TurboCd vs. Turboduo

[BlueBMW]

Duo-Rs have not exhibited the failure rate that regular Duos have.  But it has been pointed out that the PCB used in the original Duo is of much higher quality than the ones used in R/RX units. 

[BigusSchmuck]

If you want my opinion, get a Duo-R, then get a chopsado and viola! you can play U.S games on your pce console. Besides, Duo-Rs are cheaper than the U.S Duos and are better built. After you do that, you probably want to get the caps replaced (or if they have been already done a bonus) just to be safe, you really don't want your Duos to start to crap out. If you can afford it, get a supergrafx with the super cd attachment along with a arcade card duo and then you can play everything official PCEwise! Anyway, you got many options to choose from.

They may be cheaper...but certainly not better built.  

Trust me, I had a duo of broken duos, one I traded off to Keith Courage and the other I repaired myself. My Duo-R on the other hand, has never had a problem. I know with the U.S Duos (and maybe the original Japanese Duos) the problems with the caps start happening due to the fact that its got a headset jack too close to the main capacitors or something on the lines of that. I'm pretty sure there are other members on this forum who can go into greater detail on this but to be safe get a Duo-R. You'll still have to get the caps replaced as preventative measure and there are plenty people on these forums who will do it for a small fee.

[SignOfZeta]

Its not so much they are better build, exactly, like how a Mercedes is better built than a Dodge, its just that the black Duos had a bad batch of caps. If the wind had been blowing the other direction or whatever this problem wouldn't have happened, or maybe the Duo Rs might have been affected instead, but its not the design or build quality that makes the caps leak all their shit over the board and kill it.

[vestcoat]

I thought it was a two-part problem: bad caps + audio circuits too close to the heat sinks. Does this info still hold true?
http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=665.msg3306#msg3306

And can anyone elaborate on the lenses? Any difference in the failure rate of the lens between the Duo and Duo-R? Consensus was the Duo-R was less picky about what kind of discs it played, IIRC.

[thesteve]

really no they are not
the tg16 and duo-r are build on low end non critical use only boards, but the black duo (US and JP) are built an aircraft grade materials (except the SMD aluminum caps)

[vestcoat]

...but the black duo (US and JP) are built an aircraft grade materials

IIRC, Steve from TZD once reported a Duo that still functioned after being thrown off a 3-5 story building - now we know why!

[jc78_2005]

hmm soo ,if i get a duo, the black models, either us or jp is the way to go, just get a fresh cap kit.

[PunkicCyborg]

If you already have a working tg16+cd there's no point in gettting a US duo. Save the money and get a PCE duo so you can play Japanese games and have a dependable system.

[T2KFreeker]

If you already have a working tg16+cd there's no point in gettting a US duo. Save the money and get a PCE duo so you can play Japanese games and have a dependable system.

This! The Turbografx and CD unit just look awesome. AND, most people are more freaked out by it than the Duo because it looks so alien to them. Cracks me up at times peoples reactions to this stuff.

[jc78_2005]

If you already have a working tg16+cd there's no point in gettting a US duo. Save the money and get a PCE duo so you can play Japanese games and have a dependable system.

 well i can play the JP games now my tg is region modded, wow i opened a can of worms didnt I? lol

[storino03]

haha

[esteban]

If you already have a working tg16+cd there's no point in gettting a US duo. Save the money and get a PCE duo so you can play Japanese games and have a dependable system.

This! The Turbografx and CD unit just look awesome. AND, most people are more freaked out by it than the Duo because it looks so alien to them. Cracks me up at times peoples reactions to this stuff.

I use lots of different hardware because it is fun for me: TG-16 + Booster, TG+CD, PCE, PCE+SCD, TurboDUO, DUO.

I still use my TG+CD, but I've been using PCE+SCD slightly more (I tend to play a lot of Japanese HuCards).


(1) TG+CD = awesome (if unappreciated) aesthetic beauty*. Proudly use that beast. To play audio CD's, you don't have to turn on the TV/monitor, you simply use the buttons (LED displays tracks). Of course, you folks might not even use CD's anymore...but old fogies like me do.

(2) The footprint of the DUO is not significantly better than the TG+CD. The main advantage of the DUO is when you have limited VERTICAL height...loading/unloading CD's is easier when the CD cover opens fully.


*I know I'm in the minority when it comes to appreciating the aesthetics of TG-16 hardware. At least a few folks here dig it. Usually 99% deride it

[tpivette]

Agree 100% on the looks of the TG16+CD attachment. I thought this combo looked sooo cool back in 1990. I wanted a CDRom so bad back then, but at only 11 years old, the $400 price tag was a bit out of reach.

Even though I have a PCE Duo that I play SCDs on now, I just bought a CDRom for my original TG16 and am having it gone through by Chop5 so its trouble free. My TG16 has waited 23 years to be made "whole" by this attachment... I can't wait to put it all together and pop in Ys Book 1 & 2 and fire it up. It'll look so badass next to my Duo!

[TR0N]

If you already have a working tg16+cd there's no point in gettting a US duo. Save the money and get a PCE duo so you can play Japanese games and have a dependable system.

 well i can play the JP games now my tg is region modded, wow i opened a can of worms didnt I? lol

You did once you found out how a good deal of hucards that didn't make it here.Still if you ask me what's my favorite model is,the duo-r from it's design stand point.I have a (TG16+Turbo CD) as well but it has become more of a backup unit for use.

[turbokon]

Get both, you can't go wrong.