Wii Gets DVDed - Homebrew To The Rescue

I went through three stages when I learned that homebrew developers have added DVD playback for the Nintendo Wii. The first stage was me gushing over independent developers and how this shows that there are legitimate uses for allowing the general public to design software for you devices. The second stage was realizing that I have no fewer than 3 other devices under my television that can play DVDs. The third was realizing that not every gamer \ household buys every console under the sun.
This is the first playback device available for the Nintendo Wii that doesn't require any hardware modification. All you need is a system loaded with some homebrew loader (see Twilight Hack, Homebrew Channel, etc.) and the run time. Users are even allowed to play video off their SD cards, although your millage may vary.
Yes, I know that you can snag a crap DVD player from Wal-Mart for $5 and a smile, but hey, I like keeping my TV inputs to a minimum. Allowing users to remove one more device from the back of their television is reason enough that this was a good idea. Useful for everyone? Hardly. I enjoy my HDMI ready upscaling PS3 playback (which actually is what I use the machine for most frequently, gaming be damned). I am, however, not every gamer.
libdi and the DVDX installer. [HackMii]
[via Engadget]







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