DVD Burner and PS2 Backup - Please help

[Nguyen]

Hi guys,

I am a newbie. I have never made a PS2 backup before, and have also never owned a DVD Burner. I am comtemplating getting one however.

I have read lots of posts on this forum and have found them all to be very useful. I however have a few questions:

+ Am I correct in thinking that the modchip is irrelevant to the DVD format? I am thinking of getting a Magic 3.6. Is this chip recommendable? Can it play both -/+ DVD format?

+ I have a V5/V6 PS2. I think it should be able to play both -/+ format. Is this correct?

+ It seems like the only real benefit of the + format is the faster write speed (2.4x vs 2x). Both -/+ formats are widely supported by the industry. Is this correct?

+ From what I have read, the Sony is a dual format Burner, i.e. DVD-R/DVD+R/DVD-RW/DVD+RW. Is there another drive on the market that can write both -/+ formats? Which one is better in your opinion?

Any comment would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks guys!!
Nguyen

[bighap]

Mods play backups period. -r/+r doesn't matter.
I would get a Messiah 2 over the Magic 3.1. It is more reliable and doesn't have booting problems.
Your v5/v6 should be able to play both -r and +r.
Being able to burn at 2.4x over 2x is really the only advantage +r has over -r. Their 1x and 4x speeds are the same though. The downside to +r is that media costs more.
I believe the Sony is the only burner that does both -r and +r. I personlly like -r media as it is cheaper than +r.

[RAISTLIN]

-R is more widely supported on the PS2. Newer units have been reading +R (for the most part--some v7's have reported sketchy results). -R is also more compatible with older set top DVD players as well, but typically almost any DVD player designed in the last year reads either one well if they advertise reading at least one of the two formats.

Getting a multi-format drive is a good thought if you think you'll want to go +R for normal use (data backup, DVD Movie creation, etc.) since you may need to be able to revert to -R if your PS2 begins to have trouble with +R discs. You can probably save a little cash though by going with a straight -R format drive and apply the savings toward a better chip like the Messiah. -R/+R is more or less irrelevant for the casual user. Both media have to be burned to the same specifications for DVD Video compliance to play movies in set-top players, so the "extra" capabilities proclaimed by the +R camp will probably never be used anyway--in short you may be paying for extras you may never use by going +R. The only thing that cannot be disputed (though many have tried) -R is the most compatible media for use across the board for PS2 backups.

Good Luck!

Raist

[Nguyen]

Thanks guys!!! You have reinforced what I had in mind!!

Bighap: I would get a Messiah 2 over the Magic 3.1. It is more reliable and doesn't have booting problems.

What about the Messiah 2 vs Magic 3.6? The Magic 3.1 has been described to "includes all the great features of the Magic 3.6 ModChip, except for the Magic 3.6 Clip Design!". It this the only different between the Magic 3.1 and Magic 3.6? i.e. the "Clip Design"?

I have yet to lookup the Messiah 2, but will do so now!

Thanks guys!!

[bighap]

The 3.1 and 3.6 are the exact same chip except the 3.6 has a clip which reduces the number of wires to be soldered. Neither compare to the Messiah 2.

[RAISTLIN]

Messiah chips have been in development longer than the Magic's. The Magic chips are "copying" the Messiah design, but are not exactly as reliable or durable as the Messiah line of chips.

Think of it as Wal-Mart producing a knock-off of a Pioneer A-05 DVD-Burner. It would be cheap, it would be minimally functional, and likely to crap out shortly after the warranty dies or you burn your 100th DVD, whichever came first. A bit extreme, but you get the point. In this case--the best buy up front is not always the best deal in the long run.

Raist