PSX DVR (DESR) Game Loading
RiptOPL contains an experimental, read-only ISO discovery path for Sony's PSX DESR digital video recorders. PS2 game launches are handed to a separately installed DVR-capable Neutrino. This is not ordinary PlayStation 2 internal HDD loading.
RiptOPL carries the original's DVR support (Open-PS2-Loader #947). Host tests verify integration behavior, but actual DESR-5000 and DESR-7000 cold boot, discovery, launching and return-to-menu behavior remain unverified. Do not format or modify a recorder's disk to test this feature.
Hardware and DVR storage
RiptOPL checks the DVR capability bit SPD_CAPS_DVR before initializing SDK DVRP drivers. On ordinary PS2s it skips this path. The DVR's dvr_hdd0:, dvr_pfs0: and dvr_pfs1: namespaces are separate from normal hdd0: APA/HDLoader games. The scanner searches the DVR data-partition roots, DVD/, and CD/ for ISO files; mounts are read-only.
Experimental setup
Start with a DESR and a current RiptOPL build
Enable the ordinary HDD game source so its HDD tab is available. The DVR scanner requires the hardware capability check to pass.
Install the complete DVR-enabled Neutrino
Get pcm720's bsd-dvr branch. Keep its layout: beside neutrino.elf, put bsd-dvr.toml in config/ (or next to the ELF) and dvrdrv.irx, dvrfile.irx and dvrfile_fhi.irx in modules/. RiptOPL checks for all four before it hands over and refuses the launch if one is missing. The regular Neutrino bundled with RiptOPL generally does not include this backend.
Set Neutrino Path and launch
Select that external neutrino.elf in RiptOPL's Neutrino Path setting. Refresh the HDD list; select a discovered DVR ISO manually. The handoff uses -bsd=dvr -dvd=dvr_pfsN:/path/file.iso. Do not pass -qb, which bypasses the required PSX-mode transition. Active -bsd= and -bsdfs= overrides are also refused before teardown, including a redundant -bsd=dvr; the loader owns this backend.
Current limitations
- Read-only discovery: no partition creation, formatting, renaming, deletion or DVR-side writes.
- 128-title scan limit; overlong paths rejected. Previously valid lists survive unreadable scans.
- Only pcm720's DVR-capable external Neutrino can launch these entries. No embedded OPL HDD-core fallback.
- No claimed PS1 VCD, DVR virtual memory cards, DVR write support or automatic launch of remembered DVR entries.
- Pending physical testing: DESR partition identity, initial/repeated boot, game-ID extraction, module startup and successful Neutrino handoff.
Credits and further reference
Thanks to pcm720 for the DVR Neutrino backend, ps2dev / PS2SDK contributors for DVRP modules, and wLaunchELF_R3Z and its LaunchELF predecessors for DVR device-init precedent. See DVR and DTL credits and the implementation notes.
Sony's DTL-T10000 development TOOL units are a different hardware family. DTL-oriented OPL/wOPL variants are valuable work, but should not be mistaken for DESR DVR support.
Responsible testing
Report DESR model, firmware, RiptOPL SHA, Neutrino bsd-dvr revision, driver-start results, mounted partition labels, ISO path and cold/repeated-launch outcome. Protect the recorder's original disk; RiptOPL does not require flashing DVRPwned firmware.