V12 (PSTwo, slim ps2) DVD-R problems

Hi Buffboy the popping noise U heard would probably be the mounting bracket for the external stand. I don't personally delieve in the hinge method for the (void if tampered)sticker, if U warm it slightly it seperates with ease from the caseing. Your problem with the reset switch is probably just missalignment inside the caseing,(the little reset boadr moved, or the ribon cable missalignment. The first V12 I opened I had a similar drama, scared the shit out of me. Go in on your new one & have a go whats the worst case scenario, you have to take it back again.
Hi Remy, the swapdisk method,do U have to swap the disk while the laser is spinning? As U can see I have no experiance with swapdisk at all.

 

Buffboy : You were too rough! If you're too rough on your PSTwo, you can have problems, and that's probably what happened when you took off the lid.

You see, the lid WILL pop off. However, if it pops because you're trying to take it all off at once, you might run across problems.

When you remove the lid (after opening the PSTwo, doing all the screws and whatnot) you'll see that the lid won't come off clean. You should be able to remove it in two processes. The lid is connected to the PS2 at two points. One point will easily remove, and the other will require you to slide the lid to the right a bit. If you do it right, you should be able to take it out no problems.

And yeah, the reset button thing was just a missalignment.

I thought I had broken my PSTwo when I first tried the fliplid, it read a couple backups, and then kinda died on me after five minutes. It wouldn't read any discs, it would just give me the browser screen.

That's when I realized that the spring was keeping the lid up, I then removed the spring and solved my problem.

And dix_fix : Nooooooooo, you don't swap while either the laser is going or the disc is spinning. Definitely not.

For most games : You pop in Swap Magic (CD or DVD depending on the game) you wait for the menu to pop up. When it gets to the menu, the disc will stop spinning and the laser will stop reading. This is when you're supposed to switch.

Well, this is for Swap Magic 3.3. Other versions may be different. If you're still not sure check out http://www.swapmagicfix.com

 

Oh, and as for the hinge method. Buffboy brings up a good point. I personally liked the idea of not ruining my warranty sticker. However, using the hinge method leaves this crease and streak along the edge you fold. It's easy to tell that my PS2 was tampered with, it's got this huge crease along its warranty line.

So, using the heat/remove method for it might actually be better.

 

Remy, Buffboy With my PSTwo & 2 others + 1 I stuffed & had to take back to the store,(good on you Kmart) there is no way U could tell mine had been pulled apart (that is the only thing they checked for before exchanging). Mind you the other thing U have to watch out for is the little plugs that go over the screws, when U prize them out with a screwdriver U have to sort of flick them out otherwise U run the risk of putting small marks on the caseing beside where they go in. These marks are see-able when U have the plugs in. Check Ur PSTwo & U will probably see what I mean.
Remy Thanks for the info on the SwapDisk. I thought that would have to be the case, but nowhere does it tell U that software takes over & gives U like a browser (stopping the disk). I agree NOOOOOOOOOOO way would I buy something that is so crude. I'm off To http://www.divineo.net/ to buy my slimtool & SwapDisk 3.3 I'm through with DMS4 untill they fix the problems.

 

Just for the record I finally had success with my V12.

1. I updated my Lite-On DVD Combo drive from a 451S to an 832S by using the firmware hacks over at clubcdfreaks.

2. I am having success with Verbatim DVD+R media.
Code MCC 003 (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation)

Without the 832s firmware update I could get DVD+R media to work but the audio tracks were falling and load times were longer. After the firmware update everything seems to be running smooth.

 

Wow, I didn't know you could upgrade like that with firmware alone. My personal computer is a Pioneer DVR-104, which is pretty outdated now. I also burn my backups using a LiteOn SOHW-832S, never given me a bad burn, but I've never burned anything faster than 1x ^_^"

 

midgarguy good to hear Ur up & running (nothing like the feeling of a job well done Eh! I use DVD Decryptor for ripping the games & Alcohol 120% for burning in iso write mode. Seems to work for me with -R & it is shit media (cheap) Hi Remy

 

I had no problems with dvd+r's on my slimline. Prince of persia 2, NFSU2, Madden 05, and nfl street 2, all perfect using ritek ridata 8x with swap magic 3.3 and pstwo fix

 

If you have a Lite-On I suggest you check out clubcdfreaks and download KProbe.

You may also want to install some of thier patched firmware. After some tests with different 832s firmware I decided to stay with the CG5E "patched" firmware with autobitsetting.

I get incredibly low PI and PIF errors [ 7/2 is what I get and the standard is 280/8 ] and my games play just as perfect and flawlessly as originals.

I always read at 4x and burn at 4x since that is the medium speed and read settings for my burner and media.
I use Ritek G04-R for my old PS2 and Verbatim MCC003 DVD+R for my V.12.

And RemyK313 you were right about that spring/hing thing under the lid. It was actually giving me trouble with my SlimTool. There is a small plastic peice that slides in there as part of the SlimTool set. The instructions say to slide it in exactly straight down but for some reason my PS2 kept caughing it back up. I put it in at an angle and then applied pressure to it and it straightened itself out on its on and clicked into place. I have one of the first versions of V12's made and there is documentation on the internet that claims they are made slightly different. So I figure that is why mine was acting so strange. Well, that and the firmware plus the DVD+R media.

And thanks Dix_Fix...
I use Record Now DX 4.6 (A clubcdreaks favorite) for everything except PS1 games and ISO creation. For that I use DVD Decryptor.

 

OK, im not gonna comment on anyones specific problem, but i found out some strange things working at a computer retailer.

first of all, DVD+R will by nature should work better in any PS2 because the difference between DVD+R and DVD-R is that they are competing formats developed by different companies...... can you guess who developed DVD+R?
a little background info:
ok, anyone who works with computers will remember back when CD-rom drives were all either Sony or matsushita standard.....
they were the two companies who developed CD technology, albeit in competition.
Simply, Sony and some tag-alongs developed DVD+R format, and Panosonic and some tag-alongs (pioneer,matsushita) developed DVD-R.
So naturally the PS2 has a little better handling of DVD+R.
well your mileage may vary with this one.
on to the DVD laser topic, SCEI knows that their dvd units were crapping out on people for no reason, even if they werent playing backups, just playing DVD movies was causing alot of HW failure.
yes the new ps2 v12 has a few improvements onboard the dvd unit itself.
i havent quite figured al them out, but just by looking inside my v12 ps2, i can tell that they added switching voltage resistors to the unit to improve long term stability.
for you this means, that when your older ps2 normally ran a dvd backup, it was probably increasing the voltage to the lens to be able to read the dvd, the new ps2 will too, but it has a voltage limiter, which just seems to make the ps2 not really try that hard to read dvd's.
so does it bother me? not really, ive found some dvd+R's that seem to have excellent success rate at working on my PS2.
I was impatient because i got my first dvd recorder, so i went across the street to my local Fred Meyer (NW USA only i think), and they had a sale on Maxell 8x DVD+R's 50 for 20$, ok so i found from experience with burning movies that DVD Decrypter does the best job, so what do i suggest?
use ISO read to grab the ISO, then use ISO write to burn it back to a dvd
seems to work fine for me.

 

I bought TDK 8X DVD-Rs yeaterday and my PSTwo Slim WILL NOT read them at all.

 

Yep, you're both absolutely right.
If you look up the official DVD+R sponsors,
you'll see that Sony is one of the bigger sponsors.

It makes sense to me that the PSTwo would read DVD+R better, I mean, its their own media on their own hardware.

And Freakusan, I used TDK G02s DVD-Rs on my V12 and they wouldn't read at all, neither movies nor games. I've been using all sorts of DVD+R media on it now, and every single one of them works fine. Everywhere from no-name no-brand coaster media, all the way up until the RICOHJPNs that I use now.

Anyways, yep, I've been making tons of backups on DVD+Rs and not had any problems using Swap Magic 3.3

 

What program are U using to read & write with. I use DVD Decryptor to ios read & Alcohol 120% to write the iso. This works 4 me, speed of the read/write could be a factor, the mod U are using makes a difference in my opinion. I always use the crappy cheapest media I can buy & don't seem to have many coasters at all, probably 80% > 90% success rate. I have a V7, V9, V12slim & have done many for others. I have also backed up many of THEIR ORIGINALS (right) for them to use with their newly modded PS2/PSTwo. None repeat none of these have come back to haunt me. 200+ & they have all been -R I find that I can't warrent spending the extra $0.50 per disk that they(-R)cost. As for sonys reading their media better or their format better that sounds a little off the mark asatru. A format as I understand it has to have rules, these have to be strictly adhered to by anyone who wants to say that their product is compatible, as Sony do with PS2/PSTwo. This is reguardless of whether they created it (+R) or not as is the case with(-R). Once it is off the experimental stage & they set a format it no longer belongs to the originator (only the rights of ownership i.e. royalties)the format belongs to anyone who wants to 1. pay the royalties 2. use the format & more importantly ADHERE to said format with a product that they are making.

 

Few days ago I've bought my PSTwo. It came premoded with Matrix Infinity modchip.

My first game I have burned is Lord of the Ring the third age. I didn't know about this +R -R problem so I burned it on PrimeDisc DVD-R(RITEKG05) disc at 1x speed. And game works just fine.

@RemyK313 where can I find that datecode?

Sorry for my english

 

I have one simple question....is the V12 slim PS2 worth getting? I have an older model, V6 I think and I have a ton of issues running some backup games with swap magic due to music skipping(WWE Raw vs Smackdown) or constant loading times (Spiderman 2) or sound taking too much to load (Call of Duty, I read the subtitles and two minutes later I hear the voices) and I read somewhere that all of this problems are fixed when you play them in the slim PS2. But I just got into swap magic and I dont know if it will be worth the money...I mean, I have like 60 DVD-R at home and I wonder if I will NEED DVD+R for the slim PS2....

is it worth it?

 

Hi All. EWRFan the problem U r having with Yr old PS2 could be that the laser needs adjusting. Maybe thats why yr having read troubles. The PSTwo I have is great (slimTool & 3.3 SwapDisk) mind U I tried DMS4 lite & gave that a big miss after many ,many, problems (only with the V12 all the other versions DMS4 is great). I have done hundreds of -R copies that work great in the V12, also my V7 & V9 +Rs as well but my results say that -Rs' work best im all mine, GO FIGURE. eh Remy. I've modded plenty of V12,V5>V10s never had an issue with -Rs. Have had an issue with the PS2/Two CDs like (Cricket2002, Crash Bandicoot Wrath Of Cortex etc), but that is another story. FYI I have a link to a 'laser adjustment' page if U's want it.

 

Gravis : The datecode is on the back of the PS2, along with the model number. If you look for it, there should be a number saying "4D" or "5A" or something similar, that's the date code.

EWRFan : There could be three reasons why your PS2 is doing what it's doing.
1.) Most likely, the media you burned them on was either bad to begin with, or is starting to go bad. The life of a burned CD is about 7-10 years, and for DVDs that time may be shorter (due to the organic dye). However, this is just a speculation, I'm basing it off of a study that found that the life of burned CDs is about 7-10 years, and I have no scientific knowledge of DVDs whatsoever (so just take that into consideratio) Try backing up your backups, onto better media, and see if it'll work for you if you suspect this is the case.
2.) You are using an old version of Swap Magic. The newest version is CD version 3.3 and DVD version 2.0. The differences between Swap Magic 3.2 and 3.3 are huge, and the differences between 3.3 and 2.0 are astounding. Compatability for games has increased, patches that used to be required (the ones on SwapMagicFix.com) are now automatically applied. If they aren't, you can special boot, and it'll try to do extra checks and apply the patches if it can. Also, load times has been fixed somewhat. If you're using an older version of Swap Magic, I highly recommend you get the newest version.
3.) It really may be a laser problem, I don't know anything about it. If the problems occur on games that are originals, that may be a possibility.

As for the PSTwo, it's just smaller. That's about it. If your PS2 is fine by itself, stick with it.

 

just thought id add that ive not had 1 game that wont boot on my slimline ps2 using ritek dvd-r white top inkjet printable g05 dye.


every iso i downloaded worked 1st burn at 2x.

also this is the only brand of disc i have managed to get a working backup of san andreas from an original copy after 20 or so attempts with other brands.

they were also pretty cheap too.

 

Pro'nob Its all good info. I didnt have any problem with San Andreas, burnt 1st go ISO read with DVDecryptor & ISO write with Alcohol 120% on cheap media -R. Must be lucky.

 

OK...I am new to this stuff, I have the latest swap magic since I got it less than two weeks ago. Also my normal games run fine, so it is not a laser problem I guess. The thing is that my neighbor's PS2, which is a newer model(but not the slim one) actually plays my backups fine without any of the problems I have.

I am thinking on getting the slim one anyway....


my last question....would I need to buy something else to make swap magic work with the slim model, or is the standard swap magic V3.3 and slide tool work fine with it?