Region Changer 1.5

Discuss modifications you have done or plan to do to your Dreamcast or any other hardware, or discuss devices you want to build. If your console does not work or is acting up, ask about fixing it in here.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by FamilyGuy »

The un-hacked bios is already released ... since christmas ...

HERE

Also, I don't know if this unhacked bios is the bios that you have to flash your unit with the units to do so, I even doubt it's the way to do so (sorry for bad grammar on this one)


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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by Mark30001 »

-=FamilyGuy=- wrote:Also, I don't know if this unhacked bios is the bios that you have to flash your unit with the units to do so, I even doubt it's the way to do so
Nah, they're different. ;)
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by FamilyGuy »

But wouldn't it be possilbe to hack the hacked bios to include it into the actual file you have to flash onto your DA ??


Just a random idea of course, I really Dunno if it'd works...


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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by Mark30001 »

-=FamilyGuy=- wrote:But wouldn't it be possilbe to hack the hacked bios to include it into the actual file you have to flash onto your DA ??
That's exactly what puch666 did, but the devbox didn't boot properly after a reflash.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by muthafied »

Seems to run alright with my modchip. Version 1.7 black swirl is a nice little addition:)
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by Lyris »

Sorry if this is a silly question people, but, using the dumped bios from the Dreamcast dev kit, can I have the cool alternate startup sequence on my standard Dreamcast? If so, how?
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by |darc| »

Lyris wrote:Sorry if this is a silly question people, but, using the dumped bios from the Dreamcast dev kit, can I have the cool alternate startup sequence on my standard Dreamcast? If so, how?
You would need to replace your Dreamcast's BIOS ROM chip with another with that firmware flashed on it. Then pray it works.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by Lyris »

In that case, I'll keep it the way it is. Thanks!
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by fahlim003 »

mathieulh wrote:Ok I did some tests using the hacked hkt0120 bios and the regions:

Bad news here, setting the region value to 00 does indeed change the swirl colour to blue and the region itself HOWEVER the region is NOT PAL, it is an unknown/unset region, thus no cd-r (JUE) will run with the region setting as 00. (it is probably a corrupted value) EVERY other settings appear to be japan. How so ? because the value at 0x126 is very likely not to be the only value to modify, to sum up, this value probably only correspond to ONE of the dip switches of the devkits. As you know there are several of those and some probably need to be set or unset at the same time as some others in order to change a region properly. Thus we need to find the other dip switch values to change. Yet the bios would still not be region free, so the best way is to hack it to bypass the region check in IP.bin

Finally the biggest problem will be to find a way to flash it into a retail dreamcast.

Also I noticed that the bios to be flashed in HKT-0120 units features a specific header and that this very header features a hash check, which would explain why it didn't work to flash it on the actual units. Do anyone know what errors were encountered when the owner of the devkit tried to flash the hacked bios ?

Has there been any progress regarding the dev bios? Sorry to drag out an old thread but I'm still curious of the outcome.
I assume to a degree it's fallen off the radar meaning no work/progress has come forth, however I always like to check.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by fahlim003 »

Also, has anyone ever dumped the bios from a Hello Kitty model Dreamcast? I heard a rumour that this particular model is region free. Obviously, that's a pretty wild accusation, but I'd like to be sure. Can anyone confirm or shoot this down?
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by Calavera »

fahlim003 wrote:Also, has anyone ever dumped the bios from a Hello Kitty model Dreamcast? I heard a rumour that this particular model is region free. Obviously, that's a pretty wild accusation, but I'd like to be sure. Can anyone confirm or shoot this down?
That is interesting, I've never heard that before. I'm pretty curious myself. :o
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by Christuserloeser »

Treamcast is region free, I heard.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by |darc| »

Christuserloeser wrote:Treamcast is region free, I heard.
Probably through a chip, though, but I'd be interested to see.

Another interesting idea is if dumping the BIOS from a chipped Dreamcast would result in getting a region-free BIOS image. You wouldn't be able to apply it to a Dreamcast without soldering, but it would still be interesting nonetheless.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by RELIANTKCAR »

does anyone know what to solder on a ntsc dc to get the region changer program to work....
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by |darc| »

RELIANTKCAR wrote:does anyone know what to solder on a ntsc dc to get the region changer program to work....
Just solder the R512 to the 12V and that's all you have to do.
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by RELIANTKCAR »

thanks for the info i just soldered it and i got it to boot in pal(no color though) and i got the black swirl. hopefully i get evil twin to work.......
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by cadogan18 »

i was gonna try to solder that wire on mine,but the r512 isnt there.it says it is but i checked on the other side and i just has an ic soldered on where it would have been.it says r512,d503,d501 all in a small box.the board is a katana main va2.1 mf hkt-3020.i spent about 30 mins trying too figure it out,but its not happening. :?
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by sixtyten »

Does anyone know if any progress is being made on a region free bios?
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by sqrt(-1)+1 »

Why do you want a region free BIOS? Starting the game with a region-swap CD is too much job?
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Re: Region Changer 1.5

Post by FamilyGuy »

sqrt(-1)+1 wrote:Why do you want a region free BIOS? Starting the game with a region-swap CD is too much job?
For the sake of it :!: :mrgreen:

FG
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