Re: [GD-Consoles] Generic MP3 Player for Playstation 2

[Jason G D. <jas...@py...>]

> Not having access to a development kit for the PS2, could someone please
> let me know how feasible it is to have a PS2 as a generic home MP3 player?
> 
> Maybe some software on a CD that loads up on the PS2 and plays all the MP3's
> on the disk, or a mini-player that sits on a memory card and loads up MP3's
> on CD as per normal music CD's?

Ok, so there's two parts to this.  Firstly, could you write/port an MP3
player on a PS2.  Yes.  The PS2 is more than capable of playing MP3, and
indeed I've seen it done.

The problem comes when you want a consumer machine to boot up a program
to do it, because of course without a naughty modchip (which invalidates
your warranty and will make us take you off our Christmas card list) then
a machine will simply not boot anything other than a legitimately duplicated
PS2 CD or DVD.  You can't get an ordinary CD writer to make CDs which boot.

If you're a developer then you can just get a TEST unit, which can boot
from gold CD's, but these are not available to the general public.

However, all is not lost.  The PS2 linux kit will enable people to write
their own software.  While only available in Japan right now, if enough
interest is shown in it, it will no doubt be released in the other territories.

Using this (complete with it's own HD and network interface) It would probably
be feasible to compile up an MP3 player (complete with funky user interface)
and have it play a selection of tracks stored on the internal hard drive.

For information, and to register interest in the linux kit, pop along
to the Sony technology site:-

http://www.technology.scee.net/cgi-bin/scee/scee.pl?ps2linux

That's the european one, I don't have the US one to hand.

> How hard is it to format to the PS2's format disks from a generic CD writer?
> (eg: like windows, is there an autorun?) Could a person just setup a directory
> on a CD with an included executable that auto loads?

Well I've sort of answered this above. However, I'd just like to make a
friendly suggestion that this list doesn't launch into a discussion of
bypassing the PS2's copy protection methods :)

Cheers,

Jase.

-- 
Jason G. Doig
Senior Engineer, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Opinions expressed are mine, not necessarily anyone else's, yadda yadda...