[Powerbook]

My latest PBG4 1.5 GH has the Matshita UJ-825 Superdrive, which I recently noticed can't burn DL DVDs. I thought about upgrading to a faster/newer burner (from MacBook Pros, also Matshita). Anyone already done this and can recommend a specific HW type?

Regards
Powerbook

[amazing]

I'd suggest putting together a DL burner and firewire case from newegg.com (around $80 total).

You'll have a 20X burner, which will be tons faster than any laptop burner you'll ever find. Huge time savings.

Unless you're burning loads of DVDs on the road?

[Powerbook]

Originally Posted by amazing 

I'd suggest putting together a DL burner and firewire case from newegg.com (around $80 total).

You'll have a 20X burner, which will be tons faster than any laptop burner you'll ever find. Huge time savings.

Unless you're burning loads of DVDs on the road?

Thanks, but I can get an internal Matshita drive for about the same price (80 Euros)... and I definitely don't want more computer items and cable clutter on my desk(s).


PB.

[amazing]

I sympathize with keeping the desk clutter-free--but you'll be getting at most an 8X drive, and believe me, the time savings are enormous when you have a 20X external drive.

And another question: Can your prospective internal Superdrive be firmware-upgraded to region-free? Many of the internal drives cannot.

[Powerbook]

Originally Posted by amazing 

I sympathize with keeping the desk clutter-free--but you'll be getting at most an 8X drive, and believe me, the time savings are enormous when you have a 20X external drive.

I believe you, but room saving by buying internal components has higher priority! It would be something else, if I had to pay five times the prices of an external component.

Originally Posted by amazing 

And another question: Can your prospective internal Superdrive be firmware-upgraded to region-free? Many of the internal drives cannot.

That I don't know... very good question though, since I'd get the drive from somewhere from Asia, I must ask about that embedded region code .

PB.

Add: The drives are region-set the first time you use them. So far they have no pre-set region code. I'd like to get mine region-free of course, but since I have only two or three non RC2 discs, that's not so much a priority...

[pcummins]

Best to use a Pioneer DVR-K06, I personally upgraded my UJ-825 in my PowerBook 15" (1.5 gHz) to the DVR-K05, no issues, able to burn at least 4x. The Pioneer supports raw read from the disc, so you can use VLC to ignore region locking issues.

[Powerbook]

Originally Posted by pcummins 

Best to use a Pioneer DVR-K06, I personally upgraded my UJ-825 in my PowerBook 15" (1.5 gHz) to the DVR-K05, no issues, able to burn at least 4x. The Pioneer supports raw read from the disc, so you can use VLC to ignore region locking issues.

Thanks for the suggestion! Those drives do support DL writing I suppose - that's my whole point for upgrading...?
I had the Matshita UJ-875 in mind, do you know if these support the raw reading as well?

Regards
PB.

[amazing]

you can do a forum search for "region free" and you'll find a minefield of posts, with the usual caveat emptor about bricking the drive.

best tip so far seems to be to use "fairmount" from DVDRemaster at metakine

Metakine - DVDRemaster