G3 can handle SuperDrive?

[macphoria]

I just saw an article here about SuperDrive upgrade for G3 iBook from MCE Technologies. But it seems to have been taken off for one reason or other.

But the reason I'm mentioning it again is because I've constantly heard from people here and elsewhere that G3 chip itself is not capable of handling DVD authoring related tasks.

I've heard someone mention that to encode Quicktime into MPEG for DVD using G3, it would literally take all day, whereas G4 can do it x1 or x2 the amount/time length of its content.

The fact that SuperDrive upgrade is possible for G3 is intriguing to me because,
1) Are these people offering SuperDrive upgrade for G3 knowing the process will take all day?
2) or G3 IS capable of handling encoding process faster than we think (maybe Sahara G3 with 512k Cache makes difference?)
3) or can something be done via software to speed up the process?
and last but not least,
4) is it possible that upcoming iBook upgrade might have SuperDrive upgrade?

This is interesting topic for me because I really would like to see iBook with SuperDrive capability. I know people will say "if you want iBook with SuperDrive, get 12" PowerBook." Nevertheless, prospect of spending less for laptop with SuperDrive capability (iBook with SuperDrive has to cost less than 12" PowerBook I think) is enticing to me.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Gus]

Yeah, I saw this too, and I checked out MCE's website about it. A lot of people have said in the past that the G3 isn't capable of DVD authoring, but what I think they meant was that if you want to do it in a reasonable amount of time, get a G4. Also, the drive that MCE is putting in the iBook is a 1x DVD-R, so it WILL take a while.

Of course the other drawback is that iDVD won't work with it. i am almost POSITIVE that when you try to install iDVD it checks your machine's specs. I had a PM with the Superdrive and a G3 Powerbook, and just for giggles I tried to install iDVD on the Powerbook and I got a message saying that it wasn't supported on that machine. MCE is providing a third-party DVD burning application, but I guarantee it isn't as slick as iDVD.

For $399, it's not a bad deal though. I think that the iBook would take a SIGNIFICANT amount of time to burn a full DVD, but if it is something that is important and you already have an iBook, it's a really cool upgrade option.

Regards,
Gus

 

[howard]

i doubt it would take a day....but probably a very long time, and to tell you the truth, if i had a dvd drive in my ibook i wouldn't mind waiting all day


i do kinda doubt that they'll put a dvd drive in the lower end laptop though

 

[Gus]

Originally posted by howard
i do kinda doubt that they'll put a dvd drive in the lower end laptop though

Actually, MCE says that you only need a 600 Mhz iBook or faster.

Regards,
Gus

EDIT: It actually doesn't give a Mhz limit. Also, it looks like the free DVD software you get works only in OS 9 right now. They say there will be an OS X version coming soon.

 

[vniow]

QT Pro (as of 6.1) has an option to export video in MPEG-2 and this is that happens when I try to export it on my G3 iBook.

Seems like it's a software limitation, not one of iDVD, but one of QT (not suprising since they all use the QT engine I think)

 

[Gus]

Well that's very interesting. I wonder how MCE is working around this? Their website states that the DVDs you make will work in commercial DVD players, so I assume that would have to be MPEG-2. Maybe in OS 9, which their software works in, the AltiVec message wouldn't appear? Not that it changes the AltiVec message, but don't you have to pay extra to get the MPEG-2 export option ion QT 6?

Regards,
Gus

 

[ftaok]

You can do MPEG-2 encoding on a G3. Formac's Devideon software has always worked with the G3 processor (about a year old).

The catch is that it would take forever and a day to encode a DVD full of video. That's the reason why Apple chose to make iDVD work only on G4s. Because if they did have iDVD support for G3 Macs and it took 15 hours to encode a DVD (plus the 2 hours to burn it at 1x), they would have a ton of angry users.

 

[iJon]

Originally posted by Gus
Of course the other drawback is that iDVD won't work with it. i am almost POSITIVE that when you try to install iDVD it checks your machine's specs. I had a PM with the Superdrive and a G3 Powerbook, and just for giggles I tried to install iDVD on the Powerbook and I got a message saying that it wasn't supported on that machine. MCE is providing a third-party DVD burning application, but I guarantee it isn't as slick as iDVD.
Regards,
Gus

It wasn't supported because it didnt detect a superdrive. you get that error on any mac that doesnt have a superdrive. you can crack idvd and then run it, but you silll cant burn anything.

iJon

 

[gloftis]

iDVD works with Superdrive?

I have a Pioneer DVR-106 in my G3-450 B/W and am on OSX 10.2.8. (1 GB RAM, 160 GB 7200 HD)

Are you implying that iDVD may work on my machine

 

[Dreadnought]

Well, even in the old days when I bought my B&W 400mhz they (the local Applestore) asked me if I wanted a DVD burner in it. We are talking here begin 1999 and a 400 mhz G3! With the introduction of the G3 B&W it was normal for them to sell it in that configuration because there was a lot of demand for it from videopro's!

 

[gloftis]

G3 and DVD Burning

I find the discussion about G3 vs G4 DVD burning interesting, considering that a G4-450 was only marginally faster than its G3 counterpart at release. Is iDVD AltiVec intensive?

 

[amnesiac1984]

Originally posted by Dreadnought
Well, even in the old days when I bought my B&W 400mhz they (the local Applestore) asked me if I wanted a DVD burner in it. We are talking here begin 1999 and a 400 mhz G3! With the introduction of the G3 B&W it was normal for them to sell it in that configuration because there was a lot of demand for it from videopro's!

That would have been a DVD-RAM drive, thats different and does not allow you to burn dvd video discs (i think)

 

[gloftis]

G3 and DVD Burner

I have a Pioneer DVR-106--the 4X "Superdrive" installeld in G5s--in my G3-450

Attached is an excerpt from my system profiler...

It appears that DVD burning is possible on a G3. Now, will iDVD run on a Superdrive-equipped G3?

 

[Nermal]

Just try it, it's "only" 1.7 gigs

 

[gloftis]

Rendering is slow, but burning is fast

Waiting on my copy of iLife 04 to try iDVD.

Created a DV movie in FC Express. 8 hours to render, but burned to DVD-R at 4X, as advertised.

Also, I can watch commercial DVDs on my Mac, something a stock PM G3-450 is not supposed to support.

Bottom Line: Added 160 GB WE 7200 drive and 4X Pioneer DVR 106 for less than $240.

When Sonnet releases its G4-1Ghz+ ZIF for G3 B/W, I will have a video power-box for under $750

 

[ftaok]

Re: Rendering is slow, but burning is fast

Originally posted by gloftis
Waiting on my copy of iLife 04 to try iDVD.

Created a DV movie in FC Express. 8 hours to render, but burned to DVD-R at 4X, as advertised.

Also, I can watch commercial DVDs on my Mac, something a stock PM G3-450 is not supposed to support.

Bottom Line: Added 160 GB WE 7200 drive and 4X Pioneer DVR 106 for less than $240.

When Sonnet releases its G4-1Ghz+ ZIF for G3 B/W, I will have a video power-box for under $750

As per Steve Jobs, iDVD will not run on a G3. He said this at last year's Macworld. iDVD is very reliant on Altivec.

Are you saying that you were able to create a DVD with FC Express and your SuperDrive? Is this DVD viewable on a regular DVD player?

Incidentally, you should take a look at Toast 6. I think that Toast 6 is able to take footage from iMovie (and I guess FC), encode it to mpeg2, and burn a DVD that's playable on DVD players.

 

[gloftis]

iDVD on G3

According to Apple Tech support, iDVD requires "a G3 or G4" and 256 MB RAM.

The reason the ads say "a G4 with Superdrive" is that the Superdrive was not offered on PM G3s.

Hey, iLife 04 was cheap. Even if I can't run iDVD and have to use Toast to burn, the updated iApps are worth it!