Might Get a Dreamcast - What to Look out For?

[dreamcast4ever83]

I have ablck sports dreamcast and I find it to be very reliable it's a 1 model I also have a hello kitty which i try not to play often since it's a bit more rare but it seems very reliable

[greg]

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.

I think I can substantiate what Breetai and CD Ages have said. I have two DCs: a US 9/9/99 launch system and a Japanese pink Sakura Taisen LE DC, which was released in December 2000. I had to have that system's GDROM replaced by a now-defunct import console repairs shop in Canada because at the time, Sega USA would've just given me a replacement US DC in return if I'd sent it to them. (Those twerps.)

EDIT: The problem I started having was that the game would return to the OS screen during gameplay. Eventually, it wouldn't even read discs. Since it was the latest model, it was unable to read burns, so I never bothered using them on it. I was using the boot disc to play Japanese games on my US DC in fall of 2000, but since I was living in Japan then, I went ahead and bought a JP DC. I did play some burned games, but I quickly replaced all of those games with legitimate copies.

[CD AGES]

I think I can substantiate what Breetai and CD Ages have said. I have two DCs: a US 9/9/99 launch system and a Japanese pink Sakura Taisen LE DC, which was released in December 2000. I had to have that system's GDROM replaced by a now-defunct import console repairs shop in Canada because at the time, Sega USA would've just given me a replacement US DC in return if I'd sent it to them. (Those twerps.)

EDIT: The problem I started having was that the game would return to the OS screen during gameplay. Eventually, it wouldn't even read discs. Since it was the latest model, it was unable to read burns, so I never bothered using them on it. I was using the boot disc to play Japanese games on my US DC in fall of 2000, but since I was living in Japan then, I went ahead and bought a JP DC. I did play some burned games, but I quickly replaced all of those games with legitimate copies.

Yes! rev.2's GD Drives are just too unreliable.

[greg]

Yeah, it sucked. I had finally reached the final boss in Rez and suddenly it went back to the OS screen and started rebooting the game over and over. It used to be that I could just get a lens cloth and wipe the lens to get it to work again, but after a while, it was just unusable.

When I got it fixed, I also had them replace the battery so that it would stop asking me to input the date upon every boot up. Unfortunately, those batteries aren't easily bought over-the-counter and they are hard-wired to the DC's motherboard. the 2032 batteries on the Saturn were annoying when they'd suddenly die without warning and game save data would be lost, but at least they were easy to replace. I think avoiding this by having the game save units loaded into the controllers was a great idea.

[Hobie-wan]

When I got it fixed, I also had them replace the battery so that it would stop asking me to input the date upon every boot up. Unfortunately, those batteries aren't easily bought over-the-counter and they are hard-wired to the DC's motherboard. the 2032 batteries on the Saturn were annoying when they'd suddenly die without warning and game save data would be lost, but at least they were easy to replace. I think avoiding this by having the game save units loaded into the controllers was a great idea.

The battery in a DC is rechargeable. I believe it was only ever intended to keep things going for a week or two of being unplugged. If you kept your system hooked up or were only moving between TVs or to a friend's house back in the day things were ok. It is soldered in though, so being a tabbed and rechargeable coin battery makes it something that isn't on the shelf at ye olde department store.

[pakopako]

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

I think I can substantiate what Breetai and CD Ages have said. I have two DCs: a US 9/9/99 launch system and a Japanese pink Sakura Taisen LE DC, which was released in December 2000. I had to have that system's GDROM replaced by a now-defunct import console repairs shop.

I would champion the original revision (rev.0) since those run a lot quieter and handle a lot more stress.

... it's been a few pages. Did Marlowe pick up their DC and all?

[marlowe221]

Unfortunately, I missed it. It sold the day before I called the seller. I am keeping my eyes peeled for another one though.

Thanks for all the useful info!

[Breetai]

Unfortunately, I missed it. It sold the day before I called the seller. I am keeping my eyes peeled for another one though.

Thanks for all the useful info!

Marlow, I'll have a Rev.1 with a few controllers, VMU or two and probably NFL2k, Sega Rally 2 and Soul Calibur in a lot soon. Probably in the $50-75 range plus shipping? I don't know. I'll have to research the market value so I'm getting almost what it's worth and you're still getting a decent deal. Only probably is that I'm in Canada.

I have both a Rev.0 and 1 right now, and I don't need to DCs. I also have both a US and JP copy of Soul Calibur and Sega Rally 2, and I don't need two of those either. I just have to decide what I'm keeping and what I'm getting rid of. Everything is in good shape.

[greg]

The battery in a DC is rechargeable. I believe it was only ever intended to keep things going for a week or two of being unplugged. If you kept your system hooked up or were only moving between TVs or to a friend's house back in the day things were ok. It is soldered in though, so being a tabbed and rechargeable coin battery makes it something that isn't on the shelf at ye olde department store.

Yeah, it took several years before the DC's battery died on both systems. I haven't touched either system in quite a while, with my move to Japan and all, so I hope the new batteries haven't died. All my friends' Dreamcasts prompt the date every time they are turned on, no matter how recently it's been played. I forget the type of the battery used, but I was never able to find one at any electronics store in either America or Japan, nor on the Internet.

[Phades]

Why hello, what's this I see?!

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 22&t=28318