Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11674 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2001-10-05
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Subtitled in: German

Amazon.co.uk Review
Admit it: all in all, the PS2 is a pretty good video game console, but it's a mediocre DVD player. Easily the most major sin Sony committed against DVDphiles was the initial unavailability of an official remote control. Because the PS2 gamepad is a stunningly poor substitute for a real remote, Sony's official remote control entry comes as a welcome, but not quite perfect, solution.

Compared to most third-party PS2 remotes, Sony's design is much less childish. It's quite comfy, and, aside from a few extra buttons modelled after the PS2 controller (X, O, R1, R2, etc.), it features the same style as most of Sony's slick AV remotes. Tragically, Sony omitted both eject and power buttons. What were they thinking?

The supplied new software drivers add quite a bit of functionality to the PS2, making it almost as feature-packed as a regular low-end DVD player. Three-speed scan, slow motion, A-B play, shuffle, chapter program and other enhancements have now been added to the PS2's playback capabilities. Most of these features require the remote to access. Also, to use the drivers, you'll need to keep a PS2 memory card (where the new software is stored) and the IR receiver constantly plugged into a gamepad port--a minor headache. Also, while most of the problems with untimely frame skipping are solved, we still found the chapter rewind to be somewhat slow and unresponsive.

DVD fiends who can bear Sony's tiny control buttons will find this model easily the most functional of the PS2 remotes. While the PS2 will never replace a full-fledged DVD player, at least it now has a decent remote control that's on par with the big boys.--Mark Brooks

Manufacturer's Description
Stylishly modelled to match the sleek design of PlayStation 2, the Official DVD Remote Control combines performance and versatility by offering an impressive range of DVD viewing options, plus standard game control functionality. For optimum viewing, features include five playback modes, three different speeds of fast forward and reverse and a time search function. The official DVD Remote fuses total control of the PlayStation 2's entertainment options.

Customer Reviews

Superb!
If you really need a remote for your PS2, this is the one to get. It costs a little bit more than the "unofficial" ones, but it is worth it. I have seen many of the cheap remotes, and the quality does not even come close to this. It also matches perfectly the lines of the PS2. Included is a DVD player version 2.10 upgrade. You will need a memory card with 2.2 MB available to install it. If you have one of the newer PS2 versions you won't need it since it is already installed in ROM. All in all a complete and superb remote solution.

If you have a new Ps2 it's a great deal.
Just a small point that needs to be mentioned due to what has been written in previous reviews. New Ps2s do NOT need any space on the memory card for the drivers, as they already come with version 2.10E. This makes the whole proposition more attractive, as you simply plug and play.

Nice, but what took them so long?
At last, after almost a full year, the official DVD remote is released. You wonder why it took so long, it should definately have been released at launch, if not bundled with the machine. After all, you have just paid £299 (well, I did anyway) and you wouldn't expect a stand alone DVD player to come with no remote, or one you had to have physically plugged in with a lead.

The remote is nice, nothing to get excited about really, it feels solid unlike some of the third party ones that have been released. The looks fit in with the PS2 well with the ridge around the outside. However, the master stroke is the CD that comes with it that you can download onto memory card. It gives you version 2.10 of the DVD player and although it takes up a massive 2.2MB of memory card space (over a quarter!) it gives you new functions like slow motion, 3-speed rewind/fast forward and, most usefully, an on-screen counter. The lack of a counter had annoyed me immensly about the original player.

If you already have a third-party remote, it's probably not worth shelling out - perhaps Sony has shot itself in the foot here by not releasing it earlier. However, it is well worth £20 if you are at all serious about using your black slab to play DVDs.