region free DC Question

[Consumed]

You can try to hex edit the .cdi image to support VGA.

-open the file in the hex editor (preferably CDI format)
-search for the string "KATANA"
-at some point nearby you should see "JUE" followed by some numbers
-change the number string after "JUE" to "0799A10"
-save the file and burn

It's a couple of legit discs I'm struggling with so hex editing isn't possible, I'll just have to set another DC up on the television for problematic games and any copies that are in the old CDR-Win format that need the Utopia disc.

Regarding the hex editing thing though I have tried that for on a couple of releases and got absolutely nowhere. I used TuxTheWise's tools and followed Zorlon's guide on emuparadise and couldn't even find the JUE line of code let alone the number string that you're supposed to alter. To be perfectly honest I'm not the most technical of people, anything beyond ripping, rarring and writing and I end up just starring blankly at the screen.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who offered advice and tips, it's really appreciated :nod:

[jinn]

I was talking about hex editing the BOOT DISC, the one that it's used to force VGA

[Consumed]

Sorry, I misunderstood that you meant I should hex edit the boot disc. I've tried doing that with cdi files before now but I said I just couldn't find the correct strings once I'd got the ISO in a hex editing programme. One thing I did try too is there's a prog that allegedly patches the disc for you with just the click of a button but when I tried to do it with the DC-X disc it cocked up and said 'can't find ?????? file, are you sure this a Dreamcast game' or similar. Maybe it's just me and I'm unbelievably cack-handed...

[jinn]

I will try to hex edit the image for you. After I test it and make sure it work I'll upload for you.

[eugene19]

You can also do a mod to the console and run a disc to permanently change the region of your console. If you change the region it also changes the color of the boot swirl. Region free makes it black.

Sorry for bringing up this old thread.
I'm planning to do a region mod for my dreamcast, and I have a question. My understandings is that the dreamshell/region changer only allows to permanently change the region to a single region (JP or US or EU), but if the above quoted statement is true, does the dreamshell/region changer allow a true region free? (multi-region)

I always thought that the black swirl is just a cosmetic thing, and has nothing to do with the region free. I would appreciate any comments on how the region changer works, and if a multi-region is possible with this method.

I am asking this since 99% of my DC games are Japanese, but I also play Phantasy Star Online alot, and the only version that can play online these days are the EU version. Thus I want a multi region DC. And yes, I know there is a region free mod, but I just think the dev-bios swirl is ugly (just my opinion). Currently I am using DC-X to play EU games, but its getting quite annoying to swap discs every time I want to play PSO :(

[APE]

Nothing short of dropping in a BIOS chip and writing a region free BIOS will allow for region free playability without changing a setting.

You can think its ugly all you want, but its a whole 3-5 second animation? Might be a hacked version of the retail BIOS for region free. You won't find any other solution for 100% region free goodness.

Glad I bought a stash of the chips either way.

[eugene19]

Thanks for the reply APE, if there are no other solution, I may consider the dev-bios way.
And yeah, I agree its just a few seconds of animation, but don't know, I just prefer the original retail bios for some reason.

So am I correct in thinking that the quoted comment ("region free makes the swirl black") was incorrect?

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

The "region-free" black swirl thing is false. There's one "special" region code for each "real" region which makes the swirl black (codes are written in flash using region-changer and a simple hardware mod). However there's no way to make the console region free using the flash, a bios mod is required.

However, if you don't like the Dev.Kit boot animation, I'm sure a "retail animation" region free bios is doable (and I think it has been done already).

Cheers,

FG

[APE]

I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't one of the BIOSes included on the Dreamshell 4.0 beta 4 disc. IIRC one of them is labeled as the retail version number but "hacked".

If you find you want one installed I'd be happy to do so but seeing as you're in Japan it would only be cost effective to ship it via sea turtle.

[eugene19]

Sounds awesome, but the mod looks really hard to do...
I can't hardly imagine myself soldering all those pins on the chips together.

[Bad_Ad84]

I'm sure there is someone capable of doing the work from Japan on this forum somewhere.

[l_oliveira]

The region free patch was extracted by me from a BIOS that has the retail animation. It's actually EASYPEASY to make a retail bios be region free.

But lol the original BIOS is BORING because everyone have that.


The patch for making MPR_21931_X2_1B5020A1_M000746___1_01d_01.bin (E10C53C2F8B90BAB96EAD2D368858623 MD5) region free follows:

Change value 1E B0 at offset 0x0000051E to 08 A0. :thumbsup:

That's enough to make the BIOS region free.

And if you want the old BORING boot screen, you can have it ... :rolleyes:

Have fun and happy hacking ! :thumbsup:

[eugene19]

The region free patch was extracted by me from a BIOS that has the retail animation. It's actually EASYPEASY to make a retail bios be region free.

But lol the original BIOS is BORING because everyone have that.


The patch for making MPR_21931_X2_1B5020A1_M000746___1_01d_01.bin (E10C53C2F8B90BAB96EAD2D368858623 MD5) region free follows:

Change value 1E B0 at offset 0x0000051E to 08 A0. :thumbsup:

That's enough to make the BIOS region free.

And if you want the old BORING boot screen, you can have it ... :rolleyes:

Have fun and happy hacking ! :thumbsup:

Awesome piece of information :-)
I'll first take apart my DC and see how small the chip is and decide whether to give it a try myself or not.
Thanks for all the input!

[APE]

Awesome piece of information :-)
I'll first take apart my DC and see how small the chip is and decide whether to give it a try myself or not.
Thanks for all the input!

To give you an idea this is a shot from Bad_Ad84's group purchase thread for the necessary chips (hope he doesn't mind):


They're exactly the same size as the onboard mask rom, which is roughly 3/4" tall, 1.25" wide? You can cover most/all of the chip with the average man's thumb. The pins are pretty small and easily broken but if you have some soldering experience and bother to use flux the process is pretty painless.

[eugene19]

I just took apart my DC, and it looked like I can barely do the mod myself.
Is my understanding correct that this item would be USD10?
If the shipping to Japan is not so expensive, I'm going to join the group purchase :)

[Bad_Ad84]

Not $10, chips are £1.60 (approx $2.50?)

Shipping for 1 will be around £2 untracked or around £7 tracked.

If you want multiples, they just post in the thread with how many you want and ill give you the price.

[eugene19]

Not $10, chips are £1.60 (approx $2.50?)

Shipping for 1 will be around £2 untracked or around £7 tracked.

If you want multiples, they just post in the thread with how many you want and ill give you the price.

Thanks, done ;-)

[eugene19]

Thank you all for helping out!
I was able to create my own region free retail BIOS, and make a custom dreamshell disc with it.
The mod went very smooth and all works out well :)

[APE]

Thank you all for helping out!
I was able to create my own region free retail BIOS, and make a custom dreamshell disc with it.
The mod went very smooth and all works out well :)

Can has BIOS? :-)

I'm assuming you made the retail BIOS region free, which would be appreciated if you're willing to distribute it.

[eugene19]

Yeah sure, but its easy peasy to do it :)
I'll upload it and send you a PM, since distributing BIOS files may violate rules here.