DVR install in emac, how to

[dabaron]

I'm replacing the OEM CD / DVD drive and installing a pioneer DVR106 drive in my son's emac / OSX/panther. (it only plays DVD's no burn capability)

I've read through most articles I can find regarding drivers and firmware updates, as well as info using Pacifist to install apple software that installs DVD player.

Is there a locaton on this forum or site that details a step by step to install this drive properly so it is recoginized as a superdrive?

Thanks.

[pixeljammedia]

Because of the eMac's all-in-one design, I do not believe you can easily install a Superdrive. Customer installable parts are listed here: http://www.apple.com/support/emac/doityourself/ on the Apple site. My advice would be to buy an external firewire enclosure and burn that way.

[FCPguy]

external totally-

[pusa]

http://www.wilko.com/emac/

[harvid]

This can be done (though it will take some time!), provided you ensure that the CRT is discharged. My uncle (an electrician) helped me discharge my parents machine after the hard drive crapped out. Using step by step instructions from Apple's site, I was able to take it apart and get it back to together again with a new 120 GB hard drive in about ninety minutes. Just make sure you have read the instructions well before starting this project.

[pixeljammedia]

It takes a very small voltage crossing your heart to kill you, and CRT tubes are pretty powerful. Make sure if you open it up you have a lead going to a groundand you touch it to the cathode until it is fully discharged. I would also be very careful about the parts and little screws etc. Like I said, you cannot EASILY do this, but of course it is possible to do. Wouldn't it be much easier to spend the $30-40 on an external case and not risk the electrocution?

[WiseWeasel]

I dunno, that would look pretty good on a tombstone . . .

Here lies Da Baron, friend to all children and furry animals, victim of a DVD drive replacement gone horribly wrong.

On a more practical note, it's nice to have two DVD drives, so you can duplicate directly from one DVD-R to another, or to use a DVD while one is burning. I'd definitely go the FireWire enclosure route.

[harvid]

I at no point did I say it was easy (trust me, spending an hour and a half on the floor taking this thing apart wasn't exactly fun), but in my case I had no choice, as the hard drive was dead and the machine had been moved to another country where the warranty wouldn't be honoured. But it isn't that hard, as long as you can safely discharge the CRT (hence getting my uncle, the electrician, involved; I am a physician and know what can happen with electricity and wouldn't attempt this with any deviation from correct procedure for discharging a CRT). That said, there are loads of sites that show what people have been doing with the eMac, this one being the most radical!

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/eMac/eMac-upgrade.html

However, I think that a firewire case would be best, as I think I have heard that there is some sort of patch for iDVD so that it can used on external drives.

[galactica]

If it offers any help, I replaced a drive on a Flat pannel iMac and that was no fun. It even comes apart easier than the eMac.

External firewire drive with enclosure is probably your best bet

[FCPguy]

Harvid- Cool webpage! Anyone know of a place where I can get a applescript to let me extend the desktop space to 2 monitors on a 15" flatscreen Imac? If it's possible w/ emac, I bet It's possible!

[decay]

there are 2 versions of the eMac, check the grille speaker covers. larger holes are the earlier model, small holes are the later model (ATI). they come apart a bit differently.

dk

[FCPguy]

Just wanted to say that no after a bit of looking into- my imac won't do it. Damn.

[harvid]

Harvid- Cool webpage! Anyone know of a place where I can get a applescript to let me extend the desktop space to 2 monitors on a 15" flatscreen Imac? If it's possible w/ emac, I bet It's possible!

I think that there is a reference to this over at www.xlr8yourmac.com . I remember looking at the patch for my dual USB iBook, but it was too old to support the patch (and apparently it killed those 500 MHz iBooks that didn't meet the requirements!). So this is definitely a "user beware" sort of thing!

That page does kind of make you want to go out and get an old eMac to tinker with, doesn't it?

[FCPguy]

Yeah, I was totally trying to sell my G4 imac 15" due to no desktop space to edit, but now, I'm looking for a crack first. If I can get this to work, then I can keep it as a secondary to assemble, and edit on a new machine for Motion stuff- Yeah, these are fun things to tinker with! Hope I can find some cool stuff to play with my imac too. Thanks again!