Might Get a Dreamcast - What to Look out For?

[elmagicochrisg]

If possible, play the console for an hour or so before you actually buy it. There's a lot of used Dreamcasts that go back to the boot screen after you play them for a while. Can be fixed in most cases with a little pot tweaking. But only if you know what you are doing. Never pot tweak a laser without a multimeter, and always remember the original resistance before you start tweaking...

[CD AGES]

@elma: I thought this reset issue you're mentioning is ( for the most part) a result of the power supply pins being dirty which can be repaired by simply cleaning them and or slight bending (A super easy thing to do). Never pot tweak unless your DC refuses to read discs or as a last effort.

[Hobie-wan]

Just watch out, those 15 games might all be burns. I see CL postings for DCs all the time with games and they try to count burns toward the price as if they're worth something.

[dreamcast4ever83]

This is just general Craigslist advice, but I would always ask for a picture before driving anywhere if the description is vague. I wouldn't pay $50 for (as mentioned) a yellow console and 15 disk-only game, and I'd hate to waste gas just to find out that the listing was misrepresented.

Well get one that has a zero or 1 on the back so you can play backups but if you get a 2 model its great cause the laser is most likely better due to the fact it can not played burnt games which eventually weakens your system from what i have heard.

Try to get a number 1 black sports model and look at the screws and caseing to see if it has been modded or worked on just cause its perfecet looking does not mean it is good

I bought a new looking dreamcast and model one saturn that i pais a bit for and they broke weeks later then i got one that looked worked in and it was perfect.

Im thinking the newer one was not used thats why it looked new and it was cause it was meesed up but if it looks worn its been used a bit and works like a charm thats my opinion

[CD AGES]

but if you get a 2 model its great cause the laser is most likely better due to the fact it can not played burnt games which eventually weakens your system from what i have heard.

I'm sorry but that's Bad Advice in your part! Rev. 2 will, for the majority play backups. Its only a very small amount of rev. 2 units that aren't MIL-CD compatible. I've said it before and i'll say it again, AVOID rev.2 at all costs! This was SEGA's 'cost cutting' model as the Dreamcast died and as a result the newly designed GD drive for this model is of poor quality!

[dreamcast4ever83]

but if you get a 2 model its great cause the laser is most likely better due to the fact it can not played burnt games which eventually weakens your system from what i have heard.

I'm sorry but that's Bad Advice in your part! Rev. 2 will, for the majority play backups. Its only a very small amount of rev. 2 units that aren't MIL-CD compatible. I've said it before and i'll say it again, AVOID rev.2 at all costs! This was SEGA's 'cost cutting' model as the Dreamcast died and as a result the newly designed GD drive for this model is of poor quality!

No, That's wrong the model 2 was what they made towards the end because of the piracy of the first model dreamcast so they made the 2 dreamcast where it will not play burnt games.

Which intern is better for your laser. Do some research.

I have had 2, 2 models and they have worked perfectly not trying to argue but Your statement is not valid and it was good advice i gave. I love this system and have worked on them in and out and made tons of repair videos

[Breetai]

No, That's wrong the model 2 was what they made towards the end because of the piracy of the first model dreamcast so they made the 2 dreamcast where it will not play burnt games.

Which intern is better for your laser. Do some research.

I have had 2, 2 models and they have worked perfectly not trying to argue but Your statement is not valid and it was good advice i gave. I love this system and have worked on them in and out and made tons of repair videos

He DID do the research. Did you?

Yes, Sega did, as far as I know, attempt to remove the ability to read burnt games on the rev.2, but they did indeed use different and cheaper parts in it in order to cut costs. This is fairly well known. Just because you had a good personal experience means nothing in the overall picture. The failure rate on the newer models is higher.

Also, since the rev.2 uses a different disc drive, it is incompatible with the rev.0/1. If your rev.0/1 dies on you, you cannot even use a drive on the rev.2 is a donor.

Nothing CD Ages said was false. Neither was what you said about it (Sega did indeed alter the ability to play copies), except that you tried to make someone out to be a liar when they did not deserve it.

[GameMasterGuy]

I can vouch for what CDA says as well. My model 2's disc reader died within a month; my local retro gaming store let me return it since it was still under the 30-day warranty, and my model 0 works to this day.

[CD AGES]

Thanks for the support guys!

I have over 15 currently active and working dreamcasts at the moment spanning all 3 revisions. I can personally attest (as well as feedback from other fellow gamers on other DC forums) to the build quality of the rev2 model! The new samsung GD Drive designed for the rev.2 is very unreliable over time.

Also, since the rev.2 uses a different disc drive, it is incompatible with the rev.0/1. If your rev.0/1 dies on you, you cannot even use a drive on the rev.2 is a donor.

Absolutely spot on here! This is one of many major reasons why I avoid rev.2 at all cost! Its design kills just about any versatility to revive it with other more common parts of the previous models or vice versa. The only reason I own 2 of these units was simply because 1 was purchase circa 03 (and guess what guys it was refurbished by sega) and the 2nd was purchased last year via a brand new Smashpack SKU bundle. The unit was brand NEW and it refused to work o_O after a few tedious hours of drive repair, I was lucky enough to get it working.

[Breetai]

So, DC Ages and DC4ever were both right on the Rev.2.

-AFAIK, the bit about Sega changing the drive to avoid pirating is true.
-Also, Sega went cheap on the parts and low quality stuff in order to cut costs.
-Rev.0 and Rev.1 consoles can generally read burnt discs. With Rev.2 consoles it is a toss up.

Therefore, get a rev.0 or rev.1 and avoid the rev.2.