Install the DVD Playback Software • After a successful installation of the homebrew channel, it is time to install a third party (MPlayer). This third party DVD player will enable you to play DVDs on your Wii console. There are a different ways you can go about finding and installing new apps on your Wii, but none are more simple than the Homebrew Browser. If you followed last week's guide to hacking your Wii. 270 Responses to HOWTO: Install The Homebrew Channel, DVDx and Bootmii. Alex says: October 30, 2009 at 9:33 am. The bootmii installed, I backed the Wii up and everything. I loaded up mplayer, but I couldn’t get any DVD to play. This is all I’m really looking to do. Can i just install and use the homebrew apps without it.

After the excitement of the Wii's 'revolutionary' controller died down, a lot of us adult gamers began to realize Nintendo's missteps on the console: The lack of mass storage, HD support, and DVD playback, and a scarce online community were all reasons my interest in the console began to dwindle. If it weren't for Homebrew, then apart from the occasional first party franchise throwback such as Zelda, Super Smash Bros., or New Super Mario, there wouldn't be much of a reason for me to pick up a nunchuk.

So if you're looking to breathe some new life into your Wii, consider getting into the homebrew scene. What started as a couple of curious hackers has become a huge community of developers and users looking to bring some amazing new features to the aging console. Emulation, DVD playback, and the ability to run Linux are all made possible by installing The Homebrew Channel.

Big N plays a continuous cat-and-mouse game with Wii hackers, much like Apple does in the iPhone jailbreaking saga, but despite Nintendo's best efforts, the Wii Homebrew scene has matured, and the necessary software is easier to install than ever before. If you're new to the game, here's how to get it going.

Warning: Proceed at your own risk! If you read the documentation included with the installers and use caution you will be enjoying the fruits of Wii Homebrew in no time, but be warned that if you do something silly there is always that tiny chance of 'bricking' your Wii.

What You Need:

A Wii running the latest Wii System Menu 4.2 (of course, Wii Homebrew is possible on older versions, but the installation process is slightly different, so for the sake of this how-to, I will assume you have the newest update). HackMii Installer v0.6 and Bannerbomb v2. An SD card (FAT32 formatted) and Wi-Fi connection.

How to Install Wii Homebrew:

Download Bannerbomb v2 and HackMii. Create a folder named 'private' on the root level of your SD card if there isn't one already. Unzip the Bannerbomb files to your SD card. Copy the HackMii installer file, 'installer.elf,' to the root of your SD card and rename it to 'boot.elf'. Now fire up your Wii and go to SD Card menu in the bottom left of the home/channel screen. Insert your SD card. It should pop up a dialog asking you to 'Load boot.dol/elf?' to which you should say yes. This will install the Bannerbomb exploit which is what makes Homebrew possible. Bannerbomb will then run the 'HackMii' installer which installs the Homebrew Channel. It can also optionally install DVDx (which lets you use apps that use the DVD drive: recommended) and BootMii (which protects against bricking). Once that is done, you will have a new Channel on your home screen called 'The Homebrew Channel,' and the geeky fun can really begin!

Apps to Check Out

Here are some other apps to check out once you have Homebrew running:

• The Homebrew Browser: An app that lets you browse and install homebrew apps to your SD card straight from your Wii; without this, you have to remove the SD cards and copy apps onto it using your computer.
• Gecko OS: Lets you play Wii discs from other regions (DVDx required). Additionally, Gecko OS now includes 'Ocarina' a homebrew cheat app, reminiscent of Action Replay or Game Genie.
• MPlayer CE: A media player for Wii (DVDx required) that includes playlists and DVD movie playback.
• Wii-Linux: No hardware hack would be complete without the obligatory Linux build!

Have you used Homebrew on yourt Wii? Do you have any tips or apps to suggest? If so, leave a comment below.

This past holiday season, Big N’s little white console dominated the competition once again. Largely due to its family-friendly appeal and relatively low price, Nintendo Wii sales haven’t lost momentum since its 2006 release. However, for hardcore gamers, the Wii has always left a bit to be desired. Last generation graphics, few adult games, weak online community, and lack of DVD movie playback are just a few of the things that have led me and many other twenty-somethings to oft-favor a certain other console. However, with my recent discovery of the Homebrew Channel, I can mark one up for the Wii. I know it’s old news for some, but for those of you who always wished that glowing blue drive could play your games as well as your movies, it’s now easier than ever. Here’s how to it, no warranty voiding mod-chip required.

What You Need

•A Wii with system version 3.2.

•A FAT/FAT32 formatted SD card (no bigger than 2GB, as the Wii can’t read SDHC cards).

•An SD card reader/writer (or a USB device that can act as one, such as a digital camera or digital photo frame).

•”Zelda: Twilight Princess” for Wii (random, I know, but you should really own this anyway).

•The “Twilight Hack” (a modified Zelda save game that runs the Homebrew Channel Installer).

•The Homebrew Channel Installer.

•”DVDX,” a Homebrew app needed for the Wii to read DVDs from the drive.

•”MPlayer,” a Wii port of a media player that plays commercial DVDs.

Apps For Wii Homebrew Channel

Installing the Homebrew Channel

There are essentially two main tasks here: installing the Homebrew Channel, and installing the DVD player.

1. Insert your SD card into your reader and copy the “private” directory of the Twilight Hack onto it. Also copy the Homebrew Channel “boot.dol” file.

2. Insert the SD card into your Wii and delete your Zelda save file in the Wii File Manager (start a new game if you don’t already have one). If you care about your saved game, you can first copy it to your SD card and copy it back after you’ve installed HBC.

3. Before inserting Zelda into your Wii, flip it over and take note of the text on the inner ring. It will either read “RVL-RZDE-0A-0” or “RVL-RZDE-0A-2” – both versions will work, but you need to make sure you apply the correct hack (RVL-RZDE-0A-0 requires TwilightHack0, RVL-RZDE-0A-2 requires TwilightHack2, both included in the package).

4. Switch to SD view in your Wii File Manager and copy over your correct version of the hack.

5. Insert your Zelda game disc and start the game. You should see the Twilight Hack save game. Select it to start the game. Once you can control Link, walk backwards (weird, I know) until the Homebrew Channel installer starts. After a minute or two, the HBC will be installed and can be accessed just like any other Channel on your Wii.

Installing the DVD Playback Software

Once you have the Homebrew Channel up and running, you can now install a slew of great third party apps such as emulators, homebrew games, media players… even Linux! For now, here’s how to get DVD playback on your Wii with MPlayer.

How To Install Mplayer On Wii Homebrew Apps Download

1. Pop your SD back into your card reader. You can erase the “boot.dol” file and the “private” directory if you’d like (we no longer need the Twilight Hack or Homebrew Channel installer as it updates automatically and can be removed just like any other Wii Channel).

2. Create a directory on your SD card and name it “apps” (no quotes). Copy the “dvdx” and “mplayer” directories into the “apps” folder.

3. Eject your SD card and insert it back into your Wii. Turn your console on and start the Homebrew Channel.

How To Install Mplayer On Wii Homebrew Apps Free

4. Now you should see the two apps you just copied onto your SD card. Run the DVDX installer app. When that starts up, select “Normal Installation” and wait for it to finish.

How To Install Mplayer On Wii Homebrew Apps

5. Go back to the Homebrew Channel, insert a DVD movie of your choosing into your Wii and start the MPlayer app. To play the movie, select “DVD-Video” from the MPlayer menu, and then “Play DVD” (or “Play Title #1”). After a few moments your movie will load and you’ll be enjoying a feature that should have worked out of the box to begin with!

How To Install Mplayer On Wii Homebrew Apps Pack

NOTE: I should mention that while this method does work, the MPlayer software is currently pretty buggy. DVD menus are pretty hit or miss and not every movie I tried even plays. Hopefully they update the MPlayer software at some point, but I suspect it was more a proof of concept. There’s always a certain amount of risk with installing unofficial, third party software, but hey, that’s part of the fun.

Homebrew For Wii

In any case, the Homebrew Channel is a really cool piece of work and will definitely breathe new life into your neglected little Wii.