US Dreamcast Laser replacement

[Shozuki]

My Dreamcast's laser is dying... and I know I need to replace the laser unit. I was wondering if a laser unit from a PAL Dreamcast is compatible with my NTSC machine...?

Thanks

[Kron]

How do you know its dying?

And the drive units are interchangable.

[Lyris]

Yes, swap em around to your hearts' content.

[Shozuki]

cheers fellas, well it gets stuck on Street Fighter Alpha 3, but will continue to read it if you shake it and certain games with no scratches refuse to load at all (tech Romancer, VF3 etc...)

[endo]

Is there a general issue with SF Zero/Alpha 3, because I won a mint copy of this recently, along with some other games, and while they work perfectly, SF Zero 3 just refuses to boot. The disc is immaculate. On it's own it resets just before you would expect it to start, and even trying it with a boot disc it loads to about 98% and then hangs (I've got a Jap DC by the way).

I know DCs can be temperamental, but is there an issue with this game? It's doing my head in because I can't suss it out.

[yosai]

Endo, the game doesn't do RGB.

SF Zero 3 will not boot with an RGB cable plugged in to the machine. Iirc you will need a composite lead.

[moonwhistle]

Ditto for Super Street Fighter 2X, Vamp Chronicle and a few other Jap Capcom fighters. It's a pain because they look god awful in composite or s video.

I got rid of my SF3 Zero and got a PAL one instead.

[Pavey]

Zero 3 matching service does run however.
And there are patched copies of Super Street Fighter 2x floating about.

[Leon Retro]

I had a non-rgb game once- but I just took the RGB lead out and booted the game and plugged it back in once it had loaded and it displayed perfectly!

[endo]

Cheers for the replies- that's what it is then. Bastardo. Might try that trick with pulling the cable out while it boots. Is Chokousenki Kikaioh the same then? (just got that recently too, but haven't played it yet).

[Kron]

I wouldn't recommend pulling the video cable out and in when the system has power as its known to blow the videochip.

[Pavey]

Kikaioh is fine

[?L?w?]

I have a similar problem in which I can't get my copy of Dead Or Alive 2 to load up.
It will go to the "Licensed by Sega" screen and then it will go back to the menu with the clock and memory card options. The disk itself is immaculate, and it is only this game that my DC refuses to load.
I opened up my DC, and cleaned the innards and recalibrated the lens, but still nothing.

Any suggestions?