[jzdziarski]

Has anyone attempted to burn a dual layer DVD with the new Powerbooks? I'm curious if there really is a limitation, and if there is one, whether it can be solved by flashing the DVD writer with firmware from one of Apple's desktop models supporting it. Anyone feeling daring?

Jonathan

[Komita]

The latest Toast can burn dual layer DVDs so you can use that.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by Komita:
The latest Toast can burn dual layer DVDs so you can use that.

That will do you absolutely no good if your burner is physically incapable of burning double-layer discs.

[jzdziarski]

So is DVD-DL a hardware capability or a firmware capability?

[Goldfinger]

Originally posted by jzdziarski:
So is DVD-DL a hardware capability or a firmware capability?

Hardware. But it's possible that you have DL hardware but DL-burning is deactivated by the firmware.

[superpabs]

So, still no definitive answer on this? I too am extremely curious. In fact, if it comes out that the drive itself will do DL, then i'll be ordering my 17 inch today.

[jzdziarski]

Apple vehemently denies that it does DL, only DVD+R, but it's much cheaper to use hardware they're already manufacturing (such as that in their G5 servers, which _can_ do dual layer). So if it's been disabled in the firmware then the questions are:

1. what model dvd writer is in the new powerbooks, and is it close to/identical to any other models that do support dual layer?
2. does a similar model have firmware updates available?

[wunderkind]

12" PB model:

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-835E:

Manufacturer: MATSHITA
Model: MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-835E
Revision: GAN7
Serial Number:
Drive Type: CD-RW/DVD-RW
Disc Burning: Apple Supported/Shipped
Removable Media: Yes
Detachable Drive: No
Protocol: ATAPI
Unit Number: 0
Socket Type: Internal

Can somebody clarify if it is DL capable or not?

[jzdziarski]

Is that the new 12" or the old one? I would think only the new ones would even have a chance in doing dual layer, because the old ones don't support DVD+R

[iREZ]

Take a look at his sig.

[Dr.Michael]

Originally posted by jzdziarski:
Has anyone attempted to burn a dual layer DVD with the new Powerbooks? I'm curious if there really is a limitation, and if there is one, whether it can be solved by flashing the DVD writer with firmware from one of Apple's desktop models supporting it. Anyone feeling daring?

Jonathan

If you want to have the latest tech you should think about an external drive. It is cheaper than the internal an can burn more formats (-R, +R, RAM).
Once you have the case with the interfaces you can also exchange the drive with a cheap new desktop burner for a third the price that apple or third parties charge for internal drives.

If you don't have to be mobile with your dvd burner, an external drive has MUCH more value.

[tooki]

Originally posted by Goldfinger:
Hardware. But it's possible that you have DL hardware but DL-burning is deactivated by the firmware.

Weeeelllll... one of the first dual-layer writers was one from NEC. It didn't take people long to figure out that flashing NEC's last single-layer writer with the dual-layer firmware made it fully capable of writing dual-layer discs.

My hunch is that it's more firmware than anything else, since all DVD drives already have lenses capable of focusing on either layer (since the DVD standard requires dual-layer reading). Focus control and laser strength control are both firmware-controlled.



But you can't move firmware from one drive model to another, the furthest you can move firmware is between drive "models" that use the exact same hardware but with different firmware. (For example, a Panasonic UJ-815 and UJ-816.) Moving firmware from a desktop drive to a laptop one would be like trying to transplant the heart from a tuna into a baboon.

tooki

[pgolf]

I have a RevC 12" PB with a Panny DVD-R UJ-825 Superdrive. Using Toast 6.07 when i do a disc copy, it lets me select the type of media to copy the disc to, DVD or DVD-DL. Is this normal? Shouldn't the DVD-DL be grayed-out if there was no dual-layer support? Due to the price of a blank dual layer disc i haven't tried popping one in

[TailsToo]

None of the PowerBooks currently have DL burning built in. (Toast is just telling you how much space it will take for what you are planning on burning. )

[romeosc]

Originally posted by pgolf:
Due to the price of a blank dual layer disc i haven't tried popping one in

I agree I have a Pioneer external.... but until price of DL DVDs come in at $.50 or less not for me!

[jzdziarski]

Well if you plan on burning movies, it's too expensive, but if you plan on burning data, $10 per DVD is fine as long as you don't make too many coasters.

Uh...you can burn data on DL right?

[TailsToo]

Originally posted by jzdziarski:
Well if you plan on burning movies, it's too expensive, but if you plan on burning data, $10 per DVD is fine as long as you don't make too many coasters.

Uh...you can burn data on DL right?

Well, you can, but how many 4.7GB disks can you fill for the cost of one DL?

[johnpop]

Originally posted by jzdziarski:
Well if you plan on burning movies, it's too expensive, but if you plan on burning data, $10 per DVD is fine as long as you don't make too many coasters.

Uh...you can burn data on DL right?

WHat?? That makes no sense.

You can burn more data on DVD-5s than you could ever on DVD-9

The only reason I would ever use a DL DVD would be to copy a long DVD that looks like **** on a SL DVD

[Kenneth]

actually, the price of DL media dropped in the past few months. I bought (2) 3-pack Verbatim 8.5GB DVD+R Media from newegg.com on Dec/04 and each pack costed $25. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my $20 mail-in rebate.

I just checked, a 3-pack DVD+R DL media is now $21.99 on newegg.com.

[WizOSX]

Do any notebooks have DL drives? I haven't heard of any yet on the Windows side.

[jamil5454]

Yes.

[TailsToo]

I think some of the new Sonys do.

[jzdziarski]

I wonder if this will fit: http://www.dfwdepot.com/osc/product_...roducts_id=232

If not, I'd like to at least find the firmware for it

[pumpkinapo]

MCE Technologies have DL-DVD drives for $250

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/m...roduct_Count=0

[krove]

When Apple? When?

[osxisfun]

From my BTO 15" 1.67 128vram:

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845E:

Firmware Revision: DMP2
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW
Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes
Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: No



is this newish?

[b-real]

The 845 drive is the newest for the PowerBook line.

[osxisfun]

cool. it was BTO's 2 mondays ago.

[tooki]

...and that model does support dual-layer burning.

tooki

[osxisfun]

burn baby! burrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnn...

thanks. Now i just have to wait till some software takes advantage of it?!

[ender2002]

is this drive used all across the boards. (12 inch?)

[olePigeon]

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-835E

Will that one work with a patch? I'm using a Rev D 1.67 PowerBook.

[olePigeon]

I found this, anyway:

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/item/7472/PIODVRK04L/

$159 for a Dual Layer slot load, fits PowerBooks.

[olePigeon]

Just FYI, Staples Brand DVDs burn at 8x. I found that out when I got a 25 pack of 8x DVD-R for $7.50 on sale.

[MoparSteve]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-835E

Will that one work with a patch? I'm using a Rev D 1.67 PowerBook.

I'm also interested in if the 835 would burn DL with new firmware, as this is what is in my 2 month old 12"PB. Does anyone know if there's any difference between this and the 845, which appears to support DL?