PS2 as DVD Player ...

Cafe Society
1

This may actually belong in GQ, but this forum is more my style.

My DVD player is pooched. It sort of pulled and Office Space – one day it just decided to stop working. So I’m watching my DVD’s in my PS2. I’m wondering if any other PS2 people have these same experiences:

1 - The volume of movies (DVDs) is so low I have to crank my TV volume all the way up to be able to hear it. No exaggeration … all the way up.

2 - The volume of games is so friggin’ loud I have to turn the damn thing down almost all the way or I’ll disturb the neighbors.

Imagine my dilemma when I throw a game in right after watching a movie (I’m extremely absent minded).

Anyone?

2

I just want to go on the record as stating that the PS2 is a shitty DVD player.

3

It beats spinning the little discs on my finger and trying to decipher the code by eye.

4

I mean … I just keep missing the more subtle plot points.

5

Yeah, I’ve had that same experience. Thought it was just my PS2 or TV, but I guess not.

6

Similar experience, but nowhere near what you’re describing. Movies are a bit low, games are about where my regular t.v. is.

7

I’ve noticed a low volume on a couple of DVDs, but it’s not a general problem. And I’ve never noticed an overly loud volume on games. Are there volume settings somewhere in the setup menus? I don’t remember.

8

I don’t know. I’m just a little relieve that it isn’t a “me” thing. I was getting ready to replace the cable or something – that’s about the extent of my techno knowledge.

9

Why? I find it perfectly adequate.

To the OP: I do find I have to turn the volume up a few notches for DVDs, but nothing so extreme as you describe. Games are normal volume.

10

Same here. Games seem to be at normal volume, but to hear a DVD I really have to crank up the volume (to about 3/4 of max volume on the TV).

It is a bit jarring when I stop the DVD and go back to normal TV – I always forget to lower the volume first.

11

Same here. I have to turn the volume right up for DVDs. You are not alone.

12

Here is a review of the PS2’s DVD player feature. A few minor quibbles, but overall not a bad player. One important (well, important to me!) problem not mentioned in the review is that it will not play VCDs or SVCDs.

Here is a person on a different forum with the same problem as the OP. A suggestion is offered, but nobody posted whether or not it worked for them. It’s worth a shot, I guess.

13

Just another “me too” checking in. Regularly have to jack up the volume to it’s highest setting.

Here’s another problem I have with the PS2-as-DVD-player: Sometimes the sound stops matching the actor’s mouths. I mean, the voice is a split second ahead or behind (I can’t remember which) the action on the screen. Anyone else had this problem?

14

It also won’t play any media on the following formats: CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs and finally DVD+RWs (woo, that wore me out).

15

You’re right skateboarder87. I could have mentioned that in my post. The reason it doesn’t support those formats, of course, is to prevent game piracy. Of course, $30, a soldering iron, and a steady hand can defeat that. :slight_smile:

16

Oh. Okay, if that’s important to you, I can see why you’d say it’s a shitty DVD player. Me, I don’t even know what those are, much less have a need to play them, so it’s not a problem.

17

Ferrous: burnable CDs and DVDs that you can make yourself. For example, you could take a home movie and use a $200 DVD burner to produce a disc that will play in a regular DVD player. If you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of quality, you can burn the video onto a VCD (Video CD) or SVCD (Super VCD) with a regular $50 CD burner and watch it on your standalone DVD player. Most DVD players support this, but some, the PS2 among them, do not.

18

I also have the problem with the volume as stated in the OP.

I manage though. When we move, we’re going to hook the whole thing up to the stereo, and see if that changes anything.

19

Well, is it just me? But if you are playing a dvd, just hit setup when ya is playing it & from there you can adjust some super duper dvd play settings that make things look better.

There is also a spiffy PS2 dvd diag menu, although I forgot how to access it perhaps its mentioned in the manual?

20

Try switching from dolby to stereo sound. Tends to bring the volume up.