Need a cheap, small DVD player? Don't buy a Wii... yet!

Digital media company Sonic is working on a software-based DVD playback engine that will be included in a version of the Nintendo Wii due out in 2007.

However, that means early versions of the Wii purchased this year won’t have the DVD playback function.

The CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator is already licensed by companies such as Adobe and Microsoft, and the software is used in everything from consumer electronics, PCs, kiosks and automotive entertainment systems, to music download services.