dvd's vs battery life

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops,uk.comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I got an old sony vaio laptop
700mhz
192mb ram
40gb HDD
win me
(i've upgraded it slightly, lol)

I was wondering if there was any program or hack, that would allow me to
play dvd's without loading the os. I was thinking something like a mini os
that would stop the HDD from spinning up, and use the ram and cpu to decode
the video. Does anyone know anything like this?

If not anyone interested in starting a project along similar lines(i'm not a
programing wiz, hardware is my biz, but i'll give it a try)

Thanks
--
"Blu-Ray"
2600+Sempron (O/C @2.090Ghz)
512Mb DDR 400
9600 pro 128 (O/C @ 425/540)
Gigabyte 7VT600P-RZ mobo with 400mhz fsb
Raidmax cobra case with 420w psu
Dual 12" Blue CCFL
Blue LED fans
Arctic Cooler Copper 2L
"Cheap and very cheerful"
Check it out @
www.russianspacestation.iwarp.com/blu-ray.htm

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops,uk.comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Veritech" <avis.dalrymple@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:0IU6e.20566$il.3031@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:46:20 GMT

... I was wondering if there was any program or hack, that would
allow me to play dvd's without loading the os. I was thinking
something like a mini os that would stop the HDD from spinning up,
and use the ram and cpu to decode the video. Does anyone know
anything like this?..,

It is indeed possible! Although it would be lots of work to pull this
off. And remember that many DVDs are also copy protected. And now you
have to hack the copy protection as well. I personally feel such a
venture isn't worth it unless you are bored to death and have nothing
else to do. <grin>


Cheers!


______________________________________________
Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD & Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within Word 2000

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops,uk.comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

funny thing is i was surfing one of my favourite sites

www.engadget.com

and came across a thread about a cheap media centre

turns out that theres a linux distro which loads to ram, then allows you to
remove the cd, its a tiny 7mb!!!! and supports all the modern codecs, i
think its called geexbox. as its open source, a little modding to the source
code and my projects complete, basically. I love linux more and more ever
day, lol. now if only i knew to program

"Veritech" <avis.dalrymple@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:TcY6e.9155$C2.3497@newsfe3-win.ntli.net...
> how much work we talking about bill
> "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote in message
> news:KNV6e.710$zq4.82@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Veritech" <avis.dalrymple@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:0IU6e.20566$il.3031@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...
> Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:46:20 GMT
>
> ... I was wondering if there was any program or hack, that would
> allow me to play dvd's without loading the os. I was thinking
> something like a mini os that would stop the HDD from spinning up,
> and use the ram and cpu to decode the video. Does anyone know
> anything like this?..,
>
> It is indeed possible! Although it would be lots of work to pull this
> off. And remember that many DVDs are also copy protected. And now you
> have to hack the copy protection as well. I personally feel such a
> venture isn't worth it unless you are bored to death and have nothing
> else to do. <grin>
>
>
> Cheers!
>
>
> ______________________________________________
> Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD & Windows 2000)
> -- written and edited within Word 2000
>
>
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops,uk.comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Veritech" <avis.dalrymple@ntlworld.com> writes:

> I got an old sony vaio laptop
> 700mhz
> 192mb ram
> 40gb HDD
> win me
> (i've upgraded it slightly, lol)
>
> I was wondering if there was any program or hack, that would allow
> me to play dvd's without loading the os. I was thinking something
> like a mini os that would stop the HDD from spinning up, and use the
> ram and cpu to decode the video. Does anyone know anything like
> this?
>
> If not anyone interested in starting a project along similar
> lines(i'm not a programing wiz, hardware is my biz, but i'll give it
> a try)

There's a Linux distribution called Movix which should be able to do
this. As I understand it you download the CD image, write it to a
blank cd, boot your laptop using this disk and insert the dvd you
want to play.

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Veritech" <avis.dalrymple@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:0IU6e.20566$il.3031@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...
> I got an old sony vaio laptop
> 700mhz
> 192mb ram
> 40gb HDD
> win me
> (i've upgraded it slightly, lol)
>
> I was wondering if there was any program or hack, that would allow me to
> play dvd's without loading the os. I was thinking something like a mini os
> that would stop the HDD from spinning up, and use the ram and cpu to
decode
> the video. Does anyone know anything like this?
>

You could hava look at http://www.dvdidle.com .

This reads the dvd movie onto your hard disk as you watch. It then shuts
down the DVD drive reducing power consumption from the battery while you
watch the movie.