12" rev A powerbook g4 superdrive (doesn't take dvd-rw?)

[PismoGuy]

My friend has a 12 inch Rev A Powerbook G4 and it seems to have difficulty reading empty dvd-rw's (new one's). If a DVD-RW is burnt on another computer and then played on the 12" it works fine. So, what's up? In the apple system profiler it says that the drive is DVD-R. Does this drive not support RW disks? Is there a Firmware update or something that can enable this option, if available?

Thanks

 

[Finiksa]

No the SuperDrive in the Rev A doesn't support burning to -RW media.

You should be able to enable this with a firmware update, check here for an updated firmware version, it'll depend on the actual model you have.

 

[PismoGuy]

You should be able to enable this with a firmware update, check here for an updated firmware version, it'll depend on the actual model you have.

Thanks.
And now for another question: Did any one use this firmware update? How did it go? How risky is it?

 

[Finiksa]

I haven't used it, don't have the Rev A Powerbook. But the firmware has been out for well over a year so I expect any problems have been ironed out by now.

Do a search of their Macintosh forum there should be plenty of discussions about the firmware there.

The important question is do you want the regions free version (RPC-1) or region encoded version (RPC-2), I'd go for RPC-1

Just remember that improperly flashing the drive could damage it, so research the procedure before you do it.

Check out this site for more info of SuperDrive firmware updates.

 

[thedoc1111]

You are very unlikely to do any damage to your drive with the updates at http://superdrive.cynikal.net as long as you make sure your computer is well ventilated area when you burn - i.e. on a table rather than on a pillow.

Also, don't do long consecutive burns - i.e. burn 4 CDs or 2 DVDs in a row - let the computer cool down a bit afterwards just in case.

From Cynikal:

Q: So by using this will I melt my Powerbook?

A: Most likely not if you use some common sense:

Consider using your powerbook on a table or maybe on your lap, as long as there is air flow around it.

Don't burn at higher speeds if you are in a warm environment and/or your powerbook is already warmer than usual

Try not to multi-task too much while burning at higher speeds so as not to cause more heat from extra CPU/hard drive usage

Take a break between burning sessions to let your system/drive cool off

If you have the 12" Rev A Powerbook this is the link you want (Region Free & Faster Speed)
http://superdrive.cynikal.net/files/uj815updates/firmware_uj815_X101.dmg

This update has been around for a long time and I have never heard a bad word about it (really!)

If you are unhappy you can downgrade to the officially supported Apple firmware using this updater:
http://superdrive.cynikal.net/files/uj815updates/firmware_uj815_D0CB.dmg

Good Luck

doc

 

[7on]

It does make your Disk drive "load" twice after waking from sleep. I had to remove it after that because it was just crazy.

 

[powerbookje]

I patched my 12" PB rev A with the new firmware and it works perfect for burning DVD-RW and -R at 2X. It's correct, the drive loads 2 times, but I don't care, I can burn -RW's without problems and other 12" 's can't!