Saturn copy protection and CDRs: the conclusive end

Interesting read. This helped me out a bit as I was trying to repair the ring on a Saturn disk that has become unreadable. Knowledge of the second inner ring helped me fix it. Also, all this talk of rings makes me wonder if Sega named the system because of that. Probably not since it wasn't the first system Sega named after a planet (as a codename at least).

 

Sorry for asking but, is it possible to burn the two system disc (Both the First Party & Third party utilities) onto any CD-R disc and will it run without the need of a Modchip? Thanks!

 

USE YAMAHA CRW-F1
make one raw file is all sega ring data,paste all (about 20-100MB is better)
normal burn game data and close section.
open DiscT@2 , select the raw file.

good luck

 

This won't reproduce the pre-ring jhl is talking about though. Although it might look like it reproduced the logo ring (on 74min cd-r probably).

 

DiscT@2 burn mode is design burn raw file to the disc( like graphic ,logo on CD-R data area ) ,
only this way to burn mod raw(sega code?) data after disc is close section
full support DiscT@2 only yamaha DRW-F1 did

burn DiscT@2 this option is already in NeroBurner and Toast

btw, it can use CAV mode, what u think it will burn other stuff ? ( use DiscT@2 burn DC master disc image like GD-R? )

 

x

 

who care the graphic ?
the yamaha DiscT@2 can burn raw data after disc section is close.( this is what we need)
so, if we don't know where is the track, just keep paste the after close section data to end
why need DiscT@2 , because normal software and Burner can not burn data on close section disc,


btw, if lazy find out how to burn

try make one own 1.8" CDR , than cut Saturn game disc inside fit the 1.8" CDR.
put back non mod Saturn , done


why 1.8" CDR ? it just small size ? haha, for the system disc 1,2 is already good

 

yes, burn it in small disc, cut the game fit on it, done

 

Already tried that - the console wouldn't even seek beyond the outside of the 1.8-incher. Probably gets the CDR's disc size from somewhere to know where to stop looking.
I keep wanting to try to "merge" a normal-sized CDR with an original's ring section, I'll just have to find the time to track down a (hackerspace providing access to a) laser cutter - because trying to cut CDs to size manually gets old fast.

 

Awesome to hear! Thanks man ;D the reason i wanted to know because i'mma pick up a Japanese Sega Saturn from my town soon (once after i bought my Supaboy v2.0 w/ Super Famicom games) lol

 

Good luck with the CD chop job... You don't need a full size CDR cut-down to do the job; you do, however, need the disc TOC to be that of a large disc, as the "prering" seek location is calculated from the TOC track info. That may simply mean your TOC has to point to leadout being after the cut, and leaving enough of the leadout from the original disk for the seek to hit. The hard part is going to be joining the two discs exactly centered. The CD-rom spec (see ECMA130) specifies a runout of 140µm peak to peak, which corresponds to being 80µm (that's 0.08mm) off center.

 

So it's impossible to reproduce this security "at home"?

 

Interesting, but for the future the best way to continue to play on Saturn is to remove CD-Drive and replace by a device will emulate the drive. With the bunch of microcontrolers on the market it's a feasible thing.

 

Bumping this thread a bit, it has been a fascinating reading.

Now that we have this knowledge, what information should be passed to a CD manufacturer to have these rings pressed correctly? Or do they need very specific equipment that only the pressing company working with SEGA had? I'm sure some homebrewers would be delighted to be able to make their stuff playable in a stock console.

 

I'm not an expert but I believe Son/Sega/MS/Nintendo/etc... do/did use private disc replicating plants (with very specific equipment) to produce their discs.

Given that you've got 0.08mm to mess around with if you're doing it with scissors - I'd say it's almost impossible to do this at home, and certainly not worthwhile (unless this kind of thing floats your boat) Be funny to see a YouTube video of someone actually attempting it

 

Didn't a Chinese company guarantee Interact that they could bypass Sony's copy protection on the PS1 to produce the Gameshark and it turned out to be the center section of some used Tomb Raider discs, fused with the Gameshark disc?

I seem to remember reading that somewhere and that Interact or whoever the company was, was pretty upset to find out that their product appeared as a copyrighted game in a standard PC CD-ROM drive.

I'm pretty sure someone pulled it off in the past.

 

That's probably true, but I wonder if the technology used became standard or at least available for other companies to use, now 20 years later. There are plenty of companies offering to press (not burn) CD in smallish batches for amateur musicians or promotional material for companies. Maybe they could, with the proper data and guidance from knowledgeable people, press their CD with the required wobble. I'd ask them but I have absolutely no idea about what to say.

I'm sure it would encourage homebrewers, in the same way being able to produce brand new Megadrive and NES cartridges offer them a different perspective on their art.

 

Don't system discs have a different security ring to tell the drive to stay unlocked after the lid is opened ?

 

If they did, you wouldn't be able to swap-trick them and still have it work.

Iirc the "CD block has been dumped" thread has a seriously in-depth analysis, based on disassembly of the firmware. Can't get a lot better than that.