Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd throw a message up here for you to see that it's perfectly easy to do just about any standard web function using the Dreamcast.

I'll be going now to set up my Phantasy Star Account.

--Dave

Hey, that's pretty cool. Are you playing with the DC hooked up to a TV? If so, what does the text look like? I still remember my TRS-80 and the gigantic text it made on the TV.

Yeah, I was using the TV. The text is large, but not too much so. Here's a couple pics to see how it looks. They're old and this is also an older browser version, but you can see how it renders text. The latest browser, v2.6, is quite good and even does Shockwave and Javascript.

One Gamer's Voice
SegaX

One thing to note with these shots is they're taken using a TV Tuner card on a PC. You get a 640x480 screen on the TV that isn't quite as squished. I've found the DC to be a nice alternative for dial-up if there's competition over who needs to use the PC. Obviously only one of you can be connected at a time unless you have two dial-up accounts, but it is often a useful alternative. Oh, and I do have the mouse and keyboard which are very helpful obviously. You can get by without the mouse to be sure, but then it's indispensible for Outtrigger, UT and Q3A. I won't play UT and Q3A on the DC since I have them on the PC, but I'm dying to get Outtrigger, it might even be better than Counter-Strike!

;)

Just for comparison, here's two shots of Soul Calibur on that same TV card.

Lensflare not added in Photoshop

Images not "enhanced to illustrate some features that will be in the final product"

;)

The only bad thing was my Phantasy Star disc is defective! The DC couldn't read it at all. HOWEVER, the Sonic Adventure 2 demo is incredible. It's exactly the kind of thing that Microsoft was missing at Gamestock IMO. Crystal clear graphics, gorgeous textures, SUPER speed and fantastic play mechanics. It's worth getting a $99 Dreamcast just to play that game this Fall.

--Dave

What TV card are you using? I'm thinking about picking one up so that I can play PS2 games on the pc without tying up the tv.

It's an old STB card. I know it's no longer made. I would suggest one of the ATI cards like the TV Wonder (I think they still make that) as your best option for an add-in. ATI would have been my choice if I hadn't gotten this STB card from a friend. I would still like to get a VGA Box for my Dreamcast (it outputs the signal in 640x480 to a monitor just like your PC would), and it's a damn shame that Sony didn't see fit to put VGA support in the PS2. Microsoft may or may not have this support in Xbox.

Anyway, your only option is to get a TV card and like I said, I think ATI is your best bet.

--Dave

They list three TV Wonder cards right here...

TV Wonder

Looks like the standard TV Wonder would be the better bet because it supports stereo sound. This is an add-in that sits in a PCI slot near your current video card. You can do capture of stills or movies too. This is exactly the type of thing used to get the movies on a site like IGN PS2.

--Dave