Burning GC isos in Nero 6 or 7? Playing w/ softmod gc

Hey, new to the forums!

Would like to find out whether its better to burn clean isos (already run through wiped gc fixer) in nero 6+ or specifically 7.0 (not 7.0.1 etc)?

I know what determines if a disc works is dependant on:
- burner used (upto date firmware)
- minidvds with good dye (ridata minis best)
- speed burnt at (use recommended speed printed on disc)
- gc laser in specific models (adjusted POT if neccesary)
- gc bios used (diff bios can boot a game that another couldn't)

I have looked around I have read various post of sony burners being bad for burning gc isos (& nec, pioneer best). I myself have a sony dl burner & dont want to go out & get another....

Has anyone had any success with getting a disc burnt on a sony to boot? If it does boot is it playable & do you get DRE's?

Also has anyone verified whether playing burnt discs using softmods ONLY works with SPECIFIC units based on region & age? My cube is one from xmas '03 so i'm wondering will it work?

I'm going the ar & sd loader path as i dont want to deal with codejunkies for a max drive pro from what i've heard....bad cust service, missing boot discs etc & its too far from where i'am which is australia.

Thanks in advance!

 

My setup:
Sony DRU-820A DVD+/-RW (up-to-date firmware)
Verbatim 16x 4.7GB DVD-R's
CopyToDVD burning software http://www.vso-software.fr/products/copytodvd/copytodvd.php
GC POT reading 170 +/-5 ohms
XenoGC modchip

All of the GC backups ive burned has loaded up and ran perfectly...

EDIT: if you use fullsize DVDs, just tape the lid sensor down, or do what i did, and install a normally closed push button, so if you ever need to 'open' the lid, just give it a quick push (or hold it to change discs)

 

Hi thanks for the reply.

Do you think it would work if i was using a softmod instead of a modchip?

My current setup is:
- SONY DWD22A10 16x DL DVD+/-RW (up-to-date firmware) (this model from around Jan '05)
- Ridata MiniDVD
- Nero 7.0
------------------
- PAL GC from '03-'04 (has hi-def port if it helps)
- GC POT (not tested yet, but soon)
- Softmod w/ AR & GC SD reader

Some more q's:
- If I want to use full size DVD's I would need a replacement case/top? Was what you were saying about the tape done with a normal top?
- What region & how old is your GC?
- What speed did you burn the discs at?
- BIOS used?
- Have you tried miltigame dvd's? (containing nes, snes roms & gc gcms or dols?)

Last, but not least: was the pc u burnt the copy on a hi spec system (ie p4 3.0+)?
I only have a P3 700Mhz/192 sdram/30gb hdd with my sony burner connected through usb2. Will this be sufficient enough to do the job?

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to clear this question up once & for all as it was never answered properly or left idle in previous posts.

Cheers!

 

- No, i literally have the cass off of the cude, and have the sensor tapes down so it doesnt know that the lid is off.
- NA, DOL-001 (one of the first, it has both digital/analog outputs)
- In the program i used (CopyToDVD), i set a MAX setting of 12x, average speed is around 6x-8x
- the XenoGC (my modchip) doesnt have an upgradable BIOS
- I havent tried multigame discs yet, but as of this moment, i am downloading .iso's with NES and SNES ROMs (20.8% so far, both .iso's are in the same .rar file) to be burned on the same disc (1 system per disc of course, and this is strictly for my modchip because of homebrew coding etc...)

I recently upgraded my computer, $300 worth anyway (not a new system, but close)... Intel Celeron D 3.06Ghz (533Mhz FSB, 256KB L2 Cache, supports 64-bit computing),LGA775 MSI motherboard, 1GB of DDR 400Mhz RAM... but to be honest though, i have no idea if your computer will be able to burn it... i guess it all depends on the state of it at the time (meaning, dont have alot of programs running, close out all background apps that arent needed-explorer and systray if you are using Windows 98-and etc)

as for your method of modding (this being a softmod), i dont see why it wouldnt work... from what ive heard, everything is basically the same (excluding a few things, like my chip for example... its just for booting media, so the media has to be altered to run the same on my chip as it would with other chips/mods)... id sit around n wait for more people to reply (thats how i got all the info i needed to get started)... 2 people really helped me out, Venom(some numbers) and shadow82, id keep a look out for them, they should be able to help you out... if you need anything else, just let me know... or PM if you need links to certain things... and sorry i couldnt help you anymore then i did...

 

- Are you using NTSC isos? or PAL isos on an NTSC system?
- Have you tried burning using DVD-RW to see if they work?

I'd be sweet if rw discs work, it would save a fair bit of money....might have to set the POT really low before they are recognised.

Thanks for all your help!

 

actual i use both... my modchip as a region force mode (by holding a certain button to force a PAL game to load in NTSC, etc)... but i havent gotten around to using DVD-RW, just DVD-Rs... for you, i would suggest buying a 5 pack or somethin, so you can practice burning the games and making sure they load properly, then buy a 25/50 pack of DVD-Rs... and remember, always stick with -R, not +R...

 

It's not so much that Sony is bad, it's just that they don't seem to be too successful with GameCube ISOs. I myself use a LITE-ON SOHW-1633S, and it works great with everything as far as I can tell.

As for what the best media is, everything I've read points to it be Taiyo Yuden, but I have no idea whether or not they make mini DVD-Rs, as I just order the full size so I can use it on PS2 and Xbox as well.

Now about Nero 7. Supposedly, it doesn't work too well with GameCube ISOs, whereas Nero 6 does. However, some people claim it works great, but considering they're the minority, chances are you won't have too much success with it either. Try three times max, and if all of them are coasters, don't use it anymore.

It *might* be alright. This is completely dependent on background processes and the burning application though. It should be fine as long as everything unnecessary is closed while the burn is in progress, and just don't use the computer while it's burning. Setting the burn priority to highest might help out a bit as well.

It won't make a difference. Unless it's say, Mario Tennis or Mario Baseball.

They shouldn't work. Although, a few people have claimed to have successfully burned games onto them, so there might be a small chance of success if you're willing to take it.

Only if you don't want to play without the top half of the case on your GameCube.

Multigame DVD's work fine. For multiple GCMs just use Viper Multi-boot ISO tool.

 

Venom, DigDC really appreciate all your help! Will post back with results once I have tried out.

Venom, Which app are you using to burn the isos?

What was the problem with Mario Tennis or Mario Baseball? Are they the ones playing up & requires that you have the iso specific to the region gc you have? Mine is a PAL unit so would I need the PAL ver.?

I've checked out some reviews on the xenogc modchip & I must say its very impressed with this chip now. From what I have read its cheap & easy to install.

I want to get one now, but is there anyone in aust that sells these mods? The sites I have checked out are either in europe or us & they only accept payment by credit card, but none of them accept paypal etc.

 

I've used ImgBurn and Nero Burning Rom 6 without any problems. Haven't gotten around to trying CopyToDVD yet.

Yes, the problem with Mario Tennis is that it won't boot with video forcing enabled, at least not with Qoob Pro. The only way it'll boot for me is if I have video mode set to auto. Also, I didn't mean to mention Mario Baseball. What I should've said is Mario Kart Double Dash, as it does the same thing as Mario Tennis. So you're right about needing PAL versions in order to play them.

I don't recall ever seeing any sites located in Australia. You might just have to order from one with world wide shipping.

 

With some googling, I found out that www.eurasia.nu actually accepts PAYPAL! So I just ordered a myself a xenogc chip & it will be in my hands very soon (1-2 weeks or less hopefully)....cant wait!

Would it be better to get a gamebit to open the cube or has the 'pen tip melting' method proved to be enough to do the job without snapping of while turning the screws? Are there any other free methods?

While adjusting the POT, what can I use to turn the 'switch' eg.tweezers? Does clockwise reduce the reading on the laser & counterclock the opposite? Also have read it is VERY sensitive so the smallest turn could increase/decrease the POT value by 100's, this true?

Is there an option to set in the xeno to run .dol emulators & homebrew (alternative BIOS such as GCoS 1.5) from sd card adaptor directly w/o AR? or booting discs with emulators & games directly?

These are the Ridata minisdvds i have below. Are these the highly approved ones for burning backups?



Sorry for all the questions! Just asking what ever comes to mind that makes me wonder....can never have too much knowledge....especially if its gaming related.

Thanks!

 

it would probably be best to use the gamebit, but the pen method will work for now (it becomes a pain after awhile)...

just use a small screwdriver, that should work fine... and yes, the smallest turn can make a huge difference... if you had a multimeter (digital over analog), it would help alot... the best value for the POT seems to be between 170-220 ohms (if i read correctly)... i have mine set around 170, and it loads everything no probem...

XenoGC doesnt have an upgradable BIOS... its mian purpose is to boot the media, hands down... to play homebrew or emulated games (such as NES or SNES games), the iso that you download or make will need to be done differently, to compensate for the internal lack of homebrew support... me NES and SNES gamecube discs load through linux for example...

as for the DVD-Rs to be used... i think the best type of disc is a Ritek G-04 (correct me if im wrong venom)... that is the type of dye used in the DVD (the purple stuff i think)... i just use Verbatim 4.7GB 16x DVD-Rs... they are full size so my gamecube now lacks the top case, but they are a heck of alot cheaper (Staples: 5 pack of Memorex Minis-$20, or a 25 pack of Memorex Full-$20) , so if you mess up on a burn, no big deal...

hope this helps you out... glad to hear more people are going the XenoGC route (XenoGC rocks, woot woot! lol)... and if you ever need help finding a torrent (iso's, rar's, etc), just private message me and ill see what i can do... me being a fellow XenoGC gamer, ive found soe special iso's for the chip (like the NES and SNES emulators i mentioned earlier)...

 

Have noticed that the xeno is a very small with even smaller solder points. I'm not very good at soldering & have personally never soldered something so tiny before.....are there any neccesary steps or precautions I can do before the real deal (read on maxconsole: for eg. drop some solder on all 6 contact points before placing the xeno over & another drop of solder above)?

Btw is there a protective layer of something on the contacts that has to be scraped off before applying solder?

Can I use sticky tape or anything else to cover the other contacts while working on one contact to avoid bridging them?

How did you do it DigDC?

Might think about playing without a top like what you did as you're right bout' full size dvds being ALOT cheaper cuz they're like 20-50cents each when buying bulk. So I will definetely put that into consideration. Anyway I could always put the top back on if I want to move it to a friends place....

 

Do I need burn ISOs at 1x speed? I'm using DeepBurner and Samsung Pleomax DVD-R

 

i would use CopyToDVD instead of DeepBurner... and it depends on what type of media you are using... I use Verbatim 16x 4.7GB DVD-R's, and i set the maximum burning speed at 12x... if you are using mini-DVD's, then 2x is usually the recommended... but it all depends