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How to set DVD book type for Mac?

Discussion in 'Mac - General discussion' started by xp_ation, Oct 31, 2009.

  1. xp_ation

    xp_ation Member

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    I recently upgraded to a new Mac. I need to have a DVD-ROM book type be written to DVD+R media (for burning Wii games).

    Previously, I used this DVD Plus tool: http://www.plak.net/dvdplustool/

    However, it is really, REALLY ancient and doesn't seem to work with the new Mac's drive.

    I then tried "dvdrw-tools" in macports to do the following:
    Code:
    dvd+rw-booktype dvd-rom unit+r /dev/disk1
    
    But... I got this:
    :( :(

    Anyone know how I can modify the book type of the written media (currently it writes DVD+R book type to +R media). Either on the drive itself or as part of the burning process. Was also taking a look at growisofs but there isn't an option there either :(

    The drive model is: HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N

    Thanks!
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2009
  2. Gneiss1

    Gneiss1 Regular member

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    Your query, a really good one here, isn't being ignored; I just don't know how to do it, for I haven't a Mac available. (I don't know why someone knowledgeable hasn't responded.) DVD players usually don't last longer than 5 years, so I don't know how much longer this kludge will be needed.

    My Pioneer & Samsung DVD writers do this automatically; but I believe I once read that some Mac DVD writers couldn't have their firmware changed to bitset DVDs.

    However, you still have three other choices. You can choose your book type on a software writer, possibly with 'Burn'. You can rip VIDEO_TS file, producing a rewritable copy. Some rippers allow you to set the book type to DVD ROM; or you might be able to edit the first four bits yourself with a binary editor. Then there's a possibility you can skip a ripper and edit the supposedly not rewritable UDF-formatted VIDEO_TS file on your hard disk using, for example, 'myDVDedit'.

    (Having this freeware is never a mistake, and I filter my VIDEO_TS through it just to fix bugs. It, like much freeware, has a forum with knowledgeable moderator).

    Sorry I haven't a specific answer. Try the Apple Discussions and examine the documentation of freeware. I could recommend downloading, trying, & deleting; but Apple suffers from no good uninstaller.

    You can be sure there's a solution, but it may be commercial.

     
  3. xp_ation

    xp_ation Member

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    Yeah, unfortunately I just haven't found any software that would do this freeware or commercial :(

    (and the issues with uninstallation isn't really an issue... any half decent app shouldn't even have an installer, you should just be able to drag it to trash and... voila! :)

    The closest I've come is the two softwares mentioned above.

    I think the drive itself should be supported since it's an LG.

    What I'll try do is boot off a Live Windows CD (WinPE) and run Imgburn off it... hope that works :)
     
  4. Gneiss1

    Gneiss1 Regular member

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    This is how it still is, on my 1985 AT&T Unix PC. However, with each command-line executable comes now a file of preferences, icons for the desktop, &c. There used to be a BOM (bill of materials) for an installer. There are specific OS folders for all these little bits & pieces. Dragging the clickable icon to the Trash, in principle, should uninstall all these; but it hasn't in the past.

    My three $40 DVD players will play any disk, so why bitsetting is still needed is a 'bit' confusing to me. I take it you own a MacBook. Apple is very picky about making Hollywood happy, so you may wish to carefully check before using a Windows flasher. Just searching Google for "book type" OR booktype AND HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N produced this Mac thread on region-free flashing:

    http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-347949.html

    However, check the comment to Afterdawn's 'region code' glossary.

    http://www.afterdawn.com/glossary/terms/region_code.cfm

    A similar search for Windows flashable firmware on the MyCE (MediaCodeSpeedEdit) forum and the 'CD Freaks' forum produced plenty of articles worthy of study.

    With a G4 PowerBook, I use an external LaCie LightScribe dual- & double-layered writer (principally for its great case) with USB (for writing) and Firewire (for booting), turn off all applications, energy settings set full speed, & a regularly changed icepack beneath the aluminum laptop. (Actually, I do use a free temperature monitor and have it ring when the processor temperature suddenly increases.) The optical writer runs cool. Mine burn whatever region code & book type my ripper chooses, at maximal speed on Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden discs - not that my $40 DVD player would care. All old disks still play flawlessly.

    Were I to play my DVD at a café, I might rip it to the hard disk first, for heat is an issue with Mac laptops, and I assume that would save the DVD writer & long-term battery life; but this is unclear.
     
  5. Gneiss1

    Gneiss1 Regular member

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    Just glanced over your original post, which I apologize for not having read closely. If you don't wish to use DVD-R media, you can always pay money & buy Toast 6 or greater to create DVD-ROM media:

    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/125996

    My preference was to use an external drive and use Disk Copy on a UDF disc image, though I can't remember whether 'Burn' (available from Sourceforge) bitsets. (It's a Toast clone, using several command-line Unix programs.)

    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/574771
    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/633164

    I seem to remember building a folder containing about every known audio & video program on Sourceforge, built from the classic Unix, command-line programs. They all played fine together. :) Because it's MacOSX, no room in RAM is used when installing an application, as it is in MS Windows.
     
  6. xp_ation

    xp_ation Member

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    Great, thanks! :)

    I tried Burn it doesn't have it :(

    I see Toast but omg I think it really is overkill to get a totally expensive suite of huge-ass apps just to set one little bit on my drive :)

    I'll give it a go though and I'll try my Windows Live CD when I get home with imgburn, and hopefully my drive persists the setting (if it works at all:)
     
  7. xp_ation

    xp_ation Member

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    Hmm... just tried Toast 10... in all its hugeness, no option to change the booktype for DVD+R media.
     
  8. Gneiss1

    Gneiss1 Regular member

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    Sorry. It is ridiculous. Earlier in life I programmed a lot; so, were this the problem it is, I should have ripped the disk to a writable format, changed the first four bits to zeros with a small, binary editor, & written a script; or just written a tiny C program.

    It's unlikely that Toast 10 has removed the ability to booktype 'data' as DVD-ROM, but there was some discussion of the 'button' to do this having 'moved around' in versions later than 6 (which may still be available on eBay). However, the first thread in the last post writes of other problems in copying game discs--and solutions. (Work from the back forward.) Because I played a video game only once, in 1967, I'll recuse myself as incompetent to address this subject.

    Toast is very fast, but expensive (for me). I've preferred the slower DAO strategy, that uses only 'Unix' software, purely out of pocketbook. You might try reading the first thread in the last message from the back; and if that doesn't help, there's always this over-100 page thread. :)

    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/114/471073

    A Mac would, in principal, seem ideal for games, because of its fine graphics. It's hard to believe you may end up using your kludge; but I never understood life anyway.

    Best of luck.
     
  9. xp_ation

    xp_ation Member

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    Sorry, didn't find anything :(

    The Live CD approach also didn't work since I didn't find a non-installer version of ImgBurn (arg, Windows software, bleh). Besides, I needed a DVD+R in the drive to set it and that's not gonna happen with a Live CD in the drive already, doh! :)

    Thanks for all the help. I think I'll just settle with getting an external or burning off another machine :/
     
  10. Gneiss1

    Gneiss1 Regular member

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    This isn't a solution, just a link that might help. Since Friday, I've been thinking of uses of a Sony Playstation 3 in addition to the DRM to watch NetFlix streamed movies. It has quite a bit of hardware for the price, so I've been hopelessly floundering, dreaming of its use as Workstation in visualizing mathematical surfaces and maps. It's less expensive than an SGI; and the hand control seems practical.

    Nothing so far; however, it can dual boot a Linux, but I don't know whether any projective (flying) Linux software is well-coded for the AltVec vector processor.

    To the point: I've been examining the text commands for burning DVDs.

    This page lists quite a few DVD commands, most or all of which used to run on my PowerPC, G4 Macs. Perhaps you'll find a method of book typing DVD+R as DVD-ROM if you list them & examine the documentation on Sourceforge. (I've not gone that far yet.-)

    http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/
     
  11. scum101

    scum101 Guest

    Have a look at the dvd-rw.org site .. they tell how to use cdrecord to set disk type from command line.. and I guess cdrecord and growisofs are still the back end for all these pretty bloatware gui burning apps?

    The answer is also in the above link.. but it takes a fair bit of reading to a) see the info, and b) work out how to actually achieve it... that is, if the burner being used will write to those particular bits.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2009
  12. Gneiss1

    Gneiss1 Regular member

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    That's the rub.

    The Good
    http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/LinuxTutorialCDBurn.html

    The Bad
    http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102624

    But hey, this is a skinny laptop with overheating problems. I thought you didn't believe in banging DVD DL drives through doors and dropping them on café tables!

    An external drive can have both USB (for speed) & Firewire (for booting). And we know how to evaluate them!

    The Useful
    http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11171

    A 3 lbs tank!
     

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