What about using audio CD instead of CD -> DVD conversion?

[daro_dehner]

Dunno if someone already posted it... however....

My mind came back to some years ago, when Drakonite introduced the UMCDR idea to make ps2menu (ah so many memories) reading CDs without any modchip. Later (as someone probably remebers) the project was taken by the great Eugene Plotnikov in his SMS and he introduced CDDAFS.

So my question is: would it be possible to add any CDDAFS support to ESR?

I thought HDloader can emulate cds.... so the problem is "only" with the MECHACON being able to autenicate cds.... and here it comes CDDAFS...
But probably I'm missing something... I'd like to know what ffgriever (or other programmers of course) thinks.

I attached the first SMS release in the hope it can be of some help: it includes CDDAFS infos & patcher

Bye and thanks to all ps2 developers.

[lsd_us3r]

Someone asked something similar already,
I can't find the thread but basicly I think the problem was that with this solution the driver to read CDDAFS would need to reside in memory which will bring problems with the games. The thread kind of ended with the announcement of a psx emulator that would allow you to play psx games. If i find the thread I'll post the link.

[dlanor]

In fact there is another and much more serious problem with using methods like UMCDR/CDDAFS for executable programs, such as PS2 games.

The CDDA tracks have absolutely no error correction (no ECC fields), nor even simple error detection, so all bit errors in the read data will be accepted as correct bits. This does not matter in a pure audio stream, which is all that these CDDA tracks were designed to handle, and to a limited extent the same reasoning also applies to media files as used by SMS, but when such insecure tracks are used to carry generic program and data files that is no longer true.

Even a single bit error can cause a program to crash, and is almost certain to do so if that opcode is executed during the program run. And in reading raw CD data without any error-detection retries, we must expect quite a lot of errors.

And that is the real reason why such formats are unsuitable for running games (or other programs).

Best regards: dlanor

[lsd_us3r]

what about using cd-extra or cd-enhanced format,

Enhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both compact disc and CD-ROM players.

The primary data formats for Enhanced CD disks are mixed mode (Yellow Book/Red Book), CD-i, hidden track, and multisession (Blue Book).

The technology was popular in the late 90s with the increase of computer usage. Music CDs often included music videos, wallpapers, and other various content. However, more recently, acts wishing to include enhanced content often include a DVD instead, with the advantage of it playing in both a computer's DVD-ROM drive and in a standard DVD player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_CD

I think I have two old cd's that include data, I'll see if my PS2 can read them.

[dlanor]

Originally Posted by lsd_us3r

what about using cd-extra or cd-enhanced format,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_CD

I think I have two old cd's that include data, I'll see if my PS2 can read them.

I haven't tested it myself, but the PS2 should regard these mixed formats as potential game carriers, and therefore refuse access to them on burned media.

Several PS1 games did use a mixture of data tracks and CDDA tracks and such disks should definitely be considered as game carriers by the mechacon code.

Like I said, I haven't tested it myself (due to lack of such mixed-format discs), but I suspect that the mechacon will only allow 'pure' CDDA discs to be read from burned media.

Best regards: dlanor

[lsd_us3r]

Due to the election thing I'm not at my house and don't have my PS2 accessible. As soon as I can I will test if the PS2 can read original mixed mode cd's. If it works I'll make a backup in a cd-rw and see if the ps2 reads it.

[_ZedHqX4_]

I have tested this, the ps2 can read the audio tracks, but it wont give any kind of access to the data track, i tried both a psx copy as well as an old pc game: Jedi Knight (original)