PowerMac G5 does not read recently burned DVDs

Add me to the list -- odd too. It used to work fine, now very iffy. Doeesn't want to burn anything, neither CDs nor DVDs, and recognizing previously burned DVDs doesn't happen at all, CDs? Sometimes. Commercially purchased DVDs, sometimes, sometimes not. I have the Pioneer DVD-RW 1060D; still can't figure out whether it's a hardware/firmware problem, or a software problem, insofar as things seemed to go wrong when I upgraded to 10.4.10 (pure surmise, no real proof that that's the case).

I'm really surprised this is such a common problem and Apple has done nothing -- I've never been too impressed with their support, but this is pretty fundamental.

Well, unfortunately you are experiencing a different problem then the original post of this thread. I'm not sure if the original poster is still experiencing the problem or not, or has just decided to buy a new burner. The problem that was experienced here was that the G5 would actually burn CDs and DVDs, but would not read the same burned DVDs back on the same machine. And the G5 seemed to always play back commercial DVDs and CDs. Sounds like you have a full drive failure. Although, there could be an issue with the update. However, I have the same update and I can still burn CDs and DVDs, I just cannot read that same DVD after it's been ejected.

Can you reboot your machine with the original software install DVD or a TechTool disk (if you have one)?

Stephen,

I burned some DVD with a friend's PC XP... and my Mac can only read DVD- it don't recognize DVD+

Same problem, Pioneer DVR-106D, firmware A606, born November 2003. For more than three years, the ability to read DVDs I burned on the G5 has been spotty and I've just learned to live with it. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. The DVDs always read in my G4 powerbook. The problem seems to have gotten worse when I upgraded to 10.4. Now none of the 12 DVDs I burned will read in the G5. I use the Verbatim that Apple recommends. I guess I'll just go spring for a 112D.

Have you ever had success burning DVD+R and now they won't? And have you ever had it successfully read a DVD+R? I'm not sure about your model of burner, but I know that a few of the superdrives were not designed to read or burn DVD+R. You'll have to check the specifics of the model.

This is just the sort of thing that I am hoping that Apple will eventually respond to. Same drive, same firmware, and same problem. Yes, all these drives definitely will not read back the DVDs it writes, and I think, as with others we have just lived with it. You are experiencing the same problem, and this seems consistent with others with the same drive. Hopefully the more people who we get to show the same problem will get someone's attention. Thanks

I'm having a similar issue. I replaced my drive in my G5 about a year ago after it had the same exact problems as Digital Max described and now I'm having the same issue again but this time it won't read any burnt DVDs or any video DVDs. It can load data DVDs without an issue though...

Do you think it's the drive again or something else?

My G5 has the same problem with the DVD burned in DVD Studio Pro and then refuses to mount. If it won't mount, I can't copy it (these are client projects that need duplication). How is this problem remedied? It's a recent problem for this G5.

Has anyone updated the firmware on the drive?

SMurphy

When you replaced the drive do you replace it with the same drive type (Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-106D)? And did Apple replace the drive, or did you buy a new drive and do the work yourself?

It doesn't really sound like the same issue, because the issue that was initially described allowed for commercial DVDs or CDs to read, but would not allow DVDs burned on the G5 to be played back on the same machine. You say your drive can read data DVDs, is that data DVDs burned on another mac?

You may have already tried this, but what happen when you try to burn a DVD from the finder with just data? I'd be interested if it works from there and is just a DVDSP problem. If it does works, then try a build from DVDSP and attempt to burn the build folder to a DVD from the finder to see if that works.

If you are still able to burn but not read the DVD back, find out what make and model of drive you have and repost with the info. Go to the Apple menu, select About This Mac, click the More Info... button, from the System Profiler look under Disc Burning, at the very top you should see the manufacturer and model of drive. Mine shows the Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-106D

If this is the same drive and you have the same problem has not been remedied yet. I'm trying to find out if there are a lot of individuals out there that are experiencing the same problem with the same drive and attempting to get something done about it. If it is a consistent issue Apple should replace these drives, or give us some sort of fix for it.

Scott

Yes, I did attempt to update Firmware on the drive to no avail. The drive was still unable to read back the burned DVDs. I used the DVRFlashX to update the firmware, despite the fact that Apple did not mention anything about firmware updates for the drive.

Did you try using a laser lens cleaner in the drive? I had the same issues that you described.

After purchasing a new external DVD drive and spending XXX dollars with an office-visit tech support to set up the new system, I found the lens cleaner in the office! One cycle of the Philips Magnavox Performax Laser Lens Cleaner in the drive fixed the problem! All of the burned DVDs that previously popped out of the drive now mount without a glitch.

Tramble

I'm not sure if you're posting this in general or to someone specifically, but for me, I tend to look for the easiest solution first, so yes I did use a laser lens cleaner, canned air and a reference CD that checks the readability of CD and DVD players. Nothing worked.

Did this solution work for you to fix your DVDSP problem that you mentioned earlier? Can you now read the DVDs created in DVD Studio Pro?

My question to you is, when you went though all this before realizing that the lens was dirty, did you try commercial DVDs and CDs as well as CD-Rs and DVD-Rs? Because the problem that is experienced here is that commercially burned DVDs work where it's only the one's that are burned on the G5 that do not work.

Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm sure that it's the drive itself that is the problem, and specifically the Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-106D

You can add me to the list. Sony RW DW-U10A, OS 10.4.10 - can't read any commercial DVDs - just ejects them.