Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
==What is romcmp?==
==What is jedutil?==
==What is chdman?==
==What is ldplayer?==
ldplayer is an optional utility that simply plays the audio and video from laserdisc CHD files. It actually emulates and therefore behaves just like a real laserdisc player - you can pause, fast forward, rewind, and all the rest.

==Can I use chdman to put a CHD file back onto a hard disk?==
==How do I use ldplayer?==
First off, you build it the same way you build MAME, but add TARGET=ldplayer as a final option on the command line. mingw32-make TARGET=ldplayer on Windows, for example.

Secondly, while ldplayer uses the same default inipath as MAME, it looks for ldplayer.ini instead of mame.ini. To preserve your video and other options, make a copy of your mame.ini file named ldplayer.ini.

Next, go to your MAME ROMs folder and make a copy of cubeqst.zip (the ROMs for Cube Quest). Rename them as pr8210.zip.

Finally, run ldplayer like this: ldplayer pr8210 -rompath=c:\path\to\pr8210.zip;c:\path\to\chd\to\play

Note that the first path is the full path to the pr8210.zip file and the second is the full path to the laserdisc CHD file you wish to play. There is a semicolon - ; - between them.

Once ldplayer is running, you can hit Tab like usual and check out Inputs (this game) to see the controls. Space is the Play/Pause button, for instance. Note that some laserdiscs (notably Cube Quest) have 30 seconds or more of nothing at the start, so you either need to be patient or use fast-forward to start seeing video.

FAQ:Tools

2009-03-13T14:47:44Z

Rbelmont: /* How do I use ldplayer? */

Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
==What is romcmp?==
==What is jedutil?==
==What is chdman?==
==What is ldplayer?==
ldplayer is an optional utility that simply plays the audio and video from laserdisc CHD files. It behaves much like a real laserdisc player - you can pause, fast forward, rewind, and all the rest.

==Can I use chdman to put a CHD file back onto a hard disk?==
==How do I use ldplayer?==
First off, you build it the same way you build MAME, but add TARGET=ldplayer as a final option on the command line. mingw32-make TARGET=ldplayer on Windows, for example.

Secondly, while ldplayer uses the same default inipath as MAME, it looks for ldplayer.ini instead of mame.ini. To preserve your video and other options, make a copy of your mame.ini file named ldplayer.ini.

Next, go to your MAME ROMs folder and make a copy of cubeqst.zip (the ROMs for Cube Quest). Rename them as pr8210.zip.

Finally, run ldplayer like this: ldplayer pr8210 -rompath=c:\path\to\pr8210.zip;c:\path\to\chd\to\play

Note that the first path is the full path to the pr8210.zip file and the second is the full path to the laserdisc CHD file you wish to play. There is a semicolon - ; - between them.

Once ldplayer is running, you can hit Tab like usual and check out Inputs (this game) to see the controls. Space is the Play/Pause button, for instance. Note that some laserdiscs (notably Cube Quest) have 30 seconds or more of nothing at the start, so you either need to be patient or use fast-forward to start seeing video.

Rbelmont:

Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.

Disclaimer: The following information is not legal advice and was not written by a lawyer.

==Why does MAME report "missing files" even if I have the ROMs?==
It is not unusual for the ROMs to change for a game between releases of MAME. Why would this happen? Oftentimes, better or more complete ROM dumps are made, or errors are found in the way the ROMs were previously defined. Early versions of MAME were not as meticulous about this issue, but more recent MAME builds are.

In addition, you may find that some games require CHD files. A CHD file is a compressed representation of a game's hard disk, CD-ROM, or laserdisc, and is generally not included as part of a game's ROMs. However, in most cases, these files are required to run the game, and MAME will complain if they cannot be found.

==How can I be sure I have the right ROMs?==
MAME checks to be sure you have the right ROMs before emulation begins. If you see any error messages, your ROMs are not those tested to work properly with MAME. You will need to obtain a correct set of ROMs through legal methods.

If you have several games and you wish to verify that they are compatible with the current version of MAME, you can use the <code>-verifyroms</code> parameter. For example:

mame -verifyroms robby

...checks your ROMs for the game [http://mamedev.org/roms/robby Robby Roto] and displays the results on the screen.

mame -verifyroms * >verify.txt

...checks the validity of ALL the ROMs in your ROMS directory, and writes the results to a textfile called verify.txt.

==How do I legally obtain ROMs or disk images to run on MAME?==
You have several options:

* You can obtain a license to them by purchasing one via a distributor or vendor who has proper authority to do so.
* You can [http://mamedev.org/roms/ download one of the ROM sets that have been released for free to the public for non-commerical use].
* You can purchase an actual arcade PCB, read the ROMs or disks yourself, and let MAME use that data.

Beyond these options, you are on your own.

==Isn't copying ROMs a legal gray area?==

No, it's not. You are not permitted to make copies of software without the copyright owner's permission. This is a black & white issue.

==Can't game ROMs be considered abandonware?==

No. Even the companies that went under had their assets purchased by somebody, and that person is the copyright owner.

==I had ROMs that worked with an old version of MAME and now they don't. What happened?==

As time passes, MAME is perfecting the emulation of older games, even when the results aren't immediately obvious to the user. Often times the better emulation requires more data from the original game to operate. Sometimes the data was overlooked, sometimes it simply wasn't feasible to get at it (for instance, chip "decapping" is a technique that only became affordable very recently for people not working in high-end laboratories. In other cases it's much simpler: more sets of a game were dumped and it was decided to change which sets were which version.

==What about those arcade cabinets on eBay that come with all the ROMs?==

If the seller does not have a proper license to include the ROMs with his system, he is not allowed to legally include any ROMs with his system. If he has purchased a license to the ROMs in your name from a distributor or vendor with legitimate licenses, then he is okay to include them with the cabinet. After signing an agreement, cabinet owners that include legitimate licensed ROMs may be permitted to include a version of MAME that runs those ROMs and nothing more.

==What about those guys who burn DVDs of ROMs for the price of the media?==

What they are doing is just as illegal as selling the ROMs outright. As long as somebody owns the copyright, making illegal copies is illegal, period. If someone went on the internet and started a business of selling cheap copies of the latest U2 album for the price of media, do you think they would get away with it?

Even worse, a lot of these folks like to claim that they are helping the project. In fact, they only create more problems for the MAME team. We are not associated with these people in any way regardless of how "official" they may attempt to appear. You are only helping criminals make a profit through selling software they have no right to sell. Anybody using the MAME name and/or logo to sell such products is also in violation of the MAME trademark.

==But isn't there a special DMCA exemption that makes ROM copying legal?==

No, you have misread the exemptions. The exemption allows people to reverse engineer the copy protection or encryption in computer programs that are obsolete. The exemption simply means that figuring out how these obsolete programs worked is not illegal according to the DMCA. It does not have any effect on the legality of violating the copyright on computer programs, which is what you are doing if you make copies of ROMs.

==But isn't it OK to download and "try" ROMs for 24 hours?==

This is an urban legend that was made up by people who put ROMs up for download on their sites, in order to justify the fact that they were breaking the law. There is nothing like this in any copyright law.

==If I buy a cabinet with legitimate ROMs, can I set it up in a public place to make money?==

Absolutely not. Not only is it against the MAME license to use MAME for commercial purposes, but ROMs are typically only licensed for personal, non-commercial purposes.

==But I've seen Ultracade and Global VR Classics cabinets out in public places? Why can they do it?==

Ultracade had two separate products. The Ultracade product is a commercial machine with commercial licenses to the games. These machines were designed to be put on location and make money, like traditional arcade machines. Their other product is the Arcade Legends series. These are home machines with non- commercial licenses for the games, and can only be legally operated in a private environment. Since their buyout by Global VR they only offer the Global VR Classics cabinet, which is equivalent to the earlier Ultracade product.

FAQ:ROMs

2007-08-18T16:41:24Z

Rbelmont:

Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.

Disclaimer: The following information is not legal advice and was not written by a lawyer.

==Why does MAME report "missing files" even if I have the ROMs?==
It is not unusual for the ROMs to change for a game between releases of MAME. Why would this happen? Oftentimes, better or more complete ROM dumps are made, or errors are found in the way the ROMs were previously defined. Early versions of MAME were not as meticulous about this issue, but more recent MAME builds are.

In addition, you may find that some games require CHD files. A CHD file is a compressed representation of a game's hard disk, CD-ROM, or laserdisc, and is generally not included as part of a game's ROMs. However, in most cases, these files are required to run the game, and MAME will complain if they cannot be found.

==How can I be sure I have the right ROMs?==
MAME checks to be sure you have the right ROMs before emulation begins. If you see any error messages, your ROMs are not those tested to work properly with MAME. You will need to obtain a correct set of ROMs through legal methods.

If you have several games and you wish to verify that they are compatible with the current version of MAME, you can use the <code>-verifyroms</code> parameter. For example:

mame -verifyroms robby

...checks your ROMs for the game [http://mamedev.org/roms/robby Robby Roto] and displays the results on the screen.

mame -verifyroms * >verify.txt

...checks the validity of ALL the ROMs in your ROMS directory, and writes the results to a textfile called verify.txt.

==How do I legally obtain ROMs or disk images to run on MAME?==
You have several options:

* You can obtain a license to them by purchasing one via a distributor or vendor who has proper authority to do so.
* You can [http://mamedev.org/roms/ download one of the ROM sets that have been released for free to the public for non-commerical use].
* You can purchase an actual arcade PCB, read the ROMs or disks yourself, and let MAME use that data.

Beyond these options, you are on your own.

==Isn't copying ROMs a legal gray area?==

No, it's not. You are not permitted to make copies of software without the copyright owner's permission. This is a black & white issue.

==Can't game ROMs be considered abandonware?==

No. Even the companies that went under had their assets purchased by somebody, and that person is the copyright owner.

==I had ROMs that worked with an old version of MAME and now they don't. What happened?==

As time passes, MAME is perfecting the emulation of older games, even when the results aren't immediately obvious to the user. Often times the better emulation requires more data from the original game to operate. Sometimes the data was overlooked, sometimes it simply wasn't feasible to get at it (for instance, chip "decapping" is a technique that only became affordable very recently for people not working in high-end laboratories. In other cases it's much simpler: more sets of a game were dumped and it was decided to change which sets were which version.

==What about those arcade cabinets on eBay that come with all the ROMs?==

If the seller does not have a proper license to include the ROMs with his system, he is not allowed to legally include any ROMs with his system. If he has purchased a license to the ROMs in your name from a distributor or vendor with legitimate licenses, then he is okay to include them with the cabinet. After signing an agreement, cabinet owners that include legitimate licensed ROMs may be permitted to include a version of MAME that runs those ROMs and nothing more.

==What about those guys who burn DVDs of ROMs for the price of the media?==

What they are doing is just as illegal as selling the ROMs outright. As long as somebody owns the copyright, making illegal copies is illegal, period. If someone went on the internet and started a business of selling cheap copies of the latest U2 album for the price of media, do you think they would get away with it?

Even worse, a lot of these folks like to claim that they are helping the project. In fact, they only create more problems for the MAME team. We are not associated with these people in any way regardless of how "official" they may attempt to appear. You are only helping criminals make a profit through selling software they have no right to sell. Anybody using the MAME name and/or logo to sell such products is also in violation of the MAME trademark.

==But isn't there a special DMCA exemption that makes ROM copying legal?==

No, you have misread the exemptions. The exemption allows people to reverse engineer the copy protection or encryption in computer programs that are obsolete. The exemption simply means that figuring out how these obsolete programs worked is not illegal according to the DMCA. It does not have any effect on the legality of violating the copyright on computer programs, which is what you are doing if you make copies of ROMs.

==But isn't it OK to download and "try" ROMs for 24 hours?==

This is an urban legend that was made up by people who put ROMs up for download on their sites, in order to justify the fact that they were breaking the law. There is nothing like this in any copyright law.

==If I buy a cabinet with legitimate ROMs, can I set it up in a public place to make money?==

Absolutely not. Not only is it against the MAME license to use MAME for commercial purposes, but ROMs are typically only licensed for personal, non-commercial purposes.

==But I've seen Ultracade cabinets out in public places? Why can they do it?==

Ultracade has two separate products. The Ultracade product is a commercial machine with commercial licenses to the games. These machines were designed to be put on location and make money, like traditional arcade machines. Their other product is the Arcade Legends series. These are home machines with non- commercial licenses for the games, and can only be legally operated in a private environment.