by Ziggy587 Sat Dec 04, 2021 9:32 am
Here's a breakdown on why (I think) the MODE supports each of those formats...
CDI and GDI - These are definitely only supported because of the Dreamcast. If I recall correctly, a GDI is a perfect rip of a Dreamcast GD-ROM disc. A CDI image is a Dreamcast game made to work on a CD-R. So a CDI image might have been compressed in some way. If you're looking to primarily use an ODE for the Dreamcast, then a GDI will be your most accurate rip. Although if you're also looking to burn them to a CD-R, then CDI is the way to go.
CCD - Again, the Clone CD format. This was the standard image type for PS1 discs. I'm sure the MODE only supports CCD for PS1 compatibility.
MDF - This format is similar to BIN/CUE. The MDF is like the BIN, and it should be accompanied by an MDS which is like the CUE. You would occasionally find rips of games in these formats when Alcohol 120% was semi popular (I think Nero also supported this format, which was also popular for a while) but they've faded away. BIN/CUE is still supported by more things, so MDF/MDS is kind of useless. It's nice that's it's still supported for people that might have rips in this format. Especially if you legally purchased Alcohol 120% or Nero and made your own rips LOL.
BIN and ISO - And obviously these are supported being the most popular image types.
I actually just picked up a MODE. I have an Xstation for the PS1, and a Fenrir for the Saturn, but the MODE seems to be the (current) best choice for the Dreamcast. Personally, I think I'm going to stick with CDI for Dreamcast. There might have been some really poor quality CDI rips back in the day, but I believe the bar has been raised so current CDI releases are really not bad at all. While you could have peace of mind with a GDI rip, knowing that there's no compression of any kind, CDI will just be more versatile. I have a DC with a busted optical drive that I will install the MODE in, but I have another DC with a working optical drive. So for me, it'll be a lot easier to have CDI knowing I can either boot it on the MODE or burn it. You can convert a GDI rip to CDI, but I'd rather not deal with the hassle.
I'm parting with some duplicate Blu-Ray and DVD movies. Check out this thread if interested.