Picodrive 1.56

[NEIL L]

Well done on another excellent update.
I've managed to get Sonic CD to work on this release. (I couldn't on the last one!)
Everything runs perfectly apart from the music, it won't start or it keeps cutting out. (The only way to get it to play is to pause then unpause the emulator?)
I'm using an iso and 34 mp3s. (02-35) (In one folder)
Am I doing something wrong or has anybody else had this problem?

Sonic CD works great for me. No problems with the sound. How are your sound files encoded? Constant bit rate MP3s at 96 or 128kbps are recommended. Important is that the files are encoded in 44.1 kHz.

Thanks for your help, I converted my MP3s from 192kpbs/44.1kHz to 128kbps/44.1kHz and everythings playing fine now.
Cheers, Neil

PS. Will there be 32X support in the next release?

 

[chickendung]

Yahoo! I've been waiting for a smooth no-tear release, and here it is! Thanks Notaz!

 

[EvilDragon]

Whoooa!
Not a single tearing issue here!
Astounding work, as usual

Thanks a lot notaz.

Now everybody should be able to see that the tearing is a software and a not a hardware issue

 

[rx_shorty]

Heh indeed!
A Software issue.

Glad to see it really is working

 

[geise69]

This is a great update from the 1.35 that was ported by someone else earlier. Most of everything runs great! Vay however will not run for me. I tried better sync thinking that was it, but no it just will not run. I am glad to see that the 8-bit renderers are working again. It's nice to have for games that require better sync to be enabled.

Also I just wanted to ask this. It's nothing big or needs fixing but I'm just wondering why it's happening on the Wiz version of Picodrive. When better sync is enabled and I am at the bios screen I get 3/60 fps. Doesn't even matter if it's 8-bit fast, accurate or 16-bit accurate. Same results occure. It does not do this on the GP2X. I can have better sync enabled on the GP2X with any graphics renderer and overclocked to 250 and the bios runs usually 60/60 with scaling. I just find it odd the bios screen runs so much worse with better sync enabled on the Wiz. Granted the Wiz version isn't using a 2nd arm for sound, but still. Haha it's nothing major since the games run fine with better sync. I can't play a bios screen. :lol: Was just curious as to why it's so slow on the Wiz.

 

[notaz]

Now everybody should be able to see that the tearing is a software and a not a hardware issue

I thought this has already been demonstrated by MAME, gpSP, video player and probably more..

Vay however will not run for me.

This is known and will be fixed in upcoming update which should be out soon(ish).

When better sync is enabled and I am at the bios screen I get 3/60 fps.

I've noticed it too, and have no explanation at the moment, will need to investigate..

 

[geise69]

Notaz I wanted to list a couple more Sega/Mega CD games that have been giving me either big or small issues.

Earnest Evans -won't load after the intro plays. If I skip the intro I can play the game.

Bari Arm/Android Assault (US) -won't load at all with any option like Vay

Alshark -works fine on GP2X, but I have no CDA on the Wiz. All mp3's are there and in correct format

Dark Wizard -no CDA at intro for some reason, but CDA plays fine everywhere else. into mp3 track is in it's correct place

Flink -no CDA, but works fine on GP2X

Keio Flying Squadron -won't load at all

I want to let you know though that I have been thuroughly been enjoying Picodrive for a long time. Thanks again for all your work on this, and dealing with the Wiz issues.

 

[Joshwaan2k]

Notaz your work never ceases to amaze.

Notaz, Is 32X Possible on the Wiz? I'd love to play Blackthrone with your emu? I loved this game so much on the 32X.

 

[sbock]

1.56 is released:

* Changed sync in Sega CD emulation again. Should fix games that broke after changes in 1.51a.
* Fixed default keys rebinding when they shouldn't.
* Fixed sram being loaded from wrong game.
* Emu should no longer hang shortly after using fast-forward.
* Fixed save states sometimes no longer showing up in save state menu.
* ARM: some asm code refactoring for slight speed improvement.

 

[notaz]

Notaz I wanted to list a couple more Sega/Mega CD games that have been giving me either big or small issues.

Some of them should be fixed on 1.56 released today.

Alshark -works fine on GP2X, but I have no CDA on the Wiz. All mp3's are there and in correct format
Dark Wizard -no CDA at intro for some reason, but CDA plays fine everywhere else. into mp3 track is in it's correct place
Flink -no CDA, but works fine on GP2X

Your mp3s might be named slightly wrong, older versions used to scan for mp3s aggressively, but that caused long load times. You can try cue/bin version, if it works you can convert to cue/cso/mp3 with included bin_to_cso_mp3.

I want to let you know though that I have been thuroughly been enjoying Picodrive for a long time. Thanks again for all your work on this, and dealing with the Wiz issues.

Glat to hear

Notaz, Is 32X Possible on the Wiz?

Not sure about that yet, we might find that out later this year (or maybe next..).

1.56 is released

also avaiable in the archive:
http://dl.openhandhelds.org/cgi-bin/wiz.cgi?0,0,0,0,71,17

 

[RupeeClock]

1.56 is released:

* Changed sync in Sega CD emulation again. Should fix games that broke after changes in 1.51a.
* Emu should no longer hang shortly after using fast-forward.

It might've been my imagination, but Sonic CD didn't seem to play properly on 1.55 (the phsyics engine was screwed up), but now it seems to play FAAAAAR better on 1.56, thanks!
And good to have fast-forward working right again/

 

[Joshwaan2k]

Thanks for answering my question Notaz. Keep up the good work

 

[pat911]

thanks very very much for all your releases
great job , virtua racing and Landstalker are very good on my wiz B)
and all my games runs with good speed and no tearing on the screen
i thinked that the tearing is a default screen ,but no !

thanks !!

Pliz ,sorry for my bad english , :lol:
bonne continuation !!! pat911

 

[DaveC]

Wow great update, thanks. This emu is now pretty much perfect to me.

I hate to suggest this but is there any way that a quick tear fix and screen rendering fix could be done to GPFCE? It was an early port. The screen refresh in that emu is very early and is just terrible by today's standards. It is very glitchy with garbage being displayed on the left and refreshes very slow to the point where you can actually see the refreshes. Scaling and tear fix combined does not work either. I know you didn't do the Wiz port but it doesn't seem like anyone else is interested in fixing. I know you did the emu on the GP2X and it was amazing. Would it be quick to patch up the rendering or would it be a big job?

Thanks again for all of the great work.

 

[notaz]

is there any way that a quick tear fix and screen rendering fix could be done to GPFCE?

"quick" fix is already there, better fix would need more work, but I'm busy with something else.

 

[geise69]

Thanks for this release notaz! Bari Arm and Vay run now, but you know that haha! I still have the issue with the mp3's, but it's not the emu. I'll take a look at the tracks this weekend. I'm sure I messed up with the naming or something, for the other games. Anywho thanks so much for the great work you have been putting into this.