can you use iDVD on superdrive-less mac if you don't burn?

arlonycarlonyc
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Here's my issue:



I've got an old 500MHZ iMac G3, that seems to run my software just fine, so I'm not planning on upgrading until the 970 comes out.



In the mean time, though, I'd like to prepare some DVDs. I realize that wihout the superdrive I can't actually burn them, but if I bought iLife would iDVD open and run at all? What I'd like to do is prepare some movies with iMovie 3.0, prepare the DVD menus etc w/ iDVD, save it all on my firewire hard drive and then, when I upgrade to a 970 w/ superdrive, press a few buttons and presto, DVDS.



Before I invest in iLife, though, can someone let me know whether iDVD will work at all on my machine, even without the burning functionality?



thanks

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    mebejoemebejoe Posts: 2member
    unfortunately, i believe the answer to be NO.



    the lab machines i frequent (10.2.4, iDVD 2, but just the standard CDRW) will boot iDVD but then report that the required hardware is not present and quit.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    iDVD can only run on a G4 machine. It uses altivec heavily for the encoding process.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    clonenodeclonenode Posts: 392member
    [quote]Originally posted by mebejoe:

    <strong>unfortunately, i believe the answer to be NO.



    the lab machines i frequent (10.2.4, iDVD 2, but just the standard CDRW) will boot iDVD but then report that the required hardware is not present and quit.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    You are correct. If an internal Apple SuperDrive is not detected, iDVD will not run.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    arlonycarlonyc Posts: 2member
    Thanks everyone. It's a shame that iDVD won't run at all without a G4 superdrive. Again, I don't need it to actually encode or burn the DVD -- just the creative side to get things organized for when I do upgrade. Too bad there's no hack to trick iDVD 3.0 into thinking there is a superdrive and letting me at least use those basic features. Or is there.....?
  • Reply 5 of 7
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Well, since my thread in Current Hardware isn't generating any results....



    Does anyone know if you can swap out a combodrive in an LCD iMac and have it work with iDVD? I have a QPS Firewire DVD-R and I'd like to get iLife up and running....
  • Reply 6 of 7
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    I think that if you install an internal SuperDrive, iDVD will detect it and work. It's only externally connected drives that it pretends not to work with.



    [ 02-24-2003: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>
  • Reply 7 of 7
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    [quote]Originally posted by Amorph:

    <strong>I think that if you install an internal SuperDrive, iDVD will detect it and work. It's only externally connected drives that it pretends not to work with. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    My fear is the physical act of the swap. The old iMac was nasty, but not too bad once you opened it a few times. This little half dome is small....



    As for iDVD not working, I'm mixed. People complain but there's now a market (as there was before iDVD existed) for a good third party piece of software. It just doesn't exist though. Apple didn't and isn't stealing the market with iDVD, they've left plenty of room for someone else. No one else cares though. THAT'S upsetting.
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