• Registered: 2018-10-16
  • Posts: 190

I'm pretty new here, so I apologize if this has already been discussed at length.

I'm part of a group that's dumping prototypes for preservation purposes. We decided to standardize on Redump's methods, since they seem to be by far the best/most accurate. In discussing various things with other Redump members, I also discovered that I have a few non-prototype discs that are rare enough that they've not been added to the DB yet, so I've been working on adding those as well.

I personally don't have a vested interest in ring codes - I care about the data that's on the discs. However, I know that information is very important to Redump, and so when I submit dumps from our collection, I want to make sure I can do as good a job as possible. There's only one photo of a ring in the wiki, and it's specifically a PS2 disc. Is there any interest in adding additional photos so that it's very clear which text goes in which field in the submission form? I have the following photos already, taken with a DSLR and macro lens:

- Dreamcast retail NTSC
- GameCube retail NTSC
- GameCube Action Replay disc (non-standard ring)
- PlayStation pressed silver bootleg disc
- PlayStation 2 retail NTSC-J
- PlayStation 2 promo PAL
- PlayStation 2 public beta PAL
- PlayStation 2 publisher-issued DVD-R
- PlayStation 3 pressed review code PAL
- PlayStation 4 pressed review code PAL
- Xbox retail NTSC
- Xbox pressed silver preview disc (signed for retail consoles)
- Xbox publisher-issued DVD-R for dev/debug consoles
- Xbox 360 retail NTSC
- Xbox 360 pressed silver preview disc (signed for retail consoles)
- Xbox 360 pressed silver preview disc (signed for dev/debug consoles)
- Xbox 360 publisher-issued DVD-R for dev/debug consoles

I can easily get examples of these types of discs using the same equipment:

- Dreamcast retail PAL
- Dreamcast publisher-issued GD-R
- Dreamcast GameShark
- Nuon retail NTSC
- PlayStation retail PAL
- PlayStation publisher-issued CD-R
- PlayStation 2 retail NTSC
- PlayStation 2 retail PAL
- PlayStation 2 Code Breaker
- PlayStation 2 GameShark
- PlayStation 3 retail NTSC
- PlayStation 4 retail NTSC
- Saturn retail NTSC
- Wii retail NTSC
- Xbox retail PAL

I have various other PlayStation discs as well, but don't have an IR camera to capture their ring codes.

Is any of that of interest?

  • From: Portugal
  • Registered: 2012-06-17
  • Posts: 58

Cut Into Fourteen Pieces wrote:

There's only one photo of a ring in the wiki, and it's specifically a PS2 disc.

Not sure if I got this right but most photo submissions are made on the Dumps forum. I don't think there's a defined place to host them. If you mean having more photos for reference of what's important, I guess the same subforum can be a good place for information. Basically all the info is helpful, I guess.

I don't think you need special photo equipment for most of it. A top down photo with light slightly at an angle (as to avoid direct reflections) can pull out most of the text in a legible way. Maybe an extra photo for some mould stamped text if it doesn't show up on the first one. Any point n shoot or smartphone will do it.

Personally I think it's worth the extra step and document things right while you have the materials with you. It might be a slight detrack of a more straightforward process but nowadays we have a single click solution for dumping that's incomparable more streamlined than it used to be.