USB dvd burner: Good or No??

Hi,
Anybody using a USB external DVD burner??
I know that Firewire ones are recommended for Mac but I was wondering if anyone is using a USB burner. With any Mac.

I did some more searching at xlr8yourmac and got 25 reports of USB DVD+/-R drives connected via USB. They do apparently work but Mike (the site's host) says he has found Firewire to be faster than USB 2 on Macs. Some of the posts are people connecting to USB 1.1 which is a dreadful thing.
If you're trying to save money on the cost of an external drive, you might check into buying a separate Firewire case and a bare DVD drive. Otherworld Computing (www.macsales.com) often has some good deals this way.
If, however, your best option is a USB 2 drive and the brand is of some reasonable quality then I believe it will work.

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Looking to Get an External USB DVD Burner...Will this one Work?

I burn a lot of music to CD (demos for my music that I send out every few months). I've heard a lot of bad things about the internal DVD burner on MacBooks going shot, and I've heard it's an expensive fix.
Since mine is still working totally fine, I wanted to preserve it by purchasing an external USB DVD burner for my heavy music burning.
This Rosewill unit over at Newegg seems to get a lot of positive reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16827190020
However, there's no mention of OSX compatibility (there's not really a mention of it for any of ther burners they sell). I wrote Newegg, and they said that they cannot comment on compatibility. I wrote Rosewill directly, and I'm waiting to hear back.
I've heard that basically any USB burner will work with MacBooks, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any direct experience with any of the Rosewill burners?
Thanks.

For anyone that's interested, I received my external USB burner today. For those that didn't see my original post, I burn a lot of demo music CD to send out everyother month, and I didn't want to wear out my internal burner, because I've heard that replacing them is 1) sort of a rough fix to do on your own, or 2) is pretty expensive to have done by Apple.
I received this Rosewill unit from Newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16827190020
Plugged it in, iTunes instantly recognized it, and gave me the choice between the external and internal burners. CD's are burning fine. Now I can use and abuse this external with all my burns, and just replace it for $50 if it ever goes shot, and save my internal for software loading, etc.
In short, if you're looking for a nice, little, inexpensive external burner that works with OSX...definitely check this unit out.

Memorex USB DVD Burner/RW not playing movies " A valid drive could not be found. [-770012

Why does the USB DVD player/burner not work under Mavericks when it worked on a much older 2Core Duo Mac running Lion? Why is there no support for this item sold in an Office Depot Store? You can not get any more plain vanilla hardware than that.

Why does the USB DVD player/burner not work under Mavericks when it worked on a much older 2Core Duo Mac running Lion? Why is there no support for this item sold in an Office Depot Store? You can not get any more plain vanilla hardware than that.

USB DVD Burner connected to Portege 3500 is not recognized properly

I am trying to connect an HP DVDv 940e DVD Burner to my Portege 3500.When I connect the device it is not recognized and the device manager list it as an unknown mass storage device without driver. Where can I get this driver?

the solution to the question is: find a computer which will accept the external burner, look what the driver for the mass storage device is called. in my case usbstor. search your computer for "usbstor". there should be at leat 3 different files (.sys .inf and another one),copy these onto your computer, and when you try to install the mass storage device in the device manager, direct the hardware assistant to these files. it should accept the driver it did with me. If there are more problems after that use the same method, find the working drivers on the other computer and copy all files of that name to your computer, showing the hardware assistant where to look.

Apple USB DVD burner ejects any blank disk

I have MacAir with OS Maveriks 10.9.1 and external Apple's USB DVD drive. The drive keeps ejecting any blank disk when inserted. Tried several. What is the problem? Both devices are 14 months old.
Any help?

Ejects after several seconds then it a dirty laser diode lens
Ejects immediately then it's a damaged loader usually
Given its age, warranty work out of the question. you may investigate the Ifixit.com videos on tearing down the ext superdrive for a lens cleaning or attempting same yourself without teardown.
I've fixed many myself, 9 times out of 10 its a dirty lens with dust.

External USB DVD Burner Compatability

I have an ASUS SDRW-08D1S-U that will not work with wodim but does work with cdrdao. Since every GUI uses wodim, this drive is just a pain to use in Linux. Although I think the drive may just be defective because it powers off sometimes for no apparent reason (ruined a few discs like that.)
Anyway, I'm looking for a new drive but I'm having a hard time finding if any given drive works in Linux or not. I was looking at the LG GP08LU30, can anyone confirm if this drive works with wodim or have any other suggestions?

Well you can't exactly run XP on a 300 Mhz Pentium either.
The Lombard dates dates back from the days of the 300 Mhz Pentium. And 10.4.9 running on a Lombard is actually already out of the range of the possible. Read the specs on
http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs/
The fact you are running it at all on that machine, is a testament to the brilliance of people who wrote XPostFacto at http://www.macsales.com/
The Lombard does not have built-in Firewire, and therefore can't take advantage of many of the features of 10.4 through 10.4.9. The Lombard was sort of the last of a generation of Macs that came with built-in SCSI, but no built-in Firewire. As Apple went through their transition from 1997 to 2003 to getting all the Macs to most of the hardware features found in today's Macs that support Mac OS X there were several low to midrange models that didn't fit all the categories you find in today's Macs.
The only third party player which may work, and not on all drives is http://www.videolan.org/ 's VLC Client.
Macs are integrated units. Thus while you can upgrade the RAM, and frequently the wireless card, or hard drive, many of the other addons except on the PowerMac/Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/Powerbook lines are not available because most of the features one would need are already included. The iBook and MacBook have no Express/34 slot. The 12" Powerbooks strangely didn't have PCMCIA, but did have DVI and extended desktop capabilities starting with its DVI model.
It pays to take a close look at specs to find out if your model has support for the feature you want:
http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.html
Part of the reason for the Mac's stability is that the variables are more known than in the PC world because the specs are so well written.

External DVD Burner detected only as reader

Hello,
I have a problem with an IBM external (USB) dvd burner. I manage to use it as a reader correctly, but I can't see him as an available burner in brasero or K3B. I managed to use it previously with a Ubuntu dist, so it should be supported, but I believe there must be a problem of access rights, of HAL or so on.
Could somebody give me some hints on what to do?

I finally found the root cause... I wasn't part of the optical group. Once added to the group, I could burn correctly

Pros And Cons Of Using An External USB 2.0/FW DVD Burner ?

This is not entirely an iDVD query, though iDVD is the proram that will be using the DVD burner most. (I have also posted it on the iMac forum but received no response yet and iDVD users are likely to be more knowledgeable about DVD burning).
I intend to get an iMac when the next Leopard version is introduced.
However, I am not keen on slot loading CD/DVD burners as I once had a thicker than normal CD jam temporarily. Also I feel there is more potential for scratching and a few months ago I read that the mechanism used was comparatively flimsy and only good for a couple of hundred burns. I must stress that I don't know how accurate that last statement is?
So I have been toying with the idea of getting a cheap (LaCie) USB 2.0 or FW DVD burner to save wear and tear on the internal iMac mechanism.
If anyone could answer these questions I would be grateful:-
1. The USB 2.0 and FW versions have identical performance specs and the FW model costs nearly twice as much. So has the USB 2.0 burner got any disadvantages? (I already have Toast8).
2. Would they work as quickly and efficiently as the internal iMac burner ? (I realise I would have to convert my projects to disk images first).
3. Could I use them to install/reinstall the OS - should that ever be required ?
I am keen to know of any other advantages or disadvantages that I may have overlooked.
Ian.

I am posting this info, provided by Karsten, for the benefit of anyone else who may be contemplating making their own Firewire DVD Burner :-
"Although I have done car maintenance and general household DIY I have never attempted anything with computers," was my comment.
Karsten's reply was:-
........then, this is really a no-brainer for YOU.. me too just a Tim Allan guy/Home Improvement ..
first, open the fw-case, which is usually 4-6 small Philips screws on the bottom (back?) ... the innards then 'slide out', on the back or front, depending on case; some cases split in top/bottom half...
your DVDburner has two 'connectors - a smaller one for power, a very large (60? pins) one for 'data' .. be careful with this one..
ok: connect the power-cable within the case (mostly needs a strong push).. connect the data-/ATA cable to drive.. the plug has a 'nose', so no wrong connection possible, or you push real hard = kaputt ...
that large one has to be placed 'symmetrically'.. don't bend the many pins.. just work slowly and carefully.. easy...
ahh, forgot to mention: INSIDE are two 'slides'.. use 2-4 screws to fix the drive within the case (you find the screws usually in the package.. of the case AND of the drive.. )
close case, ...
... = 10min job, in case you have to brew an Espresso meanwhile..

External DVD burner - USB or Firewire?

when I got my first OS X system - about six years ago - I bought a firewire DVD burner. it worked great for all this time and finally died a few months ago.
time to get a new one! But I am having a hard time finding an external firewire Drive - all I see is USB.
can someone recommend a good FW 1394 external DVD / CD burner drive somewhere
or...
can someone assure me that USB is now so terrific that I don't need firewire and will be very happy with a new state of the art USB 2.0 drive?
thanks!
willfriedwal;d

Be careful with Other World. They sell DVD burners in two different types of enclosures. The info at the top of the burner page says Oxford 911 chipsets, but the Mercury Value DVD burner they sell for $71.99 uses a different set - the Prolific 3507 set. Google that name and see how many angry people you find. I bought one after being told by a salesman that the only difference between the Mercury Value and the Mercury Pro was cosmetic. Wrong. The Value drive wouldn't mount a disk when plugged into the firewire port on my 20" G5 iMac. It did mount when plugged into the USB port, but my understanding is that you can't boot from a CD in a USB drive (not easily anyway), and you can in Firewire. My internal drive is dead in the water, and estimates I got to replace it were $250 or so, so I'm going external. Gonna buy the Mercury Value Pro with Oxford 911 now that I got my money back (no easy task either, but I finally got it.)
Just thought I'd pass that along.
brotone

Touchsmart IQ775-keyboard, mouse, front USBs, and DVD burner

My power went off and immediately back on while I was using computer. Now, my wireless mouse, wireless keyboard, front USB ports, and DVD burner won't work. The computer doesn't recognize them. I have tried reconnecting the mouse and keyboard and replacing batteries. I tried to burn a recorded TV show onto a DVD--doesn't recognize the recorder. The printer works--it is plugged into a rear USB port. The touchscreen feature works.
Any and all help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

This does not sound good - to me, it sounds like the enumeration of your devices is corrupt in the registry - caused during the power failure.
If you can get to Microsoft System Restore, use it to go back to a few days time before before the outage ocurred.
If that doesn't work, thenHP recovery is my suggestion.
... an HP employee expressing his own opinion.
Please post rather than send me a Message. It's good for the community and I might not be able to get back quickly. - Thank you.

Logitech external USB DVD reader/burner model LDR-PMD8U2LBK not recognized.

Got a external USB DVD reader/burner Logitech model LDR-PMD8U2LBK.
I plug the device, use the adapter but nothing happens. I tried to boot the computer with the driver plugged in, again, nothing. If I put a DVD in the driver, I hear the machine buffer but on the screen, nothing. Checked all the view options, everything is selected. It doesn't appear in the Disk Utility neither. Tried to open a DVD with VLC Player, to no avail. Checked on Logitech's site, there are no drivers for this driver. The seller told me that it should be compatible with my black macbook, I guess there is still a possibility that it is not...

You shouldn't need drivers for a USB or Firewire connected external device.
USB and FireWire Quick Assist
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1151?viewlocale=en_US
Common fixes for USB device issues (unrecognized, etc.)
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20070824012114701
 Cheers, Tom

External USB/Firewire DVD burner?

Looking for suggestions on an external DVD burner as my superdrive in my Macbook Pro seems to have died and i dont wanna risk installing a new one myself and effing something up.
Any suggestions?
-Sin

AbominusRules wrote:
Looking for suggestions on an external DVD burner as my superdrive in my Macbook Pro seems to have died and i dont wanna risk installing a new one myself and effing something up.
Any suggestions?
-Sin
How old is your MBP? I just have to ask if it is still under warranty, or if you bought an AppleCare program?
BTW, if you're out of warranty, you can replace it easily for around $100 plus two Torx screwdrivers. It really is nothing more than a few screws, removing the warranty tape, and plugging it in.
But there are dozens of DVD burners (mostly USB 2.0) that work well. My experience is that they don't work really well with iTunes or other programs on your Mac. And they cost probably 1/2 the cost of replacing your Super Drive.

Looking for an external USB CD/DVD burner

Hello all,
I just got my MacBook Air 13" and I'm in need of an external USB CD/DVD burner. I've read on Newegg and Amazon that certain drives require two USB plugs just to get sufficient power. With the MBA, however, this isn't really feasible because the USB ports are on either side of the machine.
We already broke the bank buying this laptop, so we'd like to save money on the DVD burner if possible. Those of you with Airs, let me know which DVD drives you've had success with.
Thanks!!

I'm a big fan of LaCie products so I've had this external CD/DVD drive for a while -
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?id=10340
It's a little on the high end but it's been fantastic in the close to 3 years I've owned it. It only requires a single USB port, mainly due to the fact that it requires A/C power to run.

USB ports could not recognize DVD Burner and WD Portable disk

Hello all,
This is my first question to ask here about X1 Carbon. I hope you could help. I was trying to install a software using the Lenovo slim dvd burner, but the usb ports of the laptop didn't recognize it. Also, I tired to install the software using my portable HDD (Western Digital A08 Elements), but the usb ports of the laptop didn't recognize it as well. I plugged a usb thumb driver into the usb ports; it did recognize it!!! But I really need my dvd burner to be detected. I will appreciate if you could suggest an appropriate solution to my problem.
Thank you
IT-Support-Leb

Hi,
Welcome to Lenovo Community!
I’m sorry to hear that you are facing the issue with USB port not detecting the CD and HDD drive on ThinkPad X1 carbon.
You may refer to the steps from the following Lenovo article and check if it helps.
Please click here to know the complete details on setting up the USB device option.
Hope this helps.
Best regards.
Hemanth Kumar
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Can A DVD Burner Connected By USB 2.0 Install Leopard/SL ?

I am contemplating getting an external DVD drive to relieve the workload on my internal one.
I would also like it to be capable of working with an installation DVD in the event of my computer's DVD burner failing when I wanted to upgrade the OS in the future.
I know that a FireWire connected burner can do this, but can a USB 2.0 also do it?

Ian R. Brown wrote:
I am contemplating getting an external DVD drive to relieve the workload on my internal one.
I would also like it to be capable of working with an installation DVD in the event of my computer's DVD burner failing when I wanted to upgrade the OS in the future.
I know that a FireWire connected burner can do this, but can a USB 2.0 also do it?
yes. a USB external DVD drive will work with any intel mac and let you boot from the SL install disk.

USB dvd burner: Good or No??

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