How do you turn off CD based videogames?

This came up in another forum I visit.

Question is: how do you guys turn the Dreamcast OFF?

I always - in my entire life actually - hit the POWER button, and only then press OPEN to take the disc out.

I've recently been told that's not the correct procedure. In the US DC manual it's stated that you should actually open the lid first and only then power off the machine.
By the way it's put, i believe this would actually extend to all other top loader CD consoles.

I'm feeling rather :confused: by this, because this changes everything I do about powering up my dear video-games.

I would rather stick to what works. "If it ain't broke don't fix it", If what both you and I have done with our CD based game consoles for years and hasn't damaged our sofware or hardware, I wouldn't chance something it with something new. The only system I know of that doesn't do harm to the system or games when you open the disc slot during play is the xbox and 360. You can turn it off, remove game, or you can press the eject button, the xbox restarts and opens the tray. The xbox is the ONLY (To my knowledge) system that does this. My friend almost lost a PS1 this way, no joke, no lie.

I wouldn't worry about it. After all, manuals are *known* to have misprints and misinformation.

I only really do this with the dreamcast

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Originally Posted by Kollision

I've recently been told that's not the correct procedure. In the US DC manual it's stated that you should actually open the lid first and only then power off the machine.
By the way it's put, i believe this would actually extend to all other top loader CD consoles.

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no, that's stupid. What if you don't want to change the game? Do you really think an engineer could be that stupid as to expect everyone to unnecessarily pop the top, turn it off, and then close the lid EVERY time? What they probably meant was that if you were changing the game you should pop the lid while its still on so it will stop the disc (or does it? I can't remember if the dreamcast stops a disc when you open the lid).

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Originally Posted by sega fan

I would rather stick to what works. "If it ain't broke don't fix it", If what both you and I have done with our CD based game consoles for years and hasn't damaged our sofware or hardware, I wouldn't chance something it with something new. The only system I know of that doesn't do harm to the system or games when you open the disc slot during play is the xbox and 360. You can turn it off, remove game, or you can press the eject button, the xbox restarts and opens the tray. The xbox is the ONLY (To my knowledge) system that does this. My friend almost lost a PS1 this way, no joke, no lie.

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WHAT? first of all, turning on an XBOX 360 is going to cause red ring of death and disc scratches just to start things off. Second of all, how do you get that ejecting without powering it off damages the games? Any pop top system that clamps the disc in place (PS1, Dreamcast) just spins freely when you open the lid until it stops and all slot load systems I've dealt with stops the disc before ejecting. The one system I wouldn't open while powered on is the Model 2 Sega CD because the lid is what clamps the disc down and it will tilt to one side and do crazy things if you open it while playing.

Engineers can come up with some pretty stupid ideas...

automatic seat belts
gullwing doors
apple pippen
the first DC-10 aircraft had a completely integrated hydraulic system, so if one area failed, the entire aircraft lost hydraulic power, causing at least one massive air accident
the list goes on...

It would not be too far fetched to come up with some strange procedure to change disks or properly turn off a game system.

I believe, IIRC, I'm too lazy to check my Saturn manual at the moment, but I believe Sega recommends that one reset the Saturn, then pop the top and remove the disk, then turn off the system. Supposedly, this reduces wear on the laser/motor...or something.

Edit: From the Sega Saturn Manual:
From the manual:

Ending a Session

1. Press the RESET button while holding down Button A.
2. Press the OPEN button to open the CD door and take out the CD.

Note: Before you remove the CD, check that the CD Control screen appears (which means the CD has stopped spinning and is safe to remove from the Sega Staurn)

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It says this allows the system to reset properly, allows the disk to stop spinning, and reduces wear.

This is perhaps a procedure to avoid damage to the disks themselves, but it may very well be a good way to keep all the moving parts in good shape.

They are correct.

Press the open button so the lazer realigns at its starting position and then turn off the DC. If you just press the power button then the lazer reader stops instantly instead of returning to its starting position putting a strain on the machine.

I just found this out recently as well.

They say if you shut it down properly it can save the life of your entire console for years to come.

Hope this helps.

What difference would it make whether it realigns itself at startup or when turning it off. Either way it realigns itself? I don't see the logic.

I know but thats what they say.

I'm not taking any chances.

I mean what are we going to do if our DC's burn out prematurely :?

Build another one out of sticks and mud in the backyard? :) j/k

One allows the motor to re-align itself slowly at the machines own programed pace (basically) when you reset it. If you turn it off instantly, the motor jerks to a stop, so it is getting more stress, then the motor has to reset itself anyway upon powerup which means its automatically doing more work. If it stops suddenly, it is having more stress put on it.

My best analogy is like how some people put a car into gear without coming to a complete stop (reversing, still moving back and shoving it into drive/1st/whatever). You are putting far more stress on the transmission than if you came to a complete stop and put it into gear.

Not at all the same movements, but the same basic premise. But I'm no engineer.

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Originally Posted by Tanegashima

One allows the motor to re-align itself slowly at the machines own programed pace (basically) when you reset it. If you turn it off instantly, the motor jerks to a stop, so it is getting more stress, then the motor has to reset itself anyway upon powerup which means its automatically doing more work. If it stops suddenly, it is having more stress put on it.

My best analogy is like how some people put a car into gear without coming to a complete stop (reversing, still moving back and shoving it into drive/1st/whatever). You are putting far more stress on the transmission than if you came to a complete stop and put it into gear.

Not at all the same movements, but the same basic premise. But I'm no engineer.

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

Oh wait? I did!

If I new about it 8 years ago I would have done it everytime.

I never trust CD-based video game systems so I always cut the wires to my fuse box to make sure they never reboot when I don't want to play anymore.

It should not really matter wether you have "move laser to default position" before or after power On...
Do you ever open the lid of your MCD2 before power off ? don't really think so, and they aren't very dead yet because of that... ?

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Originally Posted by Tanegashima

One allows the motor to re-align itself slowly at the machines own programed pace (basically) when you reset it. If you turn it off instantly, the motor jerks to a stop, so it is getting more stress, then the motor has to reset itself anyway upon powerup which means its automatically doing more work. If it stops suddenly, it is having more stress put on it.

My best analogy is like how some people put a car into gear without coming to a complete stop (reversing, still moving back and shoving it into drive/1st/whatever). You are putting far more stress on the transmission than if you came to a complete stop and put it into gear.

Not at all the same movements, but the same basic premise. But I'm no engineer.

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So the system has some sort of control over the speed of the motor? So it is not just on/off?

On a multi-speed drive, yes.

Single speed drives, like the Neo Geo CD probably wouldn't be affected (i'm guessing...) but others like the Saturn, Playstation, DC etc. would be.