Please help weird Problem wiv Magic 3

[Lord Lucan]

i installed an original Magic 3.0 in a New V7 Pal machine install went well i thought as it now boots PSX 1&2 Backups and original DVD games & backups but will just not recognise an orignal movie DVD in ps1 mode or ps2 mode ??? tried 100 different ways it will just not have none of it re-installed the chip 3 times now and the only media that will not play or boot is my original dvd movies even from the browser it just says reading disc and never gets any further ive tried alt W point still same. left of Z wire no effect shortned bios wires, change wire types, took chip out and they play fine???? what is causing this surely it aint the install as all other media are fine eg backups in PS1 mode it is a new machine any ideas??? magic my arse!

[ShadowKnyght]

could this be a laser problem - I aslo just had a customer ring back today - 2 months after I installed the Magic3.

All games PS2 and PS1 work - all DVD movies work even scratched crappy hire ones from the video store...

But then he just got lord of the rings straight out of the box - and it refuses to play - same with one other DVD movie - can't remember what he said it was... ah that was it - Shrek which he says worked fine before the chip went in...

Does this sound like a laser issue? as all others still work - and all moves are original DVDs...

The only thing I can think of doing for the customer is adjusting their DVD pot...

As all points must be connected fine for the station to work so well for all other media...

[Lord Lucan]

Thanks for the reply yes the only thing it can be is the laser the chip and install must be ok as other media are fine it is a new machine and original movies play ok wen the chip is out i dont want to start adjusting the laser or pots etc coz then i might get movies to work but have probs with backups etc, just how much does fitting the chip adkust a laser cant be that much or i wud have probs with other media maybe its because of my version 7 ive heard of SONY doing 2 different versions PAL 7 units one with cheap DVD player others not summit to do with where the pots are situated can any one confirm this???

Thanks in Adv

[ShadowKnyght]

Just wondering if any one else has any thoughts on the problem I highjacked this thread with???

I.e. all games and 99% of DVDs work with the installation but Shrek - which worked before and lord of the rings - both originals do not work. Lord of the rings being brand new - shrek being a DVD that worked before the chip went in...

Any suggestion would be appreciated - I will be getting the station this weekend to "repair" but can't really see what I can do for them outside of tweaking the laser which I would rather avoid...

Any known problems that could be causing this?

Thanks in advance!

[meyousikmann]

Just like the KH and VC problems that were evident with the Magic 3, you may be exposing another bug with a Magic chip. I tend to believe your problem lies with the chip, not the console, because you have stated that the DVD worked prior to chip installation and 99% of everything else works fine.

Simple test.....lift the reset wire on the Magic chip (which effectively disables it) and try to boot the problem DVD. If it boots (which I suspect it will), you're only answer at that point will be that the chip is somehow causing your problem.

Did the customer request the Magic or did you, as the installer, recommend it? If the customer was the one that requested it, and it turns out to be a chip issue, you can simply tell the customer that it is a bug in the chip and the only option is to change to a Messiah 2. If it is you that recommended the Magic, well....there isn't much you can do to remedy the situation. I would STRONGLY suggest that you stay away from adjusting the laser in any way. From experience....if you do it incorrectly, you risk burning up a laser and you will be out another $50-70 for a new laser unit.

[Lord Lucan]

Well after not getting anywhere fast on this subject i decided not to adjust my laser and i fitted a switch to dissable the chip altogether and now my Original movies play again. so this is a yet another major bug/incompatability prob with the magic 3.0 i was really tempted to mess with the pots but seeing as my machine was 2 weeks old i knew it cudnt be a laser issue as all my cd-r dvd rips and backup dvds played fine just not original movies after installing the chip, it may have been fine on another V7 PAL machine or earlier model who knows this prob/bug seems rare but i bet a lot more will suffice due to the later V7`s and now V8 well we all learn from our mistakes, and mine is i shudnt of been a tight arse and paid an extra £10 and got a messiah 2 but i wasnt reading these forums then to see just how many probs peeps are having with the cheaper chip, as the old saying goes u get what u pay for!

later............

[ShadowKnyght]

So pretty much the recommendation - short of swappping the chip for a Messiah2 is to put a switch on the station to disable the chip - which for the Magic3 is probably not such a bad idea - i.e. heat and for anti mod games etc...

As long as I can do it neatly so the customer does not get annoyed - say in the expansion bay?? so that no holes are cut in the case...

Are you sure that only the reset line needs to be removed - and not power as well? - to truely remove the chip from affecting the stations playback?

Possibly should add a switch to all Magic3 installation from now on until stocks run out - pretty much makes it a 3.1... although if Kingdom hearts works on the 3.1 and not the 3 then there has to have been some other code changes outside of just implementing a sleep mode...

[Lord Lucan]

Hi Shadowknyght! Yes u may as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone and get the movies working again and stop all freezing with games such as Vice city Kingdom hearts etc, i wasnt going to fit a switch coz console was only 2 weeks old but im glad i did now im learning more everyday putting a switch on just gave me more confidence on the installs, and for future custom mods etc. may even go back in and put an nice blue LED on with the switch

i just followed this thread and diagrams for the switch good luck!

http://www.ps2newz.net/forums/showth...t=magic+switch

[ShadowKnyght]

ok - people are doing strange things on that thread with thier switches - not just removing power but switching the chip to ground on the VCC line - huh?

removing power should be enough, why short the VCC input to ground?

Also so far no mention of disabling via the reset pin - I would prefer via the power as this will remove the magic3 heat build up by turning it off where as the reset line lift will just disable it...

All I need to say is - Power - on, power off....

if you remove the power from the chip i.e. connect the switch inline with the wire that grabs it from the main board and then just switch it off - the chip is effectively dead!

don't cut tracks! it is not needed!

Switching the input to ground is also not really needed but may help those who are worried about power on the signal lines some how being enough to power up the chip... I don't personally believe this could happen but hey - I am only an engineer...

Also you don't need to find this MCLR or what ever just cut power between the wire and the pad - that way it does not reach the chip at all!

The only thing I am worried about is the fact that even though the chip is turned off it may load down the signal lines that it is still attached to - i.e. capacitance of the wires, and low input resistance of some of the pins of the chip etc causing problems with the connection points... but if it works for most then why not give it a go...

Please correct me if I am wrong about this MCLR cutting thingy but as far as logic dictates - it is not required.

[meyousikmann]

No, as much as you would think simply removing the power will disable the chip, that is absolutely wrong. If you remove only the power from the chip, the PS2 won't function at all. Trust me, it has been tried. When I suggested lifting the reset wire, that was only a test to see if it was the chip causing you problems, not the ultimate solution. If you decide to go with the switch, it has to be installed just like in the link that was provided. No other method has been proven to effectively disable the chip.