Knowledge hole

[Xebulous]

I read on a site somewhere that it is mighty strange that Sony's little protection system has never actually been cracked. Yes there are modchips but the actual reason why a blank cannot be burnt and the PSX/PS2 read it as an original has not to my knowledge ever been explained. E.G Where the disc differs from the original. Given the time it been in existence I find the absence of an answer hard to accept.

I have some theories but first would like to ask the members of this formum their opinions/knowledge.

[charlie_ps2]

Guess what? Here's the answer.

On the pressed disks Sony have placed a coded sequence of wobbles in the data groove. These yield a tracking error that is picked up in the firmware. Before correcting for the tracking error (which is within re-read boundaries), the deviation is noted and stored in proprietary Sony code. The sequence is all in the boot area and the decoding algorithm provides the region code for that game which is then checked for red Screen purposes.

When you put the disk through the CD or DVD reader on the way to burning, the tracking error is automatically corrected and you get a result devoid of the wobble in the groove. You can't replicate the tracking error. So you get a red screen unless a mod-chip intervenes and gets round that.

Sony have patented this technique and it took a trawl of their patents to come to this conclusion.

So there.

[Xebulous]

Thank you Charlie, I am glad I asked before I made an arse out of myself

So it's in the stamped groove as opposed to anything which can be burnt, so the only answer is to have a big stampy thing with wobbly bits. Mmmm

Now this next question may be impossible given the Sony Patents but it occurs to me that a company located outside of Sony's holding pan may be able to produce pre stamped(with wobble) writeable media for use with burners. So we can import it for legitimate backup purposes in the UK etc.

1) Possible?
2) Exists?

The substrate bit with the groove (and I assume wobble) in must be produced somewhere? bang some dye on it, reflective layer and why cannot it be that easy?

....................Or have I missed something ?