DVD playback enabled on mod-chipped Wiis

A mod chipping company called Team Symbiote has apparently created an application for owners of its Wii mod chip that enables the console to play back DVDs. This may not be the first mod to enable DVD playback, but since Nintendo still hasn't got around to providing the console with playback capabilities, we thought it'd be worth bringing it up again. Nintendo, how about hurrying up and making it so normal people don't have to buy dodgy chips to play a DVD or two on their console?

[Via Wii-News, thanks wraggster]

[robert.stewart2 @ Aug 19th 2007 3:53PM]

in soviet russia dvd plays you....

[SD @ Aug 19th 2007 3:57PM]

Beware of modding your Wii since Nintendo's updates are supposed to mess with modded systems. Their original update for this backfired and bricked many non-modded consoles (including mine). They fixed it with another update, though. Anyway, who really needs their Wii to play DVDs? If you have a gaming console, odds are you already have a DVD player that can do what it does way better than the Wii could.

[sr1329 @ Aug 19th 2007 4:03PM]

I don't need an extra DVD player in the house, but some parents who have kids might save space, money and time by just having the Wii play DVDs. It won't be the best quality but kids don't care.

[Alexander @ Aug 19th 2007 7:09PM]

Wrong. The update--nor any subsequent ones released--were targeted at disabling or otherwise hindering the modchips, which are actually drivechips. They just told you that it was a bad idea to be putting modchips in your system.

The Wii itself has no idea that the system has a modchip inside it, as there are no checks for it. The chips are basically telling the DVD-Rom that the disk that was just inserted is a good disk and to start playing it. No modifications are made to the actual Wii firmware. It just starts playing the data that the DVD-Rom feeds to it.

Also, Nintendo would be good to NOT mess with the modchip people as they aren't losing any money on them. The people who have the modchips were never going to buy the games (possibly not even the system) in the first place--but they might still buy the Virtual Console games. So they are making money on them in a roundabout way.

[droopy1592 @ Aug 19th 2007 3:59PM]

It's as simple as a software update

[Totalfixation @ Aug 19th 2007 4:35PM]

Do you guys know why they don't have a DVD play back now? Its not just a simple update. Nintendo as to consider the following.

Ive heard that the DVD laser that is being used to play game will die out faster if you use a DVD Dual Layer. It puts a strain on the laser. Most DVDs now are dual layer. This may be one of the reasons why they didn't include it into the system.

Also many of the reasons why the Wii is so picky about what brand is being using on the backups.

If people are having trouble getting the games to read on DVD+R. And if they did add a decorder, it is highly likely one of them will put in a back up a dvd player and have it not read.

[droopy1592 @ Aug 19th 2007 5:40PM]

Ya out of the millions of DVD lasers in production they decide to pick one that doesn't read dual layer well. Whatever! It's the the lasers that go bad in DVD players, it's the alignment that goes first. DVD lasers last for years, much longer than any console will be in use for. Don't believe everything you read.

[Totalfixation @ Aug 19th 2007 5:10PM]

Probably right on that, The alignment, so are they going to sell a decoder and have the consumer align the laser to make sure it reads the medias better?

[Totalfixation @ Aug 19th 2007 5:34PM]

http://nintendo-scene.com/471

This a press release from the makers of Wiinja. I know you mention don't believe what you read on the web, But i would say its a fair good assessment that they maybe right. Since I believe they know what they are doing.

[Michael Payson @ Aug 19th 2007 8:23PM]

Alignment is just as important to read data dvds as it is for video. If the drive can read the game discs there's no technical reason that they can't read video.

[Michael Payson @ Aug 19th 2007 8:29PM]

That press release is a horrible translation, so it's only vaguely understandable, but it seems to be saying that you shouldn't use certain types of recordable media. Also, this sounds like a bit of CYA, AKA covering their, umm, shareholders, so you won't sue them if something does wrong due to their mod.

[ssuk @ Aug 20th 2007 4:12AM]

There's no real difference between data on a DVD-Data disc to a DVD-Video disc. They both store data in the same way, the only difference is that DVD video has 1st-read data which tells a DVD player that it's a DVD-Video disc. The VOB files are just digital video files like AVI or MOV and would stream on a Wii just like games stream audio or video files.

This is pretty basic to comprehend even for computer novices.

[Person @ Aug 19th 2007 4:03PM]

Why bother adding DVD playback to the Wii if it doesn't even have a digital audio output? 2 channel sound for movies is a bit archaic if anything.

[Ethan Duffy @ Aug 19th 2007 4:23PM]

Simply because you don't want any more electronic devices. People who want to do this wouldn't have a 5.1 amp either, so 2-channel works. Reasons I would do this are if I had a cheap telly with limited inputs, or wanted a dvd player in a second room.

The xbox added DVD playback for £20, using one of the controller ports (which were USB). I bought it, because for some the value of not having an extra device is quite large. DVD-video on the Wii by a software update or a usb stick (or both) should be possible, and could be at a completely optional cost.

Nintendo were right not to include it by default, though. Several aspects of it cost money over using the dvd standard the Wii already uses, and most consumers don't want it. However, enough do to warrant it as an optional extra.

[Tom Bailey @ Aug 19th 2007 4:32PM]

MY GOD! you are SO up you're own arse! "archaic"? Jesus Christ! get a life!

[Uejji @ Aug 19th 2007 4:36PM]

Wait a minute. It's 2007. Don't you people realize what Dolby Pro Logic II is? Just because a console doesn't have SPDIF capabilities doesn't mean that it doesn't have surround sound capabilities.

[Miles @ Aug 19th 2007 5:35PM]

Yeah, but notice how the OP said 2 channel.

Pro Logic II is exactly that, surround sound via 2 channels.

You get higher quality and less interference with 6 separate channels.

[Miles @ Aug 19th 2007 5:37PM]

Yeah, but notice how the OP said 2 channel.

Pro Logic II is exactly that, surround sound via 2 channels.

You get higher quality and less interference with 6 separate channels.

[Uejji @ Aug 19th 2007 5:43PM]

If you're going to go down that vein, then digital sound is only a single "channel," since it is a digitally encoded audio stream that is decoded into 6 audio channels at the receiver. Dolby Pro Logic II is phase-encoded into two "channels" and is decoded into 6 audio channels at the receiver. I won't argue that the sound quality of Dolby Digital is superior to Dolby Pro Logic II, but the latter does provide 6-channel surround sound at a cheaper cost.

[Person @ Aug 20th 2007 10:25PM]

I seem to have offended you Tom. Did you recently upgrade from a monaural tv?

[girt @ Aug 19th 2007 4:15PM]

i have an xbox 360 soo... yeah im good

[ssuk @ Aug 20th 2007 4:15AM]

lololol enjuy ur RRoD hahahahahahahaha am i kewl yet?

(Do dee doo, hanging myself right now.)

[Canyon289 @ Aug 19th 2007 4:20PM]

And Wiikey can't even release their stupid update yet

[Sean Dimaculangan @ Aug 19th 2007 5:00PM]

ha ha, i'll welcome any free update that includes DVD playback but honestly, i really don't need another DVD player. (I have PS3/360/PC/DVD Player to play my dvds...)

[eh @ Aug 19th 2007 5:26PM]

I dont get why people are always saying how much the DVD player on the PS2 sucked and how nobody would want to play movies on their game console. But when a console lacks that feature then people bitch about it. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

[droopy1592 @ Aug 19th 2007 5:48PM]

highly doubtful... that's just not how the lasers work. They don't "deteriorate" unless the Parameters are changed with mod chips and this may force the laser to have a higher output. Since mod chips allow play of burned games then this may be the reason why they say that the laser may lose strength, but DVD-R/RW etc requires more laser output than a 2nd layer on a pressed disc since it has less contrast... so they there is no reason why DVD playback could not be added with a software update.

[droopy1592 @ Aug 19th 2007 5:49PM]

highly doubtful... that's just not how the lasers work. They don't "deteriorate" unless the Parameters are changed with mod chips and this may force the laser to have a higher output. Since mod chips allow play of burned games then this may be the reason why they say that the laser may lose strength, but DVD-R/RW etc requires more laser output than a 2nd layer on a pressed disc since it has less contrast... so they there is no reason why DVD playback could not be added with a software update.

[bl0nde @ Aug 19th 2007 5:57PM]

I think some of you aren't putting two and two together on this Wii DVD playback thing..."everyone already has a DVD player" and "ok, but it only does 2 channel sound! what about my poor 7.1 setup?" are not valid arguments because a *lot* of Wii purchasers are these fabled casual gamers that everyone is talking about who give not a s**t about 7.1 surround and videophilic quality - for them, technological progress can be summed up by converging stuff into one box to save space/money.
"It plays Wii Sports AND I can watch a DVD on it?! Amazing what they can do in 2007 isn't it??"

[Uejji @ Aug 19th 2007 6:22PM]

I agree completely. If your idea of great video quality is svideo at best, and your sound system is a $60 DPLII system from Wal-Mart, having DVD playback qualities in a Wii would be great. If a Wii is insufficient for you (if you like the upscaling or the SPDIF) then chances are you already have dedicated DVD playback hardware (upscaling DVD players run about $40 nowadays). It would be nice though to have a little box that plays Wii, Gamecube, VC games and DVDs that I could take on vacation and leave my better equipment here at the house.

[Ratchet the Lombax @ Aug 19th 2007 6:31PM]

While I do recognize the accomplishment that was made I have to ask who doesn't have a dvd player? I mean you can get a decent one for like $60 that's not too much plus you can't really buy VHS movies too much anymore. As far as the casual gamers go I think these "casual gamers" are most likely not going to go to the trouble of installing a modchip in their Wii. They will just buy their console and a few games and never think twice about what else the thing can do.

[Aaron @ Aug 19th 2007 10:00PM]

Even these "casual gamers" have DVD players. Let's face it, everyone has a DVD player. If the machine can do it then it probably should right out of the box, but honestly, who really cares?

[LJKelley @ Aug 19th 2007 8:54PM]

A DVD player costs as little as $29.95 at Walmart... This mod is useless.

[Urza @ Aug 20th 2007 12:03AM]

Yes, for a really crappy one. A decent one is still usually over $50, and the damn things break so often. My family has spent over $200 on DVD players over the past couple years and we still only have one when we have 3 TVs. And hell, it's not like we're buying shitty ones...Sony, Toshiba, and RCA. It'd be great if we could use the wii on our other TV. But mostly, it'd be great to just not have to keep switching inputs and running plugs around. Even my gf, whose family happens to be rich as hell and who has a PS3, XBox 360 and Wii all connected to the TV in her room (and a PS2 on the _other_ TV in her room) bitches about the Wii not having DVD playback because she's gotta switch cables around whenever she wants to watch a movie. So it don't matter what your system is, doing two things in one device is always better.

[dolemite_pro @ Aug 19th 2007 9:44PM]

I have a PC with a DVD drive, a 360 with a DVD drive, and a Wii with none. My 360 HD-DVD is in a game/movie room. My Wii is in the living room. Its a casual system that "wii" play when friends come over to hang out. It would be nice if it played DVDs. I don't have a DVD in the living room and don't need to buy one, but if it was a $20 add on through Nintendo, I'd buy. Coby DVD players at Wal-Mart for $30 last about 2 months and die, plain and simple. At least I would get some reliability with a Wii DVD player. If I want 7.1 with 1080p, I'd watch in the movie room. If I want to keep my nephew quiet with "Blue's Clues" while playing 360, the Wii will do just fine. Parents would appreciate it.

[Jamar @ Aug 19th 2007 11:57PM]

Someone in Japan wants their American Wii to play American DVDs instead of buying a new DVD player for America? Same for Europe too, I bet.

[Katie @ Aug 19th 2007 10:40PM]

I can't mod my wii. I don't know how.

[Garst @ Aug 19th 2007 10:41PM]

Didn't Nintendo say that they were going to release a DVD add-on for the GameCube that would fit in the footprint of the system? What ever happened to that one? All we got the the Game Boy player.

[Jamar @ Aug 19th 2007 11:54PM]

Well, there was the Panasonic Q if you wanted a DVD-playing Gamecube.

[CubeGuy @ Aug 22nd 2007 10:52PM]

Which is currently sitting cozily next to my Wii in my TV cabinet. =D Worth every penny I paid for it. It plays DVDs and every region GCN games.

[RAD Moose @ Aug 20th 2007 1:32AM]

I wish it played CDs but even then, it isn't a big deal that it doesn't.

[Yogibrown @ Aug 20th 2007 2:17AM]

Until someone comes with a DVD player that is both HD and you dont have to modify some way other than the PS3, I don't think anyone will really care

[pablot @ Aug 20th 2007 2:31AM]

alternative link, to the real source:
http://nintendo-scene.com/470