• Registered: 2015-02-24
  • Posts: 101

I want to bother to dump all my GD-ROMs. I don't think I have anything that's undumped, but, just as a exercise, I figured I might as well give it a shot. As it turns out, I don't currently have a drive that works to dump GD-ROM discs, though. I spent a good part of the day today taking drives apart to do the swap trick, and none of them seemed to work.

So, the next step is to track down a drive that does work to dump GD-ROMs. One drive that I'm seeing a lot of availability for on the second-hand market is the TS-H353. However, most TS-H353 drives I'm seeing are not the TS-H353A that's in the compatibility list, but instead the TS-H353B or TS-H353C models. Has anyone verified if the B or C versions do or do not work for GD-ROM dumping? Also, does anyone know if it might be possible to cross-flash a B or C to the firmware of an A and do GD-ROM dumping then? I'm unable to find any details online about if the hardware is different between these models. I'm wondering if they're just all versions of the same drive with slightly different firmwares depending on what the OEM asked for...

  • Registered: 2021-08-26
  • Posts: 61

I don't where you located, but I bought on Ebay "SH-D162C" recently for a buck. I've just checked and there is one more auction that ends in an hour - again for a buck. So, the trick is not to search for "SH-D162C", but for "SH-D162" and look the label on the pictures, that it's "Revision C".

  • Registered: 2015-02-24
  • Posts: 101

It turns out there's a note about the H353B in the Wiki. It's considered more trouble than it's worth. After acquiring one, I have to agree. I was able to get a few sections dumped, but it was taking an eternity and I'm not convinced the other sections were ever going to work. Anyway, I bought that model partly because it can also be flashed over to Kreon, so that drive is happily dumping Xbox discs now.


matura713 wrote:

I don't where you located, but I bought on Ebay "SH-D162C" recently for a buck. I've just checked and there is one more auction that ends in an hour - again for a buck. So, the trick is not to search for "SH-D162C", but for "SH-D162" and look the label on the pictures, that it's "Revision C".

That's good advice leaving off the last character. Unfortunately for me, it looks like the SH-D162 version must not have been common in North America -- most results are way overpriced (including shipping) to get them to the States. I'm eyeballing a SH-T352C, but they still hover around $20 (including shipping). Not an extremely expensive drive by any means, but that seems like plenty for an otherwise unremarkable DVD-ROM drive from over 10 years ago.

  • Registered: 2021-08-26
  • Posts: 61

scsi_wuzzy wrote:

$20 (including shipping)

I've just checked and shipping from my location to NA is over $20. yeah, it's not feasible to buy from EU.