Gaming consoles are already a symbol of sedentary life, but some still require users to get up and insert their games into the DVD tray in order to be able to sit down for the next few hours. Hardcore hardware modder Ben Heck has furthered the concept of couch potato even more by engineering a machine that automatically pops in the desired disc based on the user’s input.
This mod was engineered using the Xbox 360, since some models don’t have enough hard drive space to store games locally. It’s not the best-looking and takes a considerable amount of space in a living room, but it proves a point. The Disc Changer is comprised of a disc carousel, where all the game discs are placed and a DVD drive, all inside a rather large case that’s then attached to the Xbox itself. Outside the large case, there’s a large control that lets gamers pick which game they wish to play and run them instantly if they’re so inclined. Ben Heck couldn’t have put it better:
Let’s face it – everyone calls us video gamers lazy. Not true, of course. I’m sure it’s just a ‘coincidence’ that this particular build has been one of the more popular requests we’ve gotten for the show,
This mod was showcased on last week’s episode The Ben Heck Show, which airs every other week on Revision3, an online television network. This episode describes the process of building the Disc Changer, both software and hardware-wise, as well as showing it off in action.
As part of the project, viewers are being asked for their valuable input to "mod Ben’s mod" and give the project their own touch, as part of a contest. More details can be found on the show.
The Ben Heck Show is one of the over 20 shows on the Revision3 line-up. Revision3, funded in 2005, is an online television network that publishes its high-quality content exclusively on the Internet though many channels, such as iTunes, YouTube and its own website. The Ben Heck Show, which first premiered in September of last year, is a hardware modding show hosted by longtime hardware modder Ben Heck that features projects suggested by the show’s viewers.
Watch the whole episode below.
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