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Tiffany Mac · Jan 21, 2003, 02:06 PM

Will iDVD3 support external DVD burners? I know that iDVD2 doesn't. I would be great if it did. Any insight would be helpful.

-Tiffany

mattmarshall · Jan 21, 2003, 02:08 PM

ditto, ditto.....i want to know if iDVD is for me.

-matt

scottiB · Jan 21, 2003, 02:32 PM

Sorry:

System Requirements

To run iDVD 3 you need a SuperDrive equipped iMac, eMac, Power Mac G4, or PowerBook G4 running Mac OS X v 10.1.5 or later (v 10.2.2 or later recommended) and at least 256 MB of RAM.

http://www.apple.com/idvd/features.html

mitchell_pgh · Jan 21, 2003, 02:36 PM

Originally posted by scottiB:
Sorry:

http://www.apple.com/idvd/features.html

So is this a yes, or a no...

I'm almost 100% sure it is YES, you need an Apple SuperDrive... 3rd party DVD burners will not work...

Anyone want to prove me wrong?

dwishbone · Jan 21, 2003, 02:37 PM

i wish it would too. i have an external Pioneer 105 4x burner. it would be sweet if i could use iDVD3 with it. ill be damn if im giving apple $1000 for DVD Studio Pro. I know all about the crap apple has to go through to allow DVD encoding. i know they have to pay for every copy distributed. but, hell it cant be much. Nero's DVD encoder is only $25. you cant tell me with apple now charging $50 for iLife they cant make a decent profit on iDVD. come on apple. give us what we want. even a DVD Studio Express for $300 would be a start. COME ON!!!

Millennium · Jan 21, 2003, 02:49 PM

iDVD can support external DVD burners, even in its current incarnations, through the use of a software patch.

A patch was offered at one time, in fact, by a reseller whose name I forget. Unfortunately, Apple used the DMCA to force them to stop distributing it, so it's no longer out there (though you might be able to find it at warez sites). However, the fact that a patch exists shows that it can be done, and that's no small feat as Unix binaries (such as those used in the Mach-O application format OSX favors) cannot be easily patched.

All that remains is for someone to figure out how to do it again. And this time, preferbly, to Open-Source the patch for the sole reason of making it harder for Apple to suppress. Because I'm sorry, but artificially restricting the hardware supported by their software just isn't cool.

dwishbone · Jan 21, 2003, 03:03 PM

it was Other World Computing (www.macsales.com) that came up with the patch. it most certainly can be done. they did it (or someone they have close ties with). all it did was remove the code from iDVD that blocked out external firewire drives from what i have gathered. that's it. other than the firewire block there is no reason external DVD-R drives shouldnt work. where are all the nice hackers that wanted to take a crack at MacOS X, at Apple, and its apps? come on guys. help us out.

brainchild2b · Jan 21, 2003, 03:12 PM

iDVD 3 supports external burners. That' why apple had them discontinue the patch. Check it out you'll see.

:-)

dwishbone · Jan 21, 2003, 03:14 PM

brainchild2b...god i hope your right. oh, and if you are lying...not nice to tease.
i REALLY hope you are right.
i'd love to hook my Pioneer 105 up to my TiBook.
*best homer voice* "mmmmm. 4 speed burrrning"

Tiffany Mac · Jan 21, 2003, 03:26 PM

Re: Brainchild2b

"iDVD 3 supports external burners. That' why apple had them discontinue the patch. Check it out you'll see."

Who told you this? What reasons do you have to think so. I could only pray that you were right!

goose · Jan 21, 2003, 05:21 PM

Originally posted by Tiffany Mac:
Will iDVD3 support external DVD burners? I know that iDVD2 doesn't. I would be great if it did. Any insight would be helpful.....

Well, you would think that it would now that you have to pay for it......

brainchild2b · Jan 21, 2003, 05:41 PM

Cough Cough Not that I would know firsthand or anything. But a friend of a friend of a friend is running it right now ;-)

Colonel Panic · Jan 21, 2003, 08:03 PM

Originally posted by brainchild2b:
Cough Cough Not that I would know firsthand or anything. But a friend of a friend of a friend is running it right now ;-)

wow - *i really* hope this is for real! this would be great news. i've been whining about the lack of external drive support forever......

Tiffany Mac · Jan 21, 2003, 09:44 PM

is he running it wiht a patch/hack?
which external DVD burner does your friend have? And how did he get iDVD3 already?

Big Mac · Jan 22, 2003, 01:23 AM

I assumed that iDVD 3 would support external burners. It is unfortunate that it seemingly doesn't, at least according to the requirements notation.

sandsl · Jan 22, 2003, 02:49 AM

According to Apple it doesn't work with External DVD Burners. According to some testers it does.
iDVD3 (as of a few days ago) is not available from the file sharing services (carracho, limewire etc) so I guess we'll have to wait until Saturday.

dwishbone · Jan 22, 2003, 08:26 AM

*crossing fingers*
please oh please oh please oh please
lack of external support has always been my biggest gripe. if they charge they can afford the license. especially now that iDVD is basically $50 now instead of $19.95. yes you get the other programs in iLife instead of having to download them...but they are free...cant count that. so...if we gotta shell out $50 for it now it best support external burners. as i stated earlier, Nero's DVD encoder is only $24. come on Apple. DO IT! DO IT NOW!

Colonel Panic · Feb 2, 2003, 11:47 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dwishbone:
*crossing fingers*
please oh please oh please oh please
lack of external support has always been my biggest gripe. if they charge they can afford the license. especially now that iDVD is basically $50 now instead of $19.95. yes you get the other programs in iLife instead of having to download them...but they are free...cant count that. so...if we gotta shell out $50 for it now it best support external burners. as i stated earlier, Nero's DVD encoder is only $24. come on Apple. DO IT! DO IT NOW! [/QUOTE

we've been let down by brainchild2be...
iDVD3 won't launch on a non-superdrive mac because "the required hardware could not be found..." sigh.

SirCastor · Feb 2, 2003, 11:59 AM

iDVD did support external burners, but support for it was yanked out at the last minute. Why?

Well, the person who told me this said that the decision was based that people were complaining too much about having to pay for iApps, so they dropped the price for the iLife CD, removed support for externals in iDVD, and made iMovie and iPhoto a free download.

Isn't that a refreshing feeling? We were the cause of the lack of external support.

Colonel Panic · Feb 2, 2003, 12:05 PM

Originally posted by SirCastor:
iDVD did support external burners, but support for it was yanked out at the last minute. Why?

Well, the person who told me this said that the decision was based that people were complaining too much about having to pay for iApps, so they dropped the price for the iLife CD, removed support for externals in iDVD, and made iMovie and iPhoto a free download.

Isn't that a refreshing feeling? We were the cause of the lack of external support.

i'm not sure i buy that - that would mean the original proposed price was higher then the $49.95 final price, and this decision for apple would have been an all around revenue hit (in other words, if people balked at iLife for $50, why not make iphoto and imovie free but make idvd (or the bundle) more, or have a version that allows external burners but have it cost more)

was the source reputable?

if this IS true, that must mean the external DVD supporting versions (like brainchild2be's) are floating around somewhere and will soon surface in the back-alleys of the internet.

Graymalkin · Feb 2, 2003, 12:21 PM

Just another FYI, Apple never threatened to use the DMCA against OWC. The DMCA crap came from a C|Net (IIRC) article where the OWC CEO was quoted. From there it got blown out or preportion because ZDNet and ilk turned it into "Apple uses DMCA against poor little company". It was really "OWC broke their VAR contract by selling hacked copies of iDVD with hacked eMacs".

SirCastor · Feb 2, 2003, 12:39 PM

Originally posted by Colonel Panic:
i'm not sure i buy that - that would mean the original proposed price was higher then the $49.95 final price, and this decision for apple would have been an all around revenue hit (in other words, if people balked at iLife for $50, why not make iphoto and imovie free but make idvd (or the bundle) more, or have a version that allows external burners but have it cost more)

was the source reputable?

if this IS true, that must mean the external DVD supporting versions (like brainchild2be's) are floating around somewhere and will soon surface in the back-alleys of the internet.

My source I trust, but this comes about 3rd hand. My guess is that this explains why we didn't see iLife distributed at MacWorld itself.

As for why they did this, got me. I don't have to tell anyone here that Apple's business decisions don't always make sense from the outside.

As for the copies that do support external burners, yes, I believe they are out there, and I think they will surface. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple crippled it via a system update or something like that, but I think it's out there.

Colonel Panic · Feb 2, 2003, 01:24 PM

well, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out. what is really aggravating is that it of course works with "off-the-shelf" pioneer burners if they are installed internally, so even the existing "protections" only serve to block those looking to use firewire (cube owners, pb owners, iMac owners..), so its only half-ass effective as a measure to force people to upgrade to a new Mac.

it also smells like mpeg2 creation licensing issues exist - this is the ONLY reason i can imagine why they don't even let the !@#$% program RUN on "non-superdrive" macs. are people supposed to upgrade ALL their macs to superdrive models? these are multiple-mac owning FANTASTIC customers they are screwing. i mean damn, you can't even create on you PB, save the project and then burn it from you 100% apple-certified/kosher/superdrive-including model.

oh well, is the external drive niche so small that no developer will develop a competing product?

BTP · Feb 2, 2003, 08:25 PM

All due respect to the sources listed here, but I am quite certain that iDVD3 will not support external burners.

If I recall correctly, there was a cost involved that was the reason why. I doubt the $49 will make them open up to external drives. Some also specualted that Apple merely wanted to sell more Superdrives, but that is a weaker arguement.

I hate to say it, especially as the owner of a 4X Pioneer 105, but I don't expect that it will be supported. I'll let you know when iLife arrives. Actuallly, second thought, I'll hold off until someone proves me wrong. No sense in buying it if it doesn't work.

Here's to hoping I am wrong, but knowing I am not.

Colonel Panic · Feb 2, 2003, 08:53 PM

Originally posted by BTP:
All due respect to the sources listed here, but I am quite certain that iDVD3 will not support external burners.

If I recall correctly, there was a cost involved that was the reason why. I doubt the $49 will make them open up to external drives. Some also specualted that Apple merely wanted to sell more Superdrives, but that is a weaker arguement.

I hate to say it, especially as the owner of a 4X Pioneer 105, but I don't expect that it will be supported. I'll let you know when iLife arrives. Actuallly, second thought, I'll hold off until someone proves me wrong. No sense in buying it if it doesn't work.

Here's to hoping I am wrong, but knowing I am not.

i know it doesn't. i have iLife and tried it on a non-SD machine with an external pioneer a05.
i got it successfully installed with a little work but the installed app will not open, throwing up a "required hardware not found" messsage, like iDVDw did. won't even allow you to use it but not burn. flat out won't open.

BTP · Feb 3, 2003, 01:57 AM

Thanks for saving me $49.

Eriamjh · Feb 3, 2003, 06:16 AM

If you really want to use iDVD, yank that DVR-103/4/5 out of the firewire case and put it in your tower (assuming you have a tower/imac/emac). Put the CD-RW drive in the external case.

iDVD will work as long as the drive is on the IDE controller inside. And iTunes supports almost all drives externally that it would support internally.

If you don't want to do that, petition Apple (or submit feedback) that you would be willing to pay a premium for external support (say another $30 over the cost of iLife?). Maybe they'll come around.

But they sure aren't going to do it for free.

Colonel Panic · Feb 3, 2003, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by Eriamjh:
If you really want to use iDVD, yank that DVR-103/4/5 out of the firewire case and put it in your tower (assuming you have a tower/imac/emac). Put the CD-RW drive in the external case.

iDVD will work as long as the drive is on the IDE controller inside. And iTunes supports almost all drives externally that it would support internally.

If you don't want to do that, petition Apple (or submit feedback) that you would be willing to pay a premium for external support (say another $30 over the cost of iLife?). Maybe they'll come around.

But they sure aren't going to do it for free.

still doesn't solve the problem, though. i'd love to use the app (edit, etc - not even burn) on a non-SD laptop and am more than happy to transfer the project to my tower w/SD to burn.

in other words, i'd pay to just be able to run the app without being able to burn on a non-SD mac.

Atef's corpse · Feb 3, 2003, 07:13 AM

brainchild2b is yanking everyone's chain. iDVD has no external DVD support and he knows it. He has a nasty history of randomly trolling.

typoon · Feb 3, 2003, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by Eriamjh:
If you really want to use iDVD, yank that DVR-103/4/5 out of the firewire case and put it in your tower (assuming you have a tower/imac/emac). Put the CD-RW drive in the external case.

iDVD will work as long as the drive is on the IDE controller inside. And iTunes supports almost all drives externally that it would support internally.

If you don't want to do that, petition Apple (or submit feedback) that you would be willing to pay a premium for external support (say another $30 over the cost of iLife?). Maybe they'll come around.

But they sure aren't going to do it for free.

The DVR-105 will work? That is a DVD-RW. If it does I'm gettin one. I can get them for a good price.