[pred75]

Cobra-USB Jailbreak review

The Team at Cobra-USB have been kind enough to let me review a sample of their revolutionary new Jailbreak device.
The Cobra-USB Jailbreak dongle arrived today by courier shipped directly from Hong Kong.
You can find a list of the "Official resellers" by clicking * HERE *.


1. Unboxing :
The parcel was securely packaged and free from damage when it arrived.
The Cobra-USB dongle comes in a neat little mock snake skin box


2. Getting started
The Cobra-USB dongle is available in 2 versions, 1 regular version which will come ready to use with v1.1 firmware pre-installed ( This is what i received ) and a blank version where the firmware will have to be downloaded from the Cobra-USB website. If you have purchased the blank version you can download the required firmware from here : Official Cobra-USB Download section. Download the User manual for futher instructions on how to install and update the Cobra-USB dongle : User Manual (PDF Format)


3. Jailbreaking the PS3 with the Cobra-USB
The Cobra-USB dongle requires 3.41 OFW to run. If you are running a firmware that is higher than 3.41 but lower than 3.55 you will be required to downgrade your firmware. Instructions on how to downgrade can be found in the User Manual
Jailbreaking with this dongle is exactly the same procedure as the previous dongles. From a cold boot press the power button on the PS3 quickly followed by the Eject button.
Once in Jailbreak mode you will notice two new options under GAME on your XMB, Install Package Files and /app_home/PS3_Game/

4. The Backup Manager
Download the Cobra-USB Backup Manager *HERE* and unpack using winrar to extract the PKG file.
Copy the Cobra_USB_Manager.pkg file to the root of a FAT32 Formatted USB stick or External Hard drive and install the PKG file using the Install Package Files option under Game.
The Backup Manager is similar in design to some of the previous managers that you might of seen ( Rogero , Gaia etc etc ) with the a basic list layout and a small thumbnail icon in the top right corner. Supports FTP and Covers also.
Creating a Backup using the Cobra-USB Manager is simple process , Run the Cobra-USB Manager, Insert Game disc and then the game will appear at the top of the list. Highlight the game and press Circle on your PS3 Controller.
You will be asked to choose a destination for the game and which format you would like to make the game rip ( ISO or Standard ).
ISO format allows you to dump games to a FAT32 formatted external drive even if the game exceeds the FAT32 file limits. This works by splitting the ISO file into smaller chunks of data and renaming them in number format that the Backup manager can read. ISO formatted games require a Blu-ray disc in the drive for the ISO to work.


Cobra USB Manager loads game backups from the following directories:
· /dev_hdd0/GAMES
· /dev_hdd0/BDRIPS
· /dev_hdd0/GAMEZ
· /dev_hdd0/PS3ISO (for iso backups)
· /dev_usbXXX/GAMES
· /dev_usbXXX/GAMEZ
· /dev_usbXXX/PS3ISO (for iso backups)

And it writes game backups to:
· /dev_hdd0/GAMES
· /dev_hdd0/PS3ISO (for iso backups)
· /dev_usbXXX/GAMES
· /dev_usbXXX/PS3ISO (for iso backups)

5. Features and Settings
What sets this dongle apart from its predecessors is the list of features that are not available on any other dongle or Custom firmware :

** Blu Ray Movie region free functionality
** Allows you to play Blu Ray movie ISO’s from HDD
** Allows you to play DVD movie ISO’s from HDD
** Integrated support to play PS1 game ISO’s from HDD
** Enjoy PS3 games with files >4GB on external USB HDD


After testing most of these features i am extremely happy with the results, Everything worked as advertised. Ripped movies in ISO format played back without any problems, PS1 ISO support was Amazing ! , I was slightly disappointed to find that my favorite game (Vib-Ribbon) played at a slightly higher framerate than it should but it was still playable.... This may of been a problem due to trying to play a PAL (Euro) format game on a NTSC machine.


6. Overall
PROs :
* PS1 ISO support is a massive plus for me and i can finally store away my Modchipped PSX.
* The Cobra-USB team have announced that PS2 ISO support for backwards compatible models will arrive very soon in firmware update 2.0
* Can be used as a downgrader
* Sleek black gloss design with glowing Cobra design while running *Pimp*
* Multi region for movies
* ISO support and Split ISO support for external drives.


CONs :
* Only supports 3.41 firmware and cold booting can be a pain for slim users that need to unplug the power cable each time.
* Slightly larger than most of the dongles on the market
* Blu-Ray Movie dumps contain AACS copy protection and must be transfered to a PC to remove this protection. This can be removed using AnyDvd HD or DVDFab software.
* Originally advertised with PSP Mini support but it does not support minis.

When i first found the specs for this dongle i honestly thought it was too good to be true.
Many of you will say that Dongles are a thing of the past but with these features i welcome the return.
Great work Cobra-USB Team. I'm already looking forward to testing the new 2.0 firmware update.

If you would like to purchase a Cobra-USB dongle then please visit the Official Cobra-USB website at : www.cobra-usb.com most resellers will have them available to ship today.

This review is a work in progress. I will update this thread when i test all of the features this dongle offers. I will also add some videos images of the Cobra-USB in action soon.

[nookupeous]

Glad to hear this is real!

[iDelete]

I didn't even care about this Cobra thing. But after reading this, all I can say is wow. Nicely done.

[Thelostdeathknight]

i would like to see the ps1 iso support ported to cfw 3.55 that would be awesome.

[pred75]

Here is a video of the PSX ISO mode in action :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIyPbqONz6w

Originally Posted by Thelostdeathknight i would like to see the ps1 iso support ported to cfw 3.55 that would be awesome.

The dongle might work on 3.55 in the near future :

Originally Posted by Cobra-USB We are pleased to announce that we are currently working on a solution to enable Cobra USB on PS3 firmware 3.55, with the release expected to take place a few weeks from now. This will bring all of Cobra USB's ground breaking features to the more up-to-date firmware, with the added bonus of removing the need to perform the power/eject cycle to enable the dongle - this will become totally automated. Support for 3.55 will be provided simply as a Cobra USB firmware update, meaning ALL Cobra USB dongles will be supported without the need for a new hardware revision. We will make further details available as the release draws near, keep an eye on this website for updates!

Sadly the "PSP Minis support" was false information and they have now removed the feature from the list.

[laz305]

so now that it works on 3.55 is it worth getting? i mainly want it for iso feature but i'm thinking just pay extra and get a bluray burner.

[alienkid]

I'm happy with mine but then again, I have a 60GB launch so it's a perfect fit. I don't know if I would have got one if I had a SLIM PS3 though.