Super Drive?

Question

Level 1

88 points

Super Drive?

I just got a New Mac Pro. The Quad-Core Intel Xeon 2.26 GHz. It was supposed to come equipped with a 18X super drive DVD burner that will burn 2-sided disks.
I'm trying to burn a disk now and it only gives me 2 options. 4x and 8x. It got thinking, how can I tell if what I have is in fact and 18X super drive that will burn 2-sided disks?
Thanks.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 8GB RM

Posted on Apr 1, 2009 6:02 PM

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Answer 1

Niel

Level 10

741,911 points

Apr 1, 2009 6:09 PM in response to G Martin

Choose About this Mac from the Apple menu, click on More Info, and see the Disc Burning section. Full specifications for your drive are available here; it can't burn dual layer disks at 18x.

(42215)

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Answer 2

G Martin Author

Level 1

88 points

Apr 2, 2009 4:23 AM in response to Niel

thank you, this is what it says:
HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GH41N:

Firmware Revision: PQ04
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2048 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:
Type: DVD-R
ID: TYG02
Blank: Yes
Erasable: No
Overwritable: Yes
Appendable: Yes
Write Speeds: 4x, 8x

Doesn't look like a 18x super drive to me, no?

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Answer 3

Niel

Level 10

741,911 points

Apr 2, 2009 9:41 AM in response to G Martin

Doesn't look like a 18x super drive to me, no?

Is that DVD-R rated as being able to be burned at 18x? If not, it won't burn to it at that speed.

(42235)

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Answer 4

G Martin Author

Level 1

88 points

Apr 2, 2009 12:17 PM in response to Niel

Ahhh. So the Disk is involved as well, huh?
I was able to burn these disks on my old DVD burned at 12X so I'm surprised that I don't get at least that with the new machine. How can you tell if this IS a SuperDrive?

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Answer 5

ManuCH

Level 1

123 points

Apr 2, 2009 12:36 PM in response to G Martin

It's a matter of definition. Apple defines this as a Superdrive. There is no such thing as "a Superdrive", there are different models depending on the type of Mac involved. But yes, this one is, you didn't get the wrong one...

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Answer 6

G Martin Author

Level 1

88 points

Apr 6, 2009 5:52 AM in response to G Martin

Thank you. Now I have to figure out why it's not burning faster than 8X.
Sheesh!

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Answer 7

direwolf8

Level 4

1,286 points

Apr 6, 2009 8:33 AM in response to G Martin

It might not support 12x burning, even if it supports 16x. Not all drives do all intermediate speeds.

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Answer 8

May 22, 2009 2:59 AM in response to G Martin

You didn't state specifically whether you're trying to burn dual layer DVDs, but I get the impression that you may be. According to Apple's specs for the 18x SuperDrive included with your (early 2009 MacPro), the drive writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 8x speed. If you're writing to a standard single layer DVD, you'll achieve 18x speed.

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