osx 10.4.11 FINDER does NOT burn hybrid disks

AsheKells

Registered
I am really puzzled by this problem, as everywhere I research I read that osx 10.4.11 is supposed to burn hybrid disks, and I have wasted several disks and time trying to work out why that is not so with my drive.

I have an intel G5 mac running 10.4.11, and using DVD+R disks (although I have also used DVD-R with the same problem).

I am trying to burn quicktime clips to disk, all less that 1gb. When I put them in my pc drive, I can see the directory and all details of the files, but I cannot read or copy them to the local drive.

The disk says it's HFS+format only, both in the PC properties box, and the disk utility in Finder.

What the...?!!

Can someone shed any light on this please it's really frustrating me to have to keep switching to pc every time I need to burn something. I just don't geddit.

Many thanks,
Ashley
 
Please be clearer about what you've actually managed to achieve with burning; and which drive or disk is which, eg. "but I cannot read or copy them to the local drive The Mac drive? "local" is Win terminology for an internal hard drive. And... The disk says it's HFS+format only, both in the PC properties box, and the disk utility in Finder." What disk? The dvd?

I've burned some Q'time video files to a CD-R (don't have any DVD-R at present). Using Info from Disk Utility I note that it's MacOs Extended, ie. HFS+, so that aspect of whatever you've managed to burn appears correct.

Why your Mac optical drive is not reading what you've burned, nor can you burn dvds, nor transfer the files from the dvd you burned with the PC to the Mac hard drive (an assumption I've made from what you've posted) suggests that the Mac optical drive lens or the drive itself is somehow faulty. What brand of optical drive does your G5 have? If Matshita, that may be the problem.
 
Hi Hugh,

I burn on the mac, and they can't be opened (or copied to the hard drive) when I put the DVD in a pc, despite seeing what's on the DVD in the directory. Properties show they are HFS+ only, NOT HFS Plus/ISO 9660 hybrid format as suggested here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh854.html

Since my clients use PC's this is really annoying.

It is a Matshita DVD-R UJ846
DVD write: -R -RW +r +RW +R DL

It has never been able to burn disks readable on a pc, but all the documentation says it should. When I burn it in the mac a dialogue box even flashes up saying the DVD will be readable on both formats.

Thanks,
Ash


__________________
 
Just to be absolutely clear, I am NOT creating DVD's, just trying to burn data disks - with ANY type of data. In this case it's Quicktime (DV-PAL) files.

Thanks again,
Ashley
 
Have you tested one of these discs on your Mac? Could you transfer or access the QT files without hassle?

I have a DVD +R which has the format of Mac OS Extended FWIW ...
 
I burn on the mac, and they can't be opened (or copied to the hard drive) when I put the DVD in a pc, despite seeing what's on the DVD in the directory. Properties show they are HFS+ only ...
Since my clients use PC's this is really annoying.
It is a Matshita DVD-R UJ846
DVD write: -R -RW +r +RW +R DL
It has never been able to burn disks readable on a pc, but all the documentation says it should. When I burn it in the mac a dialogue box even flashes up saying the DVD will be readable on both formats.

Aah, thank you Ashe. Much clearer now. There's something about burning incompatibility between Mac and Win covered in another forum. It's over my head in terms of the technical know-how, but I remember seeing the discussion here: http://forums.macosxhints.com/. I wish I could help you more with the specific thread, but it was perhaps two to three months ago that I read it.

Further, there are a lot of posts about the Matshita brand of burner - and it is not good reading. As I suggested in my previous post, there may be a technical problem with the Mac burner. Are you in a position to try out a different one - external? If so, may I both suggest and recommend a Pioneer. The 115D or 116D (or 215D/216D if SATA) will deal admirably with what you're doing.

Third, what software are your Win clients using to try and read the dvds? I have come across several comments about using VLC to view Mac-burned Quicktime files (and possibly vice-versa). Again, it's a cross-platform compatibility issue, something to do with the way the two different systems burn disks. Not in my realm of understanding unfortunately.
 
I can open and transfer the disks on the no problem. It's really frustrating that everything says they should be readable on a PC!

Ashe
 
You know what Hugh and Vurtual Tracy - VLC does play the files on my PC! (My PC is NTFS formatted). So unless I can ask my clients to install VLC and use the stream/save option to save it to their pc hard disk I'll just continue burning the disks with my PC it's much simpler but just adds an extra task for me each time.

Oh well. If anyone knows and other simple tweaks

Mystifying. Apple just say that ox 10.3 onwards writes disks that can be read on both mac and PC, nothing at all can be found about this issue.

Many thanks for your feedback,
Ashe
 
Hello AsheKells :)

Can I ask where the QT vids originally come from? If you use the Mac to burn the disc and ask the client to drag the files from the disc onto their desktop/s, does this change anything about their experience in not being able to view the movies? I know I've had issues in the past with not being able to access files on a disc until I copied them to my hard drive. Unfortunately, I can't recall if this was similar to your exact scenario ...

They do have QuickTime installed on their individual PC's, don't they? I know that may seem silly to ask but it's important and I'm sorry if you have already mentioned this.

If, after a client receives a Mac burned disc and have dragged the QT movies off onto their Desktop, they are unsuccessful in launching the movie using QT, then what about if they do so using VLC as you have said yourself.

If this is successful then you can continue using your Mac to burn the discs and your clientele can download VLC (free!) and all would appear in order? What think you?
 
I found an solution using terminal with the instruction to create ISO Joliet disks - and this very useful article shows you how to create an automator file so it can be done with a context right click menu straight from finder.

This worked for me - but I am still really confused as to why all the documentation (and even the dialogue box when burning from the burn folder) says it will create a cross platform disk. It clearly doesn't.

http://seanmcgrath.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/creating-iso-from-the-finder/

Thanks all, over and out.
Ashley
 
Thanks for posting the solution AsheKells :) It's difficult to say why, unless we can duplicate the problem ourselves, but the answer could lie anywhere's ;)
 
You know what Hugh and Vurtual Tracy - VLC does play the files on my PC! (My PC is NTFS formatted). So unless I can ask my clients to install VLC and use the stream/save option ...
Mystifying. Apple just say that ox 10.3 onwards writes disks that can be read on both mac and PC ...

I've read back to your OP and the subsequent discussion, and nowhere did I ask what program you're using to burn - aaaagh! What prompted this was that I had cause to burn a dvd+r in the w/end for a friend, and used Toast 7. While I was setting things up, I noticed that it gave me the option of burning for Mac only or for Mac/Win. From that I think it is reasonable to surmise that there IS a difference, but that Apple hasn't made it clear (not their responsibility, third-party software, blah, blah).

So, Ashe, would you care to investigate that matter to see if it cures the incompatibility issue? And here's another suggestion - include VLC App (the Win version) with the disks you send to your clients. A nice little gift - and a big hint! ;)
 
Indeed VLC has been a godsend to me over the years, it's fabulous and can do almost anything save the washing up. I always recommend it.

For burning I have been using the os system direct - from the finder , the burn folder, or the disk utitlity. When you burn from a burn folder the system actually says that it will create a disk that both win and mac can use. Then doesn't. Despite third party applications working, I want it to do what it says on the can! I am dogged with things like this as you can probably tell. At some point I have to give up and accept that Apple tell little white lies and then I'll use the terminal/automator work around above rather than third party apps. I am up to my eyeballs in third party apps.

Thanks again all,
Ashe
 
Back
Top