Native CHD (MAME Compressed Hunks of Data) support for burning #1

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opened 2026-05-31 05:43:34 -05:00 by marcelofrau · 0 comments

marcelofrau commented

2026-05-31 05:43:34 -05:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Feature Request: Native CHD burning support

Summary

Add native support for the CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data) format, the standard compressed disc image format from the MAME project, widely used in retro gaming preservation (PS1, Saturn, Sega CD, Dreamcast, etc.).

Why this matters

CHD is the de facto standard for compressing CD-based game images in the emulation and preservation community. Tools like RetroArch, DuckStation, PCSX2, and MAME all support it natively. Currently, users who want to burn a CHD file must:

Manually extract it with chdman extractcd to BIN/CUE
Then burn the resulting files

This is a friction point that Open Burning Suite could eliminate entirely.

How it could work

Use the chdman library (part of the MAME project, open source) to detect and decompress CHD files on-the-fly before burning
Alternatively, bundle chdman or integrate a lightweight CHD parsing library
The conversion could be transparent, similar to how NRG, MDF/MDS, CDI and CCD are already auto-converted to BIN/CUE

Use cases

Burning retro game discs from CHD archives
Archival and backup of CD-based games preserved in CHD format
Users transitioning from emulation back to original hardware

Existing pattern in the codebase

The docs mention that NRG, MDF/MDS, IMG, CDI and CCD are "automatically converted to BIN/CUE before burning." CHD support would follow the exact same pattern, making it a natural addition.

Additional context

CHD format spec and tools: https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/lib/util/chd.h
chdman is part of the MAME tools suite and is open source (MIT/BSD-licensed).

This would be a fantastic differentiator for Open Burning Suite — no other disc burning application supports CHD natively.

## Feature Request: Native CHD burning support ### Summary Add native support for the **CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data)** format, the standard compressed disc image format from the MAME project, widely used in retro gaming preservation (PS1, Saturn, Sega CD, Dreamcast, etc.). ### Why this matters CHD is the de facto standard for compressing CD-based game images in the emulation and preservation community. Tools like RetroArch, DuckStation, PCSX2, and MAME all support it natively. Currently, users who want to burn a CHD file must: 1. Manually extract it with `chdman extractcd` to BIN/CUE 2. Then burn the resulting files This is a friction point that Open Burning Suite could eliminate entirely. ### How it could work - Use the `chdman` library (part of the MAME project, open source) to detect and decompress CHD files on-the-fly before burning - Alternatively, bundle chdman or integrate a lightweight CHD parsing library - The conversion could be transparent, similar to how NRG, MDF/MDS, CDI and CCD are already auto-converted to BIN/CUE ### Use cases - Burning retro game discs from CHD archives - Archival and backup of CD-based games preserved in CHD format - Users transitioning from emulation back to original hardware ### Existing pattern in the codebase The docs mention that NRG, MDF/MDS, IMG, CDI and CCD are "automatically converted to BIN/CUE before burning." CHD support would follow the exact same pattern, making it a natural addition. ### Additional context CHD format spec and tools: https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/lib/util/chd.h chdman is part of the MAME tools suite and is open source (MIT/BSD-licensed). This would be a fantastic differentiator for Open Burning Suite — no other disc burning application supports CHD natively.