What DVD player software will work?

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What DVD player software will work?

OK, I'm in a major Catch 22 here. My son's ipod got stolen and the new one we got requires itunes 7.0. We can't download 7.0 because our 400 mHz G4 is still running OS X 10.2.8 and itunes 7.0 requires that we upgrade our OS. We cannot upgrade our OS because our G4 only has a CD burner/player and OS 4 only comes on DVD. I was unable to find an external DVD player locally that works with 10.2.8, so I found one online that said it did--a Sony DRX-830UL-T. Turns out, this DVD player/burner will only burn in 10.2.8., not play. I called Apple support and the nice gentleman told me to buy an new computer. Does anyone have a more constructive solution? Is it possible to get my daughter's ipod that still works with our current itunes to read the OS 4 DVD and then somehow upgrade our system from there? Is there some some software that will cause my new Sony DVD RW Drive to play the install DVD? HELP!

G4

Posted on Oct 27, 2007 11:00 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 27, 2007 11:50 AM in response to teasley

Hi

+I was unable to find an external DVD player locally that works with 10.2.8, so I found one online that said it did--a Sony DRX-830UL-T. Turns out, this DVD player/burner will only burn in 10.2.8., not play.+

That sounds slightly odd to me as it's normally the other way around! Most DVD drives are supported for basic reading/playing, because if you're attempting to boot from a DVD in the drive, the OS isn't even loaded until the DVD has been read. Normally the problem lies with burn support. Also, if you're burning a disc, it's normally read/played back to verify the burn was successful.

An internal DVD drive such as a Pioneer DVR-112D may have been a better choice. They're generally more compatible and cheaper (~$40) because you're not paying for an external FireWire/USB case, cabling, bundled software you don't need and fancy packaging etc. Installation is also fairly easy as well. Instructions including a QuickTime movie can be found here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75312

When you say the Sony drive won't play, what happens when you insert the OS 10.4 DVD? Is it spat back out? Can you hear it spinning up? Does the DVD appear on the desktop?

Edit - I seem to remember Macs don't officially support booting from a USB device. Is the external DVD drive connected via USB?

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Answer 2

Oct 27, 2007 12:00 PM in response to Rodney Culling

Just to add that if you've got access to another Mac with an internal DVD drive, you may be able to use FireWire target disk mode. This will mount the hard drive inside the G4 on the desktop of the other Mac, allowing the OS to be installed. More info can be found here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583

The 400MHz AGP Graphics/Sawtooth G4 seems to support it, the PCI Graphics/Yikes! version doesn't.

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Answer 3

teasley Author

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Oct 27, 2007 12:03 PM in response to teasley

Yes, it spins up and appears on the desktop. You can open it and see the install program. If you click install and restart nothing happens. If you select it as the DVD drive as your start-up disk in System Preferences it starts up with a folder then flashes to question marks then switches back and starts up in 10.2.8. I just assumed that it was not reading the program on the disk.

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Answer 4

Oct 27, 2007 12:12 PM in response to teasley

Hi

According to the specs it seems to support both USB and FireWire. If you've got it connected up via USB it may explain the problems you're having. There's a difference between being able to read a DVD, and being able to boot from it. OS X officially supports booting from an external drive via FireWire but not USB. I'd try using the FireWire connection if you haven't already.

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Answer 5

teasley Author

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Oct 27, 2007 12:16 PM in response to Rodney Culling

The only other devise we have that plays anything and connects to the Mac is my daughter's ipod.

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Answer 6

teasley Author

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Oct 27, 2007 12:25 PM in response to Rodney Culling

Actually, I hadn't even thought of it. My 16 year old son hooked it up (the one with the new ipod) and he did hook it up using USB not Firewire. I'll try it and see what happens. Thanks!

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Answer 7

teasley Author

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Oct 27, 2007 1:17 PM in response to teasley

OK. I've unhooked the USB connection and re-hooked it up with the firewire. I've restarted from the installer window a couple times, then restarted with the DVD selected as the start-up disk a couple of times, then restarted from the installer window with the C key held down. Exact same thing happened every time but once--it begins to start up and shows a folder with a picture on it of the Mac face that switches to a question mark. It does this a couple of times then goes to the gray screen with the apple in the middle, then starts up with 10.2.8. The one time this didn't happen it froze while loading 10.2.8 and I had to re-boot which caused it to stay on the gray screen with the apple for really long time, then it started up in 10.2.8. Is it not reading the DVD or what is happening? I just don't get it!

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Answer 8

Oct 27, 2007 2:27 PM in response to teasley

I'm sorry that didn't work. I'd imagine it's reading the DVD fine as it shows on the desktop and you're able to click the installer icon. It may be that the drive simply isn't bootable, i.e. you can't start up from it, which is what you're attempting to do when you click the installer icon or select it as the start up disk. In hindsight an internal replacement drive may have been a better choice. I guess you could try sending an email to the drive manufacturer or take a look at their website. I assume the computer meets the OS requirements in terms of memory and free hard disk space etc.

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