Dreamcast Browsers

Photo?

I'm afraid I need a photo of it in order to include it in the list

 

I don't think so, Tectoy didn't translate any DC game. But I've got it somewhere, I'm going to check it out to be sure.

 

As I said, I've never seen both of these browsers but there were interviews in brazilian magazines with Tectoy staff saying that. For the Saturn I have a picture, but I think it is probably the built-in Netlink interface, most like the same they did for the MegaNet. If so, we'll never see this I guess.

The DC browser had it on magazines ads. But maybe some kinda mistake (even by me and my memories). I've got to dig into my collection and take some pictures. It'll take a long time though.


EDIT: My bad, I've found some magazines and I got the point of my mistake. It seems that Tectoy promised a translated version but only translated the manuals.

Here it's said that "Tectoy can release a Portuguese version of the browser still this year":

(SuperGamePower #88, page 10)

Funny thing. In the same issue they say it's been released with the american version: "It comes with the american browser from Sega"

(SuperGamePower #88, page 19)

More funny. On issue 87 it was already launched. "Browser 2.0 included".

(SuperGamePower #87, last page)

SGP #88, Year 7, July 2001
SGP (cover says #87, inside says #86), Year 7, May 2001

Wierd times for brazilian journalism. ^_^

I'll try to find the Saturn pics, but they may be the MegaNet version incorrectly used.

 

It's either browser 1.0 or browser 2.0 (without seganet). nothing special, already listed

 

The same in brazilian release. Version 2.0.

 

It looks like Web Browser 2.0 with portuguese manual. As it is the NTSC-U disc, I won't really include it as a different browser

 

regarding the Brazilian version, Brazil uses PAL-M right? If so, it couldn't have been the NTSC-U disc. Maybe it was the same software but with a different region flag in the bootsector? Either way, it'd be a different GD-ROM...

 

You can enable as many regions as you want on the same disk. Having diffrent disks for diffrent regions is not a requirement.

 

Brazilian software usually uses NTSC-U on any platform. The PAL-M output conversion is made by soldering some wires and changing some kind of crystal that generates frequency on mother board, nothing related to software.

The DC seem to have it handled by the bios, as you can see on that Region Changer app (does it output PAL-M only by selecting it without hardware change?). Never heard of any game with PAL-M in boot sector and even so the sotfware itself would be the same.

What about that Dream Passport with Mega Drive and PC Engine emulators? Do all DP have that feature? Does it have a different name or it's just the regular disc?

http://www.segagagadomain.com/dreamcast-ntsc_0/dpp3.htm

 

I know that, but that is entirely beside the point that I was making. My point is that it is an NTSC-U disc, with only the U flag set, not a JUE disc, so if Brazil uses PAL region coding, it couldn't possibly work on any of the consoles unless it was a different disc.

If Brazil uses NTSC-U for its region lockout, then that would make sense and would mean that this is the only GD-ROM necessary to be manufactured. I wasn't trying to make any statement about the actual TV format in Brazil or how the system handles it, just making an observation from a region lockout perspective.

 

this isnt my photo because it is at home and im at university but its the same thing

 

That is Web Browser 1.0, and it is in the list as just "Web Browser" - it is extremely common.

 

Yes, that's it. I didn't put 1.0 because the cover doesn't say so whereas version 2.0 has the version number on the cover.



Ok guys, I have updated the list and now it's time to unveil something: the 4 variants of Web Browser 2.0 that I'm aware of. These are:

1. Web Browser 2.0 with SegaNet (in CD case)
2. Web Browser 2.0 (in sleeve)
3. Web Browser 2.0 (in sleeve, variant)
4. Web Browser 2.0 (in CD Case)

1 & 2






And 2 & 3





Source of these photos: http://www.rfgeneration.com/blogs/oatbob/Dreamcast-variant-finds-2738.php


And what about number 4? this is one that I was aware of but it is not present in said article, Web Browser 2.0 (in CD Case) with NO SegaNet. This one is pretty rare (to me, but it can be bloody common in the States). I have only seen it a couple times in eBay, and the second time was days ago, when I bought my copy for $1.




It's really weird that SEGA released so much box variants for Web Browser 2.0 :S
Also, the discs have different labels and contents.


P.S. if anyone has a spare number 3, I'll gladly buy it to complete my collection ;-)

 

Pretty sure I have an extra III let em check I'll PM you if I do.

 

Here we go, the browser released by Tectoy:



The manual is in portuguese, but the disc is a ntsc-u release.

 

Like the portuguese Dreamcast games then. NTSC-U discs with portuguese manuals.

 

don't forget this one. I can now confirm that it's a different disc

 

Brazil is NTSC-U on ALL consoles. PAL is used only as color encoding so everything sold officially here use USA discs but either output NTSC video or have it's output modified so it can output PAL-M video. FYI, PAL-M is a 60hz video system.

 

I posted this more as a question, because the contents for I, II, and III weren't all the same disc from variant I as you would expect. I bought it in a lot, and I was concerned that the owner had just mixed up a bunch of games. However, inspecting the labels makes sense of these.

The disc for variant II is actually the disc from ODCM vol. 6 (July 2000). It makes sense that that disc matches, because it has the same demos, and was also the first magazine issue to include the most updated browser.

I am still at a loss for the disc that belongs with variant III. The disc I have is from ODCM #11. That doesn't match up because that disc features browser version 2.6

If anyone else has any of these, I would like to hear confirmation on the two sleeve versions.

Also, what's the difference between 2.602 and 2.62 ?? I have two copies of the 2.62 disc and am eager to learn about vairants.

 

The AT&T disc is not a playable disc at all. It's a CD-Rom you could use on your PC to sign up for dialup internet service. It's certainly a Dreamcast collector's item, but it's not a playable media.