September 26th, 2004
As you would have observed from the main page, the Games Console division of Artstar Technologies has been terminated indefinitely. The reasons are primarily due to growing working commitments overseas, related primarily to the modern Olympic Games. I guess the reality is, right from the start I knew this was not going to last forever and nor did I intend it to. In that time, however, it has been a long and adventurous run and it was all made possible by you, the loyal customers.
Long after the market became saturated with cowboy "technicians" out there which resulted in Artstar Technologies ceasing the advertising of the Games Console services, those who understood quality continued to not only come back for repeatedly successful business but also spread the word to the masses. It is this word of mouth that has made this particular arm of my business personally satisfying and successful. Nothing sets a better business image to the world than the reputation that I've worked hard to build and it is all thanks to you people out there for passing on my reputation to the general public.
My prices have never been the lowest and more often than not, I have been asked why I charge up to 50% more than my competitors but it simply came down to a simple case of paying that little extra for quality and besides which, businesses exist only when they actually try to make a profit instead of operate on peanuts! Those of you who have stood beside me from the start and those of you who had later sought my services have all understood the value of a quality job as opposed to my cheaper competitors from whom I've received their monstrosities to repair!!
But now with my new commitments, I'm overseas more often than I am in my workshop here in Sydney which means I can no longer provide you guys with the necessary after-sales support. This is of particular importance with Sony's line of PlayStations which have a long dark history in the optics department. With their laser units as unreliable as they have been since the very first PS1 (SCPH-100x) and even worse with the known faulty optical blocks of the PS2's SCPH-5000x series which failed anywhere between 2 weeks to 2 months (even virgin units!!), there is no way I can provide you with my services with the safe notion that nothing will happen to your PS2 within the first 12 months! I've been far from impressed, unfortunately.
My only wish is that you find someone who can provide you with the same level of quality workmanship and after-sales support as I have. Yes, such people are out there ... and I know I'm not the only one like this!
Again, many thanks and keep in touch!
August 21st, 2002
It's been a long time coming.
With many kudos and thanks to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, a very reasonable and rational precedent has been set, declaring modifications to games consoles legal. After all, you own it, you can even put a hammer to it if your heart so desires, so as long as you're prepared to void your warranty, who are you hurting? Nobody. As long as your intentions behind the purchase of the modification are well within the law, there is no cause for concern.
Of course, this now also means that Artstar Technologies can lift the smokescreen set up with this News page. After all, look at when the last update was and what was mentioned. In that time, Artstar Technologies was still supplying and modifying PSX (1 and 2) consoles in an underground fashion until the dust settled above ground.
Many thanks go to my many loyal customers and all those customers whom they've referred to me since the incorporation of this division since 1998!! If it weren't for your continued custom and support through this small turbulent period in game console history, this division would have been shut down after March 2000. This was only meant to be a side-venture which ended up blowing out of proportion and even overshadowed Artstar's main objective of custom electronics design and prototyping.
So what chips/modules are in force?
As mentioned before, rather than reinvent the wheel (and due to commitments to other projects), the Messiah has proven to be the one and suits all PAL SCPH-30xxx models. However, if you have one of the newer SCPH-39xxx models, then you will need a different module as Sony have gone and released another different version mainboard with a different BIOS to boot. The module required for this one is the Magic 2 and I'm currently in the process of bargain hunting with several manufacturers and suppliers. Watch this space. There will hopefully be some news in the next 2 weeks or so.
For current pricing, just click the link in the left frame. It couldn't be simpler!
December 15th, 2001
Uh, Houston, we have a problem.
It seems that Sony Corporation couldn't help themselves and have unleashed their legal team on Channel Technology on the apparent premise that the PS-2 modification module encourages piracy and was solely intended for that. What they have forgotten is that the same argument once arose with the original PS-1 units. Only illegal minds abuse perfectly legal products and services for their own illegal uses. It is much like the whole Betamax debacle Sony themselves got caught up in with Universal Pictures back in circa 1978. Whilst Sony maintained that the unit was purely for time-shifting purposes (i.e. Timer recordings to allow the owner to view a TV program at a later time), Universal argued that it was another tool for the pirates. That's it in a nutshell.
SO! Since Sony like to be so high and mighty about the whole thing, I once again raise the important issue that I raised with their legal team when I was first faced with a legal threat from them back in late 1999.
If our devices which circumvent copy protection encourage piracy and must be abolished, then so too must all VCR's, MD's, CD burners, photocopiers, EPROM copiers, digital scanners, cameras (analogue and digital), data loggers and all other forms of recordable equipment and media, for all these are tools for the pirates with NO legitimate and/or legal use to them WHATSOEVER!
Sounds stupid, doesn't it guys?
Fact is, the whole reason why the copy protection system was circumvented with the very first PSX console was because people were purchasing legal and original copies of games on an overseas trip finding their units restricted from playing them. FURTHERMORE, people also have a legal right (by copyright law) to a backup copy of each and every single original copy of software and/or music they legally and physically own. By taking away the restrictions, we are allowing these people to exercise these legal rights of theirs.
Digital bills and amendments introduced to circumvent such technology are clearly overshadowed by the same copyright laws created long before the introduction of these new bills. In fact, precedents have been set in the past that further support our claim here, and Sony's case in defence against Universal Pictures' claim is ONE of those precedents.
Now whilst Artstar Technologies aren't involved in any legal battles, unlike Channel Technology UK, we will continue to support Channel Technology in their efforts. Until such time, since Channel Technology are the suppliers of the Messiah, no orders will be taken and no promises will be made until we reach a definite conclusion to this sordid mess.
Sorry for these unfortunate delays, but this one is truly out of everyone's control. It's up to the UK courts to ease up on Gazza.
Watch this space ... the people will get what they want.
December 5th, 2001
It has been an equally long time since the last entry here but it looks like Gazza and his team from Channel Technology have hit the mother lode. And so, in the event of its release, Artstar Technologies are looking forward to making the Messiah readily available to all interested clients in Australia, pending Channel Technology's approval of our application. We are dealing with a very complicated module, however, in order to achieve its flawless results. This means that the module will only be available for sale either by installation by Artstar Technologies or authorised installers around the country (not affiliated with Artstar Technologies of course).
Any installers/dealers interested in obtaining this module are invited to email me with:
Business Name
Address
Contact Name
Contact Number
Projected Quantities (i.e. How many you might be purchasing to satisfy your demand)
Electronics background
With the last point, my concern here is that I need to ensure that customers will be referred to highly reliable and trustworthy dealers where necessary. Customers will be encouraged to contact me with any complaints they may have in relation to the quality of the installation should there be any issues. Channel Technology and Artstar Technologies cannot stress just how INTRICATE and DELICATE this installation is. Should any complaints be received, the matter will be investigated thoroughly and any installer found to be below the standard they originally expressed to Artstar Technologies will have their relationship terminated accordingly. Forgive the draconian tone about this message, but I'm sure you can appreciate just how extremely important it is that we don't go killing people's expensive consoles!!
February 24th, 2001
It has been a VERY long time since this section has been updated, but then again not much has happened in between the inception of the PS1 and now the PS-2. Now that the PS-2 has become a reality here in Australia, it has given me the opportunity to do a little more work and research on the chip suited for these PS-2's. After a lot of months and hair being torn out, these units have indeed proven to be a very tough nut to crack, as is the PS1. Admittedly, I have not worked out a full solution for the PS1 so that games outside of the Australian/European region can boot without the need of a boot CD and I do not plan on releasing any chips in the meantime as I'm not a big fan of half-solutions.
That said, I have sort of gone against my own beliefs and taken on the role of a hypocrite with the PS-2. Many of you by now would have heard of the NEO2 chip, which basically is a mod that assists in the simpler approach to performing a swap trick using an Action Replay 2 / Gameshark 2. As no other solution has come to fruition out of my research (over limited time mind you, as I have other responsibilities aside from Play Stations), I have taken the path of every other mod chip dealer and gone for the NEO2 as well. This means that you will need to purchase, in addition to the chip, an Action Replay 2 / Gameshark 2. The reason behind this is that the chip will allow you to boot the CD from the AR2/GS2, and then you eject the AR2/GS2 CD and replace it with the PS-2 backup CD when instructed on the screen by the AR2/GS2 software.
I realise that this is a cumbersome solution, and certainly not as transparent as the older PSX mod was, but it is the best that any of us have been able to come up with considering we haven't designed the PS-2 nor have any detailed information other than that which we have found from our own analysis!
The backup CD, however, does need to be patched before you actually burn it so when making a copy of your original, first copy it to the hard drive and then apply the patch and then burn back to CD. Those of you who are proficient with copying your own games will already know about this 2SP Patch and where it can be found. Please do not ask me for the software or any further advice on producing backups. The sole purpose of this site (and business) is to supply you with some of the necessary hardware which will allow you to play your backup CD's. Nothing more and nothing less.
The AR2/GS2 can be obtained from major gaming stores like The Gamesmen, The Games Wizard, Harvey Norman and the like. I will be looking into supplying them myself, if considered feasible. I will keep you posted on this.
Installation is NOT for the faint hearted. This is even more complex, delicate and intricate than the older PSX units. I will soon include diagrams on disassembling the PS-2 as well as the 6 solder points for each wire. The prototype chip used some wires of the same colour since I only had 5 different colours on hand, so the final product will actually have all 6 wires of a unique colour to one another to minimise ANY confusion. Remember, this is the sort of thing that you need to perform with a super fine tip of 0.2mm at 350 degrees C and equally fine solder as well. I will only be supplying the chip prewired and heatshrinked. It is up to you from that point forward as to what tools and materials you use to perform the modification.
To see what the PS-2 chip is all about, click on the PS-2 link in the side frame. These photos are to be updated, so ignore the mess of 8 wires at the moment - it is a prototype, after all.
June 24th, 1999
Got an SCPH-900x model (new PU-23 board)? Then get your solutions here! When I get a chance, the instructions will be released online. For the time being, I'm just in the process of developing the instructions that would be supplied with the chip. The colour modification for NTSC games is still the same in theory but it is a little more intricate than ever. In fact, the whole thing is (well really, it's just 2 points that have become a little more intricate). Hopefully with a little collaboration, we may come up with a chip which will no longer require the wire link between 2 points. Otherwise, no big deal in soldering one extra wire, unless your soldering skills aren't all that great.
The main point here is, there is no longer a ground shield to desolder. This will need about 350 degrees C at a very fine tip diameter of 0.2mm as we are now soldering on a smaller pad in one area (two if also performing the colour modification), and directly on the leg of a small surface mount resistor.
So there you go, thanks to Roger for supplying me with the first PU-23 board I've come across. He left it with me for a week, but I worked it out in about 1 hour <grin>.
Check out the pricing section for details on the cost of the modification.
June 22nd, 1999
Despite the Stealth Poll link not working, I have received a lot of emails about the Stealth chip and how some people are interested. It turns out that out of 113 emails received, 27 people have an interest in them. So, in that case, the Artstar B-52 has been developed and is now available. The new entry will be made in the order form, and the chip will go for $20 as opposed to the standard Artstar Activator which goes for $15. This chip is a little more involved and has 7 wires in total. Not an easy feat, but not that much more complicated than installing the Artstar Activator.
May 8th, 1999
NEW LOOK TO THE WEBSITE (it needed a lot of cleaning up <grin>)
You may have noticed that a lot of the previous news (regarding the Artstar Classic modules, as well as a log of the gradual development of the colour modification for SCPH-7xxx units as well as the mod for the SCPH-750x) has been deleted. This has happened for the sole reason that there is no longer a need for it and that saves you from scrolling through all the needless garbage. Everything so far is fine and the Artstar Classic modules are now made on a per-order only basis. This is because fewer and fewer SCPH-100x and SCPH-550x models are rising to the surface so fewer and fewer Artstar Classics are ready-made to keep up with the demand. They will always be available as long as they're in demand so just place your orders as per usual.
May 6th, 1999
The Artstar Activator II is no more. After some homework (during whatever spare time I had) as well as confirmation by Scott Rider, it has been decided that 2 wires from the Artstar Activator II are no longer required. It is now safe to directly jumper the pad for the yellow wire to the pad for the green wire without any harm in the long-term. So what does this mean? Everybody goes back to buying the original Artstar Activator even for the SCPH-750x. The difference is that for the SCPH-750x models, you will have to cut off the green wire from the Artstar Activator and use that to join the 2 pads together. Effectively, it's a 4-wire mod involving a 3-wire chip - at least until the Stealth chip is deemed necessary.
Follow the Installation link to the appropriate diagram.
May 5th, 1999
It's been a while since any news was posted, but that's because there wasn't any since I've been so busy.
Now, there haven't been any emails received on the new generation "Stealth" chips which is why I haven't bothered to release such a beastie. A lot of my customers once complained about the 5th wire that was added in as a temporary workaround when the chips had their timing problems. Many were daunted by the fact that there was strictly a 5-wire chip for the SCPH-750x models (the Artstar Activator II). It is for this reason that I chose not to deal in the Stealth chip as yet - no demand for it, no concern for games like Final Fantasy VIII and no interest in a chip that has more wires.
A general overview of the Stealth chip is that it would require around 6 wires and will not be as "transparent" in its use. More details will follow once it has been decided that one will be developed and sold by Artstar Technologies.
But, in case not everybody likes to email me regarding this, I've set up a voting section. Just click on the Stealth Poll link on the left menu-bar and pass your judgement. If there are enough people genuinely interested in it, then I will develop it. Results will be posted up on that page, however that will not automatically mean that development will immediately happen. To ensure that all votes are genuine, all voters will be contacted by email to confirm. This is not an excuse to spam people, I hate spam as much as the next guy, but my time is finite and precious to me as much as it is to you.
December 18th, 1998
More damn headaches this month with the unfortunate fact that my email isn't working for some reason or other.
This basically means that anyone in the past month, or so, who has placed their orders unfortunately didn't get any response because they didn't even arrive at my mailbox!!
Sincere apologies for this, I've set up the email for a more stable email address so things should now be back to normal. But should you not receive a response within 24 hours of placing your order, please email me directly.
And as a warning to potential spammers who may look through the source code, don't. Any unsolicited email received from you will be charged a $500 processing fee.
October 21st, 1998
Two months later, and of all the spare time in that period of being burned out on this new PU-22 board, the SCPH-750x's have a final and full modification chip available! Only trouble is, the new Artstar Activator II is now a 5 wire mod as a result and not a 3 wire as originally planned. Software was increasingly difficult and inefficient in coding. After further investigation and measurements from the main board, it was discovered that there were another 2 useable connections which really were out to make life much easier.
Many thanks go to Matt Kerr for his assistance.
Despite the promise of a 3 wire chip being broken, one promise has been kept, and that's the price. It's still the same price as the original Artstar Activator. In the face of increasing chip costs from my supplier, absorbing the extra costs have been my aim. More importantly, the addition of 1 wire compared to the original Artstar Activator isn't exactly a major additional cost and as such, there is no need to raise prices. Hell, it's still the same chip and all I have ever been charging within that price is the time it takes to make the chip, not development costs!
So there you have it. It took me longer than most competitors, but then again, I am a very busy man outside this business. I will be leaving the news on October 6th in full, but in about a month's time, I will be deleting the old (temporary) installation instructions of the original Artstar Activator chip. After all, it was only a temporary solution!
Place your orders here, and get your new installation instructions here.
July 10th, 1998
Following the posting of my solution to the colour modification for the SCPH-700x series, on the ever so popular REI site, I've decided to post the instructions up here with a clear conscience. Be warned, the level of complexity is greater than just the soldering of the mod chip and its susceptibility to damage is even greater still! What am I trying to say?
If you decide to modify your own Playstation, you automatically hold the responsibility for your own Playstation and well being! Artstar Technologies only provide this information as a guide and care must be taken, but will not be held responsible for any work you do on your own unit, nor any damage/injury incurred to your unit and/or yourself. If you do not agree with this, then don't do it!
June 5th, 1998
Sony are definitely adding to the headaches with their new, week-old, SCPH-700x series Playstation (using the PU-20 boards). Basically, they're a little more intricate to work on. This is where I recommend a really fine tip (1.0mm or finer) with an operating temperature of 280 degrees C and a very steady hand!
But what makes me hate these units with a passion is that the Artstar Classic doesn't seem to be a possible solution for those who want to play NTSC games. I'm waiting on Sony's service manual suppliers to provide me with the service manual for the unit, whenever the paperwork arrives in Australia, but at this stage, it would have to remain an impossibility. Only the Artstar Activator is confirmed to work with these units as the crucial CXA1645M colour IC has been eliminated from the new design. Chances are that the video encoding has all been integrated into a LSI chip that's under the large ground plate that's soldered down. More news will follow once I get the paperwork.
I'm looking into the option of obtaining external NTSC -> PAL convertors if the price is reasonable. This was the reason why I chose not to go with the external box in the first place (more info about that in the FAQ), but if push comes to shove, this may be the only solution if the service manual indicates impracticality or worse, impossibility.
So if you want to use an Artstar Classic for a simple NTSC solution, I strongly suggest you find (and even stock up on, if you're a commercial modifier yourself) the first SCPH-550x series unit you see, because they are no longer in production.
In the meantime, click here to view the installation instructions for the Artstar Activator in the SCPH-700x