[G4] Re: Do I need a new DVD Player?

[Kunga]

Here's the place to study compatibility before you buy:

<http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php>

It's a great way to narrow down your choices based on the homebrew  
DVDs you plan to play on it. And you can also use it to find out if  
the model you like in the store or that is on sale is compatible with  
how you plan to burn.

BTW, I just successfully converted two Apple "117D" Superdrives to  
fully functioning and supported DVR-108 Dual Layer drives with the  
instructions from Accelerate Your Mac.

Guide to Flashing G5 OEM DVR-117D to DVR-108 Firmware
<http://xlr8yourmac.com/tips/FlashingDVR-117guide.html> by Jon Austin.

When you look at the drive's label it says 108AA. System profiler  
calls it Apple's unique number 117D. I guess the D is for DUMMED DOWN  
because what it is is a crippled Dual Layer 108 - Pioneer's first  
dual layer burner. The above link shows you how to easily upgrade  
this drive in a matter of minutes to a fully functioning dual layer  
and much faster reading and burningSuperDrive.

The DVR-108 is only slightly slower than the 109 in a few places.  
Mainly it also reads CDs for ripping at 40x like the 109. It only  
writes CD-Rs up to 32x while the 109 writes them at up to 40x. The  
108 only writes DVD +R DL and ±RW at 4x instead of up to 6x on the  
109. And 108 reads DVD±R at only 12x instead of the 109's 16x. But  
for those of us with the '04-'early '05 PowerMacs, it's a great way  
to add new life to the "old" 2004 SuperDrives.

Here's two pages comparing the drives.

DVR-108 <http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx? 
ArticleId=10114>

DVR-109 <http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx? 
ArticleId=12802>

Specification charts are a short scroll down on each page. The point  
is that Apple has been shipping a Dual Layer CAPABLE burner for a  
year without allowing us to use it that way natively or even with  
Toast. But with the above firmware update, the same drive now works  
natively and in Toast much faster and including Dual Layer burning  
than what Apple shipped since last summer. I really can't understand  
why they retarded the 108 to begin with. Very weird.

We all owe Chris Breen a debt of gratitude for pointing this out  
recently in May 11th MacWorld

<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac911/2005/05/duallayerdawn/index.php>

  and to Jon Austin for providing such complete instructions on how  
to do it. This little procedure saved me the cost of buying a new  
DVR-109.

k

On Jun 10, 2005, at 5:39 AM, Richard M. Kriss wrote:

> Thanks for the information. Looks like my old RCA Mode; 4250 set  
> top box DVD
> player is not up to speed with the new format.  The manual says it  
> plays
> DVD's only.  I upgraded the G4 by adding the Pioneer DVD-109 but  
> did not
> realized it was too advanced for my TV set top box DVD player.   
> Looks like I
> will have to pick up one of the newer set top box players this  
> weekend. God
> help us with the transition to digital TV.
>
> Dick
>
>
>> Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 17:44:51 -0400
>> From: Steve Goldstein <sng at cox.net>
>>
>> The older DVD players, for the most part, do not play recordable DVD
>> discs, whether DVD +R, -R, +RW, or -RW.  About a year ago, most of
>> the new crop would play the DVD -R, and few would play the DVD +R.
>> Today, things may have changed, but you'd still have to read the
>> manufacturer's specs to find out if the player will play the kind of
>> disc that you want to record.
>>
>> --Steve