Slow when ripping DVDs

[H0M3R]

I am copying my DVD collection to the computer to be able to play on an iPod and a mac mini hooked up to the hdtv. Mainly TV shows. I have a Mac Pro with 2 DVD drives. The first one is the original drive (Pioneer DVR-111D) and the second is a Pioneer DVR-116D which I added. I intended to use this 2nd drive mainly for ripping DVDs because I knew I would have to update the firmware to get rid of riplock.

On the DVR-116D drive, I updated the firmware to remove riplock so it would not be limited to 5x read. I have not updated the firmware on the original DVR-111D drive. I am using fairmount to rip the DVD. Under OS X just ripping the DVD to the hard drive takes maybe 20-30 minutes 🙁. MacTheRipper is just as slow as is making a disk image using disk utility. I boot into Vista and use DVD Extractor and the same DVD takes 7 or 8 minutes 😕.

Why is it so slow or is there a faster method of ripping a DVD on OS X?

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

I sold the stock DVD-107PD in my G5 and used that money to buy a non-OEM DVR-108BK. Yeah it was ripping at 20-30 minutes for a DVD and I did update the firmware to 1.18 as to get rid of the riplock that was stuck at 4x to 12x. It now rips DVDs in 10 minutes or less, usualy around 6-8 minutes of rip time. I use MTR. So I can't see why it's so slow on your more "modern" Mac.

Did you flash the firmware properly and do a restart? Check About This Mac in the Menu and click on the Disk Burning tab. Check to see if the firmware was updated correctly. I can't remember but I think it took a few restarts or shutdowns before it read the new FW version properly, or I may have reset the PRAM.

 

[sickmacdoc]

I've got to say that I don't undertstand that either (or the need to firmware update drives that do not have Apple firmware since that is where the riplock gets added from what I have read). I took out the 112 drive that came stock in my Mac Pro and put in a pair of Pioneer 115s from OWC and rip times with MTR rarely exceed 8 minutes with no firmware updates. 😕

 

[H0M3R]

sickmacdoc:
When I got the new drive, I didn't think I would need to flash the firmware with a modified version to get rid of the riplock, so I tried ripping a disc and it still took at least 20 minutes. Thats when I reflashed it with a version that removes riplock. I never tested it under windows before I flashed it, so it may have always been fast under windows.

OrangeSVTguy:
Yep, I am positive the drive was flashed. The correct version number shows in the disc burning tab.

Its strange that when I go into boot camp with Vista and try ripping its fast like its suppose to be. I never tried the stock firmware in boot camp to see what the speed was like. I might try reverting back to the standard firmware to see what happens. It is possible that OS X is seeing that the stock drive is riplocked and applies it to any other drive? Maybe I should try taking out the original drive?

 

[sickmacdoc]

<clip> It is possible that OS X is seeing that the stock drive is riplocked and applies it to any other drive? Maybe I should try taking out the original drive?

As unlikely as that seems I think I would give it a shot (by just unhooking the cables to the original drive) myself as this would drive me nuts! 😉 Like I mentioned above, replacing both drives with unflashed standard Pioneers worked fine for me with no evidence of riplock surviving.

Give it a shot since it would be so simple to do on a MP- and good luck with it. If it works, that would be a valuable chunk of info to file away in the troubleshooting files so be sure to let us know.