Dreamcast woes

[TNTPLUST]

Need some advice. I just bought a Dreamcast last week. Within 2 days the Joypad ports stopped working. I got a replacement dreamcast and two days later the Joypad ports were burned out. Did some research and found this:

http://www.ukretro.co.uk/dreamcast.htm

So has anyone done this repair? Where did you track down your F1 resistor?


Now on my THIRD Dreamcast and I am finding that when I buy used game CD's there are a high number non readables. The disks themselves look pretty good. My son's PS1 and Gamecube games look like coaster rejects and they run just fine.

Are DC's picky about media?
Should I invest in a Game DR. ?
Potential problem in system (note that all three systems are rejecting said disks)

[kainemaxwell]

http://www.dcemulation.com/
-You can find out all you need to know on burning and what DC units work with burns and imports there.

[sisko]

Wow...what kind of controller are you using? I would find an alternative one that doesn't fry your ports....

As for the discs, Dreamcast uses a different kind of media called a GD-ROM which compresses and stores much more media than a typical CD-ROM. And yes, they are much more finicky. There is no solution for that other than taking the utmost care of your games.

[Evil E]

That's strange that you are burning out that many controller ports. are you using 3rd party controllers? If so, stick with Sega made controllers, they don't seem to to burn out ports like the 3rd party ones do.

[chrisbid]

check EB for controllers, ive seen brand new DC controllers for 5 and even 2 dollars there, in a sad attempt to clean them out.

[Spartikcus]

While were on the subject of DC controllers,
am I the only one who has boughten new 1st party controllers only to have the analog stick spin for 1 to 2 cm on its axis?

[vincewy]

This is the reason I DO NOT BUY used Dreamcast games, one time I got a used copy of Cannon Spike and the disc would not boot up from just a fw minor scratches, ouch, sure Gamestop gave me money back but I'd rather have the game than refund.

Given the cheap prices on new games on eBay, I even get doubles on the games I really want to play, my collection copies stay sealed.

[TNTPLUST]

I guess I left out some info in my first post. Yes both came from Gamestop and came with non sega controllers. We traced our problems back to a blue third party unit that was obviously the culprit for the burnouts. For the third Dreamcast I am ONLY using Sega Controllers and VMU's.

Well I don't know if I'm unlucky or what after my above post the family gathered around the dreamcast and played games for 4/5 hours straight. Went to stick in Seaman and the DC wouldn't read the disk. In fact it wouldn't read any diskI. I cleaned the lens and we played for awhile more. Then it stopped reading disks again. I know the motor is ok as the head assembly still moves. I suspect this unit needs a laser alignment...sigh :( I'm too tired tonight to try it. I wonder if I should give up and just buy a sealed new unit from a local vendor for 79.99. Maybe these 19.99 specials are just too glitchy. You get what you pay for I guess.

[optic_85]

That's weird...I have never had a single problem with my dreamcast, or any of the games(most of which i bought used)....Maybe im just lucky. But a solution for the disks not working might be to download the games you have that stopped working.

[Evil E]

I have 4 Dreamcasts ALL of them are used. I gave one to my dad, and I still have 3--they all work to perfection. I don't think it is a matter of used ones being crappy, as I am 4 for 4 with my used ones all working great!! The prices I have paid for them are in the range of $40-$10 (that's why I have so many, who could turn down a $10 DC?)

E.---

[TNTPLUST]

Well, I woke up this morning and opened that laser assembly and turned the adj. screw about a mm clockwise and everything works again. At this point I think I can repair anything the DC throws at me.

[SegaAges]

That is strange. I have a DC. This is my second one. My first one I traded to a friend, since the launch DC's didn't support PSO because I guess the information goes all the way out to the very end of the GD-Rom. I only use 1st party peripherals, and haven't had a problem at all. I have about 200-250 burnt games, and all of them worked at some point (some games I burnt are like 3 or 4 years old, and I don't know of many cd-rs that hold out for that long). Other than that, I have never had a problem ever with my DC