Back up copies of PS1/PS2 games

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:03 pm

I would like to copy some of my PS1/PS2 games for back up purposes.

1) What would be a suitable burning tool?
I got advised Clone CD, which can be downloaded with a three week free trial, but did not test it yet. Which takes us to point 2.

2) What would be a suitable CD?
I got advised Philips CD-R 74 (650 MB) Silver Platinum, but I can not find these anymore in stores around, or on the Net.
Can I just use any other CD brand with any storage capacity of 650 MB or up (as long as it is not rewritable)?

A test run with a standard burning tool on my HP, Roxio Creator 9, using a Maxell 700 MB non-RW disc failed miserably.
Not sure if the game was the isse though (it was Gradius Gaiden, NTSC). Game started but there was only a flickering screen and bad sound.
Using a Maxell REwritable disc caused no start-up at all.

PS : I am NOT intending on pirating software, I actually hate copied games/DVD's and stuff (and not only for legal reasons).

it290 · Post by **it290** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:49 pm

I use Taiyo Yudens for everything. Very reliable and a coaster rate of almost zero.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:02 am

The PSX shmup game of Philosoma weighs in at almost 700MB and it's a 1995 released PSX game when most 1st gen PSX games didn't hover around the 650MB capacity benchmark anyways (was due to the very heavy usage of FMV clips galore featured in it which used up a lot of valuable CD-Rom space). ^_~

If you were to look at Squaresoft/positron's PSX game of iS: internal section, it is only a 206MB game on a 650MB full sized CD-Rom disc. I've burned it on a mini CD-R disc just for kicks (with a maximum capacity of 210MB of data storage space)...works like a charm on a modded PSX console. It's perfectly doable and goes to show that the PSX is capable of playing those cool small ass CD-R discs assuming if a small enough PSX game's data files can fit on them without any compression. ^_~

Even the the 1st gen PSX game of Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden Project weighs in at a low 43MB on a 650MB sized CD-Rom disc. And so much empty space that could of been used for better Redbook audio of the Raiden/Raiden II's cool BGM tunes instead of resorting to using Yellowbook audio format which doesn't sound as good. The PC version of Raiden II from Cyberfront/Interplay has Redbook audio and sounds awesome and was converted from existing PSX game files of Raiden Project anyways. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

ZOM · Post by **ZOM** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:11 am

1.) Try http://www.imgburn.com/ - best burning tool there is, no competition really it can do everything ranging from perfect 1:1 copies to changing your dvd-burner's firmware. Best of all: It's free of charge

2.) I always use Verbatim or Taiyou Yuden. If there's coasters, it's mostly because I messed up; the media is pretty much flawless.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:34 am

Another vote for Imgburn, I used it recently on something or other, and it works great.

kengou · Post by **kengou** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:02 am

I was just about to come in here and recommend imgburn as well. I use it for burning everything except dreamcast games (which need discjuggler) and it hasn't really given my any problems at all.

As for CDs/DVDs, I find that Sony brand works well (these are playstation games after all). Also make sure to always burn at 1x speed to lower any possibility of errors.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:43 am

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:The PSX shmup game of Philosoma weighs in at almost 700MB and it's a 1995 released PSX game when most 1st gen PSX games didn't hover around the 650MB capacity benchmark anyways (was due to the very heavy usage of FMV clips galore featured in it which used up a lot of valuable CD-Rom space). ^_~

If you were to look at Squaresoft/positron's PSX game of iS: internal section, it is only a 206MB game on a 650MB full sized CD-Rom disc. I've burned it on a mini CD-R disc just for kicks (with a maximum capacity of 210MB of data storage space)...works like a charm on a modded PSX console. It's perfectly doable and goes to show that the PSX is capable of playing those cool small ass CD-R discs assuming if a small enough PSX game's data files can fit on them without any compression. ^_~

Even the the 1st gen PSX game of Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden Project weighs in at a low 43MB on a 650MB sized CD-Rom disc. And so much empty space that could of been used for better Redbook audio of the Raiden/Raiden II's cool BGM tunes instead of resorting to using Yellowbook audio format which doesn't sound as good. The PC version of Raiden II from Cyberfront/Interplay has Redbook audio and sounds awesome and was converted from existing PSX game files of Raiden Project anyways. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Happen to know how large Vib Ribbon is? The audio is redbook, but the actual game is small enough to fit into the Playstation's internal RAM.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:37 am

DVD Decrypter works like a charm for my Single-layer PS2 DVDs. Both ripping and burning.

themachinist · Post by **themachinist** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:59 am

I use Taiyo Yuden DVDs. Never had a coaster in the 40 or so dvds I've burned (SO FAR).

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:27 am

Another vote for IMGBurn and Verbatims.
I never tried those Taiyo Yudens, because i can find no shop that sells them here.

5tranger · Post by **5tranger** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 3:41 pm

verbatims are great as they usually are more accessible (to me at least). there is a site for dvd media http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm so verbatim and taiyo yuden are just as great

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 2:59 pm

I downloaded Imageburn and again tried to copy Gradius Gaiden. I burned the disc image to my hard drive as an ISO file and gave it the game's title.

I could not find the discs recommended in the forum easily (without buying a minimum of 50 or so on the Net), so I opted for Sony CD-R's of 700 MB.

The game did not even boot

Then I again gave it a go with Roxio Creator 9 and the Sony disc's, which gave the earlier result : Game boot's fine, music is scr*wed up or missing, game crashes and continues during opening FMW, but game itself game runs OK (except the music).
So in the end it is a playable copy, but not a good one!

Maybe I can try another game (is GG is copy protected)? Imageburn looks pretty foolproof to me, not sure if I have to amend any settings.

Any other hints on in copying PS1 games? If it really is the disc that matters, I will search the net for TY's or other brand again. Quite frustrating frankly that 'just copying a disc' does not seem to be an easy task.

charlie chong · Post by **charlie chong** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 3:06 pm

these errors sound like the usual problems when you burn a disc at too fast a speed (not many cdr drives can burn at 1x anymore) or the cdr is a brand the ps2 doesn't like
that ps2 laser is very very picky.
it wont be imgburns fault anyways!

jonny5 · Post by **jonny5** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 3:20 pm

Specineff wrote:DVD Decrypter works like a charm for my Single-layer PS2 DVDs. Both ripping and burning.

this is what is now called imgburn

as for the error issues it might be in the way its being ripped.....you must rip it as raw DAO(disc-at-once)....if you do it as TAO(track-at-once) you will have the audio issues....also, rip at slowest possible speed and same for burning....

i usually use alcohol 120% for ripping ps1 and ps2 stuff.....it has presets for them.....

you might also try ripping it as a bin/cue file....this will retian the track info on the cue sheet....then just load up the cue file into your burning software of choice aand burn at slowest speed...if the software asks to fix anything say no.....

Elixir · Post by **Elixir** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 3:29 pm

Mods are very slack as of late.

jonny5 · Post by **jonny5** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 3:42 pm

Elixir wrote:Mods are very slack as of late.

he is asking how to backup discs he owns....there has been no talk of hard or soft mods or anything....