What people search:
 | Title : DVD Remote Controller Kit
Author : Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date : 20030408
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $19.99
Amazon.com Price : $11.99
(40
%)
VISIT AMAZON.COM'S PAGE |
Editorial Reviews :
Admit it: all in all, the PS2 is a pretty good video game console, but it's a mediocre DVD player. Easily the most major sin Sony committed against DVDphiles was the initial unavailability of an official remote control. Because the PS2 gamepad is a stunningly poor substitute for a real remote, Sony's official remote control entry comes as a welcome, but not quite perfect, solution.
Compared to most third-party PS2 remotes, Sony's design is much less childish. It's quite comfy, and, aside from a few extra buttons modeled after the PS2 controller (X, O, R1, R2, etc.), it features the same style as most of Sony's slick AV remotes. Tragically, Sony omitted both eject and power buttons. What were they thinking?
The supplied new software drivers add quite a bit of functionality to the PS2, making it almost as feature-packed as a regular low-end DVD player. Three-speed scan, slow motion, A-B play, shuffle, chapter program, and other enhancements have now been added to the PS2's playback capabilities. Most of these features require the remote to access. Also, to use the drivers, you'll need to keep a PS2 memory card (where the new software is stored) and the IR receiver constantly plugged into a gamepad port--a minor headache. Also, while most of the problems with untimely frame skipping are solved, I still found the chapter rewind to be somewhat slow and unresponsive.
DVD fiends who can bear Sony's tiny control buttons will find this model easily the most functional of the PS2 remotes. While the PS2 will never replace a full-fledged DVD box, at least it now has a decent remote control that's on par with the big boys.
Buyer Reviews :
This remote control converts a Play Station 2 console into a full-featured DVD player. It does this in two ways. First, it improves upon the existing PS2 DVD Player software. For my unit, the version of DVD player jumped from 1.30U to 2.10U. Second, it provides a wireless remote control with every function you could want plus a few.
The package ships with an instruction manual, the DVD Player 2.1 disk, two AAA batteries, a small stub IR receiver. The first disappointment is that the receiver is NOT a passthrough. Fortunately, it is designed to fit the second controller slot. Swapping the stub for a controller is only an issue then for two player games.
The remote control has some other disappointments. The DVD Player 2.1 software, essentially a firmware update, installs on a memory card and consumes a lot of real estate in the process. It only works with memory slot 1 and the entire copy takes 2.2MB, a quarter of the card's capacity. In an era where the most basic computer devices are all 'flashable,' it's a mystery why Sony didn't keep a more careful eye on future revisions. After all, I have flashed my computer motherboard, DVD player, and home network equipment with firmware updates. All of these devices carried some fashion EPROM (electronically programmable memory). And they all sold for less than a Sony Playstation, so it's hard to blame this short sitedness on cost. It's a mystery why Sony didn't forsee a similar eprom need in their console (read poor planning). Instead of flashing an internal chip then, Sony forces us to copy a new copy to a memory card, making the existing ROM so much silicon gathering dust. The DVD Player 2.1 software can be manipulated just like any other saved game. You can delete and copy it back at will. The remote will work without it too, although without the software to support it most buttons won't work as advertised.
Luckily, the improvements are significant and probably offset the disappointments enough to make this a good purchase. The new remote control and player software are feature rich adding many needed improvements to the DVD playback on the PS2. The most anticipated difference for me was the multi-speed scan. With the new player, it is now possible to scan through a DVD at 2x 4x and 8x speeds. The next best feature is an actual time clock, showing chapter progress time, remaining time, feature progress time and remaining time. The original player only showed chapter stops. Sony layed out the DVD remote buttons in a logical and clear fashion. It includes every button you could want in a decent arrangement. Even chapter selection is there. The remote is a hybrid, including all of the shock controller buttons with the exception of only the analog sticks. It's nice - it rivals any other DVD remote. I read one review that said you could control power with this remote. This is not true. There is no labeled on/off button nor does the manual mention it. Other esoteric features are repeat (is this for a video store?) and shuffle (?), which are questionable even for concert DVDs. Maybe someone out there can find purpose to them.
I've never had any trouble with DVD playback having successfully watched dozens of titles on the PS2 now. Other people have complained about incompatible DVDs in the past. The new player software may address these issues. Sony claims this unit is compatible with any disk stamped with the DVD logo. I'm guessing it's a region 1 player and not region free, although I can't verify this for sure. I'm sure a hack is on its way if not already available.
Overall, it's a good purchase. The $20 ranks it among the cheapest accessories. It does it's job very well and transforms the console into a decent DVD player. But the real complaint, the one that ranks it at four stars, is that Sony didn't get it right the first time. Perhaps they underestimated the demand for DVD playback. I'm convinced it won't be long before some electronics genius burns the player to a ROM a back
What people search:
|
|
