G5 Tower CD/DVD drive

Hi there, you can get more info by...

At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, click on the text below Mac OS X where it says Version 10.4.x and report the Build# please.

Then click on More Info>Hardware>Disc Burning

And see something like this...

HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4165B:

Firmware Revision: C006
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL
Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes
Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: No

Supposedly it can Read DL...

http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/products/archive/DVR-107D/index.html

# Read Support DVD-ROM (Single layer & dual layers)
# DVD-RAM (Version 2 & 2.1)
# DVD-R (all types), DVD-RW
# CD-ROM Mode 1, CD-ROM XA Mode 2 (form 1, form 2)
# CD-TEXT, Photo CD (single and multiple session), CD-DA, CD-Extra
# CD-R, CD-RW (Supports AM2)

Your drive cannot write to dual/double layer media (that was introduced in the DVR-108), but it should be able to read dual/double layer media. Hollywood DVDs are almost always dual layer, and your drive will read them. Many software titles are also dual layer.

I suspect the issue is due to two factors:

1) Your drive still has the original Apple firmware on it rather than the official Pioneer firmware and therefore likely is a bit lacking in its media support. Re-flashing the drive to the office Pioneer firmware may help in this regard.

2) Your friend used Memorex media. Memorex media is absolute junk and isn't even worth using as a drink coaster.

I looked at the Pioneer DVR-107D web pages and found that firmware update files are all .exe which is Windows stuff (that Apple doesn't run?). If this is true, where can one get Apple DVR firmware update?

Get DVRFlashX...

http://lasvegas.rpc1.org/

Then similar 109D instructions here...

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2007032921534381

Looks like my drive cannot read DL disks as the sys preferences disk burning panel reads:

Truthfully, that panel only tells you what a drive can write to. It says nothing about the read capabilities of each type of media, as it shouldn't matter - once burned, they're supposed to be read as DVD-ROM.

I looked at the Pioneer DVR-107D web pages and found that firmware update files are all .exe which is Windows stuff (that Apple doesn't run?).

If you're going to flash the firmware, you do need to download the .exe file that's on Pioneer's website. Open it with something like Stuffit Expander, and you'll be left with a folder containing another .exe file (which you can ignore) and (usually) two other files that'll have .122 (the firmware revision number) as their extension. These are the firmware and kernel files and you'll use DVRFlash to update the drive with these files.

You don't want to use DVRFlashX-Apple107 - that'll simply flash the drive with either a region free version of Apple's firmware or the original firmware.

You want to use the standalone version of DVRFlashX that's not specific to any drive. Then, you use the firmware files that you get from Pioneer's website and have DVRFlashX use those to update your drive. When it's done properly, your Firmware Revision in system profiler will read 1.22. It may take a reboot for the revision change to show up properly.

I have a related question. I have a G5 tower for almost 3 years now. The DVD drive just quit a few days ago. Cannot burn CD. Cannot play DVD. No sound what so ever when a disk in inserted. Is the drive salvageable, or is it time for a new one? Recommendations for internal or external? The space to remove the old drive seems very small. I can't even put my hand in. Recommendations for brand. Also, I saw the 3.6V battery on the motherboard, which I have not change since new. Can that have anything to do with the current DVD behavior? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi Patrick, here's a couple to choose from...

http://eshop.macsales.com/staticpages/Framework.cfm?page=superdrive/sdl_powermacg5.html

They have installation videos there also...

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/powermacg5opt/