What Superdrive

I have a Mac mini /2 26/2x2G/320/SD/AP/BT/AUS Model No. A1283 (Early 2009) where the Superdrive will read CD's but not DVD DL 'confirmed by an Apple Genius' when I was having trouble upgrading to Snow Leopard with the DVD supplied by Apple. The solution I am told is to replace the Superdrive with a new unit.
Can anyone tell me what make and model Superdrive I should be looking to replace the existing drive with?
Help is always appreciated.

Pioneer DVR TS08:
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Dvr-ts08-Slimline-Sata-Dvdrw/dp/B00272NHMW
There are others too. I guess any "laptop" drive that is 12.5mm thick, SATA and SLOT-LOADING is likely to fit. You might have to remove the front plastic bezel around the slot (it clips off), and maybe some small metal brackets (they screw off). In the mini neither is needed - it uses a completely "bare" drive inside - but you'll see that when you open it up.

Similar Messages

What Superdrive (external USB) is compatable with Mountain Lion 10.8.3?

What Superdrive (external USB) is compatable with Mountain Lion 10.8.3?
My New install of 10.8.3, will now.... not reconize anything I put in my drive... it spits it back out!
Superdrive does NOT reconize any activity.
It will show my information on/of my drive...but, that is about it...
Is there a patch/fix for this issue with 10.8.3?
If not...why is Apple (seemingly) ignoring this issue? There are so many with the same complaint.
They want $19 to answer this question...why? I just bought the upgrade to 10.8.3 a couple of days ago.
Anyone have any suggestion, beside switching BACK to Microsoft...?
~JOHN~
My "About This Computer" info:
Hardware Overview:
Model Name:    Mac mini
Model Identifier:    Macmini5,1
Processor Name:    Intel Core i5
Processor Speed:    2.3 GHz
Number of Processors:    1
Total Number of Cores:    2
L2 Cache (per Core):    256 KB
L3 Cache:    3 MB
Memory:    4 GB
Boot ROM Version:    MM51.0077.B10
SMC Version (system):    1.76f0
Serial Number (system):    C0*******JD0
Hardware UUID:    ****
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GX30N:
Firmware Revision:    RP09
Interconnect:    USB
Burn Support:    Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache:    1536 KB
Reads DVD:    Yes
CD-Write:    -R, -RW
DVD-Write:    -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies:    CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media:    To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose View > Refresh
System Software Overview
System Version:                    OS X 10.8.3 (12D78)
Kernal Version:                      Darwin 12.3.0
Boot Volume:                         Mac OS X
Boot Mode:                            Normal
Computer Name:                   John's Mac Mini
User Name:                           John Lipscomb (johnlipscomb)
Secure Virtual Memory:         Enabled
Time since boot:                    6:04
<Edited By Host>

Sorry about the serial number...wasn't thinking. Mentally noted.
I would think it to not be too much, to ask for it to be able to read/write to the listed capablities list with the product (superdrive). The different media type...
I insert blank -R DVD, -R CD, ...anything I put in,it spits it out. NOTE: The ONLY thing I've been able to get it to read, is some old CD's that I had some mp3 files on...it would read that OK... but if I try a DVD read or write and write a CD...NOTHING!
This worked fine before upgrading to 10.8.3   was at 10.7.5....
Any help would be much appreciated.
~JOHN~

What superdrive is the best?

My superdrive does not play DVDs or burn CDs/DVDs anymore. I just hear a weird clicking noise then it spits the disc out. (Not the first problem I've had with the Macbooks hardware may I add) I'm guessing its beat. I really want to know peoples opinion on what drive is better:
PANASONIC UJ-867 or HITACHI-LG GSA-S10N?
Any experience, good or bad, shared would be very helpful.
Thanks.

Hi,
I have the same problem...I bought my macbook a month ago and only burnt 2 cds. Yesterday I wanted to burn a dvd which I made using iDVD and all of a sudden my super drive started making clicking noises and did not burn successfully. I called Apple support and they told me take it to the nearest apple service center as the dvd drive which is MATSHITA DVD-R UJ 857E needs to be replaced
I hope the service center puts in a better drive than what I have ...

What Superdrive model is Apple shipping now?

Hey guys, just a quick question.
Is Apple shipping the new LG drive (HL-DT-ST DRVDRW GWA4080MA) in all new MacBook Pros? I'm curious because my MacBook Pro exhibits the rather excessively loud "thumping" sound when a disc is inserted and I've heard that it is just simply a characteristic of this drive.
I've basically already gotten my local Apple store to agree to an exchange, but I'm wondering if it's even worth the trouble if I know for sure I'm going to turn around and get the same type of drive.
Any ideas? Could any new recent MBP owners check and see what they have in their MBP? Thanks!
2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

My MBP C2D that shipped three weeks ago has an LG drive too. It's a French keyboard, but CocoaIdentityCard says it was built three months ago in Shanghai. I also have the loud thumping (2 or 3 "thumps"), but it doesn't seem to have any effect on CDs, DVDs, burning, reading, etc. I read in other forums that it's normal...I say, why fix what ain't broke?
R

SuperDrive media disc(s) .. assist .. update concluded . . .

Concluding post in relation to the earlier postings on this particular subject and thread (now officially closed by apple support) .. and to be found at SuperDrive Media Disc(s) .. Assist ... [http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=759874#759874]
APPLE DVD R DISC MEDIA TRIAL
DVD-R
8x speed
Certified for use with Apple DVD-R drives :: 4.7GB Media
Made in Japan
MAC MINI MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C
Mac mini 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 | 512 MB DDR SDRAM
Tiger OS X 10.4.3
Finder Burn - single folder containing many sub-folders totaling about 800Mbytes and approx. 4000 files.
Burn Speed Options : 4x(faster) : 2x : 1x(more reliable) - actual Finder media disc burn dialogue descriptions
[default selection is 4x(faster) ]
We choose 1x(more reliable) ..
Observations include .. no 8x speed media disc burn available from our little Mac mini Matshita DVD-R UJ-845C burner .. and .. as this is a DVD R .. we have time .. but no going back once burned .. and we want maximum systems compatibility .. you, dear reader, already know the drama we have previously experienced with Finder burns and older Apple iMac DV SE machine DVD drive (media disc burned) read compatibilities.
The total burn was a lengthy delay before the entire routine was completed including automatic verification.
OUTCOME
This disc did not verify correctly and is unreliable. Because this disc is unreliable, discard it and try again using a new, blank disc. (Error code ) 0x80020063
Total disc burned is almost 800Mbytes and about 4000 files.
Verification was not an available option for the burn .. a Finder burn .. meaning verification was apparently automatically included as an unseen 'yes' option at media disc burn execution time.
Examining the resulting Apple DVD R media disc burned .. we discover that things are good .. biggest single files (.dmg's at about 100Mbytes expanding to 350Mbytes - e.g. OS X 10.4.3 update) are able to be copied from the burned Apple DVD R media disc back to the Mac mini hard disk again and verify 100% when opened for installation. Encouraging. Better than anything previously experienced.
iMac DV SE [ DVD MATSHITADVD-ROM SR-8184 ]
Into the Apple iMac ancient (500 MHz PowerPC G3 operating OS X 10.4.3 Tiger | 640MB SDRAM) and we are greeted with goodness .. same accessibility as the originating Mac mini machine .. satisfying.
And yes the 'problem' of multi-session burns is yet to come on the ancient iMac and if the response is any good as now .. it may not be a problem worthy of mention. At 800 Mbytes burn and 4.7 Gbytes capacity .. one could loosely forecast up to another 5 media disc burn sessions before the DVD R is full and complete.
XP MACHINE
And now into the PC machine for an XP looksee and again .. more goodness. Cross compatible files are fully accessible (an entire - own - website burned). Large files copy 100%. Better than before.
Two thumbs up for this disk and burn.
Verification failure remains a current mystery. Anyone ?
It is easy to figure how one may doubt one's media burning hardware is any good by now .. but the gathering volume of supporting entries at the relevant media burning and error message forums reveals that hardware is unlikely to be (entirely) at fault .. rather something else .. say firmware ?
Apple Media DVD R discs are manufactured in Japan (stated on the disc) and the quality difference and price premium are consistent with what others have written of the place of manufacture and the Apple media disc as well. Mostly positive.
Still .. we should like to have access to dependable RW discs from Apple too .. for reliable re-useability.
As for the subject of burn speed ...
Many forum readers are well aware of an ongoing and gradually escalating matter between Apple and this gentleman http://www.crc.id.au/page/2/ .. we have curiously followed the unfolding events to observe the outcome of the burn speed specification variation. As you know .. our Mac mini is rated at maximum DVD media disc burn 4x and fitted with a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C which is a later edition than Mr H's UJ-835 .. however .. we are more curious to observe whether the final outcome will satisfy Mr H or not. Burn speed, primarily, and quality of burn, secondarily, on selected media by Mr H. Once the outcome is known and to Mr H's satisfaction .. then we may enquire about his satisfaction with burn quality at the chosen burn speed(s) by Mr H.
Here is an offline forum communication that we shared with another Mac mini user about disc media burn speed. As you may read .. he is entirely dissatisfied with the Mac mini media burn speed and isn't too keen on using the Apple disc burn media either ...
So...Have you found any dvd-r or +r media that burns reliably on the mini? (non apple media please).
I am completely disgusted with my new mini's pathetic superdrive that I paid way too much for.
I have purchased new & built from new parts several PC's that burn DVD after DVD on a wide variety of media reliably.
No one has even replied to my post
http://www.123macmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2773&start=0&postdays=0&postord er=asc&highlight=
Thanks
.. and at latest check .. no-one has responded to the post .. maybe no-one knows .. outside of Apple HQ .. mind you .. no-one has truly usefully responded to our post either .. we responded thusly ...
Mac Mini SuperDrive .. burn speed .. and burn .. reliability
Sometime I just can't get my head around the subject and have to step back and breathe in real deep .. which makes me kinda dizzy .. and wait until the focus is on the forest before
choosing the tree(s) to climb. This particular tree is getting taller ...
And congratulations on your Apple ownership. Small is beautiful.
Regret your coaster experiences. Frustrating and unfortunate.
What SuperDrive description is fitted in your new mac mini ?
We seem to be staring into a gaping black hole of acknowledgement .. from anyone.
PC users, windows operating system software computers, appear to have an extreme edge .. when it comes to media disc burning. i.e. successful burns.
Re-reading that lengthy post .. which doesn't fully format as intended .. has me fully believing that less is more and small is beautiful (still). Future specific posts will probably follow as a matter of personal self-committment .. to persist until the solutions are fully to hand. For now .. may we refer to your mentioned post in our next planned post please ? Solidarity of negatory outcome experience is credibility.
Three forums have we frequented and participated to learn more about the black hole .. we know as SuperDrive media disc burning .. only you have provided any feedback whatsoever .. post reader numbers grow but answers are missing in action .. absent from class.
http://www.crc.id.au/page/2/
We have thought the SuperDrive matter you have referred to in your post was of no concern to us .. but now you have us thinking again .. although model numbers differ .. (ours is a later numerical reference) the concerns appear to be similar .. or largely about performance .. we shall also refer to this domain in our planned next post. Yes, we are aware of the matter .. from another forum .. but shall now supply the link for others to weigh and hopefully dish out their two cents worth .. where a consensus could mean we are also a part of this particular action. An ideal consensus would be firmware is unsuitable .. requires immediate update .. and in particular the quality of burn is consensually unacceptable .. action could follow.
We have progressed no further with burning experimentations .. and will be using Apple media before progressing with our findings reporting. For now, we are unable to add to your ease of mind .. frankly .. unless the burning media is made in Japan .. we doubt any burn verification success is to be had. And we cannot find any burning media made in Japan in our locale. Where is the Apple media made?
We have come to appreciate the SuperDrive is all about the firmware .. but have no new firmware to apply .. in fact .. our research to date shows that we have been unable to find the Matshita SuperDrive at all online and cannot confirm specifications .. neither could we locate the specifications at www.apple.com.au .. which is just plain odd.
A third look has provided ... from www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html ..
Storage
* One of the following optical drives:
o Slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW): reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed
o Optional SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW): writes DVD-R discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD-RW discs at up to 2x speed, writes DVD+R discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD+RW discs at up to 2.4x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 8x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed
Where were you able to establish your SuperDrive (burning) specifications ?
Writer's note : .. some things change .. and so have the Apple Mac mini SuperDrive burner specs changed .. since recording those detailed above. In fact .. they read like they maybe should have all along .. 8x DVD R media burn speed. DL is a bonus. Can anyone tell us what the drive designation is please ?
CRC says: ".. This limits burn speed to 4x for Mac Minis and 8x for Powerbooks.".
While speed matters .. and it does .. you appear to have exactly the same media disc burning problems that we are experiencing .. failed verification(s) .. and for us .. in short .. complete DVD-R media disc burned rejection from the Apple OS X.
Do we .. in actual fact .. have two separate operating challenges here .. speed of burn and quality of burn .. any burn ? Speed was not our first priority .. quality is .. now we figure that at any speed the burn quality is anywhere from dubious to coaster.
CRC says: ".. The UJ-835 that Apple use is firmware limited to suit various bits of hardware that they want to put together. The burner in the Mac Mini is the exact same model as the one in the PowerBooks. Apple load a 4x firmware on the Mac Mini, and an 8x firmware on the PowerBook drives.
My bet is that this is for marketting reasons only. ".
One of the contributors to http://www.crc.id.au/?p=21 . . says . .
# Moneky Boy Says:
August 14th, 2005 at 1:03 am
My parents have a mini and my has one of the PowerBooks. Confirmed the drives are Matsushita UJ-835. They have never had an issue burning DVDs. Confirmed it by burning DVDs last night on the wife’s 12″ PowerBook.
As far as updating the Firmware in your optical drives, no, you do not have to remove them from the machines to update their firmware. I’ve updated the firmware on my optical drives (for Region Free and/or speed gains) via the GUI in Mac OS X. One application that will do this is called DVRFlashX I believe. The key is then finding the firmware, which is platform agnostic.
BTW, removing the drive wouldn’t void the warranty on your Mac but messing with the firmware certainly will void the warranty on the drive.
Our primary concern remains SuperDrive media disc burn quality .. while you do appear to share the same concern as well as speed performance. Mr Haigh's only concern appears to be speed .. and here we may have missed any opportunity .. since the MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C
SuperDrive is a later designation and the speed performance specifications showing on the apple web-site are likely consistent with current performance capabilities of that SuperDrive and later .. including yours ?
Mr H may have indeed received marketing materials that promised 8x while actually receiving a 4x SuperDrive .. which only performs at 2x unless exceptional media disc(s) .. so he does have a legitimate claim concerning performance. Do we ?
What has us fully curious is whether he can burn quality media disc(s) with his new SuperDrive ..
(Update 24/12/2005 07:10pm (+11 GMT)
Well, it seems that Apple have decided to replace my hardware. I've started the proceedings yesterday and will hopefully get some news in the new year as to what they are going to replace. At the moment, I'm looking to send in the 12" Powerbook for a replacement, then see what changes in the mac mini side of things. I'm not going to accept the same DVD drive - as we all know the problems with the UJ-835. Stay tuned for more details as they come to hand.) .. http://superdrive.crc.id.au/
.. which would likely be the same as yours .. now that should prove an interesting outcome .. which he seems likely to voluntarily report and will be the essence of any enquiries from us in the near foreseeable future assuming Mr Haigh is forthcoming in his SuperDrive computing developments.
Mr Haigh may have begun to scratch the surface (so to speak) .. and find the more serious problem is that no matter how fast or slow the SuperDrive .. reliable media disc burns are a fantasy !
As yet no update .. almost three months .. could the delay by Apple could have something to do with the model identification of any replacement DVD burner .. if they use an UJ-845 .. then all **** could break loose as Apple users realise (such as we) they do have the same DVD burner and (in a Mac mini) are limited to 4x maximum speed DVD media disc burning performance .. so another designation may be required .. one that already delivers 8x DVD burns .. bit of a mess really .. and the latest Mac mini SuperDrive sports 8x DVD R media burn speed.
We are curious about you too, dear reader .. are you satisfied with your non Apple disc media burn quality ? We are able to openly admit that we are dissatisfied with our non Apple disc media burn output quality.
We are currently satisfied with the Apple DV R disc media burn quality. However at a price of premium dollars and an unexplained media burn verification failure message.
Burn speed, we nonchalantly confess, is not our greatest concern, and, for now, falls to a lower priority of importance with us.
For now the matter is at rest with us.
How about you ?
Yours Sincerely
Stuart
PS. .. helping to explain the confusions surrounding the Mac mini SuperDrive is this extracted from ..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_mini
October 2005–February 2006
Multiple reports exist that the Mac mini was quietly upgraded in October 2005 to 64 MiB VRAM, and either a 1.33 GHz (up from 1.25 GHz) or 1.5 GHz G4 (up from 1.42 GHz) processor, with 512 MiB of PC3200 RAM while underclocking it to PC2700. The 80 GB drive is currently a Seagate Momentus 5400.2 ST9808211A, which runs at 5400 RPM with an 8 MiB cache. The SuperDrive is a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845, which supports +R DL burning, and may also have unofficial support for DVD-RAM. Apple did not revise the official specifications on their web site. This may be to avoid issues with discounting or discontinuing of old stock.
Well .. whatever .. we use a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C SuperDrive .. wouldn't that mean we have +R DL feature too ? .. probably not judging by the following explanations .. sort of .. and yes you could grab the mac_min.pdf service manual and do your own upgrading and overclocking as it pleases you .. try google for more info.
PPS. .. http://www.macintouch.com/macmini11.html
Mac Mini Part 11
January 9, 2006
Stealth Upgrade
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
I recently received the SuperDrive Mac Mini that I ordered from Amazon the day after Christmas. To my delight, my Mini contains a 1.5 GHz PPC and 64MB of video RAM.
The SuperDrive is listed as a Panasonic UJ-845. According to Panasonic's web site this drive is supposed to allow DVD-RAM writing (and I assume reading). Has anyone attempted to use DVD-RAM discs with this drive under 10.4.3?
Xxxxxx Xxxx
I also have a new SuperDrive mini with the same specs, and note that the UJ-845 drive doesn't include DVD-RAM capability, though as Gordon notes the OEM Panasonic drive does. However, Panasonic's spec page is for the UJ-845-B drive, and I expect that the one in the mini is instead a special version of the UJ-845 that Panasonic made for Apple with DVD-RAM disabled. For some reason Apple doesn't seem to want to support DVD-RAM, which is a pity. I believe the drive will work with DVD-RAM discs, but treat them like DVD-RW, requiring complete erasure every time they're used, rather than allowing addition and subtraction of individual files, which is what makes DVD-RAM a great backup/exchange medium, especially for travelers.
My new PowerBook came with an Apple-labeled Panasonic UJ-825-C drive, which System Profiler saw as simply "UJ-825" and which didn't include DVD-RAM although Panasonic's specs showed it; I replaced it with an 825-B I got on eBay, which System Profiler sees as "845-S" and which now does DVD-RAM even without Patchburn. Note that the 825 is two generations earlier than the current 845/846 drive (whose new feature is DL burning); DVD-RAM has been available for a long time, but Apple has been using special versions of the drives without it.
How to exactly determine the capabilities of your drive: Insert a disc (any type, CD or DVD, but not a blank recordable disc that has to be formatted), open Disk Utility, and on the left side select the drive (not the disc in the drive), then look in the lower right side of the window where it says "Capabilities". You may have to widen the window to see the whole list, as it doesn't wrap for some reason. If it says "DVD-RAM" in the list, the drive should do DVD-RAM discs as they are meant to be used: like a 4GB floppy disk, they must be formatted once, then can be used as "random access media" (RAM). Doesn't matter what kind of disc you put in the drive; any type will make the drive appear in Disk Utility, which will then show its capabilities.
FOLLOWUP: I opened up the Mac Mini, and found the SuperDrive is an Apple label "UJ-845C", presumably a special version of the 845 with DVD-RAM disabled, unlike the UJ-845-B spec'd at the Panasonic site.
[MacInTouch]
We just received a middle-model Mac Mini - 80GB/512MB/AirPort+Bluetooth/Tiger - ordered from Amazon (currently $519.99 after rebate) and were pleased to find that it is one of Apple's "stealth" upgrades, where the label belies the actual specifications. Apple shows it as a 1.42GHz model, but it's actually running at 1.5 GHz, according to System Profiler.
It has a Seagate ST9808211A hard drive, which is a 5400-RPM model (better than the dog-slow 4200-RPM drives Apple started shipping sometime after the original Mini models debuted).
The optical drive is a Matsushita CW-8124, a Combo drive with 24X CD writing and reading and the ability to read DVD-R and DVD-RW, as well as DVD-ROM, at 8x.
System Profiler shows 64 MB of video RAM - double Apple's specified amount - for the "ATY,RV280" graphics card (ATI Radeon 9200) on an AGP bus, supporting display rotation and Quartz Extreme but not Core Image.
(For what it's worth, we found that we could not connect a Dell 1704FPT to the digital video port while an analog video cable was connected; after removing the analog cable, the Dell works beautifully with the Mini's DVI video. The Dell display also worked fine with analog video via the adapter included with the Mini.)
We also tried a WiebeTech Maxelerate hard drive enclosure but found it unpleasantly noisy, even in a special reduced-RPM version the company offers customers who raise the issue. By contrast, the miniStack we previously reviewed is virtually silent with the same hard drive inside.
Xxx Xxxxxxx
While this isn't the first time I've seen this type of 'error' from Apple, or other firms, this particular incident seems to have gone beyond the typical example, and I'm beginning to wonder if it is more than just an overlap in an otherwise complicated process.
I've done my share of OEM documentation, including manuals, labels and cartons. I know how hard it is to maintain reality in this regard. But in this case, it seems to me that the mismatch between the inside and the outside of the package has gone beyond the norm, and I'm wondering if someone along the line has simply decided to live with it, rather than deal with it up front. I can see this saving money...changes cost more than just the ink - it takes time and planning to overcome a spec change and cover all the bases.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone in a position to decide hasn't simply elected to run out the materials without implementing changes. After all, the customer gets more than they expect, which can be favorable publicity, and we all know the saying "any publicity is good, and good publicity is even better".
On the other hand, it can be a minefield to fess up. Once word gets out, customers start hand-picking the good from the better, taking the higraded units and leaving the rest as floatsom. Or they buy the downgrade for less, then return it shortly thereafter, demanding the up while refusing to pay more.
Let's just hope the sun keeps shining on this particular parade, and no one decides to claim fraud. All it would take is one competitor with a surplus of over-eager attorneys, and Apple would be forced to apologize for over-stuffing the golden goose.

Concluding post in relation to the earlier postings on this particular subject and thread (now officially closed by apple support) .. and to be found at SuperDrive Media Disc(s) .. Assist ... [http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=759874#759874]
APPLE DVD R DISC MEDIA TRIAL
DVD-R
8x speed
Certified for use with Apple DVD-R drives :: 4.7GB Media
Made in Japan
MAC MINI MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C
Mac mini 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 | 512 MB DDR SDRAM
Tiger OS X 10.4.3
Finder Burn - single folder containing many sub-folders totaling about 800Mbytes and approx. 4000 files.
Burn Speed Options : 4x(faster) : 2x : 1x(more reliable) - actual Finder media disc burn dialogue descriptions
[default selection is 4x(faster) ]
We choose 1x(more reliable) ..
Observations include .. no 8x speed media disc burn available from our little Mac mini Matshita DVD-R UJ-845C burner .. and .. as this is a DVD R .. we have time .. but no going back once burned .. and we want maximum systems compatibility .. you, dear reader, already know the drama we have previously experienced with Finder burns and older Apple iMac DV SE machine DVD drive (media disc burned) read compatibilities.
The total burn was a lengthy delay before the entire routine was completed including automatic verification.
OUTCOME
This disc did not verify correctly and is unreliable. Because this disc is unreliable, discard it and try again using a new, blank disc. (Error code ) 0x80020063
Total disc burned is almost 800Mbytes and about 4000 files.
Verification was not an available option for the burn .. a Finder burn .. meaning verification was apparently automatically included as an unseen 'yes' option at media disc burn execution time.
Examining the resulting Apple DVD R media disc burned .. we discover that things are good .. biggest single files (.dmg's at about 100Mbytes expanding to 350Mbytes - e.g. OS X 10.4.3 update) are able to be copied from the burned Apple DVD R media disc back to the Mac mini hard disk again and verify 100% when opened for installation. Encouraging. Better than anything previously experienced.
iMac DV SE [ DVD MATSHITADVD-ROM SR-8184 ]
Into the Apple iMac ancient (500 MHz PowerPC G3 operating OS X 10.4.3 Tiger | 640MB SDRAM) and we are greeted with goodness .. same accessibility as the originating Mac mini machine .. satisfying.
And yes the 'problem' of multi-session burns is yet to come on the ancient iMac and if the response is any good as now .. it may not be a problem worthy of mention. At 800 Mbytes burn and 4.7 Gbytes capacity .. one could loosely forecast up to another 5 media disc burn sessions before the DVD R is full and complete.
XP MACHINE
And now into the PC machine for an XP looksee and again .. more goodness. Cross compatible files are fully accessible (an entire - own - website burned). Large files copy 100%. Better than before.
Two thumbs up for this disk and burn.
Verification failure remains a current mystery. Anyone ?
It is easy to figure how one may doubt one's media burning hardware is any good by now .. but the gathering volume of supporting entries at the relevant media burning and error message forums reveals that hardware is unlikely to be (entirely) at fault .. rather something else .. say firmware ?
Apple Media DVD R discs are manufactured in Japan (stated on the disc) and the quality difference and price premium are consistent with what others have written of the place of manufacture and the Apple media disc as well. Mostly positive.
Still .. we should like to have access to dependable RW discs from Apple too .. for reliable re-useability.
As for the subject of burn speed ...
Many forum readers are well aware of an ongoing and gradually escalating matter between Apple and this gentleman http://www.crc.id.au/page/2/ .. we have curiously followed the unfolding events to observe the outcome of the burn speed specification variation. As you know .. our Mac mini is rated at maximum DVD media disc burn 4x and fitted with a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C which is a later edition than Mr H's UJ-835 .. however .. we are more curious to observe whether the final outcome will satisfy Mr H or not. Burn speed, primarily, and quality of burn, secondarily, on selected media by Mr H. Once the outcome is known and to Mr H's satisfaction .. then we may enquire about his satisfaction with burn quality at the chosen burn speed(s) by Mr H.
Here is an offline forum communication that we shared with another Mac mini user about disc media burn speed. As you may read .. he is entirely dissatisfied with the Mac mini media burn speed and isn't too keen on using the Apple disc burn media either ...
So...Have you found any dvd-r or +r media that burns reliably on the mini? (non apple media please).
I am completely disgusted with my new mini's pathetic superdrive that I paid way too much for.
I have purchased new & built from new parts several PC's that burn DVD after DVD on a wide variety of media reliably.
No one has even replied to my post
http://www.123macmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2773&start=0&postdays=0&postord er=asc&highlight=
Thanks
.. and at latest check .. no-one has responded to the post .. maybe no-one knows .. outside of Apple HQ .. mind you .. no-one has truly usefully responded to our post either .. we responded thusly ...
Mac Mini SuperDrive .. burn speed .. and burn .. reliability
Sometime I just can't get my head around the subject and have to step back and breathe in real deep .. which makes me kinda dizzy .. and wait until the focus is on the forest before
choosing the tree(s) to climb. This particular tree is getting taller ...
And congratulations on your Apple ownership. Small is beautiful.
Regret your coaster experiences. Frustrating and unfortunate.
What SuperDrive description is fitted in your new mac mini ?
We seem to be staring into a gaping black hole of acknowledgement .. from anyone.
PC users, windows operating system software computers, appear to have an extreme edge .. when it comes to media disc burning. i.e. successful burns.
Re-reading that lengthy post .. which doesn't fully format as intended .. has me fully believing that less is more and small is beautiful (still). Future specific posts will probably follow as a matter of personal self-committment .. to persist until the solutions are fully to hand. For now .. may we refer to your mentioned post in our next planned post please ? Solidarity of negatory outcome experience is credibility.
Three forums have we frequented and participated to learn more about the black hole .. we know as SuperDrive media disc burning .. only you have provided any feedback whatsoever .. post reader numbers grow but answers are missing in action .. absent from class.
http://www.crc.id.au/page/2/
We have thought the SuperDrive matter you have referred to in your post was of no concern to us .. but now you have us thinking again .. although model numbers differ .. (ours is a later numerical reference) the concerns appear to be similar .. or largely about performance .. we shall also refer to this domain in our planned next post. Yes, we are aware of the matter .. from another forum .. but shall now supply the link for others to weigh and hopefully dish out their two cents worth .. where a consensus could mean we are also a part of this particular action. An ideal consensus would be firmware is unsuitable .. requires immediate update .. and in particular the quality of burn is consensually unacceptable .. action could follow.
We have progressed no further with burning experimentations .. and will be using Apple media before progressing with our findings reporting. For now, we are unable to add to your ease of mind .. frankly .. unless the burning media is made in Japan .. we doubt any burn verification success is to be had. And we cannot find any burning media made in Japan in our locale. Where is the Apple media made?
We have come to appreciate the SuperDrive is all about the firmware .. but have no new firmware to apply .. in fact .. our research to date shows that we have been unable to find the Matshita SuperDrive at all online and cannot confirm specifications .. neither could we locate the specifications at www.apple.com.au .. which is just plain odd.
A third look has provided ... from www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html ..
Storage
* One of the following optical drives:
o Slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW): reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed
o Optional SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW): writes DVD-R discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD-RW discs at up to 2x speed, writes DVD+R discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD+RW discs at up to 2.4x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 8x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed
Where were you able to establish your SuperDrive (burning) specifications ?
Writer's note : .. some things change .. and so have the Apple Mac mini SuperDrive burner specs changed .. since recording those detailed above. In fact .. they read like they maybe should have all along .. 8x DVD R media burn speed. DL is a bonus. Can anyone tell us what the drive designation is please ?
CRC says: ".. This limits burn speed to 4x for Mac Minis and 8x for Powerbooks.".
While speed matters .. and it does .. you appear to have exactly the same media disc burning problems that we are experiencing .. failed verification(s) .. and for us .. in short .. complete DVD-R media disc burned rejection from the Apple OS X.
Do we .. in actual fact .. have two separate operating challenges here .. speed of burn and quality of burn .. any burn ? Speed was not our first priority .. quality is .. now we figure that at any speed the burn quality is anywhere from dubious to coaster.
CRC says: ".. The UJ-835 that Apple use is firmware limited to suit various bits of hardware that they want to put together. The burner in the Mac Mini is the exact same model as the one in the PowerBooks. Apple load a 4x firmware on the Mac Mini, and an 8x firmware on the PowerBook drives.
My bet is that this is for marketting reasons only. ".
One of the contributors to http://www.crc.id.au/?p=21 . . says . .
# Moneky Boy Says:
August 14th, 2005 at 1:03 am
My parents have a mini and my has one of the PowerBooks. Confirmed the drives are Matsushita UJ-835. They have never had an issue burning DVDs. Confirmed it by burning DVDs last night on the wife’s 12″ PowerBook.
As far as updating the Firmware in your optical drives, no, you do not have to remove them from the machines to update their firmware. I’ve updated the firmware on my optical drives (for Region Free and/or speed gains) via the GUI in Mac OS X. One application that will do this is called DVRFlashX I believe. The key is then finding the firmware, which is platform agnostic.
BTW, removing the drive wouldn’t void the warranty on your Mac but messing with the firmware certainly will void the warranty on the drive.
Our primary concern remains SuperDrive media disc burn quality .. while you do appear to share the same concern as well as speed performance. Mr Haigh's only concern appears to be speed .. and here we may have missed any opportunity .. since the MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C
SuperDrive is a later designation and the speed performance specifications showing on the apple web-site are likely consistent with current performance capabilities of that SuperDrive and later .. including yours ?
Mr H may have indeed received marketing materials that promised 8x while actually receiving a 4x SuperDrive .. which only performs at 2x unless exceptional media disc(s) .. so he does have a legitimate claim concerning performance. Do we ?
What has us fully curious is whether he can burn quality media disc(s) with his new SuperDrive ..
(Update 24/12/2005 07:10pm (+11 GMT)
Well, it seems that Apple have decided to replace my hardware. I've started the proceedings yesterday and will hopefully get some news in the new year as to what they are going to replace. At the moment, I'm looking to send in the 12" Powerbook for a replacement, then see what changes in the mac mini side of things. I'm not going to accept the same DVD drive - as we all know the problems with the UJ-835. Stay tuned for more details as they come to hand.) .. http://superdrive.crc.id.au/
.. which would likely be the same as yours .. now that should prove an interesting outcome .. which he seems likely to voluntarily report and will be the essence of any enquiries from us in the near foreseeable future assuming Mr Haigh is forthcoming in his SuperDrive computing developments.
Mr Haigh may have begun to scratch the surface (so to speak) .. and find the more serious problem is that no matter how fast or slow the SuperDrive .. reliable media disc burns are a fantasy !
As yet no update .. almost three months .. could the delay by Apple could have something to do with the model identification of any replacement DVD burner .. if they use an UJ-845 .. then all **** could break loose as Apple users realise (such as we) they do have the same DVD burner and (in a Mac mini) are limited to 4x maximum speed DVD media disc burning performance .. so another designation may be required .. one that already delivers 8x DVD burns .. bit of a mess really .. and the latest Mac mini SuperDrive sports 8x DVD R media burn speed.
We are curious about you too, dear reader .. are you satisfied with your non Apple disc media burn quality ? We are able to openly admit that we are dissatisfied with our non Apple disc media burn output quality.
We are currently satisfied with the Apple DV R disc media burn quality. However at a price of premium dollars and an unexplained media burn verification failure message.
Burn speed, we nonchalantly confess, is not our greatest concern, and, for now, falls to a lower priority of importance with us.
For now the matter is at rest with us.
How about you ?
Yours Sincerely
Stuart
PS. .. helping to explain the confusions surrounding the Mac mini SuperDrive is this extracted from ..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_mini
October 2005–February 2006
Multiple reports exist that the Mac mini was quietly upgraded in October 2005 to 64 MiB VRAM, and either a 1.33 GHz (up from 1.25 GHz) or 1.5 GHz G4 (up from 1.42 GHz) processor, with 512 MiB of PC3200 RAM while underclocking it to PC2700. The 80 GB drive is currently a Seagate Momentus 5400.2 ST9808211A, which runs at 5400 RPM with an 8 MiB cache. The SuperDrive is a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845, which supports +R DL burning, and may also have unofficial support for DVD-RAM. Apple did not revise the official specifications on their web site. This may be to avoid issues with discounting or discontinuing of old stock.
Well .. whatever .. we use a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845C SuperDrive .. wouldn't that mean we have +R DL feature too ? .. probably not judging by the following explanations .. sort of .. and yes you could grab the mac_min.pdf service manual and do your own upgrading and overclocking as it pleases you .. try google for more info.
PPS. .. http://www.macintouch.com/macmini11.html
Mac Mini Part 11
January 9, 2006
Stealth Upgrade
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
I recently received the SuperDrive Mac Mini that I ordered from Amazon the day after Christmas. To my delight, my Mini contains a 1.5 GHz PPC and 64MB of video RAM.
The SuperDrive is listed as a Panasonic UJ-845. According to Panasonic's web site this drive is supposed to allow DVD-RAM writing (and I assume reading). Has anyone attempted to use DVD-RAM discs with this drive under 10.4.3?
Xxxxxx Xxxx
I also have a new SuperDrive mini with the same specs, and note that the UJ-845 drive doesn't include DVD-RAM capability, though as Gordon notes the OEM Panasonic drive does. However, Panasonic's spec page is for the UJ-845-B drive, and I expect that the one in the mini is instead a special version of the UJ-845 that Panasonic made for Apple with DVD-RAM disabled. For some reason Apple doesn't seem to want to support DVD-RAM, which is a pity. I believe the drive will work with DVD-RAM discs, but treat them like DVD-RW, requiring complete erasure every time they're used, rather than allowing addition and subtraction of individual files, which is what makes DVD-RAM a great backup/exchange medium, especially for travelers.
My new PowerBook came with an Apple-labeled Panasonic UJ-825-C drive, which System Profiler saw as simply "UJ-825" and which didn't include DVD-RAM although Panasonic's specs showed it; I replaced it with an 825-B I got on eBay, which System Profiler sees as "845-S" and which now does DVD-RAM even without Patchburn. Note that the 825 is two generations earlier than the current 845/846 drive (whose new feature is DL burning); DVD-RAM has been available for a long time, but Apple has been using special versions of the drives without it.
How to exactly determine the capabilities of your drive: Insert a disc (any type, CD or DVD, but not a blank recordable disc that has to be formatted), open Disk Utility, and on the left side select the drive (not the disc in the drive), then look in the lower right side of the window where it says "Capabilities". You may have to widen the window to see the whole list, as it doesn't wrap for some reason. If it says "DVD-RAM" in the list, the drive should do DVD-RAM discs as they are meant to be used: like a 4GB floppy disk, they must be formatted once, then can be used as "random access media" (RAM). Doesn't matter what kind of disc you put in the drive; any type will make the drive appear in Disk Utility, which will then show its capabilities.
FOLLOWUP: I opened up the Mac Mini, and found the SuperDrive is an Apple label "UJ-845C", presumably a special version of the 845 with DVD-RAM disabled, unlike the UJ-845-B spec'd at the Panasonic site.
[MacInTouch]
We just received a middle-model Mac Mini - 80GB/512MB/AirPort+Bluetooth/Tiger - ordered from Amazon (currently $519.99 after rebate) and were pleased to find that it is one of Apple's "stealth" upgrades, where the label belies the actual specifications. Apple shows it as a 1.42GHz model, but it's actually running at 1.5 GHz, according to System Profiler.
It has a Seagate ST9808211A hard drive, which is a 5400-RPM model (better than the dog-slow 4200-RPM drives Apple started shipping sometime after the original Mini models debuted).
The optical drive is a Matsushita CW-8124, a Combo drive with 24X CD writing and reading and the ability to read DVD-R and DVD-RW, as well as DVD-ROM, at 8x.
System Profiler shows 64 MB of video RAM - double Apple's specified amount - for the "ATY,RV280" graphics card (ATI Radeon 9200) on an AGP bus, supporting display rotation and Quartz Extreme but not Core Image.
(For what it's worth, we found that we could not connect a Dell 1704FPT to the digital video port while an analog video cable was connected; after removing the analog cable, the Dell works beautifully with the Mini's DVI video. The Dell display also worked fine with analog video via the adapter included with the Mini.)
We also tried a WiebeTech Maxelerate hard drive enclosure but found it unpleasantly noisy, even in a special reduced-RPM version the company offers customers who raise the issue. By contrast, the miniStack we previously reviewed is virtually silent with the same hard drive inside.
Xxx Xxxxxxx
While this isn't the first time I've seen this type of 'error' from Apple, or other firms, this particular incident seems to have gone beyond the typical example, and I'm beginning to wonder if it is more than just an overlap in an otherwise complicated process.
I've done my share of OEM documentation, including manuals, labels and cartons. I know how hard it is to maintain reality in this regard. But in this case, it seems to me that the mismatch between the inside and the outside of the package has gone beyond the norm, and I'm wondering if someone along the line has simply decided to live with it, rather than deal with it up front. I can see this saving money...changes cost more than just the ink - it takes time and planning to overcome a spec change and cover all the bases.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone in a position to decide hasn't simply elected to run out the materials without implementing changes. After all, the customer gets more than they expect, which can be favorable publicity, and we all know the saying "any publicity is good, and good publicity is even better".
On the other hand, it can be a minefield to fess up. Once word gets out, customers start hand-picking the good from the better, taking the higraded units and leaving the rest as floatsom. Or they buy the downgrade for less, then return it shortly thereafter, demanding the up while refusing to pay more.
Let's just hope the sun keeps shining on this particular parade, and no one decides to claim fraud. All it would take is one competitor with a surplus of over-eager attorneys, and Apple would be forced to apologize for over-stuffing the golden goose.

Failed superdrive (Pioneer K06), hard to find a replacement

This 1.5 year drive failed to eject my DVD tonight, it tries but something is mechanically binding. It's been making noise for a while. I've looked online for the same model without luck. Only place is OWC with an off brand pretty much in the whole world apparently. I'd like to keep the internal drive working, I've used 2 different external drives at times but the internal has just worked better.
Anybody else replaced this drive and where'd you get the part?

There are probably a dozen superdrive models that will physically fit (you can find them on eBay), but there's really no way to know if the firmware will be compatible with the drivers installed in the OS. I tried two different drives made for MacBook laptops, and although they installed easily in the Mini neither one worked. I finally went with OWC, which does seem to be the only reliable source. (OWC has good products, and good support.)
I've read that re-installing the OS will sometimes solve this problem; supposedly the installer checks to see what superdrive is present and installs the corrrect driver. You'd need a bootable external DVD drive to try it.

What optical drive does the G5 iSight use?

My question relates to the G5 iSight model. A friend has given me his to fix since the original drive no longer reads.
What kind of drive can I use? A standard laptop slot loading drive or does it have to be an apple certified Superdrive?
Thanks for your help on this.

If you go to the Apple logo and click About this Mac, then on More Info, then in under Hardware, click on Disk Burning, and it will show what Superdrive was installed - probably the Matshita DVD-R UJ-846.
They are not the most 'sturdy' of items, alledgedly because thay were originally designed for a Macbook (horizontal operation, whereas in the iMac they are asked to work in the vertical position).
Mine failed a few months ago, in as much as it would do everything except burn DVDs. For that I now use an external Samsung Super Writemaster DVD writer that cost the reasonable amount of £27 from Amazon! Works a treat. I saw no good reason to pay up to £200 for a more sophisticated make and model!
Getting an internal Superdrive replaced by an Apple Centre or authorised dealer would cost a lot more.
Your call!

IMac shuts off when printing

My iMac will completely shut off (quickly, like someone pulled the power cord) when I try to print a document. Once I reboot and try to print the document again, it works just fine. This happened when trying to print from Mail and Safari. Any ideas?
Thanks

I'm having the same problems
What OS are you using?
What computer specs?
What program?
What Superdrive have you got?
Thanks

What model superdrive is best for macbook pro A1260

My macbook pro has a busted DVDRW - it was a replacement for a previously busted drive - so I don't know how correct it is for my machine.
2.4 Gig A1260 - with the old square battery, running OSX 10.6.8.
Oh - and what HDD - that's really noisy now...and the NVIDA 8600M GT runs real hot...
Your help is greatly appreciated.

Hi Melophage,
Thanks for your helpful reply
I bought a new MacBook 13.3 / MacBook Pro 15-inch Superdrive 9.5mm 8x
Part No. : 661-4279
For hard drives, I have a choice of:
1)   W. Digital Scorpio Blue SATA 3GB/s   5,400rpm   8MB   2.5" 500GB
2)   W. Digital WD7500PPVX SATA111   5,400rpm   8MB   2.5"   6GB/s   750MB
3)   W. Digital Black 9.5mm   7200rpm   16MB   SATA   6gb/s
Will any, or all of these be installed and function easily in my A1260 Macbook Pro?
Again, thank you for your help,
Tim (fridgemagnett)

New iMac 27" and just plugged in a Apple USB superdrive and get message, "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled." I am trying to load Office mac2011 what to do?

I have a new iMac 27" and just plugged in a Apple USB superdrive and get message, "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled." I am trying to load Office mac2011 what to do?

If you just bought the iMac and the Sjuperdrive take the superdrive back and get a refund. The by any other brand external DVD drive that connects by USB and try that. Most come with a Y USB cable to allow you to connect to 2 USB ports to supply enogh power to the drive IF Needed.
Or take both back and get a refund on both, you have 14 days to return it no questions asked, and buy another iMac and some other brand external DVD drive.

I am try to burn a dvd from iPhoto in iDVD, when I click burn I get error message I don't have SuperDrive and dvd is ejected. I have burned dvd's before. What am I doing wrong?

I am try to burn a iPhoto slideshow on to a dvd in iDVD, when I click burn I get error message and dvd is ejected. I have burned dvd's before. What am I doing wrong?

error message I don't have SuperDrive and dvd is ejected
If you don't have a SuperDrive you will not be able to burn DVDs.
Did iDVD come preinstalled on your Mac? If it did then you should have a SuperDrive and be able to burn DVDS. Check the Disk Burning section of System Information
to see what you can read and write with your optical drive:
OT

What do I need to burn a dvd if my mac says it doesnt support SuperDrive

I have a Mac OS X. When i open iDvd it says:
Your Machintosh does not have a supported SuperDrive. Please note that while you will be able to work with iDvd projects you will not be able to burn a DVD disc.
I checked under About this Mac and under CD-Write it only says -R, -RW
I made a movie on iMovie and therefore the only way to get it on a dvd would be through iDVD...right?
So what do I do now? Do I have to buy something? How much will it cost?
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Welcome Prisiclaz
If your mac doesn't have an internal burner you can still use an external S-Drive/burner (via firewire) and it should work fine. Lacie makes ext. fw S-Drives for macs or you can make your own like I did with a pioneer 110 or 111 and a standard FW 400/800 enclosure:
Click Here

What is the correct part number for the LCD inverter board for an A1138 15" powerBook G4 ( 1.67GHz superdrive/ Hi-res)?

What is the correct part number for the LCD inverter board for an A1138 15" PowerBook G4 ( 1.67GHz superdrive/ Hi-res model)?

Hello,
Part number 614-0305-A
Hope this helps.

Help, I have an imac 11.1 with an optical dvd burner. It has died. What external dvd burner willl work? I tried the apple superdrive but it was not recognized.

I have an imac 11.1 running 10.6.8. The internal optical drive has stopped working. I ordered an apple superdrive and it did not reconize it. What external drive can I hook up?

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
The Apple USB SuperDrive is only compatible with Macs without built-in SuperDrive (Mac mini, MacBook Air, the Late 2012 iMac and the MacBook Pro with Retina display). However, you can make it to work on your Mac > http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/02/use-the-macbook-air-superdrive-with-any-almost-ma c/
Any external optical drive will work with your computer

Superdrive on IMAC - what is it???

What is the 'Superdrive' on my IMAC that takes up 650Gb of space??? also it's greyed out.

The Superdrive is the DVD/CD drive.
I am wondering, however, if you are actually looking at the Recovery HD partition of your hard drive. The Recovery partition is 650MB and you cannot touch it; it is reserved for Lion/Mountain Lion recovery if or when system recovery is necessary.

What Superdrive

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