SharkPort software... where?

  • Thread starter Majarvis
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Heydu, I'm interested as to why you dislike the Xport/Sharkport so much, is it purely the fact you have to use a CD or is there more?

Out of the three save transferring devices I have, they both have issues that I dislike but I have found the Xport to be the fastest and most reliable (bar the GTA3 & GTA:VC issue with the PAL Xport)

As I understand it the HarderDrive for the PS2 requires that you have it plugged into the PS2 as well as the PC, you will not find a device that does not require you to access the memory card/run a CD before you can access it contents :)

I'm trying to get people to avoid buying the Sharkport, it's frustrating to see people who have just purchased the product only to find no support and no answers to their questions :(
 
gothi, yes it's basically the CD thing. I have a sharkport, and I have very few problems with it. I have seen products on the net that claim to work like the dex drive, IE: plug the PS2 mem card directly into it. It wasn't the harderdrive2, but I can't recall the name. If it worked, then it seems to me that it would allow us to save a game, then remove the mem card and transfer,hybrid and send the save back to the mem card, all without resetting the PS2. Just load the new game and your good to go. If something like this were available, and proven to work, I would gladly pay 2-3 times the price of the Xport, not just for the time savings, but also to avoid the constant resetting of the PS2.
 
All the devices available to buy require you to access the memory card via the PS2 first (or in the Xport's case, run a CD), what you want isn't possable due to the MagicGate encryption on the card.

The Xport/Sharkport is about the fastest device on the market so you made a wise choice if speed is an issue to you :)
 
Originally posted by gothi
Allwhat you want isn't possable due to the MagicGate encryption on the card.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I buy that theory. It may not be cost effective, or to put it another way, may make the device to expensive, and therefore not profitable to produce, but I find it hard to believe with todays technology that it's not possible.
 
Originally posted by Heydu
I'm not sure I buy that theory. It may not be cost effective, or to put it another way, may make the device to expensive, and therefore not profitable to produce, but I find it hard to believe with todays technology that it's not possible.
Click to expand...

You have to license MagicGate from Sony, if someone thought it was feasable and cost effective they would have done it already.

What most likely has happened is that Sony will not license MagicGate technology for this use, after all it takes away profit from their memory card sales.
 
Yeah it's more likely that sony won't license it. It just seems that these companies have found away around it thru SP/XP using the PS2 as a sort of go between, U would think that there would be away to do it with just a PC directly. But then what I know about these things wouldn't fill up a thimble.:D
 
Originally posted by gothi
Not quite...

Xport: Full support, updated software, able to access current codes and saves

Sharkport: No longer supported, out dated software, not able to access current codes and saves

I think it's pretty obvious only a fool would get the Sharkport instead of the Xport :)
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You dont need the gamesaves from the Sharkport anyway as you are making hybrids and are using MKS...
 
Originally posted by gothi
Yes the US Xport PC software does work on the Sharkport disc, but...

Datel does not officially support the Sharkport, Interact sold you that product, Datel is under not obligation to offer any support for it. Now since Interact no longer exists as such, if you buy the Sharkport you are buying a product with no proper support.

Old Sharkport discs do not work on newer PS2's, I've already had to tell someone this week that they wasted their money by buying the Sharkport and they need to buy an Xport which will work on their PS2.

I really would advise getting an Xport over the Sharkport, not only will it be easier to find, you will get support for the product should you have any problems with it :)
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That statement is not true at all. I have the old software and it works fine on my PS2 which is very new (its a replacement)..
 
Frustrated Palm, you are either very lucky or your Sharkport disc isn't as old/the PS2 new as you think :)
(I assume that was the part you are referring to as you quoted my entire post and claimed that it wasn't true)

You can check out gameshark.com for people who've purchased a Sharkport only to get the red screen of death, by no means it happening with every one bought but it is a re-ocurring problem :)

Heydu, the reason you cannot access the card directly is because the card is encrypted with MagicGate, you need the PS2 to 'unlock' it before you can access it :)
 
Originally posted by gothi

Heydu, the reason you cannot access the card directly is because the card is encrypted with MagicGate, you need the PS2 to 'unlock' it before you can access it :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I understand, but I'm sure it probably could be hacked. Unfortunately, that's not something that some company could do and sell, as they would be sued. It would have to be done by an individual, and be distributed underground, similar to MK's. I know, that's not goin to happen. As I said, I have very few problems with my SP, and am resonabky happy with it anyway.
 
No the sharkport was old (as I bought it ages ago) and my PS2 is very new as I got it directly from Sony in the mail with a letter...

[EDIT] BTW, I tried it with two my friends PS2's (one of which is New as well, and the other was an old one). It worked fine with them...
 
You must be one of the lucky ones then, there are sharkport discs out there that do not work on newer PS2's :)

Out of interest, what is the number on the back of your PS2? (eg: 30003R etc)
 
Whoops, forgot to ask you what version of the Sharkport you have, you can find it on the reverse of the disc, near the center. You may have to tilt it in the light to make it clear.
You forgot to post what ver ps2 you have Frustrated Palm :(

What point is there in you buying another Sharkport? Ah well, it's your money :)

edit
You are lucky in the sence that you are not one of the people posting at gameshark.com who are getting the Red Screen of Death, remember I didn't say all discs/PS2 were affected :)
 
I was gonna buy another Sharkport to test to see if it works. But Im gonna make sure its a new one (since I have an old one). My old one works on all my friends PS2's (both old and new), so maybe its not the PS2. Im on my way to Best Buy in a few hours, will see then.

I dont know what version my PS2 is. I will check...
 
I'd rather know what version of the Sharkport you currently have mate, that's much more important at the moment :)

edit
I'd hold off on Best Buys for the moment, it may turn out that you have the last version of the Sharkport released y'see :)
 
No, the sharkport I have currently is very old. So I would want the last version of the sharkport to see if it works since I have already tested my sharkport (which is old) on mine and other PS2's...
 
Remember that the Sharkport is what, 2 years old? As I said, you may have the last version released, can you please post what version you have :)
 
I've had mine for over a year and it's the last Xport produced for the UK market, it sounds like you have the last Sharkport released in the US, if so there's no wonder why it works for you and your friends.

It can be hard to find the version number, it's on the back of the CD (the part the PS2 reads) not dead center, but on a dark blue section, as I said you will have to twist it in the light to see it properly :)
 
Just as a point of interest, I bought my SP about 16 months ago. It is version 2.21(blue bottom). My PS2 had some trouble reading it, like I would have to reset up to 4 times to get it to boot. I heard that U could call Interact and request an update cd set, so I did. The one they sent me works great. It very rarely does not boot on the 1st try. The funny thing is it's version 2.10(silver bottom). Leading me to think it's as much about the color of the disc as it is about the version.:confused:

Also, we bought my son a new PS2 for Christmas this past year, and both versions work fine in it.
 
Yeah, I know from what I've read not to use it on GTA saves. So are U saying the newer versions work with GTA, and if so is it the newer PS2 disc that is required?
 
2.23 is the only version so far to work with GTA3 and GTA:VC, I believe the last SharkPort CD's pressed were 2.23

The US XPort is only 2.23 (and maybe above now) so you can't really go wrong with it if you live in the US, as yet the last UK version of the Xport is 2.21 :-/
 
OK, I read an article in Tips and Tricks magazine on the different colored discs. At first Sony said that the PS2 would use a CD-R (I think, or something to that) with blue bottoms, but as you see, there are not many games now that have blue bottoms and have silver bottoms. That is because they moved to DVD's which can hold more information. Also, if you look closely on the bottom of your PS2 games, you can see very faint "PS2" images in the bottom of the disc, this is to expose counterfits...
 

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