Dreamcast emulator question

[Generic Eric]

I thought there was a DC emulator thar played real discs?  Is that true?  Or am I wrong?

[eds1275]

I think you can do that in NullDC?

[Generic Eric]

I think you can do that in NullDC?

Thanks.  I wasn't sure if I was imagining that or if that was a feature that may or may not have been dropped.

I also seem to remember that you could mount the iso with alcohol 120% and have it play too.  I could never get anywhere with the emus though.

[nitrogen_widget]

From what I used to know, the dreamcast used GD-ROM?
a non-standard disc size but you could back-up the discs to CD-rom using your dreamcast & a serial cable connected to the PC and one of the emulators made the connection.
Then you could burn it to CD & play it on the dreamcast.
If it took up the whole dreamcast disc you had to use a boot disc to run the game first because those files had to be moved off in order to fit the game.

[butanebob]

Yep, i don't think any emulator can run original DC discs.

[twistedsymphony]

Normal PC disc drives can't read original Dreamcast discs because they're in the proprietary GD-ROM format.... I think there was someone who found certain model drives that can be modified (both hardware and firmware) to read them for ripping purposes but that seems like a lot of work for emulation.

Any Emulator that is able to run mounted ISOs should be able to read backup discs directly from the drive though.

[Generic Eric]

Normal PC disc drives can't read original Dreamcast discs because they're in the proprietary GD-ROM format.... I think there was someone who found certain model drives that can be modified (both hardware and firmware) to read them for ripping purposes but that seems like a lot of work for emulation.

This is most likely what I was thinking.  I definitely remember updating firmware being a thing.

[jdevane]

Normal PC disc drives can't read original Dreamcast discs because they're in the proprietary GD-ROM format.... I think there was someone who found certain model drives that can be modified (both hardware and firmware) to read them for ripping purposes but that seems like a lot of work for emulation.

Any Emulator that is able to run mounted ISOs should be able to read backup discs directly from the drive though.

LG made that drive, I have one, however, I have it installed in an external enclosure so unless I need to tear it all apart, I can't get the model number...  its the same drive the Wii disc need to be read...