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DS development > Possible to boot DS HW from GBA port

#33998 - mymateo - Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:39 am

Smarter people than I who are actually working on making the DS dance their own tune should look at this if they haven't already

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=246&products_id=6239&

Taken directly from the page linked to above:

Quote:
Japanese language product.

For Gameboy Advance SP and Nintendo DS only (NOT Gameboy Advance)

Playback MPEG4 videos and MP3 music from SD memory cards

Maximum resolution NDS: 256 x 192 pixels

Maximum resolution GBA: 240 x 160 pixels

Does not support SD-Video in extra fine mode (320x240/30fps)

Supports VBR and allows playback of MP3 files with bit rates of 32-320kbps

Only available through Nintendo's web site in Japan starting from spring 2005


Note the part in bold above: it looks like it will play video at full DS resolution FROM THE GBA SLOT!

I'm excited, this is very good news if it means what I think it means!

#33999 - xaint - Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:51 am

Dude, the DS's screens are both a little bigger than the GBA's screen. 256x192 is the size of EACH of the NDS screens (not together, seperatly)

This means it will play the video at full screen on ONE of the NDS screens.

Sorry to dissapoint you :(

#34000 - ravuya - Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:56 am

Doesn't the DS just do zoom video for GBA games? I haven't tried one with a GBA game yet, so I could be wrong.
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#34001 - mymateo - Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:02 am

Quote:
Dude, the DS's screens are both a little bigger than the GBA's screen. 256x192 is the size of EACH of the NDS screens (not together, seperatly)

This means it will play the video at full screen on ONE of the NDS screens.

Sorry to dissapoint you :(


I have no idea what your point is. I KNOW each screen is 256x192, and I made absolutely no indications to the contrary. My point is that you can access DS hardware, enabling 256x192 video (if even just 1 screen).

And to address both xaint and ravuya's posts, booting the DS into a GBA game will only allow 240x160 video. And no, the DS doesn't stretch the resolution of GBA games, you just get a black border.

#34002 - ampz - Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:29 am

It says it does not support the Gameboy Advance, but I can't see a reason why.

#34004 - Sebbo - Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:12 am

mayb the SP has something slightly different in its BIOS to the original GBA? surely just a shape change and a backlight wouldn't warrant the extra AU$60/US$45 for the SP

#34005 - Dib - Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:37 am

That would be good news. At the very least, it means there should be a way for an updated PocketNES, Goomba, and PCEAdvance with improved resolution. For the NES emulator particularly, that extra few pixels could make a large difference especially for text.

#34010 - zigg - Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:19 pm

mymateo wrote:
My point is that you can access DS hardware, enabling 256x192 video (if even just 1 screen).


Actually, based on babelfishing and translation of this story, all indications are that it will not be full-screen on the DS.

For example, babelfish is saying:

Quote:
With non correspondence and ニンテンドー DS it becomes correspondence with game boy advance mode in game boy advance, it is not possible to indicate picture in the whole liquid crystal.


This post seems to confirm that.

I think Lik-Sang just plain got it wrong. Unless this story (which broke the whole thing) is wrong.

#34012 - mymateo - Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:31 pm

I must admit, that does look foreboding...

The only ray of hope is that these people were looking at an early version, and the final release will have the full DS screen... though that looks unlikely now.

But hey, if anyone can do it, Nintendo can...

#34015 - SimonB - Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:14 pm

mymateo wrote:
But hey, if anyone can do it, Nintendo can...


If anyone can completely fuck up with what would seem like a good product, or turn a great concept into poo, Nintendo can... :P (not necessarily talking about this product)

Simon

#34026 - ampz - Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:28 pm

There is no way the GBA can render a mpeg4 video + mp3 audio in real time.
It has to access DS resources.

#34027 - ampz - Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:30 pm

Sebbo wrote:
mayb the SP has something slightly different in its BIOS to the original GBA? surely just a shape change and a backlight wouldn't warrant the extra AU$60/US$45 for the SP


The more complex shape, the frontlight, the LiIon battery and the charger is in fact exactly what you are paying extra for.

#34028 - tepples - Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:42 pm

ampz wrote:
There is no way the GBA can render a mpeg4 video + mp3 audio in real time.
It has to access DS resources.

There was no way the Super NES alone could render the 3D graphics of Star Fox, Stunt Race FX, Doom, and the other games that used a coprocessor on the cartridge. I'd imagine that this product uses a decoder on the cart as well.
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#34031 - metis - Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:00 pm

ampz wrote:
There is no way the GBA can render a mpeg4 video + mp3 audio in real time.
It has to access DS resources.
It makes use of the VC01PXX-ES2 coprocessor.
Info can be found here

#34032 - dagamer34 - Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:00 pm

ampz wrote:
There is no way the GBA can render a mpeg4 video + mp3 audio in real time.
It has to access DS resources.


The decoder is in the cart. Check Gamespot's story for more info.
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#34033 - dagamer34 - Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:03 pm

ampz wrote:
It says it does not support the Gameboy Advance, but I can't see a reason why.


Battery life issues. I think I read from some other source that you only get 4 hours for video and about 8 for music on the GBA SP with the backlight on. It would probably be much lower for the original GBA.
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#34034 - ampz - Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:12 pm

dagamer34 wrote:
ampz wrote:
It says it does not support the Gameboy Advance, but I can't see a reason why.


Battery life issues. I think I read from some other source that you only get 4 hours for video and about 8 for music on the GBA SP with the backlight on. It would probably be much lower for the original GBA.

On the countrary, the GBA and the GBA SP has roughly the same battery capacity, but the SP backlight makes the SP battery life shorter than the GBA.

Of course, it is possible the SP is able to supply more current to the video decoding than the original GBA?

#34055 - dagamer34 - Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:16 am

ampz wrote:
dagamer34 wrote:
ampz wrote:
It says it does not support the Gameboy Advance, but I can't see a reason why.


Battery life issues. I think I read from some other source that you only get 4 hours for video and about 8 for music on the GBA SP with the backlight on. It would probably be much lower for the original GBA.

On the countrary, the GBA and the GBA SP has roughly the same battery capacity, but the SP backlight makes the SP battery life shorter than the GBA.

Of course, it is possible the SP is able to supply more current to the video decoding than the original GBA?


Perhaps, but the fact that the SP battery is rechargable which the GBA lacks makes a difference. No one is going to use this product if it only has a 4 hour battery life for movies and 8 hours for music if the batteries run out so quickly. Otherwise, people would rather go buy a PSP instead.
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#34058 - tepples - Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:31 am

In other words, for original GBA owners such as myself, GSM Player is safe, right?

Potentially silly question: Is this device expected to freeze intentionally on the Game Boy Player accessory in the way that Majesco's GBA Video titles do?
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#34062 - mymateo - Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:20 am

I'm guessing if the battery life is a factor for the GBA it's because if the decoder takes extra power, the SP's Li-Ion battery can handle the power withdrawal. On the other hand, the GBA will take regular AA batteries, and as we all know you can buy a dozen batteries for 5 bucks (or less), and would therefore turn a regular 2 hour battery life on the GBA into... I dunno, 5 minutes? I did the same with my digital camera. I could take about 4 pictures before it would die. I got NiMH batteries and now it lasts for a solid hour of taking pics.

Long story short, it will probably work in the GBA, but Nintendo won't promise it becuase otherwise they'll get complaints from the poor saps who can't bother to buck up for decent batteries.

Well anyway, that's my $0.02

#34249 - Mage - Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:47 pm

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20041215/nintendo.htm wrote:
ゲームボーイアドバンスには非対応、ニンテンドーDSではゲームボーイアドバンスモードでの対応となり、液晶画面全体に表示することはできない。

It says the GBA is unsupported and the DS is functioning in Gameboy advance mode so the liquid crystal display cannot fully display.

Liksang mistake I guess.