Messy PSX ROMs - Advice Needed

[demosthenes2010]

I'm beginning to get quite the collection together.

I have roughly 10,000 games across many consoles.  

Took me so long to get around to the PSX ones due to the sheer number of them.

I downloaded a rather large pack (1500 games).  Took me a while on my 15mbps connection.

Now that they are downloaded, I've started the process of turning the .bin/.cue files into .chd's to conserve on space.

The problem is that during the conversion process, roughly half of them failed.

So, I copied out the .chd's that did work and began analyzing those directories that failed.

I found a few things... 

First, I have some games that contain a single .bin file.  The .cue files have multiple .bin references but only the first .bin is present.  I can create new .cue files to only use the single .bin and the games launch within my emulators.  However, while they launch, I have no audio.  I've read somewhere that this is possible but I'd like to know - is the audio in there somewhere and Beetle is simply unable to play them?  Would I be able to use a different emulator for that subset of games that knows how to pull the audio from the single .bin file?

Second, I've found some games that have an odd .cue file where the bin's are named - 

Game

Game (Part 2)

Game (Part 3)

etc...

but the .cue file appears to be designed for them to be named - 

Game (Part 1)

Game (Part 2)

Game (Part 3)

These will launch in PCSX ReArmed but will not launch in Beetle without a modification to the .cue file.  I've read that PCSX ReArmed is designed for use in lower power ARM devices.  Outside of the inability to increase the internal resolution, is there any other downside to using ReArmed for a subset of ROMs instead of going through 500 directories to rename the first .bin?  The only other alternatives I see are to download an entirely new pack of PSX ROMs (will take ages to get a complete one) or try to find a utility that will mass generate .cue files for each folder (similar to what the CHDMAN utility does).

How would you play it?  

New ROM pack?  Use PCSX ReArmed where necessary, Beetle where possible, and a third for the single .bin files (if Launchbox will support different emulators for different ROM packs... not sure if it can be configured this way)?  Or manually go through and do what I can across all of the directories to replace the single .bin games and fix the bin's that don't match the .cue files?

Quite a headache, I know.  Any advice/help is appreciated.

 

 

[zugswang]

9 hours ago, demosthenes2010 said:

I'm beginning to get quite the collection together.

I have roughly 10,000 games across many consoles.  

Took me so long to get around to the PSX ones due to the sheer number of them.

I downloaded a rather large pack (1500 games).  Took me a while on my 15mbps connection.

Now that they are downloaded, I've started the process of turning the .bin/.cue files into .chd's to conserve on space.

The problem is that during the conversion process, roughly half of them failed.

So, I copied out the .chd's that did work and began analyzing those directories that failed.

I found a few things... 

First, I have some games that contain a single .bin file.  The .cue files have multiple .bin references but only the first .bin is present.  I can create new .cue files to only use the single .bin and the games launch within my emulators.  However, while they launch, I have no audio.  I've read somewhere that this is possible but I'd like to know - is the audio in there somewhere and Beetle is simply unable to play them?  Would I be able to use a different emulator for that subset of games that knows how to pull the audio from the single .bin file?

Second, I've found some games that have an odd .cue file where the bin's are named - 

Game

Game (Part 2)

Game (Part 3)

etc...

but the .cue file appears to be designed for them to be named - 

Game (Part 1)

Game (Part 2)

Game (Part 3)

These will launch in PCSX ReArmed but will not launch in Beetle without a modification to the .cue file.  I've read that PCSX ReArmed is designed for use in lower power ARM devices.  Outside of the inability to increase the internal resolution, is there any other downside to using ReArmed for a subset of ROMs instead of going through 500 directories to rename the first .bin?  The only other alternatives I see are to download an entirely new pack of PSX ROMs (will take ages to get a complete one) or try to find a utility that will mass generate .cue files for each folder (similar to what the CHDMAN utility does).

How would you play it?  

New ROM pack?  Use PCSX ReArmed where necessary, Beetle where possible, and a third for the single .bin files (if Launchbox will support different emulators for different ROM packs... not sure if it can be configured this way)?  Or manually go through and do what I can across all of the directories to replace the single .bin games and fix the bin's that don't match the .cue files?

Quite a headache, I know.  Any advice/help is appreciated.

 

 

IMO it's best to keep them in bin/cue for and zipped.

CHD will not load for every game, be it RetroArch, PCSX etc, so keep as is.

If a specific game does not load, just make sure to edit the cue file to ensure it is named exactly the same as the zip file.

Good luck, I know how long it takes

Wait till you try to get the PS2 full Euro and US sets !

[DOS76]

If you have mutli-bin files there are ways to convert them to single bin from there I'd make them into CHDs the space saving is totally worth it.

[demosthenes2010]

@DOS76 that is exactly my thought but as you can see from my post, I've run into issues with that.

 

I've decided to just grab another pack and see if they work better than the first.  Will update this thread with my results.

[demosthenes2010]

@zugswang haha, I'm planning on waiting until PS2 is better emulated before I jump in there.

 

I still have TeknoParrot, Supermodel, and Final Burn Alpha to get done and a little bit of work with the obvious Daphne ones ? to complete anyway.

Wii is really the newest I'm going and even then it is only for those games that will work for a standard controller and because I can use Dolphin (which I already have for Gamecube).

[demosthenes2010]

@zugswang a question regarding other system.  Given the progress MAME has made in many areas, would you suggest I forgo using Zinc?  What are, in your book, the essential arcade emulators and systems to make sure I check off my list?

Same to you, @DOS76, while I have both of your attentions.

[DOS76]

yeah there is no need to use Zinc over MAME as far as I know.

[demosthenes2010]

For reference, I currently have M2E for Model 2, Daphne for laserdisc, Flycast for Atomiswave, and MAME for... well... you know.  

 

Outside of Supermodel, TeknoParrot, and Final Burn Alpha, what would you say belongs on a "modestly complete" Launchbox setup?

[DOS76]

for Arcade pretty much you can do some more games with Demul that don't work in Flycast but for the most part you have everything.

[zugswang]

12 hours ago, demosthenes2010 said:

@zugswang haha, I'm planning on waiting until PS2 is better emulated before I jump in there.

 

I still have TeknoParrot, Supermodel, and Final Burn Alpha to get done and a little bit of work with the obvious Daphne ones ? to complete anyway.

Wii is really the newest I'm going and even then it is only for those games that will work for a standard controller and because I can use Dolphin (which I already have for Gamecube).

I have full sets of Europe and USA PS2 roms, and compatibility is excellent on both, so no need to wait for this to improve.

Regarding converting to chd on PS1 roms, in my experience, yes it may save space but the compatibility of chd files where PS1 is concerned is not the same as keeping them in bin/cue format i have found.

PCSX and RetroArch will play many, but then many will not load at all.

I have 3,800 PS1 Japan, 1,850 Eur/USA and have found bin/cue work much better.

It is basically hit and miss for individual games and keeping them in bin/cue format (in my experience) has better compatibility across the PS1 emulators and also PS1 cores within RetroArch, but hey what do I know

I only have practically every rom from every system there is and have been testing them on every emulator known to man for over 7 years. ?

[DOS76]

I have personally never ran into a chd game for PS that doesn't load but at the same time I'd be lying if I said I tested them all out. I also didn't convert my PS games to chd I downloaded mine in that format from the MAME Software LIst CHD sets. I would think since CHD is just a form of compression that if the original ROM worked before converting the conversion would also work but can't back that up with testing. I don't play much PS1 so I'd rather save the space and then make a course correction if by some chance I come across a game that doesn't work then I can quickly hunt up a bin/cue somewhere.

[zugswang]

29 minutes ago, DOS76 said:

I have personally never ran into a chd game for PS that doesn't load but at the same time I'd be lying if I said I tested them all out. I also didn't convert my PS games to chd I downloaded mine in that format from the MAME Software LIst CHD sets. I would think since CHD is just a form of compression that if the original ROM worked before converting the conversion would also work but can't back that up with testing. I don't play much PS1 so I'd rather save the space and then make a course correction if by some chance I come across a game that doesn't work then I can quickly hunt up a bin/cue somewhere.

Yes, i don't use MAME software list version.

I was just stating that if he converts to chd many won't load in every emulator and then you need to mix and match, or revert back to bin/cue

Leaving in bin/cue they practically all load in any good ps1 emulator/core as long as cue is named correctly to match rom name (if there is an issue)

Also when converting to chd, it's very difficult to convert back to bin/cue in my experience.

There are many systems that are better to convert to chd, this is one i found was not, but maybe MAME software list is the way to go if chd is required for PS1.

[demosthenes2010]

Hey guys, in case you check back in on this thread, I did find one more I'd like to emulate outside of MAME.  I think I'm going to use Kronos to emulate ST-V games because it has greater compatibility than MAME for a few.  

In the last few days I've configured Demul to emulate System SP, Gaelic PVR, Naomi 2, Cave CV1000 and Hikaru.

Sure you can't think of any other one offs I should really consider?

Also, since you are both apparently vets in all of this, I noticed that there is one Hikaru game that nobody seems to have.  Virtual-On Force is missing from everywhere that I look but it was a notable title and I'm starting to wonder if perhaps it was just never dumped.

Let's say I was interested in contributing to the community a bit and grabbing a copy.  Either of you know where I'd start to figure out who to get it to?

[DOS76]

If you have access to a previously undumped ROM then I would say the people at MAME are the ones to ask.

https://forum.mamedev.org/

[zetec-s-joe]

.pbp is great for PS1 games, and house multi disc games in a single file. great on space and also reversible if need be.

[Storm8873]

I use a program called CDmage (Google to find) to merge multi bin and multi audio track games into one bin and cue file.  My whole PSX collection has been converted and the games work.  The conversion also works for other platforms too that use bin/cue format.

Edited October 18, 2020 by Storm8873
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