All format external DVD writer?

morgothmorgoth
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I'm looking to buy an external DVD writer for my G3 old style iMac that can handle all the current formats - that is, DVD-R and RW, DVD+R and RW, plus DVD-RAM and double layer discs (I can't remember if these are +R or -R). It needs to have drivers available for Mac OS 10.1, as well. A firewire interface would be nice but not neccessary.



I have found a couple of DVD writers that fit my format wants exactly, but they provide NO mac support whatsoever. For example, the LG GSA 5120D and the Iomega superdrive. Does anyone know if a DVD writer that does all current formats is available that supports Mac OS 10.1. Ironically, I feel that I NEED to have an external DVD writer before I can upgrade my system as backing up all my stuff using CDRs would be annoying, bitty, and very, very slow.



I want DVD ram because I want to have something easily accessible that can be written to like a hard drive instead of like a CD-RW, and something which can also last a while.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    daveleedavelee Posts: 245member
    Go to xlr8yourmac and search for LG and firewire in the 'drive database'.



    The LG drive you mention has been tested and is compatible with OS X 10.3, but dual layer recorders state that 10.2 is required for dual layer recording so you may need to upgrade for this functionality. Native burn support looks like it may involve a patch as indicated (using Patchburn3), but this is painless.



    I would imagine that Toast (5, 6 is for 10.2 and above) will probably work with the drive (without dual layer) in OSX 10.1 natively, but you may want to investigate a bit further before buying.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    mcdamonmcdamon Posts: 6member
    Why LG? I believe Plextor 712A or NEC 3500 will really work well with your Mac, especially when you use Mitsubishi & Taiyo Yuden dvd+-r.
  • Reply 3 of 5
    morgothmorgoth Posts: 13member
    hmm this is not looking hopeful at all. Thanks for your suggestion but it seems untested that even with 10.3 that LG drive could burn all formats of disk, or dvd ram. Some people on that site, which was a helpful link, got problems burning with it on normal media even with 10.3 and that patch so I don't fancy my chances getting it working via 10.1. I had a brief look at sites about that Toast program, but they didn't mention what dvd writers it supports, does anyone know ehere I can find out. The LG one was the one I thought most hopeful as I want DVD-RAM support. Neither that plextor nor the NEC support DVD-RAM. It is starting to look like the only ones that do don't support the mac in any form. This is pitiful. I could wait and see if they bring out some more mac compatible ones but it's likely if they do I'd need to update my OS anyway, but I want the DVD writer in order to be able to update my OS. I wish I could borrow an external hard drive or a normal dvd writer or some other means of backup. I could back up using a normal non DVD-RAM dvd writer but that's not really what I want for long term use.



    This is just like when I primarily used an Amiga whereby nothing supports your system and you have to rely on patches which often fail and third party expensive programs just to get some simple peripheral working. And even when you've got all that it doesn't work quite as it should.



    I think Apple should include things like dual layer dvd support in free updates to older OS.
  • Reply 4 of 5
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    Apple doesn't want you to have those drivers and I don't blame them, nostalgia is not an excuse. Steve Jobs dietician isn't free.



    For the imedite purposes of backing up your HD I would not think twice and grab a external HD. You always need one of those around anyway, if not for this very reason of temporarily backing up.



    Reading your posts I got the impression the homework has been done and you know exactly what your looking for. It's time to upgrade bud, anybody who is drooling over DVD-writer specs is not going to be happy burning anything DVD related on a iMac G3 with OSX 10.1 . Wait, get the drive you want when you move on.



    If Money is the issue dump OSX go YellowDog. Last time I heard the LG is working fine with YellowDog(Fedora Core).



    Your Toast Info
  • Reply 5 of 5
    gene cleangene clean Posts: 3,481member
    If you need it to backup things, why not buy an external hard drive, backup your files, upgrade your computer, and then buy the DVD writer that does support your machine/system (if you still need it of course)?
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