O.S 8.6 I-Mac and mini-DVDs - any hope?

[David K]

My aunt owns one of the first generation I-Macs (circa 1999) which is running 8.6.

I author my own mini-DVDs (DVD structure on CDs) of family events, and would like to be able to give her copies to play on her machine. By the way, these are fully compliant mini-DVDs that work perfectly on Windows machines (in software players like WinDVD and Power DVD, and in Sampo stand-alone DVD players.)

Her I-Mac has a CD drive but no DVD drive.

Is there any software (preferably free) that I could install that would allow her to play my discs.

I have already installed the latest version Quicktime, but do not really want to pay for the Mpeg 2 plug-in, and even then it wouldn't play a DVD structure would it? Would it play a VOB?

PowerDVD I think has a Mac version, but does it or any other software DVD player run on OS 8.6?

[galactica]

IF her computer doesnt have a DVD drive (one that reads dvd's) theres no hope in her ever playing them on the comptuer (simply by sticking them in her cd-rom).

The lens structure is TOTALLY different between a CD Rom and a DVD Rom drive. This is with her set up at the moment.

If you were to purchase an external DVD Rom or a Combo drive (burns cd's, reads cd and dvd) then there would be no problem

Or you could simply burn the video as something other than a miniDVD, say like a SVCD or VCD which you can then download free software to view them with. Since her drive can read cd-r media, this would be the other option than buying an external dvd-rom

hope that makes since.

[AntnyMD]

galactica, since miniDVDs are DVD's on CDs, any CD-ROM that can spin the disc fast enough to read the data will play them ... in theory. It's all dependent on the software player used to play back the disc. I left the Mac platform for awhile between System 7 and OS X, so my knowledge of softwares available for OS 8 and OS 9 are little and none.

[galactica]

galactica, since miniDVDs are DVD's on CDs, any CD-ROM that can spin the disc fast enough to read the data will play them ... in theory. It's all dependent on the software player used to play back the disc. I left the Mac platform for awhile between System 7 and OS X, so my knowledge of softwares available for OS 8 and OS 9 are little and none.

Sorry about that, I was under the assumption that a miniDVD was using a DVD type of disk that was just "mini" (which would require a dvd-rom to read).

Perhaps then the problem simply lies in the read speed of the drive in this iMac.


David K - does the disk mount when you put it into the comptuer???

[David K]

Galactica,

Yes the I-Mac mounts the disc. The discs have a bridge structure ISO/UDF, and the I-Mac can read the ISO file structure at least.

In short, what I'm looking for is a software DVD player program that will run on O.S. 8.6, preferably freeware because I really do not want to pay when the odds are very iffy that it will work well. I found one very old obscure program, but it hardly works and I was hoping there was something more out there. Unfortunately Video LAN player does not have anything that runs below O.S. 10 it appears.

Short of a full DVD software program, I would also be interested in any freeware that will play mpeg 2 and runs on O.S. 8.6.

AntnyMD you put your finger on the problem: People were doing some pioneering work in video on OS 7, and then all the modern stuff is on OS 10, but there doesn't seem to be anything for OS 8 and 9.

I think Macs are great, but there isn't that wealth of programs out there as there is on the Windows platform.

[Cornucopia]

FYI, there use to be available on the net a hacked version of Apple's DVDplayer software, which allowed one to play a DVD without having to have an Apple-brand DVD-ROM drive already installed. It should work with non-Apple DVD-ROM's, CD-ROM's, Mounted Disc Images or HD Volumes. I started to track it down once for my BW G3, then skipped it and went on to other things (mainly authoring on PC). It may still be out there, but I don't know where to look, and I don't remember if it was OK for v8.x or for only 9.x. It seems so much of the pre-OSX Mac stuff has dissappeared in the last year. Progress!

Good luck and let the board know how it turns out...
Scott

[ZeroSix]

under OS 8.6, you are out of luck.

[David K]

Cornucopia, I love an internet software treasure hunt, and so I made a relatively serious effort to find the hacked program of which you spoke. I did found the patch for iDVD 1.5, but I could not find the underlying program.

During my hunt, I came across and dowloaded Apple DVD Player 2.0 from the Japanese Apple website. I cannot find it on the U.S. website, which makes it all the more alluring. The file name is J-Apple_DVD_Software_2.0.smi.bin. The only English describes this as an Apple Binary file, I believe. The next version up was already into O.S. 9, and intermixed in the Japanese description of 2.0 I thought I could see I-Mac. So maybe this could run under 8.6.

But what's the difference between iDVD and Apple DVD Player?

And do I dare try to install this thing on my Aunt's machine?

(Having system restore on my Windows XP computer has made me pretty adventuresome when it comes to installing dubious software on my own machine, but I do not really know what I am doing when it comes to Macs.)

[galactica]

Cornucopia, I love an internet software treasure hunt, and so I made a relatively serious effort to find the hacked program of which you spoke. I did found the patch for iDVD 1.5, but I could not find the underlying program.

During my hunt, I came across and dowloaded Apple DVD Player 2.0 from the Japanese Apple website. I cannot find it on the U.S. website, which makes it all the more alluring. The file name is J-Apple_DVD_Software_2.0.smi.bin. The only English describes this as an Apple Binary file, I believe. The next version up was already into O.S. 9, and intermixed in the Japanese description of 2.0 I thought I could see I-Mac. So maybe this could run under 8.6.

But what's the difference between iDVD and Apple DVD Player?

Apple DVD Player is just that, a software based dvd player. iDVD is a DVD authoring applicatoin (you can make dvd's with it that you would then burn using a dvd burner). Its a simple application. If you were to want more creative freedom you would use DVD STUDIO PRO.

And do I dare try to install this thing on my Aunt's machine?

You could install them, However, unless your aunts machine has a dvd burner, iDVD wont open. Likewise with apple dvd player, it needs to know you have a mounted dvd. (the reason for the earlier post on the hacked apple dvd player app)

Correct me if im wrong (It could be an OS9 thing) but there is apple dvd player as apart of the system, even if you dont have a dvd rom.

(Having system restore on my Windows XP computer has made me pretty adventuresome when it comes to installing dubious software on my own machine, but I do not really know what I am doing when it comes to Macs.)

There is a "system restore" for mac. As long as she has the cd's that came with the comptuer when she purchased it, you can run a system restore off the disks.

[BDMTHRFKR]

From the XLR8YOURMAC.com (the COOLEST Mac site out there) I found this in thier FAQ (under DVD):

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q:**Is there a way to install DVD player 2.2 on my OS 8.6 Mac?

A:**DVD player 2.2 is an update to the software decoder for G4/AGP, iMac 350Mhz and up and PowerBook firewire models. The installer requires OS 9.x to run but a reader sent a tip for installing it under OS 8.6:

[from the 4/5/2000 www.xlr8yourmac.com news page]
DVD 2.2 Player on OS 8.6: A reader reports he was able to run the latest version under OS 8.6 by using Tomeviewer to extract the files:


"Just to let you know I was able to get the new DVD Player version 2.2 running under OS 8.6 on my iMac DV SE. I just downloaded the image and used Tomeviewer to extract the files. I then put the extensions in that folder restarted and tried out the new DVD player. It worked fine with nothing telling me I couldnít use it. I guess just the installer cares what System you have. It said I need 9.0.1 to install it. I am not sure what the changes are as there is no changes listed and there are no visual differences between this and the previous versions.
-TheTroc"

DVD player v2.2 is said to have some decoding improvements.

For patches for the DVD 2.2 player, see http://web.tiscalinet.it/thinkdifferent

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Note the link at the bottom. Now this guy was running it on an iMac DV, you might still need the hacked version of the Apple DVD player, which is floating around somewhere.

Hope this helps!

[David K]

Thanks BDMTHRFKR, I'll check out the links. This stuff is precisely the right direction for this hopeless endeavour.

Forgive my ignorance but what is the I-Mac DV. I keep seeing references to it.

The Old thing I'm working with is (I think the first generation I-Mac):
Processor: PowerPC G3, speed: 333 Mhz, 64MB Ram

[galactica]

Thanks BDMTHRFKR, I'll check out the links. This stuff is precisely the right direction for this hopeless endeavour.

Forgive my ignorance but what is the I-Mac DV. I keep seeing references to it.

The Old thing I'm working with is (I think the first generation I-Mac):
Processor: PowerPC G3, speed: 333 Mhz, 64MB Ram

Here's a blurb about iMac DV
(Its essentially an iMac preconfigured for Digital Video)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iMac meets Hollywood. With the iMac DV models, just slide a DVD movie into the slot and instantly turn your iMac into a personal movie theater. With its full-screen, high-res image, the show is positively cinematic—complete with heart-thumping sound.

Quality and convenience. DVD shows off movies at their very best, and you never have to rewind. The iMac gives you an extra TV and DVD player for the kid’s room, den or classroom.

Superfast FireWire is built into every iMac DV model. So you can directly transfer your videos from a digital camcorder to your iMac and back again—in pristine digital quality.

With iMac’s new iMovie software, you’re the director. Re-arrange scenes, cut out boring parts, add dissolves, cross-fades and other transitions. Then end your epic properly—with scrolling credits.

Feeling electric? Acoustic? Spice up your flick with music from your favorites CDs. And make it sound as great as it looks.

iMac gives you all the benefits of movies on DVD, including direct access to your favorite scenes and extra material you won’t find on traditional videos. It can save you money, too. Because now you don’t have to buy an extra TV and DVD player for the kid’s room, den or classroom. iMac comes with everything you need to start watching DVD movies right out of the box. And DV-model iMacs come with the Apple DVD player and a copy of the DVD movie “A Bug’s Life.” (Popcorn optional.)

Presenting the next revolution: Desktop Video. With the iMac DV models, it’s easy to bring out your inner Spielberg. Just connect your digital camcorder to iMac’s built-in FireWire port and launch iMac’s new iMovie software. Next, digitally transfer your video footage into iMac (with zero loss of quality) and start directing: Re-arrange scenes. Trim out the boring parts. Add transitions, special effects, scrolling titles—even your own soundtrack.

Fact is, iMovie makes editing digital video as easy as using your iMac. iMovie has a simple user interface in the classic Macintosh tradition, with pull-down menus and with icons that represent familiar tools and objects. With iMovie you can cut and paste text and graphics, add sound and music, and snip out the boring parts—while leaving your original footage untouched.

Transferring digital video is simple, too, using a 400Mbps FireWire cable to connect your DV camcorder to a DV-model iMac. (For a limited time, Apple is shipping a free FireWire cable with DV-model iMacs.) The FireWire port is sometimes called the IEEE 1394 port or (in the case of Sony camcorders) the i.LINK port. They all work with your DV-model iMac.

Just think about what you can do with iMovie and your DV camcorder on your DV-model iMac: You can, for instance, make a mini-documentary of life in your neighborhood. Produce a music video of your favorite garage band. Or create a video book report complete with titles. You can even send your finished movie back through the camcorder to make VHS copies. Or send video greetings to the world via e-mail. Or even post them on your website. And if you have a stack of home videos in VHS format and wish you could use clips from them on your DV-model iMac, you can do that, too: you can get a convertor box that lets you convert VHS-format videos to digital video. It’s as simple as that. (The Sony DVMC-DA1 is one such converter box. It converts analog video to DV, converts DV to analog, adapts non-DV camcorders, and supports iMovie.)

With iMac, you’ve got everything you need to go to Hollywood. Except, of course, a really good agent.

[David K]

The guy at the ThinkDVD website sent me the following answer to my inquiry about the possibility of sucessfully using even a hacked version of Apple DVD player on this iMac:

"There is no way for you to play DVD using MacOS 8 or 9 becouse you have an iMac revD with an ATI Rage Pro video card. Apple DVD Player requires an ATI rage 128 or better. Maybe it could work with MacOS X, but I never tested this."

[galactica]

The guy at the ThinkDVD website sent me the following answer to my inquiry about the possibility of sucessfully using even a hacked version of Apple DVD player on this iMac:

"There is no way for you to play DVD using MacOS 8 or 9 becouse you have an iMac revD with an ATI Rage Pro video card. Apple DVD Player requires an ATI rage 128 or better. Maybe it could work with MacOS X, but I never tested this."

Interesting. Who knew.
I bet there is still a way though...
I guess you could author it as a VCD/SVCD and it could be viewed with a VCD/mpeg2 player.

[AntnyMD]

Why are you going through all this hassle? Just:
[a] Upgrade to OS X. I'm sure you can find someone on eBay selling their used copy for $10
[b] Purchase an external DVD drive ... Hell, even I'm selling mine on Amazon at the moment.
[c] Install Apple DVD Player, and apply a "softening agent" from a friend on the internet
[d] Play yer movies and leave OS 8 in the past.

[galactica]

Thats an option obviously

10.1.4 CD for iMac

10.2 CD

If you do 10.2, Im pretty sure you have to do an update of the iMac firmware before you upgrade to 10.2.

Read about that here

[andydd]

I made some mini DVDs a few yeras back now n they played fine on my friend Imac with built in DVD player. I see no real reason why a software player wouldnt play them

[galactica]

I made some mini DVDs a few yeras back now n they played fine on my friend Imac with built in DVD player. I see no real reason why a software player wouldnt play them

The difference is your friends iMac has a dvd player. This one doesnt.

There are software players im sure, but most likely not a free one like he's looking for.

[BDMTHRFKR]

uhhh... I'm afraid they're right. You will have to upgrade the computer to 10.2 and use VLC. I wasn't sure what video card you grandma's iMac had but if it's not a 128 you are (pardon my French) shit out 'o luck. None of the [k] DVD players can get around the fact that your hardware is not compliant with the minimum requirements. An easier way to go might be to just go out and get a cheapo DVD player (I saw on on sale somwhere for under $50) and hook it up to her TV. Then she can enjoy your family videos from the comfort of her easy chair