thinking about dvd r? have some questions any replies would be great
 

I'm thinking of buying a dvd r. If i have a usb mod and a gameshark for the ps2 will it be easy to backup games. What i mean by easy is the same as what the psx is. If i have to download a patch for games that is fine. I am really thinking of buying a dvdr/w. I am also not very experience in soldering (psx about 12 okay but 2 dead) and want opinions on the usb mod. thank you for any help.

First things first. There is no copy software yet announced that will do the same thing with DVD PS2 as CloneCD and CDR-WIN do for CD PS2. So we can't yet use DVD-RAM to make working backups. We await NEO4 and what's been posted for it in respect of DVD copies.

The DVD drive is a good investment for ripping DVDs onto CD - although the process is time consuming and you might as well buy the damn game!

As to your modchip/key question. Having a professionally installed modchip pays dividends because the wires reach parts that the USB port can't; so it does the job better. At the moment, you can only backup CD games.