Can Mac OSX burn an M-Disc?

Question

Grant Symon Author

Level 2

245 points

Can Mac OSX burn an M-Disc?

Wondering if MacOS X can natively burn an M-Disc? (Obviously when using an M-Disc capable drive).

I can't find anything online about this.

Mac OS X (10.0.x)

Posted on Mar 26, 2016 12:46 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

pmiles

Level 6

16,013 points

Mar 26, 2016 2:17 PM in response to Grant Symon

Based on this that I found on the web, I'd say yes:

http://www.appleworld.today/blog/2015/12/23/owc-ships-the-mac-compatible-owc-mer cury-pro-with-m-disc-support

Just FYI, simple google search of "m-disc OS X" yields several results...

None the less, keep in mind that optical discs in general are becoming a thing of the past. Support for such devices is likely to evaporate in the future... especially considering that Apple no longer builds computers with optical drives. The disc may last 1000 years but the technology won't. Technically speaking, those old 3.5" floppy discs are just as functional today as they were in the 70's... problem is, the technology left them far far behind. ****, even these TB drives now will be a joke in the next 10 years.

Reply

Answer 2

Grant Symon Author

Level 2

245 points

Mar 26, 2016 2:30 PM in response to pmiles

Thanks for the reply pmiles.

I found several results myself, but nothing that told me about MacOSX's built-in support for burning M-Discs. I can see that there are drives that will work, but in software terms, what is MacOSX's *native* support? That's really what I'm interested in.

As for the technology itself ... I think it could be very important. It's simple. DVD/CD players are absolutely everywhere and it's cheap. But crucially, it appears to be the only *archival* technology that is anything other than 'cross your fingers and hope'. Certainly HDs and tape are only effective if they are constantly updated (at least every two years) so they're not really archival ... rather, they're the best we've got ... apart from M-Disc. It is the new(ish) 100Gb discs that have gotten my attention and I think I shall move from HDs in the coming months (when 100Gb discs become readily available in EU).

Reply

Answer 3

Ziatron

Level 5

4,186 points

Mar 26, 2016 3:40 PM in response to Grant Symon

Wondering if MacOS X can natively burn an M-Disc? (Obviously when using an M-Disc capable drive).

ANY version of the Mac OS that will burn a DVD will also burn M-DISC. I do it all the time. We have switched to M-DISC exclusively.

For movie-making purposes many will recommend using OS 10.9.5 because it is more compatible and more optical disc friendly. With its 1000 year lifetime M-DISC is causing a resurgence in optical media.

Below is the drive I use.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MR3UBDRW16/

Reply

Answer 4

Grant Symon Author

Level 2

245 points

Mar 27, 2016 12:48 AM in response to Ziatron

Thanks Ziatron.

Have you tried burning in later OS's? 10.10 or 10.11? Does it still work?

Reply

Answer 5

pmiles

Level 6

16,013 points

Mar 27, 2016 8:10 AM in response to Grant Symon

"ANY version of the Mac OS that will burn a DVD will also burn M-DISC."

Please take note of what Ziatron said here... Apple does not make computers with optical drives anymore, thus it is up to the manufacturer of said device to provide driver/software support. Never assume that an Apple computer will continue to natively burn to the media, they are not obligated to even support the media.

And as much as people may want or think optical media is making a comeback... that is only as true as the interest in said media remains high. I remember all sorts of mass storage media that came and went as quickly as it arrived on the scene... not so much because the media wasn't reliable, just because the technology changed that quickly.

I myself stick to HD storage now... they're cheap and take up very little space. They're just as likely to work or not work as anything else out there and as of today.

Reply