DVD-RW?

marcus · January 25, 2002 11:20AM

I have just downloaded the Jaguar 10.2 preview video from osrumors.com...and have a quick question...

I haven't as yet used a superdrive equiped mac (although my next power mac will be, when apple pull their fingers out!), but was under the idea that it was not a DVD-RW system....merely a DVD-R and CD-RW combined drive...

However in the 'disk copy' video at exactly 1 minute 15 seconds, one of the menus clearly states as an option "Erase CD/DVD-RW Disc"

Just wondering if anyone knows if this a normal menu option on Superdirve macs, or an indication as to a DVD-RW superdrive 2??

Marc

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: Marcus ]

brussell · January 25, 2002 11:36AM

I checked my Disck Copy utility, and didn't see that command - but I haven't seen the video you're talking about, so I don't know for sure.

But the Pioneer drive Apple uses does have DVD-RW capabilities, Apple just hasn't implemented the software side. So it does not mean a new SuperDrive. By the way, the SuperDrive in the new iMac is a new version of the Superdrive, and it does have faster DVD rewrite speed.

ppc8500 · January 25, 2002 1:57PM

[quote]Originally posted by BRussell:

By the way, the SuperDrive in the new iMac is a new version of the Superdrive, and it does have faster DVD rewrite speed.<hr></blockquote>

iMac:

? SuperDrive (combination DVD-R/CD-RW drive; writes DVD-R discs at 2x speed, reads DVDs at 6x speed, writes CD-R discs at 8x speed, writes CD-RW discs at 4x speed, reads CDs at 24x speed,)

Powermac:

? SuperDrive (combination DVD-R/CD-RW drive; writes DVD-R discs at 2x, reads DVDs at 4x, writes CD-R discs at 8x, writes CD-RW discs at 4x, reads CDs at 24x)

Wow. It reads DVD's at 6x instead of 4x. So THIS is the blazing new Superdrive II. Wonder why apple didnt make a huge deal about it

dartblazer · January 25, 2002 2:07PM

link to video?

wrong robot · January 25, 2002 4:10PM

interesting thing about dvd-rom reading speads

my iMac DVSE has 4x dvd-rom

my friends athlon 1600xp has a 16x dvd-rom

guess which one skips

his computer has 512 megs of ddr-ram

he has 120 gig HD

1.4 ghz AMD athlon

basically he has a top o the line PC

and it was hardcore skipping and wasn't very in synce(a/v) while playing the Victor wooten live at bass day '98 dvd, which I jstu got wednesday and have watched twice so far

isn't that ridiculus?

it also takes a long time to open up folders

and if he leaves his computer on for too long it gets INCREDIBLY slow(way slower than my dinky little 500 mhz DVSE)

marcus · January 25, 2002 4:20PM

Sorry about the link, didn't have time earlier on...

<a href="http://www.macrumors.com/"; target="_blank">Macrumors...</a>

The video is linked from the current first story about X.2 'Jaguar'...

I believe it is also now at Spymac.com, (however it looks genuine this time

!)

The precise video I'm talking about is called "disk_copy.mov", and the DVD-RW reference is 1 min 15 secs through...

Hope this helps,

Marcus

cdhostage · January 25, 2002 4:55PM

I'm not sure, but I think that the SuperDrive can read and write and rewrite DVD-RWs as well. Not DVD-RAMs, nor DVD-R+ or whatever it is called. It can rewrite one of the versions of the competing DVDs tandards,

paul · January 25, 2002 5:01PM

[quote]Originally posted by cdhostage:

I'm not sure, but I think that the SuperDrive can read and write and rewrite DVD-RWs as well. Not DVD-RAMs, nor DVD-R+ or whatever it is called. It can rewrite one of the versions of the competing DVDs tandards,<hr></blockquote>

It can't do DVD-RAM and DVD+RW (stupid panasonic!)

But it can do DVD-RW which has a bettter chance of being able to be played in set-top-box DVD players...

neovirusnine · January 25, 2002 11:11PM

The real reason for the new superdrive isn't the 2x dvd read speed boost (although i think it's a nice addition) apple included it in the imac because it is smaller than the first superdrive which was a bit larger than a standard size 5.25? drive. Superdrive 2 is of standard size.

amidala · January 28, 2002 2:44AM

I haven't tested it, cause I don't feel like spenidng the monye too, but I've heard that under OS X, the superdrive can use DVD-RWs (Hewlett Packard kind DVD-RWs)

I guess it's pretty simple - it just re-writes (doesn't ask or anything)...I'm not sure, but that's what I've heard.

Andrew

PS-it's a software thing, so it doesn't work like that under OS9

eugene · January 28, 2002 2:53AM

Hewlett-Packard is part of a the consortium that developed DVD+RW. DVD+RWs can be read in DVD-RW drives, but they can't be written to. The same vice-versa. A DVD+RW drive can read DVD-RWs, but not write to them.

DVD+RW technology allows you to write to discs like you would a HDD. DVD-RW forces you to write a session, then maybe another session...then erase.

razzfazz · January 28, 2002 6:31AM

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:



DVD+RW technology allows you to write to discs like you would a HDD. DVD-RW forces you to write a session, then maybe another session...then erase.<hr></blockquote>

Are you sure? I was under the impression that DVD-RAM could be treated like an HDD (i.e. true random access), whereas *all* the other standards work like CD-RWs (i.e. sessions or packet writing) with increased capacity. I'll try to find a link somewhere, but maybe you happen to have one at hand proving me wrong?

Bye,

RazzFazz

DVD-RW?

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