DVD media for a G4 MAC with superdrive

[zzyzzx]

The Superdrive does have the BIOS update.

I think it's a 2X DVD drive? The blank DVD-R it came with says "Version 2.0" on it. When I go to the store I don't see 1X, 2X, or 4X designations but I see "Version 2.0" on some DVD-R's and some do not. How do I know which ones will work?

All the ones that had the "Version 2.0" on it were crappy brands of media that were made in Taiwan. Perhaps I should be buying cheap media for test burns, but I'd really rather get good made in Japan ones (Tayio Yuden?) like the Maxells, but those were the ones that didn't have the "Version 2.0" designation on the box.

[galactica]

As far as i remember, versions on the APPLE media denoted the difference between the 1x,2x Apple media (V. 1.0) and the 1x2x4x Apple Media (V. 2.0)

I could be wrong though, I never use the apple media because its $, but I hear its a good media.

One way you can determine what speed the drive can burn at is:
If its got OSX, go up to the top left corner to the apple.
Then get info on the system
You will have a window appear that says

X
10.x.x
and a button underneath (i think it says more or something like that)

Clicking that will load the system profiler
Go to DEVICES, and locate the device thats the SUPERDRIVE
Use the small arrow to expose the information on the drive
You can determine what drive it is, model and serial and what not

Generally speaking, if its an apple superdrive and its a recent G4 its probably a pioneer 104 or 105 (noted as A04 A05 in OSX) It could be something other than that depending on what "G4" it is.

You can then determine the speed it writes at using the model number.

If its only got OS9, do the same, but there is an APPLE SYSTEM PROFILER in the menu that opens when you click on the multicolored apple at the top left of the screen
Again, same type of info.


For media itself, the Apple Media works well (yet is rather expensive)
I find that TDK, Imation, Verbatim work well also)

If its able to go to 4x, any of the high speed disks off those brands work well also.

keep me posted
/Galactica

[tgpo]

and a button underneath (i think it says more or something like that)

More Info


I've used Maxells here at work a lot, and they also work extremely well.

[galactica]

TGPO
Can you confirm the V. 1.0 was the 1/2x apple media and V. 2.0 is the 1/2/4x apple media

[tgpo]

Sorry, I wish I could. But we no longer have any Apple media around here. It was too expensive, thus we turned to Spindels of Verbatim. I was trying to remember back when we used Apple brand, over a year ago, but I can't recall. Plus it doesn't help at at the time we only had a 2x burner.

[zzyzzx]

The computer in question is a year old, so my guess is that it doesn't write at 4X.

At this point I'm reasonably sure that "Version 2.0" means that it's 1X/2X/4X capable.

[tgpo]

You now, now that I think about I think ours was Version 2. Didn't it have something to do with Apple changing macufactors, and they decided to call the ones created under the new makers Version 2?? I'm trying to remember.......

[tgpo]

Perhaps this will help:

DVD-R Media



DVD-R (which is pronounced "dash R" not "minus R") uses organic dye technology, like CD-R, and is compatible with most DVD drives and players. First-generation capacity was 3.95 billion bytes, later extended to 4.7 billion bytes. Matching the 4.7G capacity of DVD-ROM was crucial for desktop DVD production. In early 2000 the format was split into an "authoring" version and a "general" version. The general version, intended for home use, writes with a cheaper 650-nm laser, the same as DVD-RAM. DVD-R(A) is intended for professional development and uses a 635-nm laser. DVD-R(A) discs are not writable in DVD-R(G) recorders, and vice-versa, but both kinds of discs are readable in most DVD players and drives. The main differences, in addition to recording wavelength, are that DVD-R(G) uses decrementing pre-pit addresses, a pre-stamped (version 1.0) or pre-recorded (version 1.1) control area, CPRM, and allows double-sided discs. A third version for "special authoring," allowing protected movie content to be recorded on DVD-R media, was considered but will probably not happen.



Pioneer released 3.95G DVD-R(A) 1.0 drives in October 1997 (about 6 months late) for $17,000. New 4.7G DVD-R(A) 1.9 drives appeared in limited quantities in May 1999 (about 6 months late) for $5,400. Version 2.0 drives became available in fall 2000. Version 1.9 drives can be upgraded to 2.0 via downloaded software. (This removes the 2,500 hour recording limit.) New 2.0 [4.7G] media (with newer copy protection features), can only be written in 2.0 drives. 1.9 media (and old 1.0 [3.95G] media) can still be written in 2.0 drives. Version 1.0 (3.95G) discs are still available, and can be recorded in Pioneer DVD-R(A) drives. Although 3.95G discs hold less data, they are more compatible with existing players and drives.



Pioneer's DVR-A03 DVD-R(G) drive was released in May 2001 for under $1000. By August it was available for under $700, and by February 2002 it was under $400. The same drive (model DVR-103) was built into certain Apple Macs and Compaq PCs. Many companies now produce DVD-RW drives, all of which write CD-R/RW. As of fall 2002 DVD-RW drives are selling for under $200. Most DVD-RAM drives also write DVD-R discs, some also write DVD-RW discs. A few new drives write both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW.



Pioneer released a professional DVD video recorder in 2002. It sells for about $3000 and provides component video (YPbPr) and 1394 (DV) inputs (along with s-video and composite). It has 1-hour (10 Mbps) and 2-hour (5 Mbps) recording modes, and includes a 2-channel Dolby Digital audio encoder.



Price for blank DVD-R(A) discs is $10 to $25 (down from the original $50), although cheaper discs seem to have more compatibility problems. Price for blank DVD-R(G) discs is $1 to $6. Blank media is made by CMC Magnetics, Fuji, Hitachi, Maxell, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Pioneer, Ricoh, Ritek, Taiyo Yuden, Sony, TDK, Verbatim, Victor, and others. The DVD-R 1.0 format is standardized in ECMA-279.

[galactica]

Well i just found this

The main features of the DVD-R format version 1.0 are:
(1)A recordable optical disc with a single-sided capacity of 3.95GB, six times the capacity of a CD-R, and a double-sided capacity of 7.9GB.
(2)A simple configuration of optical systems and simplified overall structure. The mechanism does not require a magnetic recording head.
(3)As DVD-R has the same physical specifications and format as a read-only DVD, it can be played back on DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM drives already on the market.

So I would assume its actually the media that has a version?!?!?

the only thing i can find on Version 2 is how it differs from v 1.9

VER. 1.9 and VER. 2.0 MEDIA:
The only difference that will exist between versions 1.9 and 2.0 media is the nature of the copy protection technologies contained on the blank disc itself. This means the mechanisms that prevent anyone from making illegal copies of programming that its owners don't want you to copy. Version 1.9 and 2.0 issues are recording compatibility issues ONLY, and have no impact whatsoever on playback compatibility. So a 1.9 level disc will play just fine on compatible players and drives, exactly the same as the forthcoming 2.0 media will.

[galactica]

The computer in question is a year old, so my guess is that it doesn't write at 4X.

At this point I'm reasonably sure that "Version 2.0" means that it's 1X/2X/4X capable.

Not necessarly!
Getting information using the system profiler will tell us exactly what drive is in the mac, thereby allowing you to determine the speeds across the board

Cd/cdr/dvd/and dvdr speeds

What model G4 is this?

Quicksilver? Mirror Drive Door (i think the 1st edition of the MDD is close to 1 year old now) but my guess is its a Quicksilver model.

What the Mhz rating on the machine?
The System profiler will tell you all this info.


The other SURE way to find out, is to get a 4x disk and burn it at 4x.
Watch the readback on TOAST of the min remaining. even thought it will say 15 min or so, if it really takes 1 hour then its a 2x max drive
(Apple superdrives will burn 4x media at 1x unless its a 4x drive)
Thats a sure way of finding out! On top of the system profiler information that is

[zzyzzx]

[ot necessarly!
Getting information using the system profiler will tell us exactly what drive is in the mac, thereby allowing you to determine the speeds across the board

Cd/cdr/dvd/and dvdr speeds

What model G4 is this?

Quicksilver? Mirror Drive Door (i think the 1st edition of the MDD is close to 1 year old now) but my guess is its a Quicksilver model.

What the Mhz rating on the machine?
The System profiler will tell you all this info.

dual 1Ghz. 1 year old.

It looks like this:



Does that help? I'm wondering if they even made 4X drives a year ago?

[galactica]

dual 1Ghz. 1 year old.

It looks like this:



Does that help? I'm wondering if they even made 4X drives a year ago?

Well, this confirmed its a G4 quicksilver
Most likely its got the standard apple superdrive from that time, which would go up to 2x (i believe its a A03) equal to pioneer DVR-103 ( http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pioneer/CDA/Industrial/IndustrialProductDetails/0,1444,796,00.html )

the report from the system profiler like i menitoned above will tell you exactly what it is
and then you can find how fast it goes by looking up the model.

[txpharoah]

Get whatever you want.
It should all work fine, as long as you use -R or -RW discs.

Nothing special about this.