iDVD2

[zx80]

Does anyone know if this will work on a Mac that does not have a DVD-R drive?
Thanks!

[AntnyMD]

I think you're good to go as long as you have a G4 computer -- It won't even install without that.

[zx80]

Sadly iDVD2 will not even start up - it obviously checks for the presence of a DVD-R drive (possibly even the Apple Superdrive in particular)
Has anyone had success with this?

[AntnyMD]

You may want to investigate Astarte M.Pack as an alternative to iDVD2. Although I've never seen the interface of iDVD2, from what I've read here in the forum, it's the same program (Apple bought it and renamed it).

[zx80]

Interesting though I was lead to believe that it was no longer available.
Have you used it, and is it as "friendly" as the iDVD2 interface?
My short-term goal is to make mini-DVDs (I have a player that is able support this); eventually I will upgrade to an iMAc or other superdrive equipped machine. Unless Apple released the superdrive as an external firewire solution, in which case I would have one *now* :P I contemplated getting one of the QPS external firewire DVD-R drives but I'm unsure as to the Mac support for them right now. Thoughts?

[AntnyMD]

Astarte M.Pack is available through "friends" ... It is no longer available commercially. I'm using version 3.5.1, and it works fine for me -- I don't find it as intimidating as, say, Apple DVD Studio Pro v.1.0. Since right now I'm encoding for miniDVD myself, I use M.Pack to encode the video. Then I switch to DVD SP and its A.Pack program to produce the Dolby Digital audio stream.

At first I didn't even try DVD SP because everything I read about it said "you need a G4 processor" etc, and my G3 iMac was not gonna cut it. Then I tried it and it worked! DVD SP will properly author a DVD-Video image file that can be burned in the newest version of Toast. Toast will recognize an external FireWire DVD burner, whilst DVD SP apparently will not. But thats OK!

I'm looking at purchasing the LaCie DVD-R/RW drive. Apparently its the same unit as the Apple SuperDrive (several other companies sell their branded "superdrive" also, and its the same drive).

[Eug]

So let me get this straight:

1) DVD Studio Pro will work on a G3 and will work with external drives.
2) iDVD 2 won't install on a G3 but will work with external drives with a patch. Will it install on a G3 with the patch?
3) Astarte M.Pack will work on a G3 and with external drives.

Sadly iDVD2 will not even start up - it obviously checks for the presence of a DVD-R drive (possibly even the Apple Superdrive in particular)

By the way, some guy in another forum says he can make DVD-RAM discs with iDVD 2.

[AntnyMD]

DVD Studio Pro 1.1 (for OS 9) will work in OS 9 on a G3 but not OS X or Classic. This version of the software will allow you to author DVD content to a VIDEO_TS folder which can then be burned in Toast Titanium as a DVD-Video, in either OS 9 or OS X.

I'm fairly certain iDVD2 checks for the G4 chip before looking for the Superdrive, so if you don't have a G4, it will decline to install. I don't know anything about enabling patches, since I use DVD Studio Pro 1.5 (the OS X version) to author DVD content. With DVDSP, you can add multiple audio tracks up to the DVD-spec limit, use scripting to control DVD-Video behavior, and can use widescreen content for video and menus.

Astarte M.Pack will work on a G3 as it is designed for OS 9, but does not require any sort of drive since it is only a video encoder. The performance of this program is greatly enhanced by booting into 9 before launching the program. Performance is shockingly show in Classic mode.