What do I need to know about the PS2?

[Fat Tone]

Just picked up a new slimline one for £92, and a few games for £8-10 each.

I also got an extra controller and 8meg card, for £15, an optical cable for £5 and a component cable for £8. On my LCD TV, component looks really blocky depending on the game, but DVD playback is great.

What is a good resource for PS2 info/hw/sw? Anything I should get in particular? I'd like to be able to backup the games I bought cos they are already a bit scratched (pre-owned) and will only get worse. Should I get more 8Meg cards for find a big one? etc etc.

TIA,

T.

BTW this was a 'compensation purchase' for deciding to wait on an XBOX360 until at least the HD-DVD refresh.

[Rakido]

Just picked up a new slimline one for £92, and a few games for £8-10 each.

I also got an extra controller and 8meg card, for £15, an optical cable for £5 and a component cable for £8. On my LCD TV, component looks really blocky depending on the game, but DVD playback is great.

What is a good resource for PS2 info/hw/sw? Anything I should get in particular? I'd like to be able to backup the games I bought cos they are already a bit scratched (pre-owned) and will only get worse. Should I get more 8Meg cards for find a big one? etc etc.

http://www.maxconsole.net/ is a very good resource (not only for PS2, for all others as well).

Backuping your CD's is very easy, just copy them via Nero or DVD-Decrypter on your PC. To be able to boot the Backup-CD's you need a chip built in your PS2.

What you really want (believe me, you want that ) is to add a harddisc to your PS2 and play the games from the HD. Check http://www.hdloader.com.au/ for more infos.

If you don't want/can't get the official HD-Loader on CD, you can download it either from the net or get HD-Advance (clone of HDloader, a bit more developed in the meantime). But you need again a chip to be able to start the downloaded program.


R.

[Fat Tone]

Thanks Rakido, I'll look into it.

[Fat Tone]

How about this:

http://www.swapmagic3.com/

[uberlad]

It's a good solution but does rely on you taking the front panel off the DVD drive and so far every one I have removed has snapped the little arms holding it in place. I may well just be a clumsy oaf, though.

If I was feeling flush I would definitely fgo for HDloader, however. My PS2 is approaching 6 years old and is getting a little cranky about what it will and will not play.

Uberlad

[Rakido]

that works too, but has (in my view) some major disadvantages:

- It forces you to install either an additional tool to be able to open your dvd-tray or use the Slide-Tool to achieve the same effect. I really wouldn't want to force-open my tray all the time.
- It doesn't reduce the usage on the dvd-rom

I stilll recommend chipping the PS2, saving you the hassle of SlideTool/MagicSwitch and offers lots of added features i.e. region free playback of movie dvd's..

And believe me, you still want a harddisc attached ... you have way faster access times and you save lots of stress to your dvd-rom


You might want to check this forum for lots of informations about chips, swap magics, harddiscs, etc. in the PS2 http://forums.afterdawn.com/forum_view.cfm/114

[Fat Tone]

FWIW I have the new (black) slimline, so no tray

I did have a quick look for chips, but most links for purchases came to a dead-end! Not sure I want to invalidate the warranty so soon either!

[Rakido]

wimp !


Divineo seems to be a a good address.

[Fat Tone]

Thanks, but don't you hate sites that make you want to clean your monitor?

[uberlad]

D'oh! Missed the fact that it's slimline.

In which case they sell a lovely flip lid that doesn't uglify your PS2 at all. And Sony are using a mture DVD drive technology instead of the cheap bit of crap that they stuck in the first generation Which should mean that it has no problems playing discs and won't go crazy and scratch them up

If you want to not modify at all then HDloader is going to be the way. It's also very cheap if you already have a USB Hard Drive enclosure with a drive in it.

Uberlad