Dockable DVD player with GBA drops in May
by Christopher Grant 
{ Apr 26th 2006 at 8:30PM }
We first got our hands on Visteon's portable DVD player cum Game Boy Advance at CES back in January and, frankly, weren't impressed. Our final assessment: "Needless to say, the engineers have their work cut out for them."
Well, those engineers have had a couple months, let's see if they've eliminated the major shortcomings of the prototype. First off, the controller more closely resembles the interface of a GBA. Gone are the "Help" and "Backup" buttons, with the perennial Start and Select buttons in their place. A superficial, but welcome change. The five face buttons have been reduced to a more reasonable three...which is still one more than they needed. Why two A buttons guys?
The screen resolution issues appear to have been solved, at least if we're taking the press image at face value. In the prototype, there was some problem with the GBA feed not filling the entire screen, and suffering from the conversion to 16x9. In the marketing mockup above, there is no sign of this problem. We're hopeful this accurately reflects the final product. No word on price, but it will be "available May 2006." Now I wish I had a minivan to put this in the back of...and someone to drive me around in it...and somewhere to go...
See also:
Coby DVD player with 8-bit Sega game
[Thanks, Sense and Sean]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott @ Apr 26th 2006 8:43PM
What does dvd player cum look like?
Tom Cruise @ Apr 26th 2006 8:45PM
I want one but for Nintendo DS games...
jholdaway @ Apr 26th 2006 8:46PM
I will rather see the lik san come to the US. or a HDD based media player / game system. Maybe the elusive Gameboy 3 that has been making the rumor rounds again.
Raymond @ Apr 26th 2006 9:09PM
DANGIT!!!! I WANT ONE! I AM NOT GOING TO BUY A SEPERATE VEHICLE JUST FOR THIS! VISTEON< YOU MAKE IT AVAILABLE AS A STAND ALONE UNIT OR I WILL CUT YOUR BALLS OFF!
Cameron @ Apr 26th 2006 9:15PM
#4
It looks like from the site, it is standalone. It's just compatible with a dock in a car or other vehicle. Look at the site- it talks about using the device in coffee shops and sporting events and the like.
As for practicality, it's nice, but I'll stick to the DSL or GBm for my GBA needs.
Raymond @ Apr 26th 2006 9:20PM
#5. This rocks so hard. I only have a Nintendo DS I bought on launch day, and a Gameboy Advance. I need something better to play my GBA games. not that the DS isn't good at that, its just that I would rather get a GBA SP or something, but now this thing, I don't have a portable DVD player, this thing does everything I want. DVD player, gba, its so awsome. I want it. I'm so happy its a stand alone unit. I wonder how much it will cost. Visteon, you may hereby keep your testicles I so rudly threatened.
Akira @ Apr 26th 2006 9:28PM
Nintendo is so smart too, they are switching new games slowly but surely to the ds format, yet this player only plays gba games. that means that kids will still cry for the ds lite, and this device.
syxed @ Apr 26th 2006 9:55PM
"We first got our hands on Visteon's portable DVD player cum Game Boy Advance."
COME Game Boy Advance.
COME Game Boy Advance.
-__-
As far as typos go, you don't want Joystiq to be blocked by parental control filters right?
Jonathan @ Apr 26th 2006 10:06PM
Not worth the $1000+ it will cost... buy a laptop and run some emulators at full screen.
Raymond @ Apr 26th 2006 10:29PM
Theres no way it will cost that much. It would be pointless. Like you said, a laptop can do all this and more.
embassy @ Apr 26th 2006 10:30PM
LMAO@ scott..i was thinking the same thing...typo maybe..??..or did i miss sumthing in my digital anatomy class..??
Alex @ Apr 26th 2006 10:35PM
"cum" is latin for "with," you philistines.
idioteraser @ Apr 26th 2006 10:36PM
Couldn't really make the thing a ds player anyway. Ever try playing a ds touchscreen game in a moving car?
Next to impossible due to all the vibrations. This thing is mostly a hybrid dvd player for vans to keep kids occupied in the backseat.
The game controller part is huge almost as big as the player itself.
Jesse @ Apr 26th 2006 10:37PM
Should I consider this a Nintendo system?
If so, I will be forced to buy it.
My name for it:
iGBPSPodgamisung Ditty.
Just an idea.....
Lone Starr @ Apr 26th 2006 10:41PM
I bet they had a bet going on how long it would take someone to comment on the Latin equivalent of "with." Philistines... LOL @ Alex
syxed @ Apr 26th 2006 11:38PM
haha, yea. When I actually read the full sentence now I realized they didn't mean "come" as that would make no sense in that sentence. I thought it was just a typo, but now I realize it was just poor word choice.
Goobers @ Apr 27th 2006 12:16AM
i dunno... considering the size of it... might as well be a laptop.
i mean, based on the disc cover, the whole thing looks about as big as my niece's laptop.
at least then you can do something else if neccessary, like have someone in the back seat with a map program to give you directions. or make last minute changes in someone's homework/work project.
a device they could easily bring to market is a USB adapter or a USB-GBA (an actual GBA unit built around a USB plug) to interface with a laptop. the device can contain the control (or make it wired, so you can "mount" the laptop to the back of a seat) and play.
Michael @ Apr 27th 2006 12:17AM
How is using "cum" a poor word choice? If you get your minds out of the toilet, you'll notice -- as Alex (#12) points out -- that cum just means "with" in Latin.
This looks like a good toy, but I don't like how they've kept the controller separate. Why not just integrate the buttons into the main device?
minus_273 @ Apr 27th 2006 12:24AM
#8
out of curiosity, what do you think cum laude means?
Vezquex @ Apr 27th 2006 1:05AM
I haven't played a lot of GBA, but that picture looks like Mario Kart for N64.
lazygamer @ Apr 27th 2006 2:52AM
aha, now i know where all the unsold sky gamepad pads have ended up.
other than the ones on eBay - now you know why the buttons said help & backup rather than start & select.
Gareth @ Apr 27th 2006 4:15AM
"Nintendo is so smart too, they are switching new games slowly but surely to the ds format, yet this player only plays gba games. that means that kids will still cry for the ds lite, and this device."
Nintendo is 'smart' for doing something that Microsoft and Sony get slated for doing - seperating you from your money in as many ways as possible.
Seriously guys, there comes a point when your tongue will be so far up their arse that you'll be licking their tonsils.
Kye @ Apr 27th 2006 9:12AM
That's definitely not a track on MK64 @ Vezquex.
The screen layout is the same(or very similar) but the track is completely alien to me.
Maybe it's a track on MK DS?
C. Grant @ Apr 27th 2006 10:40AM
Thanks Alex.
Guys, dictionary.com, first result.
cum (kʊm, kŭm) pronunciation
prep.
Together with; plus. Often used in combination: our attic-cum-studio.
strider_mt2k @ Apr 27th 2006 10:41AM
I have to smile when I'm already playing emulators on my laptop using a PS2 controller cum USB adapter. :)
villainy @ Apr 27th 2006 12:50PM
Does that controller have shoulder buttons? Pictures in the crazy flash dealie don't show any.
Big Ed @ Apr 27th 2006 9:02PM
I think this and all portable dvd players are just a waste of money. Basically you can get a decent one for $200. Why not save your money to get a PMP like a Zen Vison or Archos player. Not meaning to spam, but these have a better screen and are a whole lot more reliable and portable.
Even with the GBA port, this is still way to expensive. If you want to play gba games get a gba, it will be A Lot cheaper.