ORIGACHIP JAP PS2 SCPH 15000

I thought that JAP PS2 owners might like to know how I am progressing with the OrigaChip. (There is a PAL version available) The v1.12 chip I ordered was faulty so I opted for the v1.11 (which has more wires). It was installed for me by Madeira Games who provided a good professional service.

I have since discovered that my configuration is non-standard. The installer decided to leave the original modchip.com chip in the PS2, cohabiting with the OrigaChip. This explains the automatic tray swap (see below) and the ability to boot with the Utility Disk (see below).

With this configuration, the following capabilities are proven (see further explanation):

1 Boots import originals (e.g. PAL) without swap
2 Boots CD-R backups with swap
3 Boots EA games without a special EA boot method (using DVD Region-X)

There is a tray eject in all boot methods imposed by the presence of the modchip.com chip. For import originals, the boot CD/DVD is left in the try which automatically returns.

The OrigaChip boots backup games (so far only CD-Rs tried) in two ways:

i) With the Jap Utility Disk (in my case v1.01) because of the modchip.com device
ii) With DVD Region-X or Action Replay 2/Gameshark 2.

JAP UTILITY DISK
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Booting with the Utility Disk v1.01 facilitates the swap with the backup. This has to be a game patched with the Universal Patcher to support this boot method. So CloneCD backups don't work with the Utility Swap method. EA Boot Method backup games won't play.

DVD REGION-X
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Because the OrigaChip boots import originals, I bought the PAL version of DVD Region-X. When the region numbers come up on booting with DVDR-X, I press EJECT and swap in the game I wish to boot. I press the EJECT button to take the backup copy in and when the blue lamp stops flashing, I press START oin the controller. This boots the game. Games requiring the EA Boot Method with NEO2.2 play with this simple swap method. I've played both NTSC and PAL EA backups with this method. NHL 2001 was made with CDRWin 3.8D and the others with CloneCD. None of these would play with the Utility Disk swap method.

STILL TO TRY
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DVD-R Backups. Very shortly I hope to have a Pioneer A03 and will backup a DVD original. There is no claim to be able to do DVD-R backups for this version of OrigaChip, but we'll see.

DVD Rips. I ran into the 650MB problem booting with the Utility Disk. We'll see what happens with the DVDR-X boot method.

So that's most of the mission accomplished, to break out of the Utility Disk straightjacket, away from CDRWin patching and into simple CloneCD backups.

See update to earlier post above.

[woodmaster]

Hi Charlie, Congratulations on a sucessful mission to dump cdrwin, patches and the utility disc. You said you are getting a pioneer dvr-A03 and i was curious what the prices are like in the UK.

Hi Woodmaster101

Thanks for your kind words.

The Pioneer DVD A03 on the UK costs the equivalent of cx. $600 US. I'm not buying it just yet, merely borrowing it off a friend for a couple of weeks.

[zoedee]

will he lend it to me to please

i had to try

Zoedee, I can do the bizzo for you though.

[Dal]

Charlie,

Pleased those EA Games work okay, enjoy your new mod chip.

Give us a buzz soon

Dal

Dal, turn your mobile on. I'll call you in five minutes. Got something to tell you.

See updated version of original post. Essentially, I've got two modchips in the PS2; the original modchip.com device and the new OrigaChip!