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mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:55 pm
quote : #1
profile : pm
Posts: 368
ive been wondering if it has ever been settled as to whether or not a cd-r damages the lens or whatever it is called. ive heard talk that it did, and that it doesnt so i was wondering if one of my dreamcasts is gonna die from cd-r usage.
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:03 pm
quote : #2
profile : pm
Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
Yes using CD-R's on your Dreamcast will slowly wear down the laser. It puts more stress on the laser unit. This is not a Dreamcast exclusive problem. I have heard people have the same problem with Playstation 2's and backup CD-R media as well.

If you want to extend the life of your Dreamcast as long as possible, use original GD-ROM's. Playing the occasional Half-Life or Propeller Arena is cool, but playing all CD-R's will definatly have an impact on the lifespan of your console.
  _________________
I'm already numero uno on Dark Helmet's hit list...
mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:10 pm
quote : #3
profile : pm
Posts: 368
i had heard that switching between a cd-r and gd-rom did the damage, is there any truth behind that? ive got 2 dreamcasts, black ugly sega sports for cd-r, good looking 9/99 grey dreamcast for gd-roms. would using a cd-r boot disc really put my dreamcast at a risk? cause i want to get pso v2 pal very soon and i wanted to know if my cd-r bootdisk would do very much damage.
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
JKKDARK
rank 21
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:15 pm
quote : #4
profile : pm
Posts: 415
Type: PAL
It means that homebrew games and emulators damage my Dreamcast? Confused
 
mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:19 pm
quote : #5
profile : pm
Posts: 368
if what nikon says is true then yes your emulators and homebrews do damage your dreamcast since they are on a cd-r, the damage doesnt affect your dreamcast very fast though. expect it to come back and get you in a couple of years though i guess.
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
Dreamcast â„¢
rank 39
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:19 pm
quote : #6
profile : pm
Posts: 923
Type: NTSC-U/C
No, using a boot disc won't cause any damage. The amount of data the system needs to load is minimal. Playing a game that's constantly accessing the disc for music / models / other components causes the most damage. Emulators will cause a little, but not much. The system caches the data and doesn't need to reload until you switch games.
 
mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:23 pm
quote : #7
profile : pm
Posts: 368
thank you Dreamcast ™, i can now sleep at night knowing that my boot disc wont damage my dreamcast, that was one of the reasons i sort of hesitated buying pal pso a while ago. now i dont have time to hesitate Sad
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
Dreamcast â„¢
rank 39
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:30 pm
quote : #8
profile : pm
Posts: 923
Type: NTSC-U/C
If you want to be absolutely certain that the GD-ROM unit stays functional, you can always get a modchip to bypass the region-lock. Though, that doesn't necessarily guarantee the life of your system if you botch up the installation. Very Happy
 
mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:35 pm
quote : #9
profile : pm
Posts: 368
ill just take my chances with the cd-r bootdisc and not even mess with a modchip, ive been inside of my dreamcast before and take almost everything out while putting it back together and have it still function. i keep getting stuck and not knowing how to take out the parts without cutting the thing in the way., im trying to get down to that metal plate on the bottom of the system so i can cut holes in it to help it ventilate better. but yea im staying away from the modchip, im not worried about my dreamcast breaking cause those things are so easily replacable, its if i play pso and it breaks i dont wanna be forced start a new character.
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
X
rank 10
Posted:
Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:19 am
quote : #10
profile : pm
Posts: 136
Do CD-Rs wear the laser quick? Or is it something that would happen over a gradual time of continuous use? I used to play a backup MSR now and again before I had bought the original. All my other games are/were GD Roms though.

I'm wondering if I may have reduced the life of my DCs laser, due to the occasional play. If the laser has been damaged, does it just stop working one day? or does it start giving errors?
 
Dreamcast â„¢
rank 39
Posted:
Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:29 am
quote : #11
profile : pm
Posts: 923
Type: NTSC-U/C
In most cases, the wear is gradual. You'll notice the Dreamcast will go back to the BIOS / configuration screen and ask you to insert a game. Another telltale sign is an unusual amount of activity coming from the GD-ROM unit. That's usually because the unit has to keep rereading the data it's having a hard time picking up.

The problem with reading CD-R media stems from the way the unit was designed. The GD-ROM format is a high-density medium with a lot more data packed into the same area a CD-ROM would normally occupy. When you create a backup or otherwise, the format of the GD-ROM format is lost (if you look at a real GD-ROM disc, you can see a special protected area towards the center). The data gets misaligned and spaced out. This can occasionally be caused by writing the disc too fast or overburning.
 
X
rank 10
Posted:
Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:54 am
quote : #12
profile : pm
Posts: 136
I see, thanks. My DC has never gone to the config screen, so hopfully not much harm was done.
 
JKKDARK
rank 21
Posted:
Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:06 pm
quote : #13
profile : pm
Posts: 415
Type: PAL
What about games like Feet Of Fury? (since it's an unofficial Dreamcast game, it was released on CD-ROM). Anyone knows how much it damage the lens?
 
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:36 pm
quote : #14
profile : pm
Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
I am not sure about that. I sure would like to find out. Pro-grade CD's in theory should have a lesser impact on the GD-ROM lens. I have been thinking of putting Propeller Arena on a higher grade disc based on this.
  _________________
I'm already numero uno on Dark Helmet's hit list...
Blast
rank 43
Posted:
Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:42 pm
quote : #15
profile : pm
Posts: 1285
Type: Pal
I have found from extensive use that playing cdr's on the DC does wear the GD drive a lot quicker. I had some imported games which I later got back ups for, I played Bomberman online backup extensivly as it had self boot and I was lazy to keep booting the original during server freezes. I did the same with 4x4 evo, Outtrigger, and Q3. I have got through a lot of GD rom drives so now treat them with more respect and use the original whenever possible.

I will aslo say though its not just cdr's in my opinion some original games are also terrible. WWP Pal is the worst offender this seems to access the disc from the second you switch on the DC and keeps it weering and reving the whole time the game is on. When playing online with WWP the noise form the drive could be quite distracting, I found playing WWP killed a few of my drives and does a realy good job of finishing off any that are starting to wear Sad

Laters
  _________________
Now have a working PC DC server courtesy of Segadreamcaster. Bring on the DC on line games yeeee haaa.
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