CD system reliability census

[guyjin]

If you've owned multiple systems over the years, tell us about each of them.

[NecroPhile]

I've had to nudge my Duo's laser back towards center a few times; does that count as needed to be fixed before, but works now?  Otherwise, it works fine and has never had any parts replaced.

[Sinistron]

I had another TG-CD back in the day- worked great.  Traded it for a huge box of porno tapes.  One I have now works beautifully.  No- I don't regret the earlier trade.  I now have a TG-CD and a shit ton of porno so there's nothing to regret.

[DJLobo]

I've got a TG-CD system that works well, with one oddity. If I haven't used it in a while, I have to connect the CD player directly to the power supply and give it some juice by hitting the play button. Then, I can put it back on the docking bay and everything will run great. I don't why I have to do that, but it works.

[esteban]

I don't doubt that PCE/TG hardware is failing and will continue to do so. I just wonder if we here are getting a slightly skewed perception of the failure rate, since folks tend to create threads to address/solve problems, not simply announce that everything is running smoothly.

Failure rates for hardware, especially aging mechanical/moving drives/belts, exacerbates with time, methinks. So, the forums are going to increasingly fill with "how to fix" and "can it be fixed" and "sources for spare parts have all dried up" threads.

We talked about this in the past. I honestly believe that the storage/usage of an item plays a significant factor in its longevity. If you use something continuously for 48 hour marathons (like a CD-ROM drive), I'm sure there is additional wear-and-tear that might be detrimental to mechanical drives and belts. I used to do this occasionally, but for the most part I have been a good parent to my consoles.

As for the capacitors on TG/PCE hardware leaking and such... this is a problem that exacerbates with age. Similar to the batteries in cartridges failing. When are the batteries in my Tennonoke Bank cards going to fail me? Hopefully not too soon...

Knowing the history of an item is crucial, IMO. The provenance, if you will. It's like buying a used car.

I played a zillion hours on TG-CD back in the day and listened to audio CD's all the time. It's still going strong. I'm sure it will fail on me some day, but not yet. I rarely used it from 1994-2000, though. Since 2000, I've been using TG-CD, DUO (US and Japanese) and SuperCDROM+CoreGrafx as my main consoles.

In general, my brother and I have first-generation consoles (spanning back to 80's) that we have owned our entire lives. They have served us well. I'll focus on CD-ROM consoles: Sega-CD, 3DO, PS1, PS2, Saturn, Dreamcast, Gamecube, TG-CD, DUO... they are all going strong still, and they have seen a bazillion hours of usage.

What can I tell you? My anecdotal evidence will never sway folks who have purchased yogurt-encrusted, nicotine-stained, soda-doused, manhandled, "reconditioned", "repaired" hardware that failed them.

Failure is a product of usage + care (or lack thereof) + normal wear and tear + faulty parts  + poor design, etc. Perhaps I have been lucky, but my consoles survive. And I didn't start handling them with silk gloves until the last few years. Prior to that, I just used common sense.

I had another TG-CD back in the day- worked great.  Traded it for a huge box of porno tapes.  One I have now works beautifully.  No- I don't regret the earlier trade.  I now have a TG-CD and a shit ton of porno so there's nothing to regret.

Tapes!

UPDATE:

"Porno for Turbo"... hmmmm, that would be a good name for a band...

[Sinistron]

"Porno for Turbo"... hmmmm, that would be a good name for a band...

Turbo for Porno sounds good too...

[guyjin]

I've had to nudge my Duo's laser back towards center a few times; does that count as needed to be fixed before, but works now?  Otherwise, it works fine and has never had any parts replaced.

I had the same problem, and I voted 'needed fixed'.

I had another TG-CD back in the day- worked great.  Traded it for a huge box of porno tapes.  One I have now works beautifully.  No- I don't regret the earlier trade.  I now have a TG-CD and a shit ton of porno so there's nothing to regret.

How come you didn't vote that way, then? I let people vote for more than one thing for a reason.

[Sinistron]

I've had to nudge my Duo's laser back towards center a few times; does that count as needed to be fixed before, but works now?  Otherwise, it works fine and has never had any parts replaced.

I had the same problem, and I voted 'needed fixed'.

I had another TG-CD back in the day- worked great.  Traded it for a huge box of porno tapes.  One I have now works beautifully.  No- I don't regret the earlier trade.  I now have a TG-CD and a shit ton of porno so there's nothing to regret.

How come you didn't vote that way, then? I let people vote for more than one thing for a reason.

Then I misread the instructions- thought it said I can only pick one.

[Joe Redifer]

I'd feel bad about the porno trade since most of it can be had for free on the internets these days.

Anyway, the CD drive of my Turbo CD had issues back in the day.  I had to send it to NEC for them to fix.  They botched it the first time.  The second time they got i right (probably just gave me a new unit).  Still works perfectly!

[Sinistron]

I'd feel bad about the porno trade since most of it can be had for free on the internets these days.

This was back in the day- when porno was watched at home chiefly via VCR

[override]

"Porno for Turbo"... hmmmm, that would be a good name for a band...

Turbo for Porno sounds good too...

There was a time when I downloaded a rom pack for the SNES emulator and when going through and testing things I came across something that said "anime chicks" or something along those lines and when I opened it in the emulator it was a bunch of naked hentai chicks! lol

There were several of them in the rom pack I downloaded. Some were hentai, some where real chicks. The real pics where all like 60's or 80's porno with hair pussy and tube socks with red stripes!

You could press the arrow buttons to scroll through them but it also played as a slide show.

[Mathius]

I haven't had any problems with my Turbo CD-ROM, with the exception of a little "clicking" when a disk is spinning. But that rarely ever happens. Hopefully its got a lot of good years left.   Unfortunately, being second hand I don't know the history behind the unit, so theoretically it could crap out on me in the next 24 hours.

[blueraven]

I had one Turbo Duo; I sold it in good working shape on eBay for $175 to make rent in 2005.

I've had 3 PC Engine Duo's, all were sold to me as junk or broken. Just the bare systems mind you.

PCE Duo 1: the "Doorstop Duo"
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=6033

I will eventually fix this. I ordered the wrong RAM the first time. I've had this unit for 2 years; and it's actually what got me to join PCEngineFX! The CD ROM is totally dead to the world. No light, no movement, and the system locks if you try to put a CD game in. It is truly and insanely broken right now. 

PCE Duo 2: arrived in February '09: Needed a CD adjustment and a laser cleaning. unit is CLEAN; my primary gaming system. Sees daily use.

PCE Duo 3: arrived in November '08: The cosmetically beat-up backup that needs a soundfix now. It arrived from hit-japan broken and I video-fixed it. Was my primary unit until February.

[CrackTiger]

I don't think that it was an option in the list, but the biggest factor is whether or not you are the sole operator and/or owner of the system. None of my Turbo (or any other) systems that I bought new ever gave me any trouble that I didn't directly cause by physical damage.

When you buy a CD-ROM used, anything could have been done to it, including it spending time in a smoker's home and or being kept filthy (95% NEW!) before being sold to you.

I bought my Duo RX and my first Neo Geo CD systems from one of the top most trusted Japanese eBay sellers. Both had the lasers die on me after very little use. I don't think that it had anything to do with me or the reliability of the hardware.

I do think that Turbo-CD systems are used much less than PCE and even TurboDuos (partly due to there being fewer out there) and that their reported failure rate might be higher if more people used them regularly. Also, North American Turbo stuff is sought after by mass game collectors who care more about collector values than actually playing games, so many Turbo systems likely get taken out of the loop by these people. Just the fact that these yahoos have driven up the prices of Turbo-CDs and TurboDuos so ridiculously high means that people are less likely to buy them just to play games on or choose them to play on over less expensive hardware that anyone who can afford to buy the Turbo hardware likely also owns.

PCE CD-ROMs, especially Duos are just the opposite. There's millions of them out there and people mostly buy them to use. Considering how much more use PCE systems get overall, I think it's amazing that we don't see more of them crapping out one way or another.

Anyways, like I touched on in the other thread, regardless of which hardware is or would be truly the most reliable overall under the exact same conditions, we do know that Turbo Express/PCE GT and black Turbo/PCE Duo systems have (capacitor?) issues and that all Duo systems have a relatively easy to obtain and install replacement laser available. Combined with the convenience that Duo R/RX systems have over every other setup (including video out the back which trumps the side out), I think it's clear that they are the safest and best bet when it comes to a single setup for playing games on.

[Tatsujin]

the following situations I have:

I have a Duo system that needed to be fixed before, but works now 
I have a CD system that is broken, and not fixable (certainly it is fixable in way)
I have a Duo system that is broken, and not fixable (certainly it is fixable in way)

[Ace]

Got a TurboGrafx CD that needed to have a gear unjammed.  Works flawlessly otherwise.

[SignOfZeta]

Are you talking about problems with just the CD aspect of things, or other stuff like the controller port?

[DragonmasterDan]

Turbo Duo #1: This Turbo Duo had problems with any non-glass mastered discs, movies games whatever would not work. Impossible to ever play implode on it. I tried to repair it by changing out the HOP-M3 unsuccessfully, it's botched

Turbo Duo #2: This system worked flawlessly when I got it, it is now showing signs of audio cut out when playing Redbook audio. This clears up quite quickly and is inconsistant. Since I've failed to repair Turbo Duo #1 and a Turbo Express, I will probably not bother with repairing it.

[NecroPhile]

Turbo Duo #1: This Turbo Duo had problems with any non-glass mastered discs, movies games whatever would not work.

It's not supposed to play movies. 

Impossible to ever play implode on it.

Strange, Implode is a glass mastered 'real' disc; perhaps you meant Meteor Blaster DX. 

[DragonmasterDan]

It's not supposed to play movies. 

I meant music

[kid_rondeau]

What, your TG-CD doesn't play movies? Mine does. VCDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray.....um....VHS, LP's and 8-tracks.

I must have an anomaly.

[exile]

My system was purchased in 1999 and recently died. I am getting a cd,cap and chip replacement and should work for another 20 years or so. I miss my baby! I'm happy to say it will come back from the dead though. 

[SaturdayMorningRobots]

I had a duo for 3 years in the early 90s that never had a problem. I got my current one when TZD started selling the new ones back in 01 Haven't used it much in the last few years until recently, unfortunately now seems to be exhibiting the Capaciter issue (IE it needs to be warmed up for a few minutes to play CD audio.)

I'm sure this is in another thread but I am new here. Do I risk damaging the console by using it in this state?

[NecroPhile]

Do I risk damaging the console by using it in this state?

Yes and no.  Simply using your Duo won't kill it, but the failing capacitors have most likely leaked, meaning that their goo is slowly corroding the pcb.  Plus, said goo is conductive, so it could possibly lead to an electrical short and damage to some component or another.  Personally, I wouldn't fret much today, while planning for the capacitors inevitable total failure and replacement tomorrow.