Firmware update for Matsushita UJ-845E?

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October 8, 2005 - 5:11pm
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Dr. Webster
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Firmware update for Matsushita UJ-845E?

The current model PowerBooks ship with this drive as the SuperDrive option. The iMac G5 also ships with this same drive. Strangely, while the drive as installed in the iMac G5 can burn DVD+R DL discs, the drive in the PowerBook is limited to single-layer only. This is obviously a limitation of the firmware, probably set up by Apple. Anyone know of a way to either enable DL burning on the PowerBook, or has a link to a firmware update (maybe a reflash utility for the iMac G5)?

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October 8, 2005 - 8:43pm
reberto
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The Powerbooks in not a dual-

The Powerbooks in not a dual-layer drive. It can not do a Dual-layer disk no matter what firmware it has. It does not have the parts to do so.

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October 8, 2005 - 9:03pm
(Reply to #2)
Dr. Webster
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Ummm, no. The physical drive

Ummm, no. The physical drive in the PowerBook G4 (the most recent model) and the iMac G5 is a Matsushita UJ-845E -- both models use the same drive. Apple disabled DL burning on the PowerBooks in the firmware, and what I want is a way to circumvent this.

What I think would be the most likely way is to find some sort of Apple reflash utility designed for use with the iMac G5 that I can run on my PowerBook. This would most likely be some sort of internal-use-only software.

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March 5, 2006 - 4:37pm
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let me know

if anyone figures out how to enable the UJ-845E for dual layer, please post the info.

thanks.

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March 5, 2006 - 5:13pm
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evilrobot
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well

both of the imac g5's ive used have a uj-845F not E, which is a dual layer.... i dont know about the E

bill

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March 5, 2006 - 6:39pm
(Reply to #5)
Dr. Webster
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Re: well

both of the imac g5's ive used have a uj-845F not E, which is a dual layer.... i dont know about the E

bill

Two iMac G5s I've used have reported 845E drives in System Profiler. Apple has been known to switch out drives in the middle of a production run.

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March 7, 2006 - 9:51am
mutant_pie
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Have you tried . . . Toast 7?

While in the process of upgrading my G4 powerbook to a dual layer burning DVD drive, I found out that I needed to install Patchburn to have OS drivers for the drive, but that it wouldn't support dual layer. Toast7 supposedly can detect specific drives and do dual layer burning, with out support from the OS. Good luck.

BTW, when the slimline BlueRay HD drives come out, I hope that the Patchburn author will keep up. Yarr!!! Think about it; HD DVD on a 500Mhz G4 Powerbook.

Mutant_Pie

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