GameCube:Panasonic Q Information

The Panasonic DVD/Game Player (SL-GC10), popularly called the Panasonic Q after its logo, is exactly as it says on the tin a GameCube and DVD/VCD/CDDA player combo by Panasonic (the OEM for the optical drives of the GameCube and its successors).

While very far from the biggest console flops, it didn't sell well either due to its high price making it poor value for the money right as inexpensive but well-featured DVD players became available in stores; of course, being a Japanese exclusive didn't help either.

At its core (literally), the Q is made of a slightly modified NTSC GameCube motherboard, with the analog video connectors being changed (the analog one going to the output PCB, while the digital one is merely extended); and of a modified and rearranged [[Media:panasonic_dvd-rv31_dvd-rv41_dvd_player_sm.pdf|Panasonic DVD-RV31 player]], with the "module board" located under the drive having half of the memory removed in exchange for other components that allow it to work as a GameCube drive.

Instructions

Game
In game mode, the added electronics merely apply power to the GameCube and pass through the optical drive and video signals through a nest of flat cables, optionally adding only a few audio filters and/or a 30/60/90/120 minute reminder.

While this results in an appalling lack of integration even by its better known direct competitors' modest standards (with the settings and controllers being completely separate, the Digital AV Out only working for games, and the Toslink output only for media discs), the flip side is that all non-drive mods for the GameCube (like the region switch, IPL chips, game exploits, Serial Port 2 accessories...) are directly compatible!

To directly run non-original software DVDs on the Q a compatible chip is required (most models are, but notably the GameCube:XenoGC's stock firmware isn't); the Q's drive is however supported by the software unlock built into e.g. Swiss – and the system comes out of the factory with a 12 cm DVD drive!

While all bottom-mounted accessories are electrically compatible, with all three expansion ports available, the Q uses a dedicated GB Player (the SH-GB10) that accommodates the console's feet.

DVD
Unsurprisingly, this DVD player made by a member of the DVD Forum and the manufacturer of the hardest to unlock computer DVD drives is also region 2 locked.

The region can be changed with the standard Panasonic RV31 service codes: for them to take effect, however, the elusive "Panasonic DVD Service Disc 2" must be inserted. This disc can be copied, but only on long-discontinued "DVD-R for Authoring" discs which require a matched drive to write, so most people will probably rather buy or circulate a pre-made disc.

Regardless of region locking, the stock Q doesn't support 576-line video due to insufficient video memory: a second chip and associated glue logic must be added to support these movies, as well as – with current knowledge – a proprietary chip interfacing with the configuration EEPROM's I2C bus to reenable decoding.

Despite the above limitations, the Q's video encoder has no problem generating a PAL signal!

The Q also plays Audio and Video CDs (but not SVCDs or generic data discs) with a proper IR laser.