HD Loader testamonials

Richlough

Richlough

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Do you have one ?
Are you in love with it ?
Do you recommend purchasing it ?
Any other helpful info would be apprieciated , thanks in advance . :p
 
I own both HD Loader and HD Loader Advance and I love the thing. I don't own any copied games but I do buy imports and that was the main reason I got it in the first place. I don't have a modchip, just the slide card and I didn't want to damage my system by using it every time I wanted to play an import. But with the HD Loader Advance (couldn't do it with the regular one) I just have to do it once per game to get them on the HD and that's it. But shortly after I realized it was very convenient to have all my favorite domestic titles on there as well. I have a habit of misplacing discs. Either I put games somewhere and forget or in the wrong case and can't find it when I want to play a certain game. Now I don't have to worry about that.
 
How exactly does it work, getting the Imports on the HDD? I was looking to get a copy of Berserk imported, but I don't want to have to swap discs every time I play. Do I need a mod chip of some sort for HDA to copy imports?
 
You have to have a means to play the import in the first place. I have the Slide Card in which you manually pull open the disc tray without triggering it scanning the disc. I've never had any problems with it but it's annoying to have to do every time I want to play an import, plus I have heard you can damage your system if you don't do it right. Anyway you do this once while running HDA to get it on the hard drive. After that you just put the HDA disc in and select the game from a menu to play it without the disc.
 
I love it but it makes me sad because one of these days my PS2 is going to break down and I'm going to be stuck trying to find a new old model PS2.
 
Why do people keep saying "if my system breaks I have to buy a new one"? Geez. you know the only real break down that seems to be an issue at all is the DRE and sony fixes those for free as long as the system isnt modded.

(even then, the PStwo is easier to play imports on apparently according to reports.)

Supposedly you can get import games on the HD without the slide card or a mod chip by hooking the drive up to your PC and making an ISO. I think you need a specific program though.
 
Well, I really like my HD Loader, I just keep the disc in there and I can play any game w/o having to take them out. I don't like that I haven't been able to use it w/ my new games but it works great w/ older games.
 
anybody have a good place to buy an HD loader or advance. I've seen them on several sites and tehy dont look too professional.
 
I have it and its great! My biggest problem with the PS2, and Xbox are load times. This cuts them significantly! I refuse to just copy a game on the drive I don't own, so remember its a great device but use it for good not evil. As for working with newer games, it still works with some. The last one I put on was GTA - San Andreas.

I bought mine from a not too professional looking website I was pointed to from a ebay auction. Service was great but be careful, I was more trusting because of the Ebay user feedback.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']I love it but it makes me sad because one of these days my PS2 is going to break down and I'm going to be stuck trying to find a new old model PS2.[/quote]

If you start to get DREs, there are still ways you can use HDLoader. There is a method to load it onto a memory card and there are utilities to transfer games to your PS2 hard drive from your PC. So even a PS2 which cannot even read a DVD could still potentially play most of your PS2 collection.
 
I have it, and love it. I have three irresponsible :wink: boys.

I put a DSkin on the HD Advance disk, and hopefully it will last a long time.
Nice that I can leave the one disk in the drive and have access to all our games. Well, the current 25 or so that are loaded.

I used a Western Digital drive, so had to 'modify' the Network Adapter a bit, to make it fit.
So if you don't have a drive yet, get a Maxtor.

Got if from:
http://www.consolepoint.com/
$30.59 Shipped.

PS, I do use WinIIP to transfer my games to the ps2 hard drive. It is much faster, transfer wise, but you have to take the drive out of your ps2, and put it in the pc.
 
I read that the original has less bugs. The advance sure helps you with larger HDs but the original HDloader can go up to 137 GBs. Meaning that if you get a 160GB, only 137GB will be usable.

The original is pretty easy to use and it comes with just one CD instead of 2 discs for the Advanced.

I just heard the original is better.
 
I've purchased from these guys before. They're good guys.
GoCyberChop

My question for the guys here; I'm assuming you can buy just the HDloader software and provide your own Maxtor PATA drive granted you have the Network adapter? If so, I'm snagging this up. Just bought a 250GB 16MB cache at Staples for $130 and I I need to decommission my 160GB ;)
 
Their cheapest HDD I can find is --

Maxtor 40GB PS2 Hard Drive Upgrade
This 7200 RPM hard drive offers a 2MB, ATA/133 interface and capacitiy of 40GB. The combination of performance and capacity makes it an excellent choice for performance PCs or a PS2 hard drive upgrade for use with the HDLoader.
Retail price: $ 89.99
Price: $ 49.99, save 44%


They have the 120gb for $100 and the 80gb for $70... how big would you guys go?

And... does any HDD work?

Yet another question... with old cart games like Chrono Trigger that got ported to the PS1... Will the load times be removed from them as well?
[quote name='csidegamer']I have it, and love it. I have three irresponsible :wink: boys.

I put a DSkin on the HD Advance disk, and hopefully it will last a long time.
Nice that I can leave the one disk in the drive and have access to all our games. Well, the current 25 or so that are loaded.

I used a Western Digital drive, so had to 'modify' the Network Adapter a bit, to make it fit.
So if you don't have a drive yet, get a Maxtor.

Got if from:
http://www.consolepoint.com/
$30.59 Shipped.

PS, I do use WinIIP to transfer my games to the ps2 hard drive. It is much faster, transfer wise, but you have to take the drive out of your ps2, and put it in the pc.[/quote]
 
I would go around 100 to 120 GB. Remember that some games take up to 4GB. So if you got something like 120 GB HD, then you can hold up to 25 games if all the games are 4GB games.

Since a few are less than that...you could actually hold around 30 games or more. If you do 40GB, then you are looking around anywhere from 10-18 games or so.
 
PS1 Games do not work. Only PS2.

I'd go with at least a 120 GB disk.
HD Advance 2 supports up to a 200GB disk.

Most Western Digital drives will not work as is with the network adapter. The power plug is in the wrong place.

Maxtor drives (I've heard) are the most compatible.
 
This is an article that I never got around to posting on DCR.

My name is thewivil, and I was an HD Loader addict.

Here's my tale.

Okay, when I first heard about the HD Loader, I thought it was the coolest thing I've ever heard. I, and most likely some of you, immediately thought of all the shady things I could do with it.

Well, when I found out Sony was cracking down on the HD Loader, I immediately sent my order out for one. Once I got it, my search was on for an HDD. I ended up with the a 120 gb Maxtor.

The world was mine! The birds sang a little longer, the sun was a bit brighter and the grass was a tad greener that day. But all those happy thoughts quickly came spiraling down. All the shady things I thought about doing when I first got it, I ended up doing.

At first, I can say I was definitely living the high life.

I liken it to doing drugs. You try it once, maybe two times and before you know it, you're on the street corner trying to sell the watch your great grandfather gave you after he took it off a dead Nazi soldier during the war.

At first I took it easy. I was doing one a day. Then it became two or three. I was literally becoming an HD Loader crack whore!

But one day, I woke up with a terrible HD Loader hangover. It must have been the night before of doing PS2 cheeseballs or something, but I realized that all the joy I had for gaming was sapped up by this dreadful and evil thing people call the HD Loader.

It had taken all my love for gaming, rolled it into a ball, put it in its mouth, ate it and then dropped a huge Cleveland Steamer on my front doorstep.

No longer was I searching CAG for good deals. I even found myself staying in the game section for less and less amounts of time at stores. It was growing worse and worse. You see, I would rationalize why would I buy this game when I could just "Load it"?

Used to, I would try to get as much gaming in as I could. But lately, I could care less if I even play much at all.

I blame this on the Loader!

So, I made a decision. I sold my PS2, HDD and my Loader and bought an Xbox. No longer did I sit back and let the evil Loader sap away my love for gaming. I had to get the thing out of my house!

*Editor's Note: I know and realize the Loader isn't a bad product when used properly. It's just that I'm not a good enough person to use it in the way some people believe it was intended to be.
 
yes you can use it with the sony drive. the sony drive is just a regular drive anyway. but i personally have a 120gb. i got mine from gocybershop.ca too. they also sell it as a package with a hdd if you need one
 
Indeed, It's so nice to not have to fumble with a bunch of discs when you have a bunch of people over and you want to go through several different games. Incidently, Consolesource is very slow on shipping, so expect to wait close to 2 weeks or more if you order from them.

I use it with a seagate 120 Gig which I got for $50 after rebate. You could use it with the sony drive, but it's slower and you can't fit too many games on a 40 gig hard drive, especially after format and HD loader system files are added on.
 
I love it! I have a 80GB hard drive also, I would like to get a 120 one though. I also have a game skin on the disk , because the last thing I want is my kids to be messing around with that one!
 
This sounds interesting... I'm so lazy that I bought a remote just to be able to turn the PSTwo on and off without getting up. Problem is those damn DVDs have to be changed out.

Only problem is that I have the slimline PS2 that doesn't support a HD. But, I happen to have a 80 gig hard drive in a USB external case. Word is they are working on something to support hard drives through the USB. Anyone heard about this?

I mean, if used properly this can be great. You don't have to worry about damaged CDs, you get faster load times and you have less strain on your PS2.
 
I got my HD Loader from consolesource and I love it. I use the Sony 40 GB HDD with mine and the small space doesn't matter to me too much since I only play a few different PS2 titles at a time.
 
[quote name='KrAzY3']This sounds interesting... I'm so lazy that I bought a remote just to be able to turn the PSTwo on and off without getting up. Problem is those damn DVDs have to be changed out.

Only problem is that I have the slimline PS2 that doesn't support a HD. But, I happen to have a 80 gig hard drive in a USB external case. Word is they are working on something to support hard drives through the USB. Anyone heard about this?

I mean, if used properly this can be great. You don't have to worry about damaged CDs, you get faster load times and you have less strain on your PS2.[/quote]

The new PS2 uses USB 1.0 its not fast enough to use a HDD with.
 
[quote name='onikage']Is there any software which will allow you to copy PS1 games to the PS2 HD?[/quote]

It wouldn't be of any use. The PS1 didn't have a IDE controller as part of its hardware and a PS2 runs the PS1 BIOS when acting as a PS1. Thus you'd have no way to access the drive while in that mode.
 
i have a copy of the HD Loader Advance

its a great disc, and i highly recommend it

just dont buy it from baysoft games.....the back of my case had a hole through it from improper packaging and they wouldnt replace it....they would only let me send it back for a refund...so i just went ahead and kept it
 
I just placed a bid for one on ebay. There going for $19.99. I too have a FF Sony HD and plan on using it with that.
 
I ordered one right before Sony knocked it off the market. It's been a godsend, what with two kids seven and nine playing... plus most of my playing time is in bed late at night, and with the loader I can change games without getting up. I just wish I hadn't splurged on the 120GB drive... I only play a couple of games at a time, and the kids a couple more. I really didnt need to load up my entire library. Well, what could fit anyway.
Next big trip though, once I get my cheapass PSOne LCD attached to thing somehow, I will really be reaping the benefits when we go portable (with an inverter, of course)
 
After reading so many posts, here are my answer to some of the Qs, I got the info based on some serious research of different forum....and also personally tested. But again, correct me if i am wrong:

1. no, you can't play ps1 game with HD products, period. Unelss some genious found out ways to crack it... which is not impossible. As of now, NO.

2. Really it's just HD loader and HD Advance. There is no such thing as HD loader Advance. They are not from the same "production company"... But then again, apparently HD loader stopped and HD Advance took the work of HD loader and they are really the samething. Compatibility is about the same, but HD Advance "2.0" supports up to 200 (actually i believe 233 GB).

3. Original HD loader is better? Not really. There are few more patches to the original Loader to make it better (not done by original HD loader creater), but after taking time getting the disk patched.. why not just get HD Advance? Basically same crap but one with less update to mess with.

4. Compatibility? nobody knows. Maybe future PS2 game will prevent this from working... but looking at the lifetime of ps2, doubt they are going to do anything. Plus there is no way for slimline using this product at this moment. So in a way Sony "did" do something to stop it.

5. You can find these anywhere, ebay, online, mostly cost 19~ 35. A good retail price would be somewhere around 26 + shipping. Anything lower is consider pretty cheap.

6. It does indeed cut the loading time significantly and nomore noisy disk spinning sound, but on the other hand, there "ARE" a bunch of incompatible games, good example would be GT4. I know some of you are going to say yeah they will come up with patch blah blah.. but as of now no way of playing DVD9 game with HD product. Also some game might look like it's working, but it will quit on you during certain stage... this is case dependent. Do some research before you buy this for "particular games" And it doesn't support USB accessories (never tried it)

7. Yes, it does work with Sony HDD. But the space is just too small. Get a Maxtor 200 GB if you can.

8. The program you guys are referring is either Winhiip or HD handiness, it allows you to transfer game from pc interface to Hard drive without going through ps2 hardware.

9. One of the biggest common mistake about HD product is, ppl think you can just load import directly to hdd. No, your system still has to be either "modded" or somewhat being able to play the import without a problem. (slide tool, etc). HD product will not convert any copied or import disk directly into harddrive. Use PC to HDD direct to by pass thsi problem.

10. Overall HD is a great thing for any import game, or the only way of playing import without modding your sysytem (that's right, you ask for it Sony). But I truly enjoy one of the post earlier regarding how you mis-use this product and games are no longer fun, because it's true. Once you abuse this you can hardly enjoy a single game for more than one day. Because you have so many to choose from and you eventually played every game for 1 or 2 hours only. Maybe it's just me.
 
I have a Sony HDD and am considering buying the HD Advance. I tend to only concentrate on 1 to 3 games at a time when gaming. Would it be worth it to get the HD Advance with the Sony HDD to cut down on load times for the 1 to 3 games I have loaded on the HD? Or should I just splurge for a bigger drive to cut down on load times even more? Or does the size of the HD even matter for cutting down load times?
 
[quote name='bmarquardt']I have a Sony HDD and am considering buying the HD Advance. I tend to only concentrate on 1 to 3 games at a time when gaming. Would it be worth it to get the HD Advance with the Sony HDD to cut down on load times for the 1 to 3 games I have loaded on the HD? Or should I just splurge for a bigger drive to cut down on load times even more? Or does the size of the HD even matter for cutting down load times?[/QUOTE]

the size of the hd would not affect the length of the load time. The size would determine the number of games you can put on a hd.
 
I know this is off topic, but I was wondering whats the cheapest way to be able to play PS2 backups? I have a 30001 model, pretty sure its an older one. Thanks in advance.
 
[quote name='janglypangly']I know this is off topic, but I was wondering whats the cheapest way to be able to play PS2 backups? I have a 30001 model, pretty sure its an older one. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

Don't go there unless you want the thread locked.
 
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