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SuperDrive w/ Dual Layer

Mr. Clean

Mr. Clean

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 14, 2008
80
0
Sunny San Diego
Looking to upgrade my MBP superdrive. Would like to have DualLayer ability. Has anyone done this upgrade yet, I'm assuming that plenty of you have. just couldn't find a thread on it. Is it smarter to upgrade or buy an external one? Any input will be nice.
 
You can look around online for some, but they're a pain to install. I'm not sure, but don't all MBPs have DL SuperDrives? (maybe the first generation didn't, but I'm not sure)
 
My Vote is for an External too.. I put one in an old Power Book awhile back. Wasn't hard or tricky just took awhile to do... But I bought a external case off Ebay cheap then the burner somewhere else (forgot where).. It is much faster than the slot load and now I can use it on what ever Mac I want. I'll keep it around for a long time and if it goes out it'll be a lot eaiser to replace.
 
joegomolski said:
External, I think. Anyway that's what I did.
Click to expand...
I was thinking external would be the smart way as well.

iToaster said:
You can look around online for some, but they're a pain to install. I'm not sure, but don't all MBPs have DL SuperDrives? (maybe the first generation didn't, but I'm not sure)
Click to expand...
I've got no problem taking my MBP apart. I have the first gen MBP with core duo, not the core 2 duo. I believe that the 2nd and 3rd gen all have DL.

Pomeroy said:
My Vote is for an External too.. I put one in an old Power Book awhile back. Wasn't hard or tricky just took awhile to do... But I bought a external case off Ebay cheap then the burner somewhere else (forgot where).. It is much faster than the slot load and now I can use it on what ever Mac I want. I'll keep it around for a long time and if it goes out it'll be a lot eaiser to replace.
Click to expand...
Having it externally would be a bit, I mean allot more handy.
 
If you want an IDE/ATA optical drive, the Pioneer DVR-116D is a fine choice:

http://www.egoodz.com/product.asp?pf_id=DVR116DBEG

with the Bytecc ME-340U2F (or ME-340F) enclosure:

http://www.coolerexpress.com/me340.html

If you want a more modern SATA optical drive, the Pioneer DVR-216D is a fine choice:

http://www.meritline.com/pioneer-dvr-216dbk-20x-dual-layer-sata-dvd-drive-black.html

with Other World Computing's Mercury Pro 5.25" SATA enclosure:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MRSFW8U2/
 
davidleon said:
If you want an IDE/ATA optical drive, the Pioneer DVR-116D is a fine choice:

http://www.egoodz.com/product.asp?pf_id=DVR116DBEG

with the Bytecc ME-340U2F (or ME-340F) enclosure:

http://www.coolerexpress.com/me340.html

If you want a more modern SATA optical drive, the Pioneer DVR-216D is a fine choice:

http://www.meritline.com/pioneer-dvr-216dbk-20x-dual-layer-sata-dvd-drive-black.html

with Other World Computing's Mercury Pro 5.25" SATA enclosure:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MRSFW8U2/
Click to expand...

Thank you for the good info. Does any one make a stand alone that is already in an enclosure?
 
Lacie makes a nice DL drive with LightScribe, the D2 (don't know any model number beyond that, but they should be easy to find). I think they go for $139 usually.

jW
 
Mr. Clean said:
Thank you for the good info. Does any one make a stand alone that is already in an enclosure?
Click to expand...

It is a 10 minute job to put the drive into the enclosure. Buying them individually means that you can pick and choose which brand/model you put in.

If you buy one (like a Lacie) assembled it is down to luck what drive they put in it sometimes. Also normally cheaper to buy drive and enclosure individually.

If you can hold a screwdriver it will be simple....
 
logana said:
It is a 10 minute job to put the drive into the enclosure. Buying them individually means that you can pick and choose which brand/model you put in.

If you buy one (like a Lacie) assembled it is down to luck what drive they put in it sometimes. Also normally cheaper to buy drive and enclosure individually.

If you can hold a screwdriver it will be simple....
Click to expand...

Actually, that's sometimes not true with the preassembled ones (another good reason for getting them separate). The Lacie and Western Digital drives are particularly annoying to get apart and even harder to put back together properly, or at least the models I've worked with are.

Definitely recommend getting them separate (OWC sells a bundle usually, but I'm not a big fan of the cases they ship).

jW
 
Mal said:
Actually, that's sometimes not true with the preassembled ones (another good reason for getting them separate). The Lacie and Western Digital drives are particularly annoying to get apart and even harder to put back together properly, or at least the models I've worked with are.

jW
Click to expand...

I wasn't suggesting taking apart a pre-assembled one - I have changed the dvd drive on a Lacie Porsche Design model and it is not much fun. Another advantage in buying them individually is that the drive can be up-dated in a year's time to the latest model - often for around $30.

What I was suggesting is that assembling the drive (individual enclosure and dvd drive) should be fairly easy for Mr. Clean who "has no problem with taking the MBP apart".
 
I would just get the top of the line internal laptop dual layer superdrive and pop it in Having an external is a pain. But that's me. Sell your old one. I'll buy it as a matter of fact. I think you want Panasonic UJ 847.
 
logana said:
I wasn't suggesting taking apart a pre-assembled one - I have changed the dvd drive on a Lacie Porsche Design model and it is not much fun. Another advantage in buying them individually is that the drive can be up-dated in a year's time to the latest model - often for around $30.

What I was suggesting is that assembling the drive (individual enclosure and dvd drive) should be fairly easy for Mr. Clean who "has no problem with taking the MBP apart".
Click to expand...
How does one know what a good enclosure is, what do you look for? Do they all work with a Mac. would it be faster to use the FireWire opt. I only have FireWire 400....?

California said:
I would just get the top of the line internal laptop dual layer superdrive and pop it in Having an external is a pain. But that's me. Sell your old one. I'll buy it as a matter of fact. I think you want Panasonic UJ 847.
Click to expand...

How fast is that model, where can I find it on line? NewEgg or ?
 
Obviously, you want an external enclosure that is sturdy and comes with a good, quiet fan. If you are looking for a FireWire enclosure, look for an Oxford chipset. If you seek an USB external enclosure, a Prolific chipset will do. In my experience, FireWire external enclosures with Oxford chipsets are more stable than their USB counterparts. FireWire versus USB speed is usually not a major concern for an external DVD optical drive.
 
External enclosure - something like this for $30

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA71126

and then add a Pioneer DVR-116DBK for $27.

If your internal drive was wrecked then I would probably recommend replacing the internal but since it is not then go external. If you have a 15" MBP you need a UJ-857 (9.5mm tall) if it is a 17" then UJ-847 (12.5mm tall). UJ-857 drives are about $150 !!

You should not need a fan in an external dvd writer.
 
How fast is that model, where can I find it on line? NewEgg or ?[/QUOTE]

I've had very good luck on eBay. Make sure to buy new. They should have a manufacter warranty if new.

Saw them for under 99 bucks.

I have a Lacie dvd burner I think it is DL that I'll sell you cheap if you really want it. But it defeats the purpose of a laptop so try the internal one.
 
davidleon said:
Obviously, you want an external enclosure that is sturdy and comes with a good, quiet fan. If you are looking for a FireWire enclosure, look for an Oxford chipset. If you seek an USB external enclosure, a Prolific chipset will do. In my experience, FireWire external enclosures with Oxford chipsets are more stable than their USB counterparts. FireWire versus USB speed is usually not a major concern for an external DVD optical drive.
Click to expand...
I was thinking that USB was about the same speed when transferring data to a DVD.

logana said:
External enclosure - something like this for $30

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA71126

and then add a Pioneer DVR-116DBK for $27.

If your internal drive was wrecked then I would probably recommend replacing the internal but since it is not then go external. If you have a 15" MBP you need a UJ-857 (9.5mm tall) if it is a 17" then UJ-847 (12.5mm tall). UJ-857 drives are about $150 !!

You should not need a fan in an external dvd writer.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info and Links. I have never used these sites to order from before, are they reliable?

California said:
How fast is that model, where can I find it on line? NewEgg or ?
Click to expand...

I've had very good luck on eBay. Make sure to buy new. They should have a manufacter warranty if new.

Saw them for under 99 bucks.

I have a Lacie dvd burner I think it is DL that I'll sell you cheap if you really want it. But it defeats the purpose of a laptop so try the internal one.[/QUOTE]

ebay sound good, in the past, I have always been a little leery of buying computer items off ebay though.
 
Firewire is better than USB2 for dvd writers - less system overhead and the sustained USB2 speed is actually much slower than Firewire. It is slightly more expensive but worth it - trust me !!

Know nothing about the mwave site other than recommended on a dvd burning site - California based and been going for a good few years - Better Business Bureau anybody ?? The prices are excellent - the enclosure would be double that price in the UK
 
All the drives that are cheap will require an AC adapter. If you want a bus powered device, it may cost upwards of $300+. Since we know the MacBook Air Superdrive doesn't work, that is out of the question.

You may be better off upgrading the internal drive.
 
alphaod said:
All the drives that are cheap will require an AC adapter. If you want a bus powered device, it may cost upwards of $300+. Since we know the MacBook Air Superdrive doesn't work, that is out of the question.

You may be better off upgrading the internal drive.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to sound like a smart a**, but isn't that what the enclosure is for??? Could you explain to me the difference please.
 
I updated a 15" PB a little over a year ago... I installed a 100GB 7200rpm HD and figured while I was at it, I'd go the DVD-DL route as well.

I found that MCE Tech to be good on price, and an easy site to navigate.

http://www.mcetech.com/index.html

Overall, the HD & DVD replacement process wasn't that difficult, but a little nerve wracking opening up the PB's case... Although I hear that the MBP's are a bit easier to work with.

Well worth the effort imho. Good luck.
 
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