Ultimate Dreamcast (Part 3/3) - Issues & their solution

[StinkyPheet]

I have an issue with my Dreamcast that I can't find anywhere. I had it unplugged & put away for about 6 months. When I reconnected it, it just sits there with the LED lit, drive does it's normal spin-up. But I get no video at all for about 15 seconds, then all of a sudden it displays the Dreamcast logo screen and just sits there forever doing nothing....?

I do know the battery is dead but it has been for years. Any ideas? Seems almost like a software problem to me, like when Windows freezes.

[djscottbrady]

2032 batteries are the bain of my sega life

[jcrowley1985]

One question, you say playing backups is bad for the Dreamcast.  How so exactly? If I recall, isn't it designed to play normal cd-r's as it also plays music cds? Assuming sega meant to have this feature with their unit, why would normal cds hurt the laser?

[TheronInc]

@jcrowley1985 Every laser has a certain lifespan which you should preserve as good as you can by using it within its intended field of action, and in case of the Dreamcast that is most definitely the GD-ROM disc. Yes, the system can also play CDs, but it was never designed to play games from that medium as well.

[segafr33k]

@TheronInc Backup, Audio CD or GD-Rom... It doesn*t matter at all. In fact most Backups are "re-packed" and "re-allocated" to prevent the laser from unnessecary movements due to spread data.

Heres how i made my laser working better than new

1st: get some alcohol (or sth. which contains almost 100% alc, like aftershave if you can not get sth else)

clean the spindle of the drive well using alc&q-tips.

2nd: use oil-spray containing ptfe (free of haze and acid!!!!) and oil the spindle.

[Wyldephang]

@TheronInc Right. I think the problem is related to the disk overworking the optical laser. CD-Rs shorten the lifespan only because the reading process is more taxing to the hardware. I've heard that some consoles survive CD-R games better than others, but I try not to use them. Nice video, by the way! Keeping the Dreamcast legacy alive. :)

[thelongtimemagic]

@TheronInc I'll bring out some technobabble to help explain the situation GD-ROMs are better for the Dreamcast because they have a higher density than CD-Rs meaning the laser moves less when accessing a distant file so a Dreamcast that has been used with only GD's will last longer than those that have been used with only CD-Rs but the GD-ROM drive is pretty reliable for both IMO you will fix several reset problems before getting a Disc Read Error

[AnalogRocks]

Pico-fuse fight! 

[lazermunky25]

bending the pins towards the back of the console is the simplest way.

[segafr33k]

@lazermunky25 You are so right. NEVER ever use toothpicks or even matches, they are fine for a while but after it goes worse and worse. Use tothpicks ONLY to put the connectors on the power supply board back in position:

-detach board

-stick toothpick (matches are too soft) in the smaller gap beside the holes the pins come in and gently bend the connectors back in place. don't overdo!!

- now bend the pins on the mainboard towards the back of the console GENTLY using your fingetip.

[lazermunky25]

@segafr33k I had to do it once, and I've had no problems since.

[M1XART]

How exactly should Litium Battery be changed? The promlem seems to be it does not allow battery change without some glueing or something like that...

-Does anyone know what is the best solution for holding the battery on it`s right position?

[TheronInc]

@M1XART Well, the direct replacement in the video description has the same shape and form as the original one, however if you use a different battery, e.g. a non-rechargeable one (which I don't recommend even if I personally didn't have a problem so far!), then you have to become creative with glue, solder or something else to hold the battery in place...

[WorldGenesis]

I like this video :D very nice!

[D202116]

Hey man I got a ntsc dreamcast that was connected to the electricity in israel (pal) so it died, anything I can save out of it?

[WolfCub16]

what type of fuse do we need if the controllers wont work?

[l3g10nw]

@WolfCub16 U need to replace the 10 ohms F1 resistor located inside the DC at the controller ports. or instead of replacing the F1, just make it direct by soldering it.

[Mugenlord1]

Hello,

I've got the following problem:After a year of 9 i unpacked my dreamcast again.

When i turn on the power ON the led burns but the disc isn't spinning.

At the menu screen:"please insert a disc".When i push the upper panel a little bit, the disc starts spinning.

When i put a new disc in it,i don't have the boot up screen!

Pls help!!!

[jcrowley1985]

@Mugenlord1

I had a similar issue and it's VERY easy to fix. When you open up the unit, there is a black switch in the back right next to the drive. This is what tells the unit that the cd door is closed. It could be that the door is not entirely pushing this switch back and thus the console thinks the door is open. Simply take a piece of tape to hold that switch back. Your disk should now spin. Doesn't mean the laser would read necessarily, that is another issue all together.

[kiltsonfire164]

My dreamcast doesn't read discs i used the laser calibration but the disc won't spin, Am i doing something wrong?

[segadreamer]

I´m considering making the extreme mod for the power supply, connecting an ATX power supply of PC, Do you think that it's the best solution? I mean, how long your Dreamcast keeps without reseting with your solutions?

Thanks for the vid, you showed me really new things I've never known yet

[mexican379]

I just bought a second Dreamcast 2 days ago...fixed the controller port capacitor and cleaned it up. Added an led in the controller (clear blue) =]

[OverruledDood]

This video was absurdly helpful. thank you very much.

[LuckyGameing]

@TheronInc i have a sega sports dreamcast and it loads up the boot menu than it stop displaying on the tv through the av cable i checked the av cables and the av cables are alright and the system isn't modded so do you know why it stops displaying the screen after the boot up menu ?

[segafr33k]

@LuckyGameing Don't know if you still need help... anyway it could be a problem with RGB/YUV cables.

Some Discs (like psilocybins XDP Web browser) don't like the RGB/YUV signal when booting up, resulting in a black sreen and the DC hanging.

Try the following:

Switch the cable to s-video (normal mode) or unplug the cable from the dc before booting up and starting the game. When you can be sure it booted up (noise), re-plug the cable or switch back to RGB/YUV mode (enhanced graphic mode)

[rolaahp]

My dreamcast is new ( i got it yesterday) and when im playing a original game it just stop reading it sometimes, and stays in the loading screens, or the music stops playing (in games) even with new games (no scratches) help please

[GamerMGO]

my dreamcast is 10 years old and no problems 

[l3g10nw]

@GamerMGO way to go!

[orion1998is1]

my dreamcast powers up but no video output, any ideas?

[smalllions]

i dont have a soldering iron and i dont know where to get a fuse/resistor replaced, so im just gonna buy a new dreamcast.

[stpierreorama]

if possible i would very much appreciate your help. my dreamcast had the common cant read disc problem, so i tried turning the little screw with the orange around it. however, i could not find the proper screwdriver so i decided to use small pliers and ended up tearing off the little section where the screw is, i mean the whole section, so the green electronic material also came off, this piece is very small and not completely off, i am wondering there is a solution? thankyou very much.

[nidadip]

sega's support forms said not to take the battery out and to keep it off for 16 hours?

[305SEGA305]

thx dude my Issue was that my dreamcast restarts

[sheikhm15]

DO YOU HAVE TO DO SOLDERING FOR THE BATTERY OR CAN U JUST SQUEEZE IN A NEW ONE?

[alak58]

my Japanese Dreamcast (was being used with a stepdown converter in uk) blew up.(little smoke came out of fan tray + burned odur).I have opened it but cannot detect anything unusual on the power board.any idea how can I find out whats blown?

[kickndave21]

I bought a broken dreamcast for 5 bucks, and figured out that the cover was loose so it wasnt reading that the cover was on, I just had to push it down in the back corner and it works:D came with crazy taxi too.

[ghostmouthzach56]

Thank you dude, you're awesome!

[hellfirestw666]

how i can twist that calibrating screw?

[MatchaCUB]

okay you come across very knowledgeable about the dreamcast, so maybe you can help. I recently updated the GD Rom with a replacement. nothing seemed to change except a loud clicking noise that follows the initial start up. the new GD rom isn't reading the disks, whereas when i switch back to the original GD rom, it seems to load a game, however the loud clicking noise persists. i figured i might've placed the screws in too tightly, because when i loosened the screws, the sound subsided.

[MatchaCUB]

@MatchaCUB (continuation).. still there is a bit of a sounds when the dreamcast starts up and the games are still not loading properly. now before being advised to take it in for repairs, do you, or anyone, have any ideas what the clicking sound could be? I'm figuring it's the screws because of the difference of sound when loose or tightened, but how do i resolve the issue?

[51rickjames]

lol i played youtube snake the whole video but then i watched it over again :)

nice video

[TheronInc]

@avengful The loudest component in your Dreamcast should be the GD-ROM drive when it loads data, so maybe you should make a closer inspection, thoroughly clean it and see if anything changes.

[Filiger]

Okay I am getting the time and date thing every time I start the console, but I can't even select the date and time. So does this mean the controller port is broken as well?

Thanks this video was very helpful!

[TheUnbiasedGamer]

Thanks for posting this! I fixed my disk read error! =D

[656er]

Nice video! I was wondering if you had a solution for no video/audio output for a dreamcast? I have 2 dreamcasts that can't display anything on the tv screen. I've been reading it might by the av cable or the mother board itself. Any feedback might be helpful. Thanks!!!

[NarugaDenka]

Okay I got a question here since you seem like you're still in action with this Dreamcast stuff. I bought a second Dreamcast about 6 years ago just in case my first ever died. It did but my folks misplaced the second Dreamcast, so it was still in the box completely brand new practically for 6 years. Just today I found it and felt like playing it. When I hooked it up and I turned it on, all I got was flickering display and the system making kinda loud noises. What could the problem be?

[Mantelis1255]

Now I am really scared to play burned games...

[TheronInc]

@Mantelis1255 Don't be scared, but take into account that the system wasn't designed to play software via CD-Rs, thus the laser might die earlier than it should.

[Mantelis1255]

@TheronInc I already have one dead Dreamcast, never played CD-R's using it and it lasted for 5 years. Bought new one 4 months ago and I really want to try to play some burned games, becouse I got bored of the old ones. Thanks for the videos, alot of usefull info here. By the way PAL Dreamcast looks sexy with blue LED ;) I might try that one.

[TheronInc]

@Mantelis1255 Well, there are no statistics for this kind of thing, but every laser lens loses power eventually. Its lifespan happens to depend on the kind of media you use with it, and only using CD-Rs could easily drain its power quicker than using official GD-ROMs.

Either way, I'm glad you like it. I'd also like to say thanks for subscribing, I appreciate your interest! =)

[fdsman]

@TheronInc I just wanted to comment in and say the thing about playing burned out games is incorrect. It was a rumor started by Sega to get people to buy games instead of burning them. Which might have been the morally right thing when the games were still being produced but today, there's no reason to buy games since Sega doesn't make money off of them. The issue is more likely to be the fact that the system is nearly 12 years old and hardware wears out.

[fdsman]

@TheronInc However there may be a possible fix to this. The "GD-ROM" drive is actually a standard CD-ROM drive. if you examine the chips on the GD-ROM controller board, you'll find that one of them is an IDE controller, which means it may be possible to find other drives that with a little modification, will work with the dreamcast.

[skater24481]

@Mantelis1255 you should see the japanese dreamcast. it has 2 modes. yellow LED (japan is yellow swirl) and when you beat a game and your console reads a 100% vmu data save and you play that game, the LED is rainbow.

[ChaosXDarkness]

@TheronInc

My dreamcast spinnle stopped spinning I've noticed yesterday. I don't wanna keep buying new dreamcast b/c half of the shops don't fix them. But I wanna know where can I but a new laser lens or something?

[akumacornflakes]

My Dreamcast still reads official discs just fine, but it won't read CD-Rs at all anymore. Will adjusting the GD-ROM drive fix this?

[TheronInc]

@akumacornflakes Probably, but most likely only temporarily. Try to stick to GD-ROMs to prolong its lifespan.

[hitachi088]

my last dreamcast had a problem :

-when i press the power button the red led turn on and imediately turn off ...

no image no sound = nothing .

[Dancrane212]

Cool video,

My Dreamcast powers down a second or so after being turned on and has to be left alone for a while before it can attempt powering up again.

Any ideas?

[zachthezombie]

is it possible to add a more powerfull fan to the dreamcast

[TheronInc]

@zachthezombie Possible, yes. Necessary, no. But feel free to check out the link in the description concerning fan replacement. =)

[zachthezombie]

@TheronInc it may be Necessary for me due to the fact my dreamcast cuts out when in overclocked mode

[TheronInc]

@zachthezombie Oh, I see. I also noticed that I wrote some nonsense in my first reply - check out the link in the description concerning fan replacement.^^

[TheLasko45]

I have a problem with an extra Dreamcast I picked up this afternoon used. Most disc read problems seem to indicate that the disc is spinning before saying that it can't be read, but in this one, the discs don't spin at all.

Also, the boot-up screen is different, as it doesn't draw the swirl or play the little jingle before going into the menu, the logo just shows up on the screen shortly before going directly into the menu screen.

[TheronInc]

@TheLasko45 Sounds like your Dreamcast thinks that the drive is open all the time. You should take a closer look at the sensor that checks whether the drive is closed or not.

[TheLasko45]

@TheronInc Just tried turning on my good system with the door open and it had the same start up screen so that looks to be the problem.

Thanks a lot, I'm glad its something fixable

[AnthorOne]

I finaly find my answer :)

[raohdensetsu]

hi there i have two dreamcast with the fallowing problems the first start but when the sega logo appears it blackout, i tested the laser in other dreamcast and it worked

the second is a japanese in this one the sega logo dont even appear just a white screen and nothing happens

can you help me out?

[TheronInc]

@raohdensetsu I'm afraid not, sorry. You could check the internals for broken parts, such as a blown capacitator, etc. Otherwise there isn't much you can do here, especially the second one sounds like something major is not working correctly on the motherboard.

[raohdensetsu]

@TheronInc well thanks can you tell me some tips how to figure out when a capacitor is blown?

[TheronInc]

@raohdensetsu Usually, the top of a capacitator is flat. When its blown, it will be slightly deformed and maybe there will even be some residue from the chemical that's usually inside the capaciator around it.

[raohdensetsu]

@TheronInc thanks by the way i checked the board and i realized that i installed a mod chip on that board before and i'm wondering if that is causing me the problem cause i removed the mod chip lately

[RAAB0601]

if my internal battery is out. well if i need to reset date and time every time, do i need to replace it? or is it just a thing that is annoying and replacing it will jus make life easier, or will it cause my dreamcast to stop workin?

[TheronInc]

@RAAB0601 I won't cause your Dreamcast to stop working, but it is indeed something annoying that you can fix if you want to.

[LordHumungusFL]

hey maybe you can help my old Dreamcast system, it loads any game I put in it with working sound but the screen shows nothing but white I have owned this baby since new and have never had any problems at all with it even playing it 15 hours or more a day I miss it !

[SwankeyMonkey]

Please do a video on repairing "blown controller ports" on the DC. I just killed mine by hooking up a bad 3rd party arcade stick, and I don't want to toss out my good early model DC. I hear that it's a fairly easy fix, but seeing that repair on video is so much more helpful than just reading about it. And your videos are well made, so who better to do the vid, but you. Thanks in advance.

[dannygalaga]

Been learning a bit about fixing Dreamcasts now that i bought one. When you adjust the laser, it isn't 'recalibrating', it's just increasing the power to compensate for it getting weaker over time.

Good tutorial though! Sadly not the answer i need for my prob :(

[Diacial]

i got a problem on my Dreamcast,, the 'AC in' works fine, the 'controller' works fine, the 'disc tray' works well, the 'A/V' in doesn't seem to work at all, its a RF cable,

i checked through websites after websites and i see no solutions,

is it just mine or is everyone who has a RF cable have problems

[TheronInc]

Well, using a RF cable is pretty much the worst thing you can do with a Dreamcast. You should definitely look for a RGB Scart cable or a VGA Box - it's the year 2010 after all, and RF cables already had horrible signal quality decades ago.^^

[edbox78]

Thanks a lot for the video tutorial, one of the most helpful.

[schieese]

putting a non rechargeable battery wouldnt make it splode?

[TheronInc]

Nothing has exploded here so far. It's more of an emergency solution, if you can't get hold of a rechargeable battery. Not recommendable, but it works for a while (until the battery's empty).

[TheGamePunk]

I have a dreamcast problem that wasn't solved by the content in this video. I have posted a video on my channel explaining my problem, and any help that I could get is very much appreciated.

[XxCxuXitoXx]

this a bad ass game..system you can even watch movies

[adamdonovan88]

Is it really that bad to use CD-r disks on your dreamcast? This is the only place where I've heard that mentioned.

[TheronInc]

It depends. The Dreamcast is primarily designed to play games from GD-ROM discs or play audio files from CD. Using burned CD-Rs can strain the system's laser, especially if the contents on the discs aren't patched/compressed properly. I haven't experienced it myself, but from what I understand it can happen due to excessive usage.

[adamdonovan88]

Cool, good to know. I got the system recently for free, so I'm just having fun with it.

Will it damage the system, or disrupt the way it runs, if I use a different kind of LED, or should I just avoid that all together.

[TheronInc]

No, changing the power LED doesn't affect the system and should you decide to use a different kind of LED, it may only affect the brightness of its light.

[adamdonovan88]

Awesome, thanks a lot man.

These have been the most helpful tutorials I've found anywhere

[TheronInc]

You're welcome - and thanks, I appreciate that! =)

[PIKACHU49386]

I really need an answer to this... I spent 5 hours just trying to get Shenmue Disc 1 to read, I got it and started playing, and I'm SO close to beating disc 1, but when I enter the Russiya China Shop, it hangs on that loading screen, every other game I have works just fine and they load/start instantly, My crazy taxi has a huge gash on the disc and works fine, disc 1 is almost flawless, help please? I'll clean the laser eye right now and I'll see what happens...

[TheronInc]

There could be many reasons for that, not necessarily console-related. You could have a faulty disc, or maybe it's a strange bug that you unintentionally caused. It's hard to tell the exact reason for things like that, so I can only speculate.

[PIKACHU49386]

@TheronInc I'll find a way to figure a way around it... maybe I can get cdi under 700MB and burn it to finish it off, I'm using the original disc. Maybe it could be a bugged disc... burning discs work like a charm, do you know where I could find a disc with downscaled audio so it seems more compressed.

[PIKACHU49386]

@Theronlnc I meant an iso with downscaled audio, not a disc xD

[arranmc182]

only time i have found CD-R's to damage a Dreamcast when people have no idea what they are doing and burn games at stupid speeds like 16x witch scatters the data more on the Disk witch means the dreamcast has to work harder i burn all mine at 4x

[sonicadrian]

........................

[LeeMan00]

CR2032 3V works? I always thought they were harder to find batteries.

[TheronInc]

I used to have a few lying around for my Sega Saturn, so I gave it a try. And there isn't much of a difference to the original ML2032 ones other than not being rechargeable. Either way, you should try to get ML2032 batteries before you try anything else. =)

[LeeMan00]

@TheronInc Cool, thanks

[sonicadrian]

I have a sega dreamcast that has a problem. You see, whenever i plug in any of my controllers, they don't work. Its like they're not even connected. The dreamcast itself works fine but any controller i try to use doesnt work at all!. This just happened suddenly after taking it out to play one day. Can u tell me what's wrong and hopefully how to fix it?????

[rotbox11]

THANKS SO MUCH, just fixed my Dreamcast off of your video. thanks for putting in the time for this vid

[CAVALLIN0]

great videos..do you know where i can get a see-through dreamcast shell..saw one on youtube and it looks ace.

[TheronInc]

I once saw some on eBay and gamechoiceclub. com, but I don't know if the latter shop still sells them. Maybe they can get one for you upon request, though.

[djecliptik]

I got port C and D working, but can't get A and B working. The battery works fine, so I don't believe it's that resistor. and I already replaced the F1 resistor. Im still clueless.

[kingryan30]

my dreamcast only readys perfect games, if it

only has a few scratches it will mess up in the middle of playing it, if it has alot of scratches but not enouph that it cant be read. it will freese at the start menu. can you please help me!?

[Stasoline]

I've never seen any evidence of the DC drive breaking due to backups, it's just a myth.

[Bustahead]

I have a bit of a problem with my dreamcast. The picture displays, the disc reads...BUT the picture displays in black and white and only SOMETIMES will it appear in full colour. Any ideas?

[TheronInc]

What kind of video cable are you using?

Have you tried using a different cable or connection type (e.g. VGA)?

It could very well be that your cable is causing the issues.

[Bustahead]

Well, I'm just using the standard cable that came with the Dreamcast console itself back when I got it in 2000 or so.

But the TV's been updated since then, though it accepts Scart and the round shaped socket that allows you to get terrestrial channels.

[TheronInc]

Then I highly suggest you get a new cable for your Dreamcast, either RGB Scart or a VGA box. Without further testing with another video cable, it's impossible to say if it's a hardware issue that lies within your current cable or the console.

Or you could also test the functionality of your current cable on another system, but thatwould naturally require another Dreamcast.

[Bustahead]

Then, at the risk of sounding like a complete and utter dummy, I would obviously need an RGB scart/VGA cable that is exclusively for Dreamcast or would any do?

[TheronInc]

Yes, you'll need cables that are designated for use only with the Dreamcast. =)

It doesn't matter if you choose official cables or third party products, though.

[gameboy3800]

the disc reader in myne works just fine and does it's job. it just does it REALLY LOUDLY. you can hear it from across the room. nay halp?

[TheronInc]

Like this?

/watch?v=Z85HRKrOFsk

I'd suggest recalibrating the laser or replacing it, either just the laser unit itself or the whole drive. The latter might be a better choice, as there appear to be different laser units available, so you might get an incompatible replacement.

[gameboy3800]

when the disc spins it makes no noise. but when it's loading a game the lazer makes this drill0like sound

[NAPSTERUK00]

i have a problem where the power LED never comes on for my dreamcast, and games will very rarely even begin to load (and even when they do, it only last for about 5 seconds).

Any suggestions?

[TheronInc]

It sounds like you have a form of the reset problem or at least an issue with the power supply. The problems with reading discs will most likely mean that your drive is going downhill. You can try to recalibrate the laser for the time being, but overall, replacing the console would be your best option.

[EirikHendenMedia]

Damn good..

[shock25sr]

SORRY!!Thank you my AUSTRIAN friend...!thats more like it... :)!

[shock25sr]

thanks for the link m8!would love to have covers like that(well...maybe not green:)) for my dc!but its hard to find stuff like that now!even on the internet i can`t seem to find me an arcade stick anywhere!e-bay is sold out of all the cool stuff and finding new parts is a pain in the ass!wish there where more people like you to make dc lovers life a litle more easyer!thank you my german friend for keeping the dream alive!greatings from portugal :) !

[TheronInc]

Yes, those covers exist in different colors, but they are rare indeed. Well, arcade sticks are usually available on ebay, I just checked and there are multiple auctions for it atm. The stick is really awesome for fighting games and shoot'em'ups, so I can only recommend it. =)

Well yes, I like the DC a lot and I plan to do more videos about it to inform others about the system.

You're welcome, I'm glad you found it helpful and I wish you all the best! =)

Cheers!

[shock25sr]

thank you!ithat was SO helpfull!any chance u can post a link to some page that explains how to make cool mods like transparent cd cover with LEDS underneath and stuff like that??thanks

[TheronInc]

I have to admit that I don't really know websites for cosmetic Dreamcast mods. But I know that there are transparent replacement shells available for the DC which look awesome:

lyris-lite. net/2007/12/dreamcast_replacem­ent_shells.html

I actually planned to perform some cosmetic mods on a Dreamcast once, but I never really found the time to do so. Maybe I'll do that someday...^^

[airrunner85]

hello mate, maybe you could help me with my dreamcast. I recently purchased a dreamcast with a rf cable but it would not display a picture on my tv. I then purchased a brand new av cable but it still wont display a picture. So i believe the problem but persist within the console. Any ideas?

[TheronInc]

What happens if you turn on the console? Do you get a sound signal or does only the power LED go on?

[airrunner85]

No it does not produce any sound either but the led is on and it sounds like its reading the disc perfect. I haver tried it on 2 tv's now tried two av cables so its definitely the console

[TheronInc]

Hm, that's strange, then most likely there is a problem with the video out and/or the motherboard itself. One of my Dreamcast consoles also has a problem with the video out and stuff like this is very tedious to fix, so unfortunately it seems like you're better off getting another console then. :/

[venomzote125]

thank you guy you help me a lot !!!!!!!!!!

[TheronInc]

No problem, that's nice to hear! =)

[Levi11123]

I remember i had to replace my dreamcast's controller port fuse a few years ago.. Stupid multitap

[TheronInc]

Yeah, that sucks.

But then again, it's nice that the DC has four controller ports from the getgo. =)

[gamerguy2710]

great! I just bought a dreamcast

[barrysbaps01]

Thanks man