"Gamebox" console

[Elanzer]

Saw this on the new arrivals section of dealextreme.


http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.54070


Anyone heard anything about this "Gamebox"? If it'll really emulate those MAME platforms, SNES, and play 720p xvid/h264 video files this seems like a killer for $53.


Tempted to get one of these for my sister, she's attached to her SNES but it's like beating a dead horse - controllers falling apart, console falling apart, game cartridges going missing or failing, searching for replacement power adapters.. it's always something. Her CRT TV is too old to bother building a HTPC for her, so this might fit the bill.

 

[meandu229]

mmmmm 720p on composite. didnt think that was possible,

 

[lulzfish]

mmmmm 720p on composite. didnt think that was possible,

I still don't think it is. My DirecTV box can put out 1080p, but through a composite connection, it looks about the same as my PS2, and text is hard to make out. My TV is 1440x900, and I've used it through component, which looks way better.


But I guess the point is to decode the video, not necessarily to get it through to the display at full resolution.

 

[Tickles]

But I guess the point is to decode the video, not necessarily to get it through to the display at full resolution.

But it says it supports 720p TV-OUT, looking at the pictures I don't know how that's possible.

 

[slaeshjag]

But it says it supports 720p TV-OUT, looking at the pictures I don't know how that's possible.

Probably just standard chinese marketing bullshit, just like those 12Mpix cellphone cameras.

 

[darfgarf]

Probably just standard chinese marketing bullshit, just like those 12Mpix cellphone cameras.

you mean 12 milli-pixels?

 

[Fzero]

I'm going to get one, it's not too much money and will be ok while waiting, let you know about the quality when I get it, I'm guessing for that price nothing special but when I'm bored of it the big list of built in games will be good for my mates kids to play on

 

[Asiyura]

Looks like the company make a model dedicated to arcade cabinets, with a jamma connector.


But it seems harder to find than the console version.


Jamma version has RGB video signal, so a better image quality.


If you find a distributor somewhere, pm me, I know a few people that want it.

 

[Prometheus]

^ If you have that information on the product, you could probably put in a product request with DealExtreme, I think.

 

[gibberish]

I understand the fascination with these strange Chinese gadgets, but practically, in this case at least, it's really not worth the money. a second hand xbox1 costs pittance (in the uk anyway, £5-£10 from a market) and will do way more than this thing can.

 

[Blue Protoman]

Right, but we're all familiar with those. The lure of these things? Curiosity. Mankind loves to be curious.

 

[second exodous]

As for 720p I don't think whatever it emulates needs 720p. Someone needs to get one of these and see what it is like. ARM chips capable of SNES emulation are getting cheap but $50 cheap? I want to see it in action before I'd get it.

 

[dreamer]

Dual proc 500mhz arm with 4x usb and audio+video out for only $50 ?


Hope it's in anyway hackable (able to run Angstrom or similar linux).


Would make for a pretty neat device then.


Too bad it doesn't have ethernet


[edit: hmm, the gamebox-website says it's 32bit? http://www.gamebox.hk/Features.htm ]

 

[second exodous]

When someone on here buys it come back here and tell us what it is like. The GUI could be the deal breaker for me, or the emulator options. Hopefully it is just Linux that can be hacked.

 

[Aurekana]

Dual proc 500mhz arm with 4x usb and audio+video out for only $50 ?


Hope it's in anyway hackable (able to run Angstrom or similar linux).


Would make for a pretty neat device then.


Too bad it doesn't have ethernet


[edit: hmm, the gamebox-website says it's 32bit? http://www.gamebox.hk/Features.htm ]

All ARM processors to date are 32-bit. Though one of the comments suggests it might be a MIPS processor, which seems to be a common feature of Chinese consoles, since I think they are lower cost. Also, since the specs are vague, it might be dual-core similar to how some ARM processors are dual core - one CPU plus one DSP/IGP.


Example: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2911 Tegra 2 is actually an 8-processor design, with 2 CPU cores.

 

[dreamer]

All ARM processors to date are 32-bit.

Yes I realized this later, but didn't correct it.


There seems to be some more research posted on gp2x that confirms it's a MIPS processor.


I'm kind of less excited about it now to be honest.


/me just waits patiently for his Pandora to arrive ...

 

[gibberish]

for me, the possibility of it being a MIPS JZ4755 CPU is its only interesting feature. if some developer takes an interest in it, it should be possible to get dingux running on it without much problem, since the JZ4755 is a faster version of the CPU in the dingoo.

 

[Aurekana]

Does anyone know how favorably the ARM cores and MIPS cores compare? I'd assume not very well, since the usually cheaper MIPS design doesn't seem to show up in products requiring lots of processing performance. (My understanding is that the ARM licensing costs are a lot more than for other RISC processors)

 

[Elanzer]

Well apparently judging by the few videos and reviews/comments released about this thing, it's definitely not as expected.


Can't even load your own games on it besides GBA via SD, they want you to purchase their own cartridges containing pirated ROMs. As it is, it's basically the cartridge of 60 or so illegal ROMs and GBA cartridges as far as what's playable. Unless someone mods it to play something else, as is it's pretty crap.


What misleading advertising.

 

[second exodous]

Ah, this sucks, but maybe it will be hacked. I can't believe it is just a GBA emulator.