Alternative Uses and Interesting Mods for a PS1? 48
carolinamagi asks: "I've got an original Playstation collecting dust in my garage that I only use when I've got a fix for Final Fantasy VII. I know the original Playstation is a dated system but I can't help but wonder if there are any 'after market' or non-game mods which others have tried (with success) to give their Playstation some new life. The catch is that I'm a total novice when it comes to mods (although I am handy around the house and around a computer) and I would still like the ability to play games with my modded Playstation. Any ideas?"
yes! (Score:2, Interesting)
Cool (Score:2, Insightful)
Mod parent dubious? (Score:4, Interesting)
Seeing as the PS1 only has limited memory card storage and would require a bespoke serial NIC for use as a webserver, I'd reserve judgement on the ACs claim unless further information is given.
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Re:yes! (Score:5, Funny)
Me too! (Score:2)
I'm sceptical you'll get anything great though, without an internet connection or Wii like control, what -can- be done with it?
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That surgeon is a man after my own heart
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For Inspiration (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh, and I have to mention his Xbox 360 laptop [benheck.com]. Because it rocks.
Emulators for a Modded Playstation 1 (Score:3, Informative)
Audiophile Quality CD Player (Score:4, Interesting)
See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15484873/ [msn.com]
And: http://dogbreath.de/PS1/index.html [dogbreath.de]
Re:Audiophile Quality CD Player (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:Audiophile Quality CD Player (Score:5, Insightful)
According to one of the linked articles, it has a very bog standard looking 16 bit DAC. The analogue output stage looks singularly unremarkable.
Some other choice quotes from the articles :
"Michael told me to look for a PlayStation with the model number SCPH-1001, which is the unit with separate audio and video RCA output jacks. That particular model allows audiophiles to use their own (expensive) audio cables to get "perfect" sound."
"Before I started my listening tests, Michael had a warning for me: "Plug in the units -- turn 'em on -- and don't turn them off." It seems the PlayStations sound best when left on all the time. Michael was right. You shouldn't even listen for the first three days. Both units need every second of the break-in period."
To me, both of those quotes raise red flags. The flags have "Audiophool" written on them in big letters.
I also doubt that simply removing two caps and replacing them with the expensive polyester variety is going to make a difference audible to anybody not already skilled in the art of self deception. And apparently if you have one with a mod chip, you should definitely remove it just in case it ruins the sound. I would have thought it would be obvious whether it does or not to somebody with such golden ears.
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A Marantz 8B is a pretty unremarkable circuit. Have you ever heard one?
This is the classic debate between engineers and audiophiles; the engineer determines how a piece of equipment will sound by looking at a schematic, an audiophile determines how a piece of equipment will sound by listening to it.
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Audiophiles determine how good something sounds by how much is costs.
Cheap audiophile gear. (Score:2)
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/sonicimpact/t.
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Sounds like the classic Western vs. New-age Medicine debate: A "Western" doctor figures out a cure through double-blind tests and publishes the results in a medical journal [nih.gov]. Then a phamaceutical company makes medicine from the findings. A New-age doctor just tests it on himse
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Tubes use a much higher current than transistors, which leads to a smoothing of the waveform. It may sound better (to you), but it's not more accurate.
Or why my preamp sounds better after it's been on for an hour or so.
The characteristics of an analog electronic component change with temperature. Most electronics generally have a 30-120 minute warmup as they reach a stable
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Sure they have; because the tube amp produces a lot of distortion, and the distortion has even harmonics. It sounds "better", because some people seem to like the distorted sound. Is it accurately reproducing the sound? Hell no.
This distortion is also the reason guitar players like tube-based guitar amps: because the even harmonic distortion sounds better than odd-harmonic
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The engineer determines how a piece of equipment will sound by looking at a schematic, an audiophile determines how a piece of equipment will sound by listening to it.
Which is why audiophiles will always deceive themselves by all kinds of subjective factors unrelated to audio quality (such as looks, price, current mood, and the color of the room's walls), while only engineers are capable of objectively judging audio quality; precisely because they don't involve their own opinions.
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Actually, it isn't a bog-standard 16-bit DAC. It's a professional-quality DAC. AKM is the choice for DACs and ADCs used by pros (along with the likes of Burr-Brown (now TI, I believe). A lot of pro soundcards use AKM. What's surprising is that Sony went with them (I guess it's because they're Japanese and all...). Note that in the same articles, later revisions of t
How about programming? (Score:3, Informative)
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Re:Playstation Computer (Score:5, Funny)
Even better would be to find a 'smart button' of some sort (a pushbutton with active display on it's face). Build that button into a PC case, and use it as the main display for the PC. Find the largest monitor you can afford, and configure it to display a solid red or green color on it's face to indicate the PC is on.
These ideas are all now copyright by me. But you're granted an unlimited license to implement them, so long as I am credited. Or something.
Catapult ammo (Score:5, Funny)
Super Mario Bros. (Score:1, Funny)
Mod Your PlayStation (Score:5, Funny)
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- RG>
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VCD Player (Score:1)
GAMARS VCD Card for PSX [trhonline.com]
This will let you use your PS1 as a VCD player.
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Don't do anything to it (Score:3, Insightful)
I know GP asked about PS1, but for the PS2, they tend to be able to read CD games long after they get finicky on DVD discs, and part of the softmodding process involves booting a PS1 CD.
If you just want something geeky to do, restrain yourself. This hardware is only going to get harder to find/more expensive to buy on ebay.
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Re:Don't do anything to it (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course emulators are only going to get faster and more accurate.
Fancy uses for a PS1 (Score:5, Funny)
hm..
I like to use mine as a system clock sometimes.
From ~/.bashrc2:
export PS1='\h:`date +"%m-%d-%y %H:%M:%S"`:\w [\!]$ '
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First sensible suggestion I heard all day.