CDRs and the Mega CD Fragile laser?

[msimplay]

I was wondering about the impact of using CDR's on the Mega CD laser.
I'm not sure but I hear these can break down how fragile is the laser unit on these things and will they ware down the laser faster?

[marurun]

The overhead of CDR wear has always been a bogeyman in classic gaming communities, but there isn't much evidence other than anecdotal that it really has an impact. We've been up and down this topic on here and while some swear by it the actual data suggests that while there may be some impact, it will be minor. Laser diodes are fairly durable and reliable, as are the belts and gears that move the laser head.

[msimplay]

On my Sega Saturn or PS1 I never had any troubles with playing CDRs.
Laser remained fine for as long as I can remember but when it came to the Dreamcast it really did make the laser weaker at the time.
Games started to reboot for no reason so from that time I stay away from CDRs for the most part.
But the Mega CD in general is what I was wondering about because I do sometimes hear reports of replacing the laser being quite difficult and its sometimes I rather avoid if possible.

PS2 lasers also seemed to die out quickly so that's another console I don't use CDRs with

[marurun]

CDRs don't make the laser weaker, they just cause delays in seek times because the mechanism has to retry more often. CDRs are not as reflective, so systems with weak lasers will have additional delays and errors trying to read them. Not all CDRs and lasers are compatible with each other, essentially.

[msimplay]

So in relation to Mega CD I should be fine?

[Ziggy]

PS2 lasers also seemed to die out quickly so that's another console I don't use CDRs with

Some PS2s had a DRE problem, and it was a known problem that had nothing to do with using burned CDs or DVDs.

CDRs don't make the laser weaker, they just cause delays in seek times because the mechanism has to retry more often. CDRs are not as reflective, so systems with weak lasers will have additional delays and errors trying to read them. Not all CDRs and lasers are compatible with each other, essentially.

Which is more wear and tear on the drive. It's like putting more miles on a car.

So in relation to Mega CD I should be fine?

I wouldn't worry about it too much. But if you're constantly playing CD-Rs on it, then maybe consider getting a MegaSD or Mega Everdrive Pro (they're Mega Drive flash carts that can boot Mega CD games from an SD card).

[msimplay]

Yes thanks I am considering getting a flash cart.
Although I stay away from cdrs mostly there are some pricey games out there

[marurun]

CDRs don't make the laser weaker, they just cause delays in seek times because the mechanism has to retry more often. CDRs are not as reflective, so systems with weak lasers will have additional delays and errors trying to read them. Not all CDRs and lasers are compatible with each other, essentially.

Which is more wear and tear on the drive. It's like putting more miles on a car.

Somewhat, yes. But only incrementally so. We put more miles on these devices whenever we use them at all. If a CDR works with a particular drive the impact is probably minimal at worst. If the drive seems to struggle with it, the problem is going to exist in lots of ways that make for a less-than-positive experience, from delays to re-reads. If CDRs work fine in your console, don't worry about it. If the console seems to struggle, find better CDRs and try again or find a new solution.

And if you are really worried about the miles on your drive, you shouldn't be using it at all.

[Ziggy]

Luckily there's ODE solutions for pretty much every console now.

[IrishNinja]

yeah, i was taught burn high quality media (taiho yuden? i forget) and slow, goes a long way