Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Headshot · Apr 24, 2006, 05:33 PM

So I'm looking at the "PX-716UF DVD DVD±R/RW external IEEE 1394 and Hi-Speed USB drive from Plextor®" as it's officially known, and from a Mac's perspective, will this take either + or - Double Layer DVD's?

tooki · Apr 24, 2006, 07:02 PM

Toast 7 and iLife 05 and 06 support burning both DVD-R DL ("dual layer") and DVD+R DL ("double layer").

You might need to use PatchBurn to make iLife support that external drive. Toast won't care.

tooki

mduell · Apr 24, 2006, 07:12 PM

As tooki said, the software supports both standards, but the PX-716UF will only burn DVD+R DL disks; it does not support burning DVD-R DL disks.

If you haven't bought that burner yet, I would strongly advise against it. Not only is the price quite high ($200 or more, depending on color), but it doesn't support DVD-R DL and only suppports DVD+R DL at 4x.
For about $80 ($37 burner + $35-55 enclosure) you can get a faster and more capable drive.

slugslugslug · Apr 24, 2006, 07:12 PM

Plextor's page for that model says the hardware will do either type of media as well.

Headshot · Apr 24, 2006, 07:33 PM

Good feedback and suggestions, thanks everyone.
The Plextor I'm looking at is an open-box deal for $110.
So I wouldn't be spending too much more I guess. I've seen enough "Disc failed to be Written"
crap in my lifetime to warrant holding off and doing the research. If it can fail, it will fail on my G3, G4 and G5.
But then, the feedbacks look great with the Pioneer no? And the price...

Mark: Will any of the enclosures on that page work just as well with that drive?

thanks guys

mduell · Apr 24, 2006, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by slugslugslug

Plextor's page for that model says the hardware will do either type of media as well.

Ah, I see they added it with a firmware upgrade; I checked a few retailers and none of them mentioned DVD-R DL.

Originally Posted by Headshot

The Plextor I'm looking at is an open-box deal for $110.
<snip>
But then, the feedbacks look great with the Pioneer no? And the price...

Mark: Will any of the enclosures on that page work just as well with that drive?

$110 isn't so bad; I can see some people justifying the $30 for the aesthetics.
Pioneer has had a great line of burners in the DVR-1xx series; Apple has used several models of them in the PowerMacs (AFAIK they're currently using the DVR-110D, which is a step down from the DVR-111D I linked to). You can also get the burner with a beige faceplate if you prefer that over black.
All of those enclosures will work with the Pioneer burner, have at least Firewire (some also have USB), and are Mac compatible.

Headshot · Apr 24, 2006, 09:24 PM

One more thing, seeing as the connector type for the Pioneer drive is listed as ATAPI,
and the enclosures are connected as IDE, is that the same thing?

tooki · Apr 24, 2006, 09:32 PM

Yep.

tooki

Headshot · Jun 30, 2006, 12:20 AM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827129001

OK! So a few months after this post initially, I'm going with this drive.
Is there any particular advantage to getting DVD+R DL vs. DVD-R DL???

Thanks guys!

tooki · Jun 30, 2006, 01:40 AM

The "dash" formats are designed by the actual DVD standards body, the DVD Forum. The "plus" formats are from a rogue group of drive makers, impatient at the DVD Forum's slow progress in DVD writing, who created their own set of standards. Consequently, the dash formats have slightly higher read compatibility with older drives.

tooki

mduell · Jun 30, 2006, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

The "dash" formats are designed by the actual DVD standards body, the DVD Forum. The "plus" formats are from a rogue group of drive makers, impatient at the DVD Forum's slow progress in DVD writing, who created their own set of standards. Consequently, the dash formats have slightly higher read compatibility with older drives.

I think that's putting a bit much negative spin on the orgin of the two types. Yes, the DVD Forum created the DVD-ROM standard and the "minus" standard, but the "plus" group is no less legitimate and is made up of many of the same companies.

Also, the "plus" formats allow you to change the booktype (to "fake" a DVD-ROM), which I believe makes them compatible with more drives, espically set-top players.

iSteve · 03:09 AM

Is that 37.00 drive compatible with the mac? doesn't say anything, and when I went to pioneer.. they mention windows, but nothing about a mac.

Also, I have a Sony DRX-810UL external that was used with my windows system.. this won't work on the mac will it? (i know the software/drivers won't)...

** Just for Shi*z and grinz.. I plugged it in.. Doesn't show up on the desktop.. I put an audio CD in the drive.. it shows up.

And iTune's recognizes the CD.. now to try and play... well, it plays.

Guess the only test left is to make a DVD and to see if the D/L will work on it.

tooki · Jul 1, 2006, 03:13 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

I think that's putting a bit much negative spin on the orgin of the two types. Yes, the DVD Forum created the DVD-ROM standard and the "minus" standard, but the "plus" group is no less legitimate and is made up of many of the same companies.

Also, the "plus" formats allow you to change the booktype (to "fake" a DVD-ROM), which I believe makes them compatible with more drives, espically set-top players.

Well, I do kinda think that going behind the standards body is less legitimate.

As for compatibility, the fact is that in tests, fewer set-top players can play DVD+R discs, and fewer DVD-ROM drives can read them. (Of course, it's mostly old models that have trouble. Newer players/readers have been designed to support all the formats.) I believe that for set-top players, one test showed 95% playback compatibility for DVD-R, and 87% for DVD+R.

tooki

stormyday · Jul 1, 2006, 07:12 PM

I have been looking at DVDs for sometime. I had just about decided on the Pioneer DVR-110D based mostly on the glowing comments from Mark. In checking CNET they also gave it good marks. But then I saw Newegg had the Plextor PX-740UF on sale for $99. This drive got very good marks from CNET. Plus it is a external unit so I would not have to buy the enclosure. Then I check the Plextor website and that model is no longer listed. It has been replaced by the PX-750UF ($116 Newegg).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827249008

This is for my iMac SE DVD 400, G3, 640 MB. Very little comments available on this drive. Anybody have any luck with it?

Thanks in advance.

iSteve · Jul 2, 2006, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by stormyday

I have been looking at DVDs for sometime. I had just about decided on the Pioneer DVR-110D based mostly on the glowing comments from Mark. In checking CNET they also gave it good marks. But then I saw Newegg had the Plextor PX-740UF on sale for $99. This drive got very good marks from CNET. Plus it is a external unit so I would not have to buy the enclosure. Then I check the Plextor website and that model is no longer listed. It has been replaced by the PX-750UF ($116 Newegg).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827249008

This is for my iMac SE DVD 400, G3, 640 MB. Very little comments available on this drive. Anybody have any luck with it?

Thanks in advance.

That looks cool.. Too bad they are out of stock... I was going to get the one above for 37.00 bucks and then a $50 case.. but I just plugged my Windows Sony DRX-810UL into the mac and it seems to be working fine.. plays CD's and records CD's as well. I've tried playing a DVD and it worked fine.. just haven't written one yet. The iMac reads the DRX-810UL as an DRX 810A, which I don't think there is much of a difference.

Other then the A is an internal.

mduell · Jul 4, 2006, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

Well, I do kinda think that going behind the standards body is less legitimate.

As for compatibility, the fact is that in tests, fewer set-top players can play DVD+R discs, and fewer DVD-ROM drives can read them. (Of course, it's mostly old models that have trouble. Newer players/readers have been designed to support all the formats.) I believe that for set-top players, one test showed 95% playback compatibility for DVD-R, and 87% for DVD+R.

That sounds like the compatibility without setting the booktype for DVD+R to DVD-ROM.

angelmb · Jul 5, 2006, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Headshot

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827129001

OK! So a few months after this post initially, I'm going with this drive.
Is there any particular advantage to getting DVD+R DL vs. DVD-R DL???

Thanks guys!

That is the same model I have installed onto my MDD yesterday, you can read about it here

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=299618

I have only "tested" it with the Finder, Toast and iTunes, all them see it with no issue, Toast and the Finder can burn the DVD media, haven't tried it with any iLife app yet…

Headshot · Jul 9, 2006, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by angelmb

That is the same model I have installed onto my MDD yesterday, you can read about it here

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=299618

I have only "tested" it with the Finder, Toast and iTunes, all them see it with no issue, Toast and the Finder can burn the DVD media, haven't tried it with any iLife app yet…

SO far everything is working jsut delightfully, and full-length movies are playing verbatim in my Sony 400-changer!

Thanks, it was so cheap too!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Viva la Pioneer.

gooser · Jul 9, 2006, 11:57 AM

has anyone out there uses the mce lucid m8xdl burner? i'm thinking about one of these, like that it is portable and can be used with both g3 and g4 systems. i know it's pricey but i am curious of user impressions. thanx

allensis · Jan 15, 2007, 03:32 PM

Please tell me if this drive will work in my B&W G3 (300mhz / OS X 10.4.x)?

Newegg.com - Pioneer Black 16X DVD±R ATAPI DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Read - OEM

I am not sure if the CD slot is on IDE or SCSI in this computer.

Thanks,

allensis

angelmb · Jan 16, 2007, 05:07 AM

Yes, the Pioneer 111D should work, not sure if you could burn at full speed though…

AFAIK some B&W came with a SCSI hard disk, all optical drives were IDE.