PS1VModeNeg - release thread

Update 2017/08/26: v1.10 released!
Update 2014/07/21: v1.01 released!

The PlayStation driver video mode negater (PS1VModeNeg) is a tool
that selects the correct video mode for your imported PlayStation game,
regardless of what your PlayStation 2 console's PlayStation driver (PS1DRV)
has been fixed to use.

Depending on the boot ROM (aka "BIOS") of the console, one of these two different methods will be used:

1. Patch the video parameters initialization function.
2. Patch the ROMVER string parsing function (Fools the driver to thinking that your console is from another region).

#1 is used for consoles belonging to the SCPH-70000 (ROM <=v2.00) series and older.
#2 is used for consoles belonging to the SCPH-75000 (ROM >v2.00) series and newer.

The PlayStation drivers of the SCPH-75000 appear to have been coded to be universal, like with the rest of the design of the slimline consoles in general. This means that full compatibility with import games should be achievable with minimal patching.

Older drivers are more difficult to tackle, as they have been hard-coded to work with games from your console's region. e.g. NTSC consoles appear to have a built-in compatibility list and assumes that your games will use the NTSC video mode. Code for supporting the video mode from the other region (e.g. NTSC games, for a PAL console) will have to be added.
It's probably also not too surprising if some games work well on only consoles native to the region that they are from, due to the region-specific game compatibility list.

On older consoles (SCPH-70000 and older), please take note that there is a risk that your TV might blow up or gets damaged, if my code turns out to be faulty. That hasn't happened to the two TVs I've tested on, but I don't want to guarantee anything because the method I use involves tweaking with the values that the PS1 driver appears to write to the GS's SYNCHV register (One of the undocumented registers that Sony had prohibited external developers from writing to directly).

There are now two methods used to determine the video mode to use:

1. Read SYSTEM.CNF from the disc and determine which region it is from:

SxPx - Japan (NTSC)
SxEx - Europe (PAL)
SxUx - USA (NTSC)​

If the console is a SCPH-75000 or newer, the ROM region will be also changed to fit the disc.
PS1DRV uses the ROM's region to select the appropriate game compatibility chart.
​

2. If the region cannot be determined in (1), then the video mode selected will be the opposite of your console's:

NTSC console -> PAL video mode
PAL console -> NTSC video mode.​

If the console is a SCPH-75000 or newer, the ROM region will be changed to Japan (NTSC) or Europe (PAL).
The game compatibility list will hence not apply to US games if this happens.​

Original thread: http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?47632-Pal-Test-PS2-60hz-NTSC-ps1-help

Downloads/links:
PS1VModeNeg project support page: http://ichiba.geocities.jp/ysai187/PS2/PS1VModeNeg.htm

 

Tests with PSStarter with pal v7 did not work. Backup loads, but doesn't get past black screen with PS logo. Games from all regions do not work. Setup:

1. Start up ps2 with original pal game loaded, holding L1 to enter ulaunchelf to skip cd boot
2. Start PSStarter, which says 'Please insert the burned disc. Press enter to continue'
3. Use slide tool to open tray, insert backup, close tray manually, lock drive
4. Press start on controller to run backup. Starts loading
5. Black screen with PS logo (at best, sometimes only black screen or kicked back to ulaunchelf menu)

(at best, sometimes only black screen or kicked back to ulaunchelf menu)

 

So great to see that the disc detection/wait stuff is implemented! I got a heads up from another member! I missed the 1.0 release but here are my findings with v1.01 and my PAL 50004/DMS4 machine:

1. I always get the "Unsupported disc" error , no matter how I launch PS1VMODENEG.ELF . Originals or backups makes no difference, it does not detect the discs.
2. I flashed it in the DMS4 flash and the insert/detect routine was working but with the unsupported error. It understood every time if there was a disc or not inserted.
3. PS1VMODENEG can now be launched from ToxicOS , it no londer black screens like v0.91
4. It makes no difference for the "unsupported disc" error if I start uLaunchElf, access the PS1 disc and then launch PS1VMODENEG (that was the only way I could use v0.91 with my DMS4).

I really hope you can get to the bottom of this sp193 , you can always count on me for testing.
I will test and report tomorrow with my Crystal2.0 ps2 that could not run PS1VMODENEG at all (it just black screened).

btw, dev.olution mode is not anything special, you write an ELF on the dms4 flash and on boot time you hold R2 and this elf gets launched instead of OSD/ToxicOS/whatever.

edit:

Tried with the Crystal2.0 ps2 , PS1VMODENEG runs this time but I still get the "unsupported disc" error.
I also noticed the the PS1VMODENEG screen is too big, on both a lcd and crt that I have tried (both support NTSC) the program's title is too high and gets cut. On the lcd it was worse, I could only see the -------- under the title , letters were off-screen.

 

bumping in case sp193 missed this

 

REPORT: Won't reconizes disc as valid so i cannot boot, PSX Launcher won't work either (black screen), my modchip can't boot PS1 backups only PS1 mastered discs (PS1 logo wont show also), can boot PS1 mastered disc using uLE


my console SCPH 90010 w/ Matrix Infinity 2.00

 

PS1VMODENEG never worked for me either. I tested it on NTSC v12+DMS4 and on PAL V15 + Modbo 1.99. All I get is "Unsupported disc" error no mater what I do.

 

It works fine on my SCPH-39006 with a MP-188 chip (PS1 mode), although I only tried using burned NTSC games (since originals will surely work). I don't own any PAL games, sorry. :/

Have you guys tried forcing PS1 mode on your modchips during bootup?

 

Modchips with "automatic" PS1/PS2 detection rely on the way the PS2 boots to decide if they auth a disc as PS1 CD or PS2 CD.

So if you boot a ELF file on a modded PS2 expecting it to boot a PS1 disc, you are VERY LIKELY to get disappointed. FYI modchips do suck.

 

I figured out how to make this program work with matrix modchips.
1. Plug in a MC with FreeMCBoot installed.
2. Make sure there us no disc in PS2 drive.
3. Hold down circle button and power on PS2.
4. Launch PS1VModeNeg either with uLaunchElf or from FMCB menu directly.
5. Insert a PS1 game into PS2 drive.
6. Your game will start.

I have to say, PS1VModeNeg is just great! No modchip can make PAL games work on NTSC machine properly. There are all sorts of problems - screen not centered perfectly, wrong framerate, etc... But this tool works almost perfect! The only minor gripe I have about it is that the PS1 license screen with logo isn't centered.

 

You realize that effectively disables the PS2 function of the modchip?
That causes the chip to go into DVD player/PS1 mode. It will ruin your laser because it will spam "SCEx" signal on the DVD DSP pin1 to unlock PS1 mode.

You can also hold Start on power on. That fully disables the modchip until the console is power cycled. (Disable function only work properly on *REAL* MI chips and very few clones.

 

Aren't MI chips spam SCEx signal with "Enable multi disk Psx games" option on? I don't think it will do any harm - I've seen consoles abused for ages with this option on with no noticeable side effects.

Disabled modchip=no games from other regions, which makes changing PS1 video mode useless.

 

This doesn't concern POPS though, right? As I have a PAL ps2 and play lots of NTSC ps1 games via POPS on it and there are no issues what so ever (at least not on my multiregion crt tv).

 

Well, you sure don't want that option enabled. A good example of how bad it is, really old PS2s with USB modchips (and neo PS1 based swap chips) had the CD-ROM laser wear early so around 2002 and 2003 PS2s which could read DVDs fine but could not read CDs were a common sight on my workshop.

Honest suggestion: Play PS1 off region or bootlegs on a PS1 instead of ruining your PS2 laser which is hard to repair/replace. Or even better... Maybe use POPS?

Anyway, the hold circle solution is fine (DMS3 has a similar feature which I can't recall how to activate right now).

The POPS emulator run as a PS2 program so the PS2 region doesn't matter at all on what the PS2 console is concerned with. If it matters or not depends on POPS itself and I suppose POPS loader already deals with it, no?

 

I don't know, but I do know that import NTSC PS2 games also give a normal picture on my pal PS2 via composite, on my old crt tv. I also played lots of ps1 ntsc bootlegs via discswap on it, that worked fine too.

 

Ahh, yes I was talking about later slim models. Don't know what would happen to older fat consoles.

I think POPS runs games in 480i resolurion. IMO the only propper way to play PS1 games is in 240p on crt tv.

And yes I know modchips are a root of all sorts of problems, but in 2015 for me it's not about actually playing games, it's about exploring possibilities. Back in the day I didn't have a chance to play around with all this different hardware and software - this is what I do now.

Edit.
I don't have much experience with fat consoles so it's not up to me to draw any conclusions but I've seen several non moded PS2s which were unable to read CDs at all but played DVDs with no problem. I have no idea how that could happen. There aren't even that many PS2 games on CD!

 

Well you know, PS2 laser pickups are built like shit (on purpose) so if you bump the unit it can lose it's alignment.

The first thing I would look on the unit was shock bumps (rounded corners) damage at the casing corners...
Customers would never admit dropping them but I knew they did. lol

 

@sp193 i did a quick test on my v9 with this mod: http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/750x-for-12f629-12f683.62871/
results are that the pal backup is displayed in what appears pal 60hz, screen rolls like with a typical pal display but has color. tested on a crt tv which cant handle 50hz

 

Thanks. Yeah, this tool is glitch in the sense that I forgot to take care of the SMODE1 register.

I've just got no motivation to fix it, so it has been left like that ever since. :/
Someday though...

 

ill be waitin

 

is there any way to use this on a Slim TEST Unit? I don't have FMCB or sth like that installed...