Nintendo DS gets full TV capabilities!
Reggie’s ‘gold-standard’ media convergence revealed?
Nintendo has revealed a rather interesting add-on for its looming DS console, showing a natty, if rather bulky, TV tuner for the machine.
Carrying the name DSTV Tuner (how very Nintendo) the unit will also be compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP, according to reports, blowing up the available installed base to epic proportions.
And perhaps this is the emergence of the debunked Game Boy Advance tuner as revealed back at E3 2002. As regular readers will remember, Nintendo was poised to show a TV tuner for the original GBA model that was co-developed with a third-party.
The DSTV Tuner has only been confirmed for Japan at time of press, though an announcement regarding US and European availability is expected within weeks. For reference, the Jpanese iteration hits in spring next year for just shy of fifty English pounds.
Carrying the name DSTV Tuner (how very Nintendo) the unit will also be compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP, according to reports, blowing up the available installed base to epic proportions.
And perhaps this is the emergence of the debunked Game Boy Advance tuner as revealed back at E3 2002. As regular readers will remember, Nintendo was poised to show a TV tuner for the original GBA model that was co-developed with a third-party.
The DSTV Tuner has only been confirmed for Japan at time of press, though an announcement regarding US and European availability is expected within weeks. For reference, the Jpanese iteration hits in spring next year for just shy of fifty English pounds.
Companies:
Nintendo
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Comments
nickeedoo 19 Nov 2004 13:52
1/11
Sega made one of these for the Game Gear didn't they? I could swear, by the look of things that this doubles the thickness of the DS. Ouch. I'm sure the GGs TV tuner was smaller. Either way, didn't work then, won't work now. Won't be released in Europe no doubt.
Funky 19 Nov 2004 14:12
2/11
Can the DS get any uglier? Tune in next time when we reveal a different colour DS that won't be released in Europe!
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Ditto 19 Nov 2004 14:16
3/11
Remember that the pic is probably only a prototype.
I don't think the DS is that ugly.
This product is the sort of thing, along with the Chat software, that will shift units. Hopefully it will see a UK release.
The only problem I would have would be with the price. If it were £40 instead of £50 it would be great. Price was the thing that killed the GB Player - I would have bought one if it was a bit cheaper.
I don't think the DS is that ugly.
This product is the sort of thing, along with the Chat software, that will shift units. Hopefully it will see a UK release.
The only problem I would have would be with the price. If it were £40 instead of £50 it would be great. Price was the thing that killed the GB Player - I would have bought one if it was a bit cheaper.
SPInGSPOnG 19 Nov 2004 14:21
4/11
nickeedoo wrote:
Sega made one of these for the Game Gear didn't they?
They did.
nickeedoo wrote:
Ouch. I'm sure the GGs TV tuner was smaller.
It was. In fact, it wasn't all that much bigger than a cartridge. Unlike the DS tuner monstrosity.
tyrion 19 Nov 2004 14:37
5/11
Adam M wrote:
I don't think the DS is that ugly.
Not ugly as sunch, but definatly retro, especially compared to the PSP, which I happen to think looks great.
Adam M wrote:
This product is the sort of thing, along with the Chat software, that will shift units. Hopefully it will see a UK release.
I can't see this shifting many units of the DS. It'll only be terrestrial, not Sky. It might not even handle digital signals, although that may account for the size.
The thing I'm worried about is the way Nintendo are releasing pictures of pre-release hardware that look, well, nasty. The original E3 version of the DS was a very, very retro looking device. The DSTV Tuner looks nasty in that picture.
It took me a while to see the nice lines in the production DS case since I had the old "game and watch" looking one in the back of my head all the time.
Contrast this approach with the way Sony showed the PSP, the original renders from ages ago differ very little from the final look of the PSP, and the PSP looks very sleek and clean, very modern. At least to me it does.
HeathenUK 19 Nov 2004 16:03
6/11
I have to say that it looks fake,I might be wrong. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
ozfunghi 19 Nov 2004 16:51
7/11
I thought i read on IGN that it wasn't made by Nintendo, so it's basically a third party that has licensed it and is releasing it. Second of all, IGN suggested that it was a prototype.
"This officially licensed product is being developed by Agatsuma Entertainment for planned Japanese release in January of 2005. The company expects a price of 9240 yen (about $90)
Early mockups of the hardware make it look very big..."
"This officially licensed product is being developed by Agatsuma Entertainment for planned Japanese release in January of 2005. The company expects a price of 9240 yen (about $90)
Early mockups of the hardware make it look very big..."
Joji 19 Nov 2004 16:54
8/11
Strange size, and perhaps a nice option for car journeys, but will it all fit in my pocket?
It's true the GG tv tuner was smaller, so why on earth is this one so large? There I was thinking technology got smaller as time passes.
I'd have to base a puchase decision on the price tag, and if I really needed it, at the moment that's a no.
It's true the GG tv tuner was smaller, so why on earth is this one so large? There I was thinking technology got smaller as time passes.
I'd have to base a puchase decision on the price tag, and if I really needed it, at the moment that's a no.
Joji 19 Nov 2004 16:54
9/11
Strange size, and perhaps a nice option for car journeys, but will it all fit in my pocket?
It's true the GG tv tuner was smaller, so why on earth is this one so large? There I was thinking technology got smaller as time passes.
I'd have to base a puchase decision on the price tag, and if I really needed it, at the moment that's a no.
It's true the GG tv tuner was smaller, so why on earth is this one so large? There I was thinking technology got smaller as time passes.
I'd have to base a puchase decision on the price tag, and if I really needed it, at the moment that's a no.
Ditto 19 Nov 2004 17:07
10/11
tyrion wrote:
I don't think the DS is that ugly
Not ugly as sunch, but definatly retro, especially compared to the PSP, which I happen to think looks great.
Not ugly as sunch, but definatly retro, especially compared to the PSP, which I happen to think looks great.
I don't think the PSP looks any better than the DS to be honest. I really didn't like the original design, though. Far too chunky.
tyrion wrote:
I can't see this shifting many units of the DS. It'll only be terrestrial, not Sky. It might not even handle digital signals, although that may account for the size.
Yeah, but when I was younger and went out to buy a Gameboy, the Gameboy Camera was another reason to purchase the system. Within the 7-11 market, I believe novelty items such as this will enhance sales.
tyrion wrote:
The thing I'm worried about is the way Nintendo are releasing pictures of pre-release hardware that look, well, nasty. The original E3 version of the DS was a very, very retro looking device. The DSTV Tuner looks nasty in that picture.
Yup, agreed!
Simr 17 Nov 2007 23:10
11/11
I don't know if that's a version for the non-lite version but if you watch the official demo on Nintendo Japan's website it's a lot smaller and goes in the DS slot not GBA. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/unsj/index.html and click on the picture of the card for the demo :)