Irregular import speed in iTunes using optical drive

Question

Irregular import speed in iTunes using optical drive

I have a MacBook Pro (bought this summer, the early 2008 model) with a strange problem.

When importing CDs using iTunes I experience very different import speeds, depending on which CD I import.

Just ten minutes ago I imported a CD and got speeds of around 18x-19x, which is impressive.

However, the next minute the speed only reaches about 6x-10x. I have even had CDs import at just 4x-5x. I can't find any pattern, and all the CDs look fine (little or no scratches etc.).

Any idea why this happens? Could it be a hardware semi-failure?

Is there a way to diagnose this problem?

MacBook 2GHz, MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Nope.

Posted on Jan 31, 2009 8:25 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 31, 2009 8:33 AM in response to Øivind Idsø

Not sure this is a problem. Always been this way, on my MBP and on PBs before that. Read speed varies dynamically.

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Answer 2

Jan 31, 2009 8:59 AM in response to neuroanatomist

That's strange. I can understand that speeds vary dynamically from beginning to end during import, but I don't get why it would do so from cd to cd. Why should it?

It was never like this with my old Power Mac G5.

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Answer 3

Jan 31, 2009 9:13 AM in response to Øivind Idsø

Disc quality, a light smudge on a disc, etc. The ultra-thin optical drives in Apple portables are pretty sensitive to variations in discs.

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Answer 4

Jan 31, 2009 10:18 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Ok, thanks. Guess I'll settle for the variations in speed.

Variation is the spice of life, after all. 😉

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Answer 5

machoo

Level 1

0 points

Feb 13, 2009 2:47 PM in response to Øivind Idsø

Do your imports ever stop completely? I have a very difficult time importing CDs. Like you, I sometimes get very fast imports and other times the imports crawl, stop completely, and I must force quit iTunes in order to get the CD out.

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Answer 6

Feb 14, 2009 2:57 AM in response to machoo

No, my imports never stopped completely - until recently, that is.

My Superdrive went to pieces (not literally, although it sounded like that when I tried to import some of my CDs), and it's just been exchanged.

Speeds now fluctuate between about 10x to as high as 22x. I can find no pattern, as brand new CDs that have just been unwrapped are as likely to reach 10x as 22x, while three-four year old CDs can be imported at 22x.

Btw, I've imported quite a few CDs on my two year old MacBook, and for some reason speed is 100% consistent (reaching about 10x at the end of the import). This is all very strange.

In any case, I'm thinking your drive might be broken.

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Answer 7

machoo

Level 1

0 points

Feb 14, 2009 4:45 AM in response to Øivind Idsø

Thanks so much for your advice. I will go and have it checked out.

Like you, I have an early summer 2008 MacBook Pro. Perhaps I will inquire as to the reason for such fluctuation in speed.

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