N00b needing advice regarding my options with a new SCPH-90004.

Here I'm just going to reply on a few things, partly because I feel like it :) and partly because I was involved in an earlier post leading to one of your comments here...

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Originally Posted by SP193

In fact, it may make your console last longer

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Only as compared to using a modchip.

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SMB is not a real alternative to using USB drives!!

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For those who can choose between both it certainly is, and a superior alternative at that.

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For people like me who (For whatever reason) cannot acquire a drive for SMB operations (Or can't connect their PS2 to their network), USB is the only option.

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Well, obviously SMB is not an alternative for those without any networking, neither to a NAS drive nor to a PC network. That is just like saying that DVD game discs can't run if your DVD laser is dead.

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I thought that OPL's SMB streaming speeds across SMB were already sufficient to play games without stutter in their videos?

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For many cases it is just fine, though it still does not quite reach the full DVD 2X speed of genuine DVD gameplay on the PS2. So some lagging can still occur. But normally this does not happen in the form of the horrible stutters experienced with USB, but usually in the form of very brief and very occasional pauses, when the implementation 'catches up'.

So we might have say a 5-15 second interval of full normalcy, followed by a quarter-second halt of both video and sound, while the drivers catch up for lost time, and so it goes on.

Playback stutters on USB are much much worse, though still better with OPL than with USBAdvance.

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Swapmagic (At least for the late versions, I don't know about older, pre-3.6 SM versions) will stop the DVD drive for you, and allow you to safely swap your discs.

No risk of wearing your hardware out is present here.

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That is good then. I have to admit that I never use swapping myself, so I probably confused swapmagic methods with some other similar swapping programs which I have seen reported as requiring 'spinning swaps'.

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The disc recognition is usually not messed up here as the Mechacon would have already "believed" that backup disc you've inserted is actually a legit disc of the correct type it's supposed to be (The Mechacon would have set the laser to read DVDs or CDs depending on whether you inserted the CD or DVD version of SM).

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Which means that it then only accepts a disc of the same kind, which is fine if you're only playing games, but not so fine if you are using a complex homebrew setup where you switch between homebrew discs, DVD Video discs etc.

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If the disc recognition was really messed up, your laser won't and can't read the disc (And the rotor would be spinning at obviously incorrect speeds).

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I was not referring to CD usage, but to differing types of DVD discs.

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I know that my explanation isn't too clear here for some people... but basically I'm trying to say is that SM isn't quite full of faults as stated by several posters in this thread.

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I never said that SM is 'faulty', but I do think that ESR is better than disc swapping.

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In fact, it's quite comparable to ESR, but require you to jam the PS2's case sensors (ESR uses a software approach to "trick" the Mechacon and the game into allowing you to play from a DVD video format disc).

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And this means that the ESR trick is individual per disc, while the SM trick is something installed into the console. So ESR acts only on discs with the ESR patch, while SM affects the TOC updates of any disc.

In any case, while I never will be a fan of disc-swapping, I do agree that SM and especially SM3coder has an important role to fill in the PS2 scene of today, as it is the only non-modchip solution for the latest PS2 model.

Best regards: dlanor

For 9000x you only have to block 2 senzors , the A and the B . That makes the normal swapping technique easy .
But i agree with Dlanor , ESR is better . I have some games that freeze with the normal swapping but work fine with ESR . Minor disadvantages of ESR , can't read non patched games and fail to boot DVD+R sometimes .

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Originally Posted by SP193

You don't have to worry about SM3 wearing out certain parts of your PS2... under normal usage... it doesn't.

In fact, it may make your console last longer as it doesn't tamper with the electrical signals used by the Mechacon (Drive mechanics controller) that may cause strain on certain parts of your console (Whether this really happens depends on your console model, how well you installed the modchip, the quality of the wires used and the modchip installed).

I assume that you've gotten (Or have already ordered) a "Magic Switch" set for your console (To jam the PS2's case sensors)?

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I got a bit worried when you mentioned that set, but it was included in the SM3C pack I ordered.

Looking around on more recent videos of Swap Magic in use, I can see that the wonky method where the tray is pulled out using some tool is no longer used. Instead they;

1: Run the PS2 with SM with an open tray while the sensors are blocked
2: Wait for the software to start and the disc to stop spinning
3: Take out SM and put in a game
4: Play and close tray

Doesn't seem harmful anymore. However, if I run into freezing issues or games not booting I'm definitely trying ESR. I don't really wanna think about having to use a USB-loader or network solution due to worn-out laser, since my console is brand new. If I can get 1:1 playback using discs, I will be satisfied.

Just keep in mind that using quality media for your backups is key. If you use bad media, your laser will wear out faster. You won't notice right away, since your console is new, but over time, you will experience trouble reading games.

Luckily, I found out about this early and have used alternative methods to DVD, mainly my internal HDD. The only games I run with ESR are those that are not completely compatible with the HDD.

Note to self: install Dead Red Revolver on HDD again for testing. Hopefully the audio issue has been resolved.

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Originally Posted by TehJawknee

Just keep in mind that using quality media for your backups is key.

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Any generally accepted ones suggested?
I was thinking Verbatim DVD-R 16x.

yes they are good as well as sony .

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Any generally accepted ones suggested?
I was thinking Verbatim DVD-R 16x.

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Yes. Make sure that it "DataLife Plus" and not any of it's other product lines.

The use of good quality media is not only so that your burn disc will last longer (Data can be retained for a longer time)... it reduces wear on your console's laser (Especially on older consoles!!).

For dlanor, and to clear up some confusion which I've caused again....

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Originally Posted by dlanor

Only as compared to using a modchip.

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Yea. That's more or less the only same advantage ESR also has over other game launching techniques (E.g. loading games from a USB device or the internal HDD).

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For those who can choose between both it certainly is, and a superior alternative at that.

Well, obviously SMB is not an alternative for those without any networking, neither to a NAS drive nor to a PC network. That is just like saying that DVD game discs can't run if your DVD laser is dead.

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True.

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For many cases it is just fine, though it still does not quite reach the full DVD 2X speed of genuine DVD gameplay on the PS2. So some lagging can still occur. But normally this does not happen in the form of the horrible stutters experienced with USB, but usually in the form of very brief and very occasional pauses, when the implementation 'catches up'.

So we might have say a 5-15 second interval of full normalcy, followed by a quarter-second halt of both video and sound, while the drivers catch up for lost time, and so it goes on.

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Thanks for enlightening me on that.

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Playback stutters on USB are much much worse, though still better with OPL than with USBAdvance.

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Funny... I found that OPL had worse streaming performance than PS2ESDL... which means that it's possibly worse than USBAdvance... but I have yet to confirm that.

Only "normal" video playback without streaming seems to be "normal" as the maximum achievable performance of any USB loader.

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That is good then. I have to admit that I never use swapping myself, so I probably confused swapmagic methods with some other similar swapping programs which I have seen reported as requiring 'spinning swaps'.

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I think that it's also important to add here that the "spinning swap" techique does exist. It's actually the "poor man's" "Swapmagic imitation".

I have to admit that I did try it before, before I had ordered my swapmagic set. I scratched my 1st original disc in the process.

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Which means that it then only accepts a disc of the same kind, which is fine if you're only playing games, but not so fine if you are using a complex homebrew setup where you switch between homebrew discs, DVD Video discs etc.

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Right. This is also why SM isn't so suitable for certain *unusual* homebrew setups.

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I was not referring to CD usage, but to differing types of DVD discs.

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It's still the same. You'll get the similar results: The PS2 can't read your DVD when the laser is set to read CDs.

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I never said that SM is 'faulty', but I do think that ESR is better than disc swapping.

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I actually posted this to let the new users "know the other side of the coin", which is that Swapmagic is a commercial alternative to ESR.

I also posted this to prevent the new user from being misled, into believing that SM isn't a so good idea (I was misled this way before, but on a different topic: Modchips are really bad for v15-v16 consoles).

I'm sorry if you believed that I was directly referring to you, but I was actually referring to the overall "Negativity" against SM in this thread.

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And this means that the ESR trick is individual per disc, while the SM trick is something installed into the console. So ESR acts only on discs with the ESR patch, while SM affects the TOC updates of any disc.

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Actually, SM only tricks the media type (The TOC refresh is done automatically by SCE's CDVDMAN drivers when the disc TOC doesn't match), which ESR emulates certain mechacon calls that are banned when the PS2 is reading a DVD video disc (ESR patched disc).

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In any case, while I never will be a fan of disc-swapping, I do agree that SM and especially SM3coder has an important role to fill in the PS2 scene of today, as it is the only non-modchip solution for the latest PS2 model.

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Neither am I a big fan of it (SM's Magic Switch set causes my v16's case to "bulge").

I prefer USB loading, but OPL doesn't work properly with my USB case. That's also why I continued developing PS2ESDL.

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Originally Posted by DangerMouse

Any generally accepted ones suggested?
I was thinking Verbatim DVD-R 16x.

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That is a very good brand, and if the disc is the kind that ImgBurn and some other tools identify with the product code "MCC03RG20", then it is exactly the same as I use. And that is the only type I buy for single-layer DVD burning. (And I use Verbatim for other disc types too)

Best regards: dlanor

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Originally Posted by DangerMouse

Any generally accepted ones suggested?
I was thinking Verbatim DVD-R 16x.

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just don't go using cheap media such as IMITATION Dvds