Buying 12" iBook: which external dvd-recorder?

[peower]

Hi everyone.

I'm about to switch from linux to apple. I plan to buy new 12" iBook. I want to burn my home made videos (shot with minidv-camera) to dvd using iMovie and iDVD.

Since 12" iBook does not have superdrive I need to buy external firewire dvd-recorder.

I have heard that there has previously been some problems with iDVD and external dvd-recorders but iDVD 5 should support at least some of them.

Question is: which external dvd-recorders work fully with iDVD 5? Any comments about your own experiences are appreciated.

Please, could some one help me with this. I'm very eager to order my first apple but before I can do that I need an answer to this one.

-P

[shadowmoses]

They would all work with iDVD5 you may need to install patchburn from www.patchburn.de to get it detected by iDVD but otherwise it will work fine...

I suggest you build one yourself using a DVD writer and nice enclosure if you are looking to save money, if not go for a lacie external dvd writer,

SHadOW

[peower]

Thank you for a quick reply :)

I would like to buy burner which wouldn't need patchburn. Money isn't the biggest issue but compatibility is :)

Which one you would recommend?

[shadowmoses]

I think you will find Lacie drives are mac compatible without patchburn, they are the only company to my knowledge that have full out of the box OSX support.

I would siggest the following model it can probably be picked up for $100-150 on newegg: http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10548

SHadoW

[nsheikh80]

My experience is that NO external DVD writer works with iMovie 5. Infact, it is even stated on the Patchburn website.

However, there is always an alternative. iDVD 5 allows you to export the movie as an image so you can burn the image using your external DVD writer with no problems.

I recently bought an external DVD writer for my 12" PB. I bought the Pioneer DVR-110D with an external enclosure. I used Patchburn to get Mac OS X to recognise the DVD writer and it worked pretty well. Coupled with Roxio Toast, there is nothing you can't do on an external DVD writer that you can do on an internal DVD writer.

But the DVD writer is not recognised in Finder so I can't use burn folders. Apart from that all is coolio.

[peower]

My experience is that NO external DVD writer works with iMovie 5. Infact, it is even stated on the Patchburn website.

However, there is always an alternative. iDVD 5 allows you to export the movie as an image so you can burn the image using your external DVD writer with no problems.

I recently bought an external DVD writer for my 12" PB. I bought the Pioneer DVR-110D with an external enclosure. I used Patchburn to get Mac OS X to recognise the DVD writer and it worked pretty well. Coupled with Roxio Toast, there is nothing you can't do on an external DVD writer that you can do on an internal DVD writer.

But the DVD writer is not recognised in Finder so I can't use burn folders. Apart from that all is coolio.

Hi.

Good to hear that I can export dvd-images from iDVD and burn them with Toast.

Especially because today I ordered 12" iBook and external firewire Lacie D2 16x lightscribe dvd-writer with Toast 6 Titanium :)

I can tell my experiences here if you or anyone else is interested when I get my iBook.

It's so hard to calmly wait 2-3 weeks :p

[SpaceMagic]

I'm very interested! Cheers.

[verozov]

i just got a memorex and therefore didn't get a superdrive on my ibook (long story)... it works great, fast, usb or firewire, and looks pretty good too... o ya the price wasn't bad either

[peower]

I'm very interested! Cheers.

Hi.

I decided to buy external Lacie firewire D2 16x dvd+-rw drive with Toast Titanium 6. I got my new iBook this Monday and finally got chance to test drive and iBook together. I created new movie with iMovie and imported it to iDVD. After that I burned it as video dvd using my external firewire drive. Everything worked without problems. I even didn't have to install any drivers etc :)

BTW, this iBook is my first apple product and so far I have been very satisfied. Everything seems to be so easy with mac.

[blackpeter]

Two days ago UPS delivered my LaCie 16x Dual Layer DVD burner from Amazon. $157 and no tax/shipping charges. Boss!

[MarkCollette]

Hi.

I decided to buy external Lacie firewire D2 16x dvd+-rw drive with Toast Titanium 6. I got my new iBook this Monday and finally got chance to test drive and iBook together. I created new movie with iMovie and imported it to iDVD. After that I burned it as video dvd using my external firewire drive. Everything worked without problems. I even didn't have to install any drivers etc :)

BTW, this iBook is my first apple product and so far I have been very satisfied. Everything seems to be so easy with mac.

Sorry, but did you have to use Toast, or did it burn right from iDVD?

[California]

Me? I'd buy a new internal superdrive and have an apple tech put it in. In fact, I just did that with an iBook under warranty.

[agentbob]

I'm looking to buy an external enclosure + dvd-r for my macs. I've currently got a tibook 667 and an imac g5... I've had trouble in the past with an LG drive in no-name enclosure...

The macs I tried it on would see it as a dvd/cd reader, but wouldn't burn to it even with patchburn nor toast. It also wouldn't boot off cds/dvds sometimes.

The new drive I'm thinking to get will be a pioneer, I'm just wondering what models/brands of enclosures people have had success with

Thanks,

Dan