About the interfaces of the PSX (DESR) unit

Hi all,

I've bidded for a one yen Japanese DESR-7100 PSX unit, just because I wasn't willing to spend too much on one. :congratulatory:

I know the risks involved, mainly because it might not be working. But I actually got most of my PlayStation 2 equipment that way anyway (The new SCPH-10000 unit, the two SCPH-20400 HDD units and the SCPH-10190 PCMCIA network adaptor etc).

Unfortunately, I noticed that I did not see the unit's remote controller in any of the photographs that the seller had uploaded after I placed the bid. I assumed that it was a near-complete set as I saw the PSX's original box.

The seller wrote that the unit is untested as the AC cable was missing... but I still went with it anyway because I know that I can take one from the now defunct PlayStation 2 launch unit (SCPH-10000) that I lost a few months back.

Would I be able to use the PSX (assuming that it works) without the remote controller?

What about the interfaces on its back? I remember seeing the pad SIO2 interfaces, 10/100Mbit Ethernet connector, RCA connectors and S-Video connectors... but no component video connectors? :S

Is there a way to get component video output? If it doesn't have component output support, doesn't this make it worse than the PlayStation 2? :nightmare:

And one more thing: With the PS2, there is a HDD activity LED that flashes when the HDD is being accessed. When a PlayStation 2 title is running on the PSX and accessing the HDD, does a similar LED flash? I'm asking because I use that LED for debugging... lol.

Thank you all!

 

Of course, you can use the PSX-DESR without a remote control. All the main buttons are on the front panel under the front flap.
I have a DESR-5000, component output it does not have. (Do not know if he is in the other models.) I use S-video.
When reading and writing to the HDD flashing LED indicator.
Regards

 

It uses a standard PS2 controller port, so no worries about the remote for it. But yes, there are button under the front flap.
Component video is output by the D-terminal connector (looks like a small VGA port, says D1/D2 video out on top). You can easily grab a D-terminal to component or RGB cable off eBay, maybe off Yahoo as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Terminal

It's a very nice alternative to component in my opinion- clicks in nicely and simplifies the number of plugs. Some Japanese TVs have the D-terminal port on them, which is even better.

There are several LEDs on the unit. When in the horizontal (laying flat down) position-
On the front
-HDD REC
-DISC REC
-POWER (on the power button, flashes when powering off)
-EJECT (on the eject button, flashes when ejecting/taking in a disc)

On the top
-HDD ACCESS
-HDD REC
-DISC REC
-A general purpose pulsing blue LED strip for activity. Not sure exactly what it's linked to, but I can test that now and post back when I have it done. For now, IIRC it's for loading of a program (game, movie, recording or OS)


EDIT- Blue LED strip is as I assumed, but slightly different. It flashes when loading the OS, and stays on solid when idling. When a disc is inserted, it flashes while the disc is going in, then stays solid.

 

Thank you all!

Now I feel more relieved about this purchase. Originally, I was quite upset that I might have probably made a really bad decision.

Soon... I will have to hope that the PSX will arrive safely before my army enlistment, and it would hopefully be a working unit...

 

The worst case scenario is a dead hard drive, as they can't be replaced and there is no hack around that, yet. But other than that, I've had DESR 5100 for many years and apart from the laser not working in upright position properly it's working like a charm It's a great looker as well

 

Actually, I am hoping that this would be as bad as it gets (since a dead HDD will still mean that it's devable if FMCB can be coaxed to boot on it)... because an incomplete or totally dead unit arriving could also be possible. :/
(But deep down, I'm quite sure that most of the units out there that get sold weren't cannibalized without being labeled)

But in the worst case scenario, it'll still look pretty in my collection.. lol.

 

Just some more info- I missed a Memory card read/write LED and the blue LED strip DOES NOT flash when loading a game! The Power LED will flash on PS2 games, I'm assuming because it has to restart the PS2 side of the board (because that's the side that the OS runs on)

Also I just noticed that you said the PS2 had an HDD access LED- I'm going to assume that's only on the original units with the external HDD, right?

 

Oh? That's interesting.
Thanks!

No. Although the first units with the external HDD unit had a nicely labeled, blue HDD activity LED.

Later expansion bay models had the LED moved onto the mainboard and changed to a much brighter orange LED, which is visible through the frontal vents.

On a side note... I GOT OUTBID!
So yes, now I can make the right choice and bid for this one instead: http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e134395934. Can anyone tell me if it's defunct or not? My understanding of Japanese isn't great enough and Yahoo Babelfish seems to just say that it can't read discs well... but it's fine if it's only bad at reading discs.

 

My Japanese is probably not much better, but here goes

[FONT=MS PGothic, sans-serif]The first bit is "please read the notes below before bidding" - and the next bit is saying that he will cancel suspicious bids from new bidders.
[/FONT]
The next bit is the actual description:

＊中古本体となります

This is a second hand unit

＊DESR-5700 封印シールは剥がれておりません。

The DESR-5700 seal sticker has not been peeled off

＊ＤＶＤソフトとＰＳ２ソフトの起動・動作確認は致しておりますが、
　その他の機能は確認致しておりません。　全てのソフトにおいて、完全なる動作は保証できません。

This unit has been verified to start up and to boot PS2 software and DVD software, but other functions have not been tested. Full operation of all software is not guaranteed.

 

Thank you! That certainly makes a lot more sense than what I could get!

 

Go for it. Normally all read issues can be fixed by laying it flat (doesn't like to read in the upright position).
chances are it doesn't have read issues anyway. The HDD is more likely to go first.

oh yeah, and its a 5700, which is the last revision of the 5X00 series.

 

Thank you!

By the way, I read that the DESR-X700 units were the last models of each series that had "improved recording functionalities". Does anyone know what this was about? How much better can it get if the interfaces on all the models are the same? :/

 

I seem to remember that the last models of the PSX (presumably the DESR-5700 and 7700) could also transcode video to PSP format and store it on memory sticks. Maybe that's what they are talking about?

 

Above is true, along with (I believe) higher read/write speeds.

I know that the X1XX had better dubbing features and more DVD creation templates than the original, but it's hard to track down any info on the other revision. I remember reading it somewhere though...

 

Ah, alright. Thank you both!

Unfortunately, that DESR-5700 is now going for 1600 yen (with competition from two other bidders)... so I'm afraid that I'll have to settle for a (tested and mostly functional) 750 yen DESR-5100 that is being sold by kaitec2011. :/

I'm now waiting for the auction to near it's closure before bidding... lol. :highly_amused:

By the way, if there is a D-terminal for video output, what about recording? Or is there no way to get clearer records made? (I'm just not impressed with the quality that my VCR is giving with RCA and RF.. or maybe it's just a limitation with VHS casette technology itself..?)

 

If you search here, you can quickly translate the result(s) in different languages

 

No D-terminal recording as far as I know, so it'll have to be composite only. And yes, VHS tapes don't really end up having the best quality over composite video, just old tech.

I think this is primarily due to the fact that recording in HD would fill the internal drive very quickly, and back then not too many people were using component video quality either. If you scroll through the recording menu you can see an option for video quality and when set to the highest, it says 92%. I don't know for sure if that means 92% of my HDD or a DVD, but its a big jump from the standard resolution's 61%.

 

lukemores1 on youtube managed to fix 2 of these but they were resolder jobs from the overheating issues not HDD repairs
but its very very possible to rebuild these

also there is a home button on the front of the unit
once the blue light in the back stops flashing on boot press the home button
and you will be shown the XMB

 

Thanks everybody!

I've managed to acquire this unit for 750 yen: http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b144011688

I think that there aren't any accessories, but at least it seems to have been tested and proven working in most functions.

 

My congratulations!