Browser And TV Tuner Announced




Posted by Vampiro V. Empire


Quoting http://ds.ign.com/articles/688/688911p1.html: Nintendo Takes DS Beyond Games
Web browser and TV tuner announced in Japan.
by Anoop Gantayat

February 15, 2006 - Fueled by success in appealing to non gamer types with its Touch Generations lineup of alternative games, Nintendo has announced plans for two new applications that will take the DS even further beyond the gaming realm. At a press conference held in Tokyo today, the company unveiled a web browser and a television tuner for the system.

The web browser, imaginatively titled "Nintendo DS Browser," has been developed as a cooperative project between Nintendo and Opera Software. The application, which is based off Opera mobile browser software, uses the bottom screen to display pages in their full and the top screen to show close ups of content. Users can also use the two screens as one tall vertical window. The touch pen is used for inputting characters, with ATOK Japanese recognition software built in.

Perhaps even more exciting is an accessory that converts the DS into a television. Starting in April, a service called 1seg (pronounced One Seg) will begin airing digital broadcasts for mobile devices throughout Japan. A number of cell phones capable of receiving the broadcasts have been announced, and now Nintendo is getting in on the action with the tentatively named DS Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver Card.

This card turns your DS into a television capable of receiving 1seg broadcasts. Channels are switched using the touch pen, with the broadcast viewed on the top screen. The prototypes Nintendo had at the press conference were running via the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, but the final version of the card will plug into the DS card slot.

Nintendo will release the web browser to Japan in June at a cost of 3,800 yen. The digital broadcast tuner card is currently without a date. Both products are, as of this writing, set for Japanese release only, but once we hear from Nintendo of America, we'll let you know what's up on our side of the Pacific.


Discuss.



Posted by Bebop

I have no idea how much 3,800 yen is when converted to pounds or dollars but hopefully it shouldn't be significently more than a game. I think this is good news. It's more proof the DS is capable of producing the same things the PSP can. And from the sounds of how the dual screen and touch screen are to be used, easier and better.

I'd be more interested in the web browser than the TV tuner though.




Posted by Lord of Spam

The web browser seems okay, but the tv tuner seems rather pointless, not to mention that the clip said that it only worked on a Japanese broadcast format.




Posted by Speedfreak

The browser will be a budget game, like Polarium. So half the price.




Posted by Klarth

Less than £25 - Be happy.




Posted by r.o.f

I think nintendo is trying to keep up with the psp and maybe trying to prefect it a little. Anyone seen the right up on opera going to the DS?




Posted by Drewboy64

holy hell, its only about 26 or so dollars! But why can't you use a stylus for a mouse?

Is there a chance that they'd bring this to other countries and make it possible to watch shows in those countries?

edit:
[IMG]http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/5762/nin402oo.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/453/nin392hc.jpg[/IMG]




Posted by Vampiro V. Empire


Quoted post: Is there a chance that they'd bring this to other countries and make it possible to watch shows in those countries?


I wouldn't doubt it. I mean, why wouldn't they? It's a good idea and I'm sure there's a huge market here in North America for it.



Posted by Flounder

i hope it comes out in the U.S. and it most likely will..but who knows some how the fcc would find a way to get in the way




Posted by maian

It's awesome in my opinion, but then again, I doubt it'll follow through. I've read of countless devices and programs for the DS/GBA that were never released.




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

Well considering how well the GBA TV tuner sold, I don't know if it'll make it to the west. Then again, it was £60, whereas this will most likely be much cheaper.




Posted by Vampiro V. Empire


Quoted post: Well considering how well the GBA TV tuner sold, I don't know if it'll make it to the west. Then again, it was £60, whereas this will most likely be much cheaper.


Plus, now it has better screen qaulity and whatnot.



Posted by Proto Man

Ha ha, we will be all chatting on the forums with DS's. Something to think about though is if they bring the TV tuner over. Will it receive ATSC signal?




Posted by Roger Smith

Now you'll be able to recieve hate mail from that guy you skull raped in Mario Kart DS.

Life is good.




Posted by GameMiestro

I've noticed that a DS can pick up a wi-fi signal better than most laptops can.

*Imagines surfing the internet in my room...*

[quote=Roger Smith]Now you'll be able to recieve hate mail from that guy you skull raped in Mario Kart DS.

Life is good.

"Skull raped"?




Posted by Mystic Hero

Ha that's awesome. That is sure going ot put more competition between the DS and PSP. For those Sony lovers out there tha think the PSP is the greatest handheld media thing to ever happpen, this may possably change some minds as they see its capabilities.




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS


Quoting GameMiestro: "Skull raped"?

Surely that's not hard to imagine.



Posted by GameMiestro

Thats imaginable, just badly used.




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

Not really. It's a standard term.




Posted by Vampiro V. Empire


Quoted post: Thats imaginable, just badly used.


It's perfectly used.



Posted by Drewboy64

So getting away from raping skulls and such, I heard that the TV tuner might work like a radio with the antenna, where you can walk anywhere and watch TV. I really hope this is true, because that would be uttery awesome.




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

Drewboy: That's exactly how it'll work. How else would it?!




Posted by Proto Man

Hate to burst your bubbles, but there won't be any TV tuner for the US. Nintendo IS considering having the browser released out here though.




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

I'd like to see a source on this. If I remember correctly, portable TVs work worldwide - not only that, but DS screens are a standard anyway, so no region specificness should occur.




Posted by GameMiestro

Wouldn't that be quite expensive to set up, though?




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

What? It requires no setup. It just receives normal TV signals from the ether and displays them.

The problem with regions when it comes to TVs is that each region has a different refresh rate, and has to decode stuff differently to display it differently. DS screens, however, are standard screens (they all refresh at the same rate). The TV tuner must be able to receive a wide range of signals from the broadcaster and 'translate' them, as it were, to the DS screen, and I don't see any reason why 50Hz, 60Hz, and 100Hz signals can't all be handled by the same machine.




Posted by MGamer

The TV tuner will be roughly 32 USD.




Posted by Mystic Hero


Quoting Protoman: Hate to burst your bubbles, but there won't be any TV tuner for the US. Nintendo IS considering having the browser released out here though.


Even if Nintendo decided not to release the TV Tuner in the US, which I would think would be stupid seeing as they will make a lot more money off of it in the US, there are alternatives to getting one. You oculd always order one from Japan, it's no big deal.



Posted by junior senior

I want web browser, the TV thing was once for GameBoy, though.




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

Yeah, Blaze made a TV Tuner for GBA. It was massive, though, and cost twice as much as a game, so it didn't shift.




Posted by Mystic Hero


Quoting Junior Senior: the TV thing was once for GameBoy, though.


Really? I don't remember that at all nor do I see how it would work with the GBA. Last I heard of watching a show on a GameBoy was those little cartoon cartridges you get for your GBA or SP. I would think that the TV Tuner idea is different from that.

Edit: Nvm Wings got his post in before me lol. Hmm if I've never heard of this, the product must have been pretty pathetic.



Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

http://www.gameboy-advance.net/accessories/gameboy_advance_tv_tuner_review.htm
Good quality, but expensive. And region-specific, too, so I might have been wrong before.

EDIT: £25 at Lik-Sang!




Posted by Mystic Hero

That thing looks ridiculous. The use of the GBA to play some GCN games on may look appealing to some people, but to me it's a complete waist of a feature since you need to plug it in to the system. You would do better to play on your TV. :p:




Posted by WILLETH FOR MONTHS

Well, exactly. Portable TV is all it's good for, unless you have freakishly long cables and an Afterburner to watch it in bed.




Posted by Mystic Hero

Kind of makes me laugh seeing as you need to be really uneducated in knowing things before you buy them to go and purchase this thing. Big cost, large product, plus a big waist of energy makes it so unatractive. I just hope the DS version does a lot better than this thing.