Thanks for the responses. I couldn't find iDVD on my X.2 or software restore
disks. Maybe it only loads if there is a dvd drive on the bus???

Is iDvd a free download? I read that is wasn't because Apple wanted to
people to buy the superdrive-equipped machines!

> Hi Jerry (and Andrew),
> 
> My observations are only from a hardware point of view and can only be
> accurately applied to the first generation Pioneer mechanism, the
> DVR-AO3 (or DVR-103), which is an internal ATA device.  The issue I
> debated before purchasing and installing the drive was whether Apple's
> superdrive had some firmware modifications which differentiated it from
> the stock Pioneer DVR-AO3.  Discovering that iDVD recognized the drive
> as a stock superdrive led me to conclude that the answer was "No".
> 
> However, this may not be true of the current superdrive which is
> Pioneer's third generation superdrive, the DVR-AO5 (or DVR-105).  For
> what it would cost for you to purchase the drive and install it, it may
> be worth a roll of the dice.  My assumption from past history is that
> Pioneer only makes one flavor of this drive period, not a second
> variation with proprietary Apple firmware onboard.  Therefore, iDVD
> will probably work.
> 
> Ward Oldham
> 
> 
> On Saturday, December 21, 2002, at 09:33  PM, Jerry Yeager wrote:
> 
>> Not entirely true.
>> 
>> Okay, here goes. iDVD is set to work with DVD burners that are on the
>> internal ATI bus. It won't run with burners hooked up to the Firewire
>> or USB bus.
>> 
>> In many cases, it will not install off of the OS-X install cds because
>> of this. If you do as Ward suggest, then you should be able to use it
>> (though you may have to go back and install iDVD from one of the
>> packages then update it to be current. Don't forget to get the firmwre
>> updates that let you use the new 4x DVDs in the drive.
>> 
>> So are you out of luck if you have to get an external drive? No. Toast
>> will burn the moves to DVD (once they are encoded in MPEG2 format).
>> Getting them onto DVD is not the problem, encoding them into MPEG2
>> format is. There are several ways to compress movies into MPEG2
>> (including using QuickTime).
>> 
>> The advantage of iDVD is that it gives you everything in one place,
>> and it gives you the "front menu".
>> 
>> Jerry
>> 
>> p.s I have heard there will soon be a retrofit kit for the TiBook so
>> that you can pop a DVD burner into it as well.
>> 
>> On Saturday, December 21, 2002, at 08:52  PM, andrew arnold wrote:
>> 
>>> Since we're on the subject... I am confused. I have a 450 G4 desktop
>>> and a
>>> recent 800 TiBook. I would like to buy a new Pioneer DVD burner for
>>> the
>>> desktop so that I can burn DVDs of iMovies... I have heard you need
>>> iDVD to
>>> burn these and that software only comes with Macs that have the
>>> superdrive
>>> pre-installed. Is this true? Am I unable to make my own DVDs without
>>> buying
>>> a whole new system????
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> iMovie should be able to handle it. Just keep in mind that each
>>>> minute
>>>> of raw-uncompressed digital video (with audio) will take about 250 -
>>>> 300 MB of hard drive space.
>>>> 
>>>> Jerry
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On Friday, December 20, 2002, at 10:53  PM, Lee Larson wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> On Friday, December 20, 2002, at 07:36 PM, Ann Richmond wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Can you do a whole 2 hour vhs tape this way? Or are you limited by
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> camera's storage? Does the resolution capability of the camera
>>>>>> determine
>>>>>> the quality of the data going to iMovie/DVD? I really am a greenie
>>>>>> at
>>>>>> this
>>>>>> so any advice would be appreciated.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I've never done a whole two-hour tape this way, but, if there's
>>>>> enough
>>>>> disk space available, it could probably be done. (What's the limit
>>>>> on
>>>>> iMovie input here? There's surely some HFS file size problem you'll
>>>>> eventually hit. Jerry?)
>>>>> 
>>>>> Nothing need ever be stored on the camera, so the storage of the
>>>>> camera does not affect anything. You can store it on the camera, if
>>>>> you want, and I often do it this way so I don't have to lug the VCR
>>>>> down to the computer.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The resolution seems to be as good as the VHS it started with.
>>>>> Remember that VHS resolution is pretty bad compared to digital
>>>>> video,
>>>>> so the results aren't nearly as good as the footage shot with the
>>>>> digital camera. You don't really realize how bad VHS is until you
>>>>> start editing it in a program like iMovie where you can mix real
>>>>> digital stuff with the VHS stuff.
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Lee Larson, Mathematics Department, University of Louisville
>>>>> Phone: 502-852-6826 FAX: 502-852-7132
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be January
>>>>> 28
>>>>> For more information, see <http://www.aye.net/~lcs>. A calendar of
>>>>> activities is at <http://www.calsnet.net/macusers>.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be January
>>>> 28
>>>> For more information, see <http://www.aye.net/~lcs>. A calendar of
>>>> activities is at <http://www.calsnet.net/macusers>.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> Kind regards,
>>> Andy
>>> a0arno01 at athena.louisville.edu
>>> 
>>> Remember the two most important things in life:
>>>       1. Don't tell everyone everything you know
>>>       2.
>>> 
>>> The software box said, "Windows XP or better," so I bought a
>>> Macintosh.
>>> 
>>> "Macintosh. We may not have done everything right, but at least we
>>> knew
>>> the century was going to end."-Douglas Adams
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be January 28
>>> For more information, see <http://www.aye.net/~lcs>. A calendar of
>>> activities is at <http://www.calsnet.net/macusers>.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be January 28
>> For more information, see <http://www.aye.net/~lcs>. A calendar of
>> activities is at <http://www.calsnet.net/macusers>.
>> 
> 
> 
> The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be January 28
> For more information, see <http://www.aye.net/~lcs>. A calendar of
> activities is at <http://www.calsnet.net/macusers>.
> 

Kind regards,
Andy
a0arno01 at athena.louisville.edu

Remember the two most important things in life:
      1. Don't tell everyone everything you know
      2.

The software box said, "Windows XP or better," so I bought a Macintosh.

"Macintosh. We may not have done everything right, but at least we knew
the century was going to end."-Douglas Adams


The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be January 28
For more information, see <http://www.aye.net/~lcs>. A calendar of
activities is at <http://www.calsnet.net/macusers>.


Reply via email to