em ups running arcade perfect is absolute genius when you walk in steaming from the pub with a few mates.

Everyone thats been in my house without a console usually within 2 weeks have an xbox mutilated by me. Now they dont come round mine anymore

And also the xbox is the ultimate hangover cure, 40000 roms to just flick through and play for a few minutes is heaven.

 

[dysfunction]

These people sell multi region DVD players.

http://www.homecinemaheaven.com/

 

[adams901]

I purchased both of my DVD players from http://www.multiregionmagic.co.uk/

Cant fault their service.