Random Mod Chip ?'s from a Newbie

[mojo2185]

These questions are probably always asked, but i'm new so i'm going to ask anyway (so please be kind).

From my understanding... some sort of a Mod chip is needed to play CD-R based backups (i don't have a DVD-burner, yet...)

1. What is the best kind/brand/type to get?

2. How can i get it installed?

3. If i would have to install it... are there detailed instructions to install it? I hear you got to fuse wires and stuff, and i'm kinda worried about that part. I really would like to avoid screwing up my PS2.

Edit: Knowing what version/model of PS2 i have would probably be good info to know... so how do i figure this out?

Edit#2: Is there a general method that most use to make a backup? Or is it basicially "find your own method, and do what works"?

Thanks for any info!

[charlie_ps2]

I'll assume you have an original game to protect. You'll need a modchip for your PS2, copying software & the right PC hardware for the burning job: - e.g:

CD - Yamaha 2200 CD-RW for optimum read/write compatibility with the recommended CD copying software. An EIDE connected burner, should be placed on the secondary IDE channel else the device will slow down the hard disk & buffer under-runs would occur on non-burn-proof devices. Best software is CloneCD (see para 2 below).

DVD/b] - Pioneer A03 or A04, connected as Primary device on the secondary IDE channel. Best software is [b]PrimoDVD or Nero 5.5.6.4 on.

http://www.megagames.com, http://www.psxcopyworld.co.uk & http://www.ps2ownz.com provide detailed advice/downloads.

Basics are:

1 MOD CHIP
The PS2 should be chipped for backups to play. There are many available modchips; choose what's right for you. You can buy modchips from various sites such as http://www.kanection.co.uk, www.origachip.co, www.lik-sang.com, www.foundmy.com. Get installation of solder mods done professionally if you're not a soldering whizzo.

1.1 No Solder Mod chips Charlie's rating: 3/10
These are classed "No Solder" but are sometimes called the "R-Mod" because they originally came out for the "R" series PS2 (v5.x). The mod chips are internally fitted & sit in line with cables between the processor & disk drive. Those cables have to be removed, inserted onto the mod chip & cables taken from the mod chip to the disk drive. The task is not trivial but not unduly difficult so long as you take care not to damage cables.

The mod chip works by interrupting the boot process (of a specific boot disk) after certain read commands & then causing the disk tray to eject. You then have 4 secs to swap in your backup CD-R game whereafter the disk tray closes automatically. The boot disk would be Action Replay 2 (PAL) or Gameshark 2 (NTSC U/C). See para 6 below. No game can be booted that is > than the AR2/GS2 Table of Contents (TOC) - a limit of around 640MB or 71 minutes.

DVD-R backup games must be booted by a special process involving an original DVD game with a higher TOC than the backup you are booting. As many games exceed 4.3GB, this becomes the fine art of decimal places!

Import originals do not boot with this mod.

1.2 8 wire/5wire Mod chips Charlie's rating: 6/10
The two principal brands are NEO2.2 & NEO2.5/2.6. These are outdated now. NEO2.2 will play DVD-Rs on v1 through v4 but not v5 because the control pins are not available. The NEO2.5/2.6 will play DVD-Rs on v5 but with a very convoluted double swap method known as the "Dave Mirra" method. CD-R games are booted with AR2/GS2 or DVD Region X using a single swap. DVD-R games have a double swap mechanism & need a higher TOC DVD original game at the second swap stage.

The NEO2.2 is known to degrade the laser diodes due to the way it pulses its "fooled you" signal to the PS2, causing the laser to come on. If a capacitor is not installed on that signal line (pin 2), deterioration can occur at any time; with a capacitor in place, it will happen, but rather later. This is particularly true of NEO2.2s that take a 5v power supply, fed onto a 3.3v circuit.

NEO2.x is out-dated now because of the mod-chips that don't require the higher TOC DVD swap.

Import originals do not boot with this mod.

1.3 NEO4.x Charlie's rating: 4/10
NEO4 was announced in July 2001 & delivered in December 2001. It has 44 wires! CD-R backups (other than EA games) require no swap - they boot directly. There are special swap procedures for EA CD-R & DVD-R games. Import originals do not boot with this mod.

All in all, for 44 wires of install heartache, this is a disappointing mod.

1.4 Origachip Charlie's rating: 8/10
This modchip (www.origachip.com) is excellent. It boots everything. Import originals boot directly - no swap. All backups boot with a single swap using DVD Region X (best) or AR2/GS2 - any version 1.7 or later. This mod has 15 wires & is difficult to install on models earlier than v5 because 8 of them have to go on the CD/DVD Controller legs, less than 0.2mm apart!. There are no special boot procedures for EA games.

1.5 Messiah/Magic 2 No Swap Charlie's rating: 10/10
This modchip has 23 wires & is the ultimate. Boots everything no swap. As difficult to install as the origachip & so should be done professionally. This is the one to get. Cost range £50/$80 - £70/$100 depending on source & variant. Charlie_ps2 supplies Messiah and Magic 2 - mail charlie_ps2**********com.


2 COPYING/PATCHING SOFTWARE

2.1 CD-R Copying
Two programs are required: CloneCD & CDRWin. CloneCD makes 1:1 copies (tutorial at http://www.psxcopyworld.co.uk). If the game is of the same type as your PS/PS2 (e.g. PAL), CloneCD does the job perfectly. CloneCD is downloaded from www.elby.de & the site also has a table of supported readers/burners which must be DAO-RAW+96 compatible to make 1:1 copies.

If your reader/burner is not 100% CloneCD compatible, you should use CDRWin (www.goldenhawk.com). You will also need patch copy protected games (http:/www.megagames.com lists games for which there are patches & the type of patch required). CDRWin stages the CD copy to your PC's hard disk so that you can patch the game as necessary (per PPF-O-MATIC.EXE downloaded from www.megagames.com together with the patches); then you burn the game back to the CD with CDRWin. EA Sports games can be a challenge; if possible use CloneCD to avoid complex patching & booting methods. CDRWin requires an ASPI layer to be present & this can be downloaded from http://www.goldenhawk.com


2.2 DVD-R Copying
The most popular & well understood DVD-R burners are the Pioneer A03/A04. These are also available in OEM editions known as the 103 or 104. Burning software is PrimoDVD & Nero 5.5.6.4 onwards. Please go to www.psxcopyworld.co.uk for downloads & tutorials (or www.nero.com for Nero download). Most people use cheap DVD-R media such as Princo or Infiniti burned at 1x speed. They work well in v5s & some later v4s & indeed in any PS2 where the DVD Laser Diode is in good condition.

Note that reflectivity of a cheap DVD-R (the key factor in working with the DVD laser) is about 50% that of a pressed DVD. Weak lasers thus have difficulty reading cheaper DVD-Rs. Mitsui & Verbatim DVD-Rs usually work if DVDs work.

The DVD-R burners are not good CD-R burners for PS2 purposes as they do not support RAW+96; hence CloneCD will not produce 1:1 copies.

DVD games on PS2 are not copy protected.

DVD+R: DVD-R is what can be read on PS2s v1-v5. DVD+R is a competing standard supported by the likes of Sony, Philips. HP & can only be read on PS2 with tip-top condition lasers. So if you have a DVD+R burner (which burns 20% faster than DVD-R), be aware that the disks might noy play on PS2 models earlier than v5.


3 CD-RW/DVD-RW

CD-RW have a dye layer sensitive to heat at around 300 degC & scrambles to a burnable state when erased in a CD-RW burner. However when burned, its optical characteristics lie just outside the band set for the PS2 & thus cannot be read (except in the v5 onwards where it's at the margin). The laser can be re-calibrated for CD-RW in which case CD & CD-R would then not work.

DVD-RW works in a v5 PS2 which has a different laser & firmware from its predecessors. The Pioneer A03/A04 burns DVD-RW.


4 NTSC/PAL
If you copy games from one TV standard (like NTSC) to play on another (like PAL) then the game might not play in colour. There are patches to change this (don't always work); or you could buy a convertor that sits between your TV & the PS/PS2. For UK users, www.maplin.co.uk offer a very effective NTSC to PAL convertor at both AV & RF level.

The problem is easier to solve for PAL TVs than for NTSC. Modern PAL TVs play NTSC through one of the AV ports & certain multi-system NTSC TVs (http://www.dvdoverseas.com/store/index.html?catalog55_0.html) recognise PAL.


5 DVD RIPPING
Ripping is when you downsize a DVD game to CD-R via a very complex hit/miss process. This is the DVD Rip method & a search on the forum with this key will reveal all. The main problem is squeezing a 4.5GB game onto 640MB of CD-R. DVD games are packed with movies critical to the plot that can't all be taken across to a CD-R. Avoid doing this if you can.


6 BOOT PROGRAMS
To boot backup games on PS2, you must load them behind special boot programs called Action Replay 2, Gameshark 2 or DVD Region X (tutorial on http://www.psxcopyworld.co.uk ).

These programs are designed to pause the PS2 while you either select some codes or swap in a DVD Movie from a different region. If you happen to have a modchip installed, you can also swap in another game and continue the boot process with the swapped game.

With the Messiah class chip, AR2/GS2/DVD Region X are not needed for booting games.


7 WHY ALL THIS?
Why is this all necessary? Sony have tried to stop you using copied games by going through some clever pre-boot stuff that identifies from data & deviations pressed into the pre-groove section of the CD/DVD whether or not the media is original. So we must fool the PS2 into thinking that a valid game has been booted..


Good luck & keep us posted.

[mojo2185]

Yes i do have a owned game i would like to backup (hopefully all of them), my dogs already ate one of them (Red Card Soccer), and it don't work any more

1. The modchips... Based on what i've found, and heard (and what you told me), i think i'll consider the messiah modchip.

2. I have CloneCD 4.0.1.3... but as far as checking how compatible my CD-RW drive is... not too sure. I got a generic one that came with my Compaq (which is around 2 years old). I'm guessing i'll need a better CD-RW drive. (any good ones to recommend?) I'd prefer to use CloneCD to avoid patching, which sounds like a hassle.

I'm considering a DVD-R drive (not a DVD+R, not really sure of the difference, but i hear DVD+R are bad for PS2), but the above post mentioned that they are not good for CD based games? So i would actually need a CD-RW drive, and a DVD-R drive to backup all types of games?

4. I don't have to worry about PAL/NTSC, i'm pretty sure all my games are NTSC.

EDIT: How can i tell if a game is protected or not? Above post mentioned that DVD games are not protected... are all CD games protected? How do i 'unprotect' them, so i can get an image of them? (with clonecd?)

EDIT2: How do i read a cd that i want an image of? Use the CD-RW drive? or use my DVD-Rom drive? does it matter? If i should use a DVD-Rom drive for reading, is there a good one to get?

Some other random stuff to add:
Ok, is there a place to learn how to install a mod chip? I'd like to learn how to do it, but most likely, i'll have it installed by a pro. I hear there's a good guy in chicago (which is good because that's about 30 minutes away from me).

Besides a few questions i asked in this post, it looks as if i got enough info to get started.

Thanks a bunch for all the info! It's really a help!

[BG]

Answers:

Question 1:
The chip that you will want to get now is the Messiah 2 (Upgraded version of the original Messiah) Contact Charlie_PS2 or Dust2Dust about purchasing one.:cool:

Question 2:
To check the compatibility of your current cd-rw drive, if you do not know what it is or the model of it, you will have to open up your computer and check. Once you have the info you need, go to this website and check for compatibility:
Clone CD compatible Writers! (http://elby.ch/english/products/clone_cd/writers/a.html)
If your drive is 2 years old, you may want to think about getting a new one anyway.... There are MANY good drive out there, just MAKE SURE it is 100% Clone CD compatible...:cool:

Question 3:
Definately consider getting a DVD-R burner.... The +R & -R are just 2 different formats. The PS2 has a easier time reading the -R discs... Most people on this forum use the Pioneer A03 or A04. They are proven winners in the PS2 scene...
I would definately have both drives.... It is possible to RIP a dvd based game to fit on a cd-r BUT its too much trouble in my opinion.:cool:

Edit answer:
There is a program called ClonyXXL which will scan the cd based game and tell you what type of protection it has on it...Most all cd based games are protected.
NO NEED TO WORRY.... CloneCD and a compatible burner will copy the protection and all....

Edit 2 Answer:
To make a image of a cd based game, just use your cd-rw drive. To make a image of your dvd based game, just use your dvd-rom drive or your dvd-burner. (I would use dvd-rom to read with and use dvd burner just for burning):cool:

The guy in chicago I assume you are referring to is Bill @ Freedomlives.com (http://www.freedomlives.com)
He is very good...
If you want to learn how to install mod chips, you might want to consider finding a BROKEN PS2 and practicing on that... That way if you screw up, you haven't hurt anything important...:cool:

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR QUEST!!!!:cool:

[charlie_ps2]

Originally posted by mojo2185
...................

2. I have CloneCD 4.0.1.3... but as far as checking how compatible my CD-RW drive is... not too sure. I got a generic one that came with my Compaq (which is around 2 years old). I'm guessing i'll need a better CD-RW drive. (any good ones to recommend?) I'd prefer to use CloneCD to avoid patching, which sounds like a hassle.

I'm considering a DVD-R drive (not a DVD+R, not really sure of the difference, but i hear DVD+R are bad for PS2), but the above post mentioned that they are not good for CD based games? So i would actually need a CD-RW drive, and a DVD-R drive to backup all types of games?
In Windows get the properties of your CDRW drive. That will give you the underlying name. Look thatup in the supported writers section of CloneCD Help. If it specifies DAO-RAW+96 then it's fully compatible. If not, I've made recommendations in the earlier reply. DVD-R drive is no good for CloneCD as it doesn't meet the spec I just gave.

..........EDIT: How can i tell if a game is protected or not? Above post mentioned that DVD games are not protected... are all CD games protected? How do i 'unprotect' them, so i can get an image of them? (with clonecd?)
CloneCD is the answer in conjunction with a No Swap chip like Messiah 2 (which I can supply!!!)

EDIT2: How do i read a cd that i want an image of? Use the CD-RW drive? or use my DVD-Rom drive? does it matter? If i should use a DVD-Rom drive for reading, is there a good one to get?
The reading drive must be DAo-96 compatible. Best to do that in the CDRW; if the DVD-ROM is Toshiba, you's be alright.

Some other random stuff to add:
Ok, is there a place to learn how to install a mod chip? I'd like to learn how to do it, but most likely, i'll have it installed by a pro. I hear there's a good guy in chicago (which is good because that's about 30 minutes away from me).
Give it to Bill at www.freedomlives.com - 30 minus down the road from you! Don't do it yourself.

.........

[mojo2185]

Thanks for the quick reply.

As far as my CD-RW drive goes... all properties says is
Manufacturer: (Standard CD-ROM drives)... I'm running Windows XP Pro, and it doesn't say anywhere else who it's made by.

It looks like i'll be getting a new CD-RW drive and DVD-R (the Yamaha 2200 CD-RW, and one of the Pioneer DVD-R drives), as soon as i come up with some money, and i find where to purchase them.

Can you either post here, or private message me your price for a Messiah 2?

Bill's the guy in chicago? Does he have an email address?

A final note:
I can't fully commit to buying a chip, or getting this stuff done, because i don't actually own the PS2, my younger brother does. I REALLY think it's a good idea to do this though (especially with our destructive dogs who eat EVERYTHING). Convincing him shouldn't be too hard.

EDIT: How do i figure out what type of PS2 i have? something with the serial number?

Thanks a ton!

[lufcfan]

I have an all singing all dancing Plextor CD-RW which is fully CloneCD Compatible. Make sure you get one that is CloneCD compatible too! Very important for CD-R backups.
The Plextor drives are very expensive but they are worth every penny you shell out for them. They do anything you would ever want them to, they last ages, they are well built and aesthetically pleasing and they swallow any media you throw at them. Hell, you could probably make home made CD-Rs and it would probably read them too LOL!;) They come extremely HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The Pioneer A04/104 of CD-Rewriters! SUPERB...

[charlie_ps2]

Originally posted by mojo2185
................

Can you either post here, or private message me your price for a Messiah 2?
I've e-mailed you (or will do in a minute)

Bill's the guy in chicago? Does he have an email address?
On his web site given above

...........

EDIT: How do i figure out what type of PS2 i have? something with the serial number?
Read out everything that's on the back label for starters.

[mojo2185]

I'm pretty sure this is what is needed...
u3229524
i think that's the serial number?

[BG]

What is the SCPH-###### on the back of your PS2?