[MacDV] Re: More on a Beige G3 and Video

[KathyMac!]

On Dec 5, 2004, at 10:12 AM, 
macdv-request at listserver.themacintoshguy.com wrote:

> Will the unit play DVDs merely by adding
> one of the Super-Drives to the machine or does the video card have to 
> be
> changed out as well?  Do(es) these(this) change(s) allow for DVD 
> burning on
> the unit via Toast?

As I have previously reported here, I am in love with my Beige G3 setup 
even though I also use a dual 1GHZ G4 alongside it.

To answer your questions: you absolutely can add a SuperDrive to the 
G3. Whether or not you need a better video card to view the Apple DVD 
playerI don't know because I already have one and I can't tell you 
otherwise. I went with the Radeon 9200 from OWC which supports dual 
monitors. It has 128mg ram and allows me to run a huge 22" Apple 
Cinematic Display on my beloved Beige box as well as a second 19" flat 
panel AND a 17" screen for a third piece of the extended desktop 
puzzle. Awesome.

Another alternative for you if you don't want to replace the internal 
CD (some people like to keep the originals) is to add a firewire card 
in your PCI slot (make it a firewire/USB combo for added 
functionality!) and then you can hook up an external DVD burner. I have 
done this and can verify how great it works. I actually have a triple 
DVD duplicator stack machine hooked up via the firewire cable (all 3 of 
the triple DVD burners in the stack are Pioneer A07s) and Toast 
recognizes it no problem. This leaves me with an option to run the same 
firewire cable over to my G4 when wanting to access the DVD burners 
from there (even though I do have a built in Superdrive on the G4 as 
well).
Keeping your original CD player OR upgrading and sliding in a CDRW 52x 
burner is a good idea and allows for copying of discs between the 
firewire DVD burner and the internal CDRW.

You honestly have a wonderful machine in the Beige G3 and can do just 
about everything in it. I love mine as a second workstation.
Invest a bit and max out the ram, upgrade the video card, replace the 
G3 chip and make it a G4, add firewire and USB, and throw a flat panel 
in the mix and you're hooked up!

Contact me offlist if you have any specific questions about your G3 
that I can help with and that may not be strictly video oriented for 
this list.
MacsAndMusic at MusiciansForProgress.org

KathyMac!