PS1/2 PS2* defeated - MechaPwn

[metroid maniac]

On a Un-MechaPwn'd console you can use PS1VModeNeg to fix that.
No idea if it works with MechaPwn, or if it's even necessary.

That's not what he's talking about. PAL Playstation 1 consoles set to run in NTSC video modes run just slightly too slow. He wants to know if the same slight timing inaccuracy is also true on the PS2.

This is a bit of a stretch, but does anyone have an OSSC and can comment if a PAL to NTSC region changed PS2 running a PS1 game outputs a proper 59.94 Hz signal or if it's still the slower PAL 59.20 Hz signal, like on modded PAL PS1 without DFO mod?

I don't own an OSSC - but I do recall that when trying to play NTSC games on my PAL PS1, there was a slowly scrolling "frame tear" effect on my LCD TV. I am almost certain that this is a result of the slight desynchronization between the console and the television which expected a correctly timed NTSC signal.

I will try to run a PS1 NTSC game on PS1 and on PS2 - if I see the frame tear effect on PS1 but not on PS2, that should clarify whether or not the PS2 is outputting a correct NTSC signal.

 

[Elbart]

That's not what he's talking about. PAL Playstation 1 consoles set to run in NTSC video modes run just slightly too slow. He wants to know if the same slight timing inaccuracy is also true on the PS2.

Yes, it is, due to the BIOS not properly setting the GPU/video-output for the other region, because it was never meant to do it. It's not as bad as on the PS1 but still way off, 59.4Hz or something like that.

Booting the game through PS1VModeNeg fixes that.

 

[metroid maniac]

Yes, it is, due to the BIOS not properly setting the GPU/video-output for the other region, because it was never meant to do it. It's not as bad as on the PS1 but still way off, 59.4Hz or something like that.

Booting the game through PS1VModeNeg fixes that.

For PS1 games, the PS2 BIOS will always set the video mode to be the region of the console. If you can get an NTSC PS1 game to boot on an PAL PS2 console, it would be forced to run at PAL's 50Hz. Not NTSC's 59.94Hz or an inaccurate variation of it like 59.4Hz or 59.2Hz.

Using PS1VModeNeg would force the game in this situation to run in the NTSC video mode - then the question remains, does a PAL PS2 produce an accurate NTSC signal at exactly 59.94Hz, or is it inaccurate like the PAL PS1's?

 

[Elbart]

NTSC-output on NTSC-PS1s isn't 59.94Hz either but 59.82Hz, and yes, PAL-PS2s running NTSC-games with PS1VmodeNeg produce 59.82Hz, too.

 

[enarky]

Have just read up on PS1VModeNeg, this site claims:

The PlayStation drivers of the SCPH-75000 appear to have been coded to be universal, like with the rest of the design of the slimline consoles in general. This means that full compatibility with import games should be achievable with minimal patching.

How I understand it this looks like it could indeed fix that sync issue on SCPH-75000+ consoles, which also means that a region changed PS2 should output the same signal. Ordered a SCPH-75004 Slim on Ebay for this exploit yesterday, can't wait to try it myself. If this is true then SCPH-75000+ consoles might be the ultimate PS1/PS2 machine when someone finds a way to launch PS1 games from HDD without popstation.

 

[metroid maniac]

Have just read up on PS1VModeNeg, this site claims: How I understand it this looks like it could indeed fix that sync issue on SCPH-75000+ consoles, which also means that a region changed PS2 should output the same signal. Ordered a SCPH-75004 Slim on Ebay for this exploit yesterday, can't wait to try it myself. If this is true then SCPH-75000+ consoles might be the ultimate PS1/PS2 machine when someone finds a way to launch PS1 games from HDD without popstation.

75000+ consoles use the inaccurate DECKARD IOP, which can cause compatibility issues in PS1 games.

For DECKARD PS2s, at least, region changing with mechapwn should be absolute. A region changed DECKARD console should behave exactly like a PS2 that originates from that region.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

That's pretty cool Not entirely sure how useful it is, but I suppose you would no longer need FMCB, since you could launch homebrew from discs with the master region, and run backups without homebrew. So you could free up some space on the memory card at least, if you only have one. FMCB takes up quite a lot of space.

Edit: My PS2 is a 75004, but I never use it since I prefer emulating older games (they just look better on modern TVs that way), but may have to give this a go anyways just because I can.

 

[metroid maniac]

That's pretty cool Not entirely sure how useful it is, but I suppose you would no longer need FMCB, since you could launch homebrew from discs with the master region, and run backups without homebrew. So you could free up some space on the memory card at least, if you only have one. FMCB takes up quite a lot of space.

Right now you still have to use homebrew launched from something like FMCB to run burned master discs. The PS2LOGO must be skipped using something like wLaunchELF, because the retail mechacon DSP cannot decrypt it correctly.

The biggest advantage is that PS1 backups can be read by the PS2, and burned PS2 games can run without ESR which has compatibility issues.

 

[enarky]

75000+ consoles use the inaccurate DECKARD IOP, which can cause compatibility issues in PS1 games.

For DECKARD PS2s, at least, region changing with mechapwn should be absolute. A region changed DECKARD console should behave exactly like a PS2 that originates from that region.

Thanks, the Wikipedia entry lists a lot of them, looks worse than the list for SNES 2-chip/1-chip list. Worst of all is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, for me personally.

 

[AlexeySinitsyn]

750xx is golden.

I was meaning, that if 75004 converted to DTL-75004, it does recognise NTSC ps1 games, but as 50004, it doesn't boot them.
So converting to DTL-75001 is the way to go Boots all PS1 disks from OSD

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Right now you still have to use homebrew launched from something like FMCB to run burned master discs. The PS2LOGO must be skipped using something like wLaunchELF, because the retail mechacon DSP cannot decrypt it correctly.

The biggest advantage is that PS1 backups can be read by the PS2, and burned PS2 games can run without ESR which has compatibility issues.

Ahh. Hmm, didn't know ESR had compatibility issues, I guess I've probably heard about it at some point but all of the games I cared about had issues. PS1 is nice but maybe not that useful if the games you wanna play already ran with POPStarter, but surely useful to some.
I guess the PS2 isn't fully blown open yet. What will be the next step, I wonder? Somehow having CFW (something like FMCB/FHDB) installed internally with just a softmod would be pretty much the holy grail for me but it could possibly go further.

 

[metroid maniac]

I guess the PS2 isn't fully blown open yet. What will be the next step, I wonder? Somehow having CFW (something like FMCB/FHDB) installed internally with just a softmod would be pretty much the holy grail for me but it could possibly go further.

The PS2 has almost zero non-volatile internal storage. There's a 1KB EEPROM and most of it is used by configuration data. I don't think what you envision is going to be possible.
Mechacon exploiting was at one time the holy grail, and we have that now. This hack is quite young though, and I think there are many ways that usability and functionality can be improved.
Wait to let it develop further - although fun advancements like the "force unlock" option have just dropped, I'd exercise caution about using them unless you know what it's doing.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

The PS2 has almost zero non-volatile internal storage. There's a 1KB EEPROM and most of it is used by configuration data. I don't think what you envision is going to be possible.
Mechacon exploiting was at one time the holy grail, and we have that now. This hack is quite young though, and I think there are many ways that usability and functionality can be improved.
Wait to let it develop further - although fun advancements like the "force unlock" option have just dropped, I'd exercise caution about using them unless you know what it's doing.

That's what I was worried about. Unless someone discovers some secret debug command to overwrite the firmware... If that's even on rewritable memory.

 

[metroid maniac]

That's what I was worried about. Unless someone discovers some secret debug command to overwrite the firmware... If that's even on rewritable memory.

The mechacon firmware is in ROM, and so is the PS2's BIOS. With the Dragon mechacon, Sony added the capability of loading a small number of patches from the EEPROM to hotfix bugs without having to produce a new ROM.

Of course Sony didn't correctly implement the protection for this region of the EEPROM - and so, we can write an exploit patch to do mechapwn .

 

[TwinsUltra64]

Since I don't have CD/DVD can somebody try how Tomba2/Tombi2 run with this? and can You also make a video till the music loop? because previously the game music after a few minutes started to get really strange.

 

[driverdis]

Anyone have any issues with DECKARD consoles when changed to a DTL (TEST) console?

I tested mechapwn on two different SCPH-77001 systems and have noticed a delayed response for the disc drive spinning up discs and discs have issues loading. they were borh set to DTL-H77001

Testing PS1 games resulted in the console spinning the disc slow for at least 20 seconds before attempting to load the disc.
discs play fine and even pass AntiMod checks which is great. PS1 backup discs wont load until a genuine disc was put in first, allowed to show up in the OSD, then ejected then loading the backup disc. same deal, discs play fine and AntiMod passes.

PS2 games will spin up and down with the laser bobbing up and down and refuse to load even via wLaunchElf. I believe this could be a MECHACON crash but I don’t know as those are not supposed to happen on v14 and up systems.

on my SCPH-50001 set to a DTL-H50001, all region PS1 and PS2 games load fine from OSD and AntiMod passes. No disc delays, you could swear it was a real TEST kit with how it handled the games natively. PS1 games do need ps1vmodeneg to have the correct video output depending on disc region.

interesting enough, A ModBo 750 SCPH-75000 system i have that would fail AntiMod games now passes when set to a DTL-75004 PAL system and ps1vmodeneg is not needed for PS1 games due to the modchip setting the correct mode.

 

[SREGGOP]

wait, what? we can run PS1 backups from a cd/dvd disc now without hardware modding our PS2?

 

[metroid maniac]

wait, what? we can run PS1 backups from a cd/dvd disc now without hardware modding our PS2?

From a CD only, but yes.

 

[driverdis]

The issues with the consoles i mentioned earlier went away and they work fine after they sat unplugged throughout the night. My guess is the power cycle I did after flashing the mod was not long enough allowing residual power to be in the MECHACON and it not resetting fully. If anyone else has issues, pull the power and wait a few minutes for the MECHACON to reset.

 

[Valfore]

That's not what he's talking about. PAL Playstation 1 consoles set to run in NTSC video modes run just slightly too slow. He wants to know if the same slight timing inaccuracy is also true on the PS2.



I don't own an OSSC - but I do recall that when trying to play NTSC games on my PAL PS1, there was a slowly scrolling "frame tear" effect on my LCD TV. I am almost certain that this is a result of the slight desynchronization between the console and the television which expected a correctly timed NTSC signal.

I will try to run a PS1 NTSC game on PS1 and on PS2 - if I see the frame tear effect on PS1 but not on PS2, that should clarify whether or not the PS2 is outputting a correct NTSC signal.

I've got 3 Slim systems here, a PAL 90k, a NTSC-U 79k and NTSC-J 77k, i converted all 3 to Retail-DEX NTSC-U systems, all 3 ran the same as far as i could tell, interestingly tho, every system (including the stock NTSC-U 79k) all had the slight screen tear you mentioned at the top of my PS1 game (game in question is Team Buddies NTSC-U on a burnt CD), so it seems to be side-effect of the DEX firmware? i really wish i had an OSSC so i could check the Hz, cause i'm apart of the speedrunning community and this is quite massive that PAL regions no longer have to import systems to run on, but if its not running the same an a stock NTSC-U system, it wont be comparable on leaderboards