Sega CD / Mega CD and CDRs laser reliability ?

[msimplay]

I was wondering about CDR's and the Mega CD does anyone know how reliable the laser is ?

I want to play some games on it but the gems are quite pricey for me at the moment.
I do prefer original games to be honest but what to do ? I'm on a tight budget right now.
I'm thinking if the laser isn't too reliable on the Mega CD will just have to wait and buy originals instead

[Hobie-wan]

CDRs are not as reflective as a real pressed disc. Opinions differ on how much of a big deal this is, but something that is less reflective will be harder to read.

[Mad_Hatter]

I've seen people put them on Verbatim CD Easily.

It's worth a shot.

Try it out.

If a game you like won't work on a CD R, then you'll probably have to look for an original.

Sent from my Windows Phone using Tapatalk

[msimplay]

Thanks four your replies folks but I have no problem burning the discs and making them play but I'm wondering if it will burn out the laser faster?
The dream cast was particularly sensitive to burned CDRs and it was a fast way to have a broken dreamcast.
I don't want to break my Mega CD so wondering how reliable it is?

[Valkyrie-Favor]

The laser won't burn out faster. It's just shining a light of a fixed intensity at a fixed position. The disc will either reflect light at the eye or it won't. The eye will read the light reflected at it. No problem.

The real problem is with read errors. If the information couldn't be read at all, the drive will spin the disk around and try again. That will wear it out a little faster.

Just burn slow on a decent quality CDR, and your laser will last longer than it would on a scratched retail disk. In pristine condition, they should yield the same results.

Actually, if you're concerned about your Mega CD drive, you should rip all your slightly damaged retail disks and burn copies in perfect conditions.

[msimplay]

The laser won't burn out faster. It's just shining a light of a fixed intensity at a fixed position. The disc will either reflect light at the eye or it won't. The eye will read the light reflected at it. No problem.

The real problem is with read errors. If the information couldn't be read at all, the drive will spin the disk around and try again. That will wear it out a little faster.

Just burn slow on a decent quality CDR, and your laser will last longer than it would on a scratched retail disk. In pristine condition, they should yield the same results.

Actually, if you're concerned about your Mega CD drive, you should rip all your slightly damaged retail disks and burn copies in perfect conditions.

Thanks that's the info I was looking for but it's not that much of a concern really so much as I'm not familiar with the Mega CD because I know the Sega Saturn is fine with CDR but the Dreamcast laser will die quickly when using them through personal experience I know this

[AppleQueso]

I don't think it's the laser that burns out on Dreamcasts. More likely the motor from being overworked due to badly formatted isos.

At least that's what everything I've read points towards.

[msimplay]

Then I wonder what's the likelihood of the same happening on the Mega CD? The end result is the same not being able to read discs. Just trying to minimise the wear and tear of the console I mean retrogaming starting to cost more and more these and am not really a collector I just like to play the games

[AppleQueso]

Then I wonder what's the likelihood of the same happening on the Mega CD? The end result is the same not being able to read discs. Just trying to minimise the wear and tear of the console I mean retrogaming starting to cost more and more these and am not really a collector I just like to play the games

The reason DC games would get all funky is because they had to change the file structure to compensate for the fact that GD-ROMs hold more space than CD-ROMs, plus the whole having to make it self-bootable thing.

With stuff like the Sega CD/Mega CD, the isos are basically 1:1 copies. There is no copy protection that needs to be circumvented.

Just burn slowly and use high quality discs and you'll be in great shape.

[msimplay]

Thanks that's very useful info looking forward to enjoying some Mega Cd gaming