Various PS2 Chipping Questions

[amanset]

I'm considering chipping my PS2 so I can get Xenosaga and a sane version of FFX. But ...

1. Which is currently the best chip on the market? DMS3? Messiah 2?
2. Do any of the chips play import PS1 games at 60Hz? (I heard a rumour that they currently work at 50Hz). Is it possible to play them with texture smoothing turned on?
3. Do the DVD playback features (removal of region coding etc) cause problems with using the official remote and drivers?
4. Do the DVD playback features (removal of region coding etc) cause problems with RCE discs?
5. I have an SCPH-30004 PS2 (bought one week after PAL release) and I have read that some people will not chip these due to the possibility of damaging them. Is this true?
6. Are there any down sides to a chipped PS2? Does anything not work as well after chipping? Especially regarding DVD playback, as my PS2 is also my DVD player.

[Saurian]

1. Which is currently the best chip on the market? DMS3? Messiah 2?
Messiah2 is perfectly fine.
2. Do any of the chips play import PS1 games at 60Hz? (I heard a rumour that they currently work at 50Hz). Is it possible to play them with texture smoothing turned on?
You can switch the texture mode how you like, the video display depends on the game region. PAL games will still run in PAL and NTSC games will run as they should.
3. Do the DVD playback features (removal of region coding etc) cause problems with using the official remote and drivers?
The modchip has nothing to do with DVD region encoding.
4. Do the DVD playback features (removal of region coding etc) cause problems with RCE discs?
5. I have an SCPH-30004 PS2 (bought one week after PAL release) and I have read that some people will not chip these due to the possibility of damaging them. Is this true?
This machine is not ideal, but can be modded.
6. Are there any down sides to a chipped PS2? Does anything not work as well after chipping? Especially regarding DVD playback, as my PS2 is also my DVD player.
Nothing at all.

[jimtendo]

edited

Saur beat me to it

[amanset]

Firstly, thanks for the reply.

PAL games will still run in PAL and NTSC games will run as they should.

Excellent. This answer caused me to reread the stuff at www.psxcare.com (a local chipper here). My Swedish isn't perfect so I often misread things. Anyway, they mentioned for the s DMS3 v2.0 (the most pushed chip round these parts):

"Nackdelen med detta chip j?mf?rt med Messiah 2 PRO ?r att Playstation 1 spel (inte PS2 spel) fr?n USA/JAPAN g?r i 50Hz ist?llet f?r 60Hz."

which translates as:

"The disadvantage with this chip over the Messiah 2 PRO is that Playstation 1 games (not PS2 games) from USA/Japan play at 50Hz instead of 60Hz".

I had misread this as being something along the lines of "the problem with this chip and the Messiah 2 PRO...".

I guess this is the big advantage of Messiah 2 PRO over DMS3 v2.0.

The modchip has nothing to do with DVD region encoding.

Apparently the DMS3 v2.0 takes away the region detection but the Messiah 2 PRO doesn't. I had based what I wrote on this as I thought the DMS3 v2.0 wa ssupposed to be better, seeing as all the places here seem to push it.

This machine is not ideal, but can be modded.

Why isn't it ideal? Can chipping it in any way damage or shortern the lifespan of my PS2?

[Papercut]

Apparently If you use DVD-R disks on an chipped, early model PS2 it shortens the life of the laser/drive unit. I haven't had this happen to me, and no one has ever fully explained it on these boards.

One thing to note is that the psone support of the Messiah 2 doesn't include stealth protection, so a handful of games won't work (Um Jammer Lammy, Internal Section, etc).

I think the DMS 3 has a few stealth features, but not enough to run every stealth protected game.

[amanset]

Apparently If you use DVD-R disks on an chipped, early model PS2 it shortens the life of the laser/drive unit. I haven't had this happen to me, and no one has ever fully explained it on these boards.

This is supposed to happened with the Dreamcast, so it is highly possible that it coudl happen with a PS2 as well.

I wasn't planning on playign any copies (although WE6:FE with patches was an idea), so this hopefulyl shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Basically, I keep with PS out for US games, but as I have to fiddle with cables I rarely play them, meaning I still (amongst others) have FF6 and Xenogears to complete. I also want to import Xenosaga and FFX (I saw the PAL version and do not want those borders). Hence the desire for a chipped machine and also hence my desire to be sure that it plays import PS1 games correctly.

One thing to note is that the psone support of the Messiah 2 doesn't include stealth protection, so a handful of games won't work (Um Jammer Lammy, Internal Section, etc).

Does anyone know where there is a list of games that detect non-stealth chips? As I said above, I am mostly worried about Xenogears and FF6. Coming to think of it, Parasite Eve as well. I may also import Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy Tactics (if I can find it).

[wod]

you should be fine with a messiah 2 it plays us ps1 imports full screen. playing copies on a ps2 u should use top quality media such as apple dvdr, verbatim , tdk etc

[will2003]

[quote="amanset"]

Apparently If you use DVD-R disks on an chipped, early model PS2 it shortens the life of the laser/drive unit. I haven't had this happen to me, and no one has ever fully explained it on these boards.

Yes, this is true. It's all about the different reflectivity of recordable media compared to pressed media.

To cut a long story short, here are the rough figures - the refelctivity percentage correlates directly to how much effort the PS2 laser has to use to read data from the disk, and in turn the life expectancy of the laser diode.

Original game disc - 80% to 90% reflectivity - very little effort for the PS2 to read

High grade recordable media (Verbatim, TDK, Sony) - 70% to 80% reflectivity - barely any more work than reading an original

Cheap, shoddy quailty unbranded or no-name brand media - as low as 25% reflectivity - almost 4 times harder to read, leading to massively accelerated laser wear, slow loading times, noise form the drive etc

So, as with most things, you get what you pay for. Given that the difference in cost between a no-brand crap DVD-R and a good quality one is unlikely to be more than one pound, it's stupid to use anything other than the best.

The reason that the older machines suffer more is because (a) they're older and have already quite heavily used lasers, and (b) they seem generally not as tough as the v5 and higher versions, that have a much tougher laser and completely redesigned laser mechanism.

Two more tips - always burn at the slowest speed your burner can burn at, especially if you're using an older PS2. And ALWAYS keep your discs spotlessly clean. It's no good following the advice above if the laser has to get through smudges, finger prints and so on before it even gets to the data on the disc.

Hope that helps!

Will.

[Papercut]

thanks for the info will.

I don't doubt it to be true, what with so many modders refusing to touch early machines, but there is so much contradictory anecdotal evidence about... glad someone with a bit of experience has explained it

[wod]

and plus why be that cheap and play copies on your ps2 anyway

[amanset]

Thanks for all the advice, chaps.

I guess (when Ihave the cash) I will just bite the bullet and put a Messiah 2 in there. If the machine dies after that then I'll just have to get another.

[wod]

why not sell it on and put the money towards a premodded ps2 with messiah 2 ?

[amanset]

why not sell it on and put the money towards a premodded ps2 with messiah 2 ?

Sad as though it may sound, I don't think my girlfriend will see it that way.

And I hope to get a modded Xbox soon. There is only so much cash in my bank account.

Apart from that, it is actually a very good idea.