[bighead]

Last night, as posted in another thread, I was able to successfully burn my iLife '04 image to a TDK DVD+R disc at 4x from Disk Utility and it's usable in multiple drives. Definitely nice!

I am currently burning that same image to a DVD+RW using Disk Utility, and it hasn't hiccuped yet. This time I'm using a Sony DVD+RW rated at 1x-4x, and it almost looks like it's going at 4x. I'd have to sit down and clock it, but it seems to be going about as fast as the +R last night.

Next up is trying DVD-RAM. I'm guessing since Apple has not limited the drive in terms of +R and +RW discs, hopefully DVD-RAM will work as well. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

[t.hill]

My PC can burn -R/-RW only, are there advantages to being able to burn +R/+RW and -RAM? Like, are the other formats better for making DVDs (video DVDs that is), or backing up your hardrive or anything like that?

[bighead]

There are heated debates between DVD-R and DVD+R and which format is better. Every group in the world has tests to show that their preferred format is more compatible or more reliable or more better in some way.

I think that the ability to record to almost anything you throw at the drive is the most important thing. The DVD+RW burn is verifying right now, and looks like it will be successful. After I install all of the new software updates from today I'll be testing DVD-RAM.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by bighead:
Last night, as posted in another thread, I was able to successfully burn my iLife '04 image to a TDK DVD+R disc at 4x from Disk Utility and it's usable in multiple drives. Definitely nice!

I am currently burning that same image to a DVD+RW using Disk Utility, and it hasn't hiccuped yet. This time I'm using a Sony DVD+RW rated at 1x-4x, and it almost looks like it's going at 4x. I'd have to sit down and clock it, but it seems to be going about as fast as the +R last night.

Next up is trying DVD-RAM. I'm guessing since Apple has not limited the drive in terms of +R and +RW discs, hopefully DVD-RAM will work as well. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

Nice!

DVD-RAM support would be very nice, for floppy-like backup purposes.

Also, it'd be good if Apple incorporated UDF 2.0 read support so we could read DVD-RAM from standalone DVD recorders (and other UDF 2 discs).

Originally posted by t.hill:
My PC can burn -R/-RW only, are there advantages to being able to burn +R/+RW and -RAM? Like, are the other formats better for making DVDs (video DVDs that is), or backing up your hardrive or anything like that?

For DVD Video, whether it's +R or -R is irrelevant, as long as it works with your DVD players. (Some DVD players are picky.) Oh and check my sig for additional info.

[bighead]

Well, Toast is seeing these Memorex DVD-RAM discs as DVD-ROM. Disk Utility goes so far as to checksum the image, then gives the error "The device is not supported for the requested burn operation."

These are UDF 2.0 DVD-RAM discs for video recording, which are the only ones CompUSA had this morning. I'll probably return them and find some other DVD-RAM discs for testing.

It looks like this drive may have to use non-UDF 2.0 discs, but I'm not sure. I'll do some digging for you all and report back.

[K107]

So let me get this really clear. The new superdrive does support DVD+RW? How about DVD-RW. If it does do I need to install something an update? And if it does why does apple not tell us all the formates it supports.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by bighead:
Well, Toast is seeing these Memorex DVD-RAM discs as DVD-ROM. Disk Utility goes so far as to checksum the image, then gives the error "The device is not supported for the requested burn operation."

These are UDF 2.0 DVD-RAM discs for video recording, which are the only ones CompUSA had this morning. I'll probably return them and find some other DVD-RAM discs for testing.

It looks like this drive may have to use non-UDF 2.0 discs, but I'm not sure. I'll do some digging for you all and report back.

Can you try erasing the disc in Toast? OS X doesn't support UDF 2. It uses HFS+. ie. Erase in Toast, and then use disk utility (or whatever it is in Panther) to format it like a hard drive, to HFS+.

Come to think of it, that may not work though. I vaguely seem to recall that once I had UDF2-ified my DVD-RAM discs, OS X refused to erase them. I had to erase them on my PC IIRC. (OS X erases HFS+ disks fine.) I'll check again tonite just to be sure.

However, that's a VERY good sign. My PowerBook (with UJ-815) doesn't recognize DVD-RAM discs at all, even in Toast. It just spits them back out. The only way I could read DVD-RAM on my PowerBook was with an external DVD-RAM drive.

[bighead]

I returned them to CompUSA already, but Toast was whining about it being a DVD-ROM disc, so it wouldn't erase it. I'll do some more hunting for DVD-RAM and see what works.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
Come to think of it, that may not work though. I vaguely seem to recall that once I had UDF2-ified my DVD-RAM discs, OS X refused to erase them. I had to erase them on my PC IIRC. (OS X erases HFS+ disks fine.) I'll check again tonite just to be sure.

Hmmm... OS X.3 does allow me to erase UDF2 discs, and format it to HFS+ (using an external Firewire DVD-RAM drive).

I thought it didn't before, but it may be because I was using X.2 at the time I dunno.

Anyways, I'd be interested to hear what results you get with blank non-UDF2 DVD-RAM discs. Maybe if I get a chance next week, I'll bring an HFS+ DVD-RAM disc to a local Mac store to test out one of their PowerBooks.

[troymurray]

I would think to keep the "SuperDrive" term the drive ought to do all formats, that would make it "super" to me!

[JKT]

Let me get this completely straight - I don't even need Toast to burn to -RW/+R/+RW disks as DU is capable of doing it? If so, that is extremely good news

[bighead]

Originally posted by JKT:
Let me get this completely straight - I don't even need Toast to burn to -RW/+R/+RW disks as DU is capable of doing it? If so, that is extremely good news

It appears that this is the case, yes.

[Eug Wanker]

So I went to a couple stores with my HFS+ DVD-RAM disc. Nobody had the new SuperDrive PowerBooks on display. They don't have enough of them - they're selling all they receive.

[escher]

bighead and Eug Wanker: You guys are great. Let us know what else you dig up!

Personally, I was planning on getting my new 12-inch PowerBook with the Combo drive, and buying an external DVD-RAM drive for backups. But if the new SuperDrives can to DVD+ and - and RAM to boot, I might shell out the extra $200 for the SuperDrive.

Escher

[reemas]

so does anyone actually knows what media types the drive will burn? i have a new 15" PB with the 4x superdrive and was wondering what types of dvd media are supported.

thanks!

[fruntbut]

i'm very interested in this too! i'v only tried dvd-r and dvd-rw in my 4x superdrive so far. of course they work fine but i'm curious about the dvd-ram. has anyone gotten one to work?

[bighead]

Originally posted by reemas:
so does anyone actually knows what media types the drive will burn? i have a new 15" PB with the 4x superdrive and was wondering what types of dvd media are supported.

thanks!

Like I posted, it will definitely burn to DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. I've been lazy and haven't done any more testing of DVD-RAM. I'll get around to it soon.

[reemas]

correct me if im wrong but apple doesnt mention it burning to dvd+r, so this is unofficial? but it worlks fine? any type of brand better than others?

[bighead]

I've used Apple DVD-R (4x and 2x), TDK DVD+R (4x), Sony DVD-RW (2x) and Sony DVD+RW (2.4x) all with success.

[MilkmanDan]

So then, what brand do you people think is the best to be burning off DVDs with, thats not too expensive?

[Phil the Fish]

For what its worth ...

I had a play on my new 15"PB using a Philips DVD+RW(x4)
I only have Toast 5.1.4 to play with (OS X is all new to me, and I need to update my software sometime in the future) .... anyway..

I could only burn the disc at x2 ..... x4 was not an option (ie greyed out) ..... disc written, and then read on external Lacie multi DVD drive .... no problem.

Wiped disc ... then used same software (ie Toast 5.1.4) to burn disc again .. but this time on the Lacie external MultiDrive .... able to burn disk at BOTH x2 and x4...... and subsequently then read on PB superdrive with no problem....

Phil

[escher]

Originally posted by bighead:
I've been lazy and haven't done any more testing of DVD-RAM. I'll get around to it soon.

bighead: We look forward to reading about your results whenever you get around to more DVD-RAM testing. Thanks in advance.

Escher

[reemas]

ived used 4x memorex dvd+r's with success.

[vinster]

FYI: The drive's supported media types are listed in the Disk Utility App. Just pop in a DVD, start the Disk Utility.app then select the CD/drive icon and you'll get a little report showing the drive's capabilities like the one below.

Code:
 	Disk Description :	MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-825	Total Capacity :	4.4 GB (4,700,372,992 Bytes)
	Connection Bus :	ATAPI	Write Ability :	Read Only (DVD+RW)
	Connection Type :	Internal	Capabilities :	CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW
	Connection ID :	Device 0

(DVD-RAM's not on the list)

Cheers,

[James L]

Hey all,

I found that DVD+R worked fine with disc utility, but NOT with iDVD. I needed to use DVD-R to get iDVD to burn properly.

Cheers!