Anyone got a DC that plays CDs?

[euan]

I'm tearing my hair out. I bought a DC, bought the LAN adapter. Feken DC doesn't do CDs. Am I doing something wrong. How can you ID a new DC? Can I replace the Bios, there seems to be so much conflicting opinions on all this. I just want to run linux, or netbsd. Why does it need to be so difficult? :( I just bought another DC off Ebay. Yet again it doesn't work with CDRs. :cry: Anyone got one that does? Care to trade? 2 for 1? :)

Meh wrong forum I know. Should have been hardware...

[flaming_carrot]

I could make you a modchip to play CDs but then I would have to have access to those particular bootroms.

Feel like desoldering a 44-pin chip and sending me? ;) Or sending a whole Dreamcast? :D

[fil]

before you go and do anything so drastic

STOP! and THINK for a moment

it could well be your cd writer, lots of cheapo writers dont burn dreamcast cds
do you have one of those crappy ones like lite-on, acer, or anything like that?
or do you have a 'good' cd writer?

[flaming_carrot]

Oh yeah, make sure you can actually create a correct Dreamcast CD! Not only the CD-writer may be at fault here ;)

[beetroot bertie]

Will it play a music CD?

[ptr.exe]

To test check to see if it will play a music CD-R.

Also, look on the bottom, on the silver sticker, see the box in the bottom right, that has either PAL or NTSC in it, what number is next to it? if it is 0 or 1 then the DC should read CD-R's perfectly, only if it is 2 will it not read CD-R's.

[flaming_carrot]

Wait, are you saying a Dreamcast that won't boot CDs won't even play an audio CD-R? If so, I withdraw my offer about a modchip; it would require a lot more effort than I'm prepared to expend...

[ptr.exe]

There is no such thing as a Dreamcast that won't play commercial music CD's. All revisions will play normal CD's but Rev.2 DC's will not play copies/CD-R's of music or games, therefore they're useless for homebrew.

[flaming_carrot]

What happens when you try to play an audio CD-R in a rev.2 machine? Does it complain or CDROM just can't read (spinning, seeking etc)?

In any case, offer of modchip hereby rescinded!

[euan]

Wow loads of replys, and I thought I'd get maybe 1 in three months!

My writer is an LG tri-media DVDR, IE it does DVD RAM as well as the other types. I have a plextor CDR around somewhere, and another DVD-R somewhere.

The CDR audio is a good idea, I never thought of that. Both DCs are type 1's, and PAL. Inside they have the new type large heatsink plate, not the heat pipe thingy.

I tested both with an Audio CDR and they both work. I still don't believe this automatically translates to working audio/data hybrids though.

Unsoldering a 44 way chip is no problem. Can they be reporgrammed? If so got any info?

All the cds I've burned have been the nero images versions of ISOs. So it shouldn't be a problem. Should it?

[euan]

I found my old plextor, connected it up burned the ip DCtool, worked straight away! :) The only frustrating thing was that it was my last blank cdr. :) Oh well another day I guess.

Thanks for the help!

[ptr.exe]

I think it's more than likely you're burning them wrong, i have 4 Dreamcasts (don't ask why) and they all read homebrew on the cheapest crappiest CD-R's.

btw, no PAL DC' have the old heat pipes, only a few rev.0 NTSC ones had that.

flaming_carrot, i'm not sure what happens as ive never bothered buying a rev.2 DC. I just know they won't work.

[euan]

I think it's more than likely you're burning them wrong, i have 4 Dreamcasts (don't ask why) and they all read homebrew on the cheapest crappiest CD-R's.

btw, no PAL DC' have the old heat pipes, only a few rev.0 NTSC ones had that.

flaming_carrot, i'm not sure what happens as ive never bothered buying a rev.2 DC. I just know they won't work.


I can't see what I'm doing wrong if all I did was change the DVDR to a CDR drive! :)

[parabolee]

WAIT WAIT!

Damn I just bought a Dreamcast from Ebay and I had no idea there was a chance I might get one that wont play homebrew from CD-R.

What about CD-RW?? Because the xbox wont read CD-R but will read CD-RW???

[ptr.exe]

No DC's will read CD-RW, you have to recab the laser much higher which will significantly reduce the lasers life.

There was a tutorial for this ages ago in the hardware forum.

[parabolee]

So if I am unlucky and get a rev.2 DC then I can say goodbye to homebrew?

Is there any soloution at all. And how common are the rev.2's? I never heard about this before?

[ptr.exe]

There really uncommon, i want one though. Are you in the UK? as i would swap a rev.1 DC for one. I wanna see if certain mods will work on it if tweaked.

[parabolee]

No. I'm from the UK though, I have two DC's back home but I live in USA right now. That is why I have had to buy one.

Hopefully it will be a 0 or 1 then. But if not I'll just buy another, not like they are expensive.

I'm super psyched to play all my fave Dreamcast games again. It's my all time favourite games console. I can't wait untill handhelds are good enough to emulate it. But I guess that could be a good few years.

But a lot has happened in the homebrew scene since I came over to the US so I really want to check some of it out.

EDIT - Mine is coming with the version 2 web browser, I presume that the rev 2's came with version 3?

[ptr.exe]

I'm unsure, i think the web browser it came with is not an indication of what rev. some rev2's may have v2 or v3.

Okay, cool. I'm still searching for a rev2, it's funny because everyone always hopes they don't get a rev.2 whereas i really want one.

[parabolee]

Well if mine is one then you can have it (for a fair swap). Thatis if you want a US one.

[parabolee]

w00t I got a V1!!!

I love my dreamcast! having a lot of fun with these classic games!

[Christuserloeser]

I got a lot Dreamcasts that ran thru my hands but none of them did ever refuse play a CDR.

[doublenegative]

Also, look on the bottom, on the silver sticker, see the box in the bottom right, that has either PAL or NTSC in it, what number is next to it? if it is 0 or 1 then the DC should read CD-R's perfectly, only if it is 2 will it not read CD-R's.

Can a v2 DC load from CD-R if you boot from a pressed boot-disc (like the GameShark CDX) then swap?

[parabolee]

No I believe that it will not read CD-R's at all, not even CD's I think. I don't think Audio CD's will run on it either. But I may be wrong.