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what other game systems could also play movies?

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:51 am
by phatrat1982
I am curious what all video game consoles were capable of playing movies on them and in what formats? I know for sure CD-i had two formats CD-i DV and VCD and I know Playstation 2, Xbox, and 360 all play DVD's and PS3 can play DVD and Blu Ray and 360 could add on HD-DVD support but what I would like to know is what other consoles could play other formats like VCD and divx etc?


I heard that 3DO, Saturn and PS1 and even Sega CD could also play VCD is that true? If so what does it take to get them to and what other systems can play the format?

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 5:27 pm
by Trev
The 3DO's need the vcd adapter, and it differs by model.

I think the Amiga CD32 could also play vcd w/extra hardware.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:53 am
by phatrat1982
So that is it CD-i, 3DO and CD32 then? Probably stupid question but where there ever any stand alone VCD players sold in the US during this time or was it all tied into video games? That was something else that has always bothered me but I never could find any answer to.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:14 am
by Trev
Maybe, but I never heard of them. VCD's seemed to have been passed over in this region. All I remember are vhs & ld's.

I used to have an adapter for the original Playstation that played vcd's (got it as part of an online auction bundle) I think it was from Hong Kong and only worked on the launch models.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 5:17 am
by phatrat1982
I figured it had to be something like that, considering nobody anywere has any information on them from that time, even me all I had was vague memories from a couple of magazine articles and that 1 movie I found at a yard sale once and then sold it latter on.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:21 pm
by Erronous
Wikipedia:

" Disc playback is also available both natively and as an option on some CD- and DVD-based video game consoles including the Sega CD, Sega Saturn (pictured right), Sega Dreamcast, PCFX, and NeoGeo CD with add-on adaptors; as well as Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Sega CDX natively."

I'm pretty sure there were stand-alone VCD players in the US since I've also seen them here in Holland but it probably was a very tiny niche. I think I've only seen one once or twice.

I did have a CD-video player once, now that's completely another thing :)

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:56 pm
by phatrat1982
Yeah but Wikipedia is wrong, Sega CD did not play VCD, I know I had one and I could never get any movies to play back on it ever. I even had the 32X to go with it and never found anything that would allow playback on Sega CD. Because of that and other experiences with wikipedia I don't trust their info. But at least that is a good list to start with.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:42 pm
by Trev
Wikipeida also said Sonic the Hedgehog was an Atari Jaguar game :roll:

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:48 pm
by phatrat1982
well if you read the list it also does not mention CD-i or 3DO as consoles that play back VCD and instead talks about Sega CD and Playstation consoles I think the article has some bias as well as misinformation.

Wikipeida also said Sonic the Hedgehog was an Atari Jaguar game

among countless other lies.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:12 pm
by Erronous
Well, just edit it then :) .

Looks like Sega CD doesn't play videocd indeed. But there are pictures of an experimental MPEG card for the Atari jaguar :)

Oh, and it looks like a N64 with Doctor V64 will play back videocd too.

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:48 pm
by phatrat1982
yeah right I wouldn't know the first thing about editing a wikipedia article.

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:30 pm
by Gaara
It doesn't really count, but the GameBoy Advance had a couple films released for it, put on GBA cartridges. Part of a series called "Game Boy Advance Video". Clever name.

I don't know about the picture quality, but I got two GBA cartridges with TV episodes on them, and the encoding is very poor. So I guess the same would apply with those films...

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:03 am
by Trev
Gaara wrote:It doesn't really count, but the GameBoy Advance had a couple films released for it, put on GBA cartridges. Part of a series called "Game Boy Advance Video". Clever name.

I don't know about the picture quality, but I got two GBA cartridges with TV episodes on them, and the encoding is very poor. So I guess the same would apply with those films...
I have the Shrek movies on GBA video. Pretty cool actually, although they look more like claymation and stutter at times. Still impressive for what they are though.

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:22 am
by Gaara
Trev wrote:
Gaara wrote:It doesn't really count, but the GameBoy Advance had a couple films released for it, put on GBA cartridges. Part of a series called "Game Boy Advance Video". Clever name.

I don't know about the picture quality, but I got two GBA cartridges with TV episodes on them, and the encoding is very poor. So I guess the same would apply with those films...
I have the Shrek movies on GBA video. Pretty cool actually, although they look more like claymation and stutter at times. Still impressive for what they are though.
The concept itself is beyond cool. While I wasn't impressed by the picture quality of the two cartridges (one of them two eps of "Pokemon", the other two eps of "Yu-Gi-Oh"), the novelty and cool factor means I hope to get more...

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:46 am
by list
white sega saturns would play vcds
also you could add a Sega Saturn Video CD card http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_kMkJ7XqCA