Am I being stupid?? I have no idea. HELP A N00B

[ClintJCL]

So I just bought a new PlayStation2, S-video output, MultiTap ($10.50 for generic at radioshack!), extra controller, etc., and a dvd-burner all at the same time. It is a v7.

[ My last console was a Nintendo Original, and before that an Atari 2600. I'm a Quake3 man actually. ]

I intend to mod this baby as I would like to use my dvdburner to create backups of any games I might own.

I have been reading for a few days now about modchips. It seems they are all very ugly. I have soldered a few times to fix remote controls but I am very sloppy and would rather not solder. Also, I have a 2-year replacement contract with Best Buy, so I would not like to void that by soldering as the contract stands to save me lots of money in repair costs.

So that doesn't leave me with many options. It seems:
1) I can't boot directly to a cdr/dvdr backup because that seems to require soldering NO MATTER WHAT.
2) I can get an external USB mod chip but those seem to still require soldering at least 1 wire. (Am I wrong?)
3) That leaves me with one option: an INTERNAL no-solder chips (would require disc swap). But then I see that the SwapMagic CD/DVDs work on a v7 without a mod chip at all.

First off, I'm scared about the stuff I read that swapping discs wears your laser down quicker. Especially with cheap media (which is what I buy - 15 cent cdrs and 64 cent Princo dvdrs). I would rather not swap discs but this seems the only way.

So given that it seems I must swap discs, the SwapMagic seems to do what I want without ANY mod chip whatsoever. It also seems to be the cheapest solution.

The mod chip I was looking at is here:
http://www.modchipkits.com/pages/nosolderv5.htm

It is $12. No soldering. They also sell it with the SwapMagic discs for $30.

Is there a point in me buying this chip? Why would I want anything more than the SwapMagic discs?

Someone please help me on this, I would gladly take any advice given.

Thank you

[charlie_ps2]

You put your case very well. If your decision not to put in a no swap mode is irrevocable, then the path you are contemplating is the only way forward. There are limitations/risks.

1. To open up the PS2 you will remove the warranty sticker that voids the warranty. If you are realy careful it (the sticker) can be preserved but that's in the realms of luck not probability.
   
2. You are limited in the DVD-Rs you can play in so far as the one you use for booting must be larger than the one you are trying to boot. This is getting invcreasingly difficult as games increase in size to the max.
   
3. You will not be able to boot import original games - that is if you want to.
   
4. The tray swap force( which is what the mod does) will weaken your PS2' mechanisms over time in a way that internal modchips (particularly Messiah 2) don't.

Hope that is what you needed to read.

[ClintJCL]

Thanks for the quick reply Charlie!

1) I figure the people at Best Buy will not notice the sticker, and by that time I would probably have another PS2. Or at least, I could snag the sticker off someone whose 3-month warrantee has already expired. Wishful thinking maybe since I've never done it.

2) If I were the SwapMagic company, I would make sure my SwapDVD was 100% full. How hard is it for them to make a file of 111111s and fill up the rest of the disc? It's sad (to me) that that is an issue.

3) *IMPORTANT* Will I be able to boot import *backup* games still????
[[ I am not too concerned about the originals as I do not use original discs ever (I keep them safely stored, even with audio cds I never use the originals except once to rip them.) ]]

4) Tray swap force? Huh? You are talking about the SwapMagic CDr/DVDr set? I didn't understand the 'swap force' part of your comment but understand the rest I believe...


So........... For me & my current situation (I will put in a better mod chip in 2 years when my $25 contract with best buy expires) ... The SwapShark cds would suffice? I don't need any chip at all, just the cds only? Or should I get the chip whose URL I included in my top post...

(I have to wonder why no one has released alternate drivers for the cd/dvd burners that would correctly copy the playstation discs so no mod ship or swap is needed, but that discussion is best had elsewhere.)

Thanks again!

[ps2guy]

what charlie means about tray swap force is when you put the boot disc in (magic cd) it forces the tray out so you then can put in your backuped game and play

by putting force on the tray this will cause damage to the BAchips (not to sure) and the drice mechs aswell

the no solder mod will only allow you to play cdr based games i.e ps1 and ps2 dvd rips (not dvdr)

so there really no point in getting the chip ifi t doesnt support dvdr games

charlie i hope this what you ment about the tray swap force???

cheers

[cspot]

For now I went with the flip-top cover and swap magic discs for my v7. I'm able to play both CDR and DVDR backups without a problem -- as long as they are supported by Swap Magic. Once I find a game I can't live without, and that Swap Magic won't support, I'll probably go with the Messiah2, or whatever is the hot mod at the time.

The cover was cheap ($17) since I got in on the pre-order, so at the moment, money well spent....for me.

[ps374]

First off the no solder WILL allow you to play dvd-r in conjunction with the swap discs, you need both to play backups, the swap discs won't work alone.
Here is the basic concept
Basically the ps2 reads the swap disc and sees that its an original game either cd or dvd (you get 2 and use the one that corresponds to the backup you are going to play)
So once it reads the disc the s/m makes itself stop spinning
Now in order for you to play your backup you have to get it in the ps2 without the ps2 knowing you swapped it, this is where the no-solder mod comes into play, it opens the tray without the ps2 realizing it, so you put in the backup and it still thinks that its an original game disc. Now you push X and the game loads (if you use the eject normally the ps2 will check if the disc is an original game after it goes back in)
What Charlie was talking about "force" was that the nosolder chips open and close the tray faster and harder than normal (due to the fact that they were first made to be used with a gameshark and had a limited time to open and close as the disc only stopped spinning for like 10sec) the newwer nosolder chips are alot easier on the tray than the first ones.
Your warranty sticker can be preserved by taking it off very slow and put in safe place, if you need to use it again a good black marker used on the sticky side will fool anybody.

[ThAD0oD]

if you're only gonna use dvd-r, dont get princos.

(i got this from charlie's dvd faq) dvd-r have a lesser reflectivity than that of a pressed dvd......princos are 50% or below that of a normal pressed dvd.....so you'll be killin the laser

the covers will play dvd-r fine, but as far as cd-r go, theres no chance. it will not play 99% of the rips that are made, and even then a lot of CD games will not play. (theres a thread about it at ps2ownz)

eventhough you already got yerself a cover......i suggest a pre-mod, or send away your console to a modder.

[bronzemaxell]

ClintJCL:
since you've invested heavily on equipments such as dvdr drive, ps2 extended warranty, etc, why don't you invest on a pre-modded, save you a lot of headache.

[kizmet]

exactly what i would do, return your ps2 and get your 25$ back then invest in a premod and buy DVD-rs in bulk Verbatim or Riltek

[EnTiTy]

just stick a messiah2 in it but get it done by a pro not a cowboy if installed correctly you wont have one problem if installed by a cowboy you will have nothing but trouble charlie will say the same as me if its done correctly in the first place and the best mod is used you wont have a problem every ps2 i mod never comes back once chipped i simply dont have problem's ever the only problem anyone has when it comes to messiah is either badly installed or installed in an old version ps2 ie v3 the laser simply is too weak to play the games you will soon get fed up of swaping discs thats for sure.
EnTiTy