An open community 
of Macintosh users,
for Macintosh users.

FineTunedMac Dashboard widget now available! Download Here

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
DVD Player v VLC
#40120 04/29/16 08:37 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
I've got to buy an external superdrive, and according to OWC Apple's is the only one that works with DVD Player.app, so they suggest VLC.

Does anybody with experience with the two apps have an opinion on their relative preferability or, alternatively, know of a better solution than either? (I'm a very casual user, but I'd like to do the best I can...within reason.)

Suggestions on which drive to buy would also be appreciated. (I can't believe that I'm even considering Apple's; it's got more 1 star reviews than 5s and 4s combined! tongue )

Thanks.

Last edited by cyn; 04/30/16 10:54 AM. Reason: Topic moved from "Peripherals" to the "Audio, Video, Photography" forum.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40124 04/30/16 01:20 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 5
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 5
Not sure where the advice that ONLY the Apple external SuperDrive got its' start, but by my experience with lots of other external DVD drives it's not valid today.

I just plugged Star Wars I, The Phantom Menace into an inexpensive USB bus-powered external optical drive and it played under DVD Player just fine on my 13" MacBook Pro Retina with El Capitan.....

Under earlier OS's that might once have been true, but I'm fairly certain that I can buy almost any reasonable quality external DVD player today and it will work.


Freedom is never free....thank a Service member today.
Re: DVD Player v VLC
MacManiac #40130 04/30/16 06:09 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Thanks for that.

Apple's USB SuperDrive's dismal review profile

Originally Posted By: Apple
3.0 Average
3 out of 5 stars
Number of stars Percentage Number of reviews
5 Stars                    31%                 114reviews
4 Stars                    10%                   38reviews
3 Stars                      6%                   22reviews
2 Stars                     11%                   41reviews
1 Star                       41%                 152reviews

doesn't induce me to be a buyer, so unless somebody's got some really negative commentary about VLC I'll gamble on your experience being universal.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40133 04/30/16 10:49 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 3
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 3

Quote:
Apple's USB SuperDrive's dismal review profile

I note that that same drive gets 4.6 out of 5 at Staples.com, 4.8 at B&H, and 4.3 at Amazon. Meanwhile, for the sake of comparison, the Magic Mouse 2 shows a similar profile: 3.0 at Apple, 4.4 at B&H Photo Video, and 4.3 at Amazon.



dkmarsh—member, FineTunedMac Co-op Board of Directors
Re: DVD Player v VLC
MacManiac #40136 04/30/16 12:21 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
I don't have an Apple SuperDrive, but I do have two external optical drives each from a different vendor and several years apart in age and both play nice with Apple DVD Player. However, Apple DVD Player does not recognize Blueray.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: DVD Player v VLC
dkmarsh #40138 04/30/16 02:07 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: dkmarsh

Quote:
Apple's USB SuperDrive's dismal review profile

I note that that same drive gets 4.6 out of 5 at Staples.com, 4.8 at B&H, and 4.3 at Amazon. Meanwhile, for the sake of comparison, the Magic Mouse 2 shows a similar profile: 3.0 at Apple, 4.4 at B&H Photo Video, and 4.3 at Amazon.

Thanks for pointing that out; it certainly muddies the waters, but I wonder what it really means?

(At least in part, the 3rd party vendor review profiles are skewed by purchasers who have reviewed the vendor, NOT the drive itself, while the reviews on Apple's website appear to be 100% directed at the drive, so that's something. [Based on cursory, not in-depth look.])

confused .


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
joemikeb #40139 04/30/16 02:15 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
I don't have an Apple SuperDrive, but I do have two external optical drives each from a different vendor and several years apart in age and both play nice with Apple DVD Player. However, Apple DVD Player does not recognize Blueray.

Thanks for mentioning that; it's not apparent on Apple's website, although it is predictable.

Also, thanks for seconding MacManiac's experience.

(Blu Ray hasn't been an issue for me up to now, and it doesn't appear likely that it'll be one in the foreseeable future, so I'll pass on the functionality for the moment.)

Last edited by artie505; 04/30/16 02:18 PM. Reason: More

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40144 04/30/16 03:58 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 1
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 1
FWIW, I have an OWC Mercury Pro ‘Super-Multi’ burner (LG M-Disc mechanism, no BluRay), which works seamlessly with DVD Player. (It replaced a similar model that slowly died during its first year; unfortunately that failure became unambiguously clear only after the one year warranty period had expired. Moral: in case of abberations, however small, complain in time!)


alternaut moderator
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40159 05/01/16 03:02 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 1
Offline

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 1
Whether a particular external DVD player works with Apple's DVD app seems to be down to the USB chip in the DVD player. Data point: I removed the DVD player from my MacBook Pro to make room for a second hard drive. I bought a cheap $2 external DVD enclosure for the DVD drive from a Chinese no-name manufacturer. It does not work with Apple's DVD app (but it does work with other DVD players like VLC), even though it's an Apple mechanism.

Stick with name brand external players with good USB chips and you'll likely be fine, but be sure you can return it if it doesn't work. Cheap external drives from dodgy vendors, on the other hand, are more likely to be problematic.


Photo gallery, all about me, and more: www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
Re: DVD Player v VLC
tacit #40161 05/01/16 04:34 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Thanks for contributing to the discussion; I'll keep your point in mind.

I suppose I shouldn't buy from OWC, because they state flat out that

Originally Posted By: OWC
Apple's DVD Player application only works with an internal optical drive or the Apple's external SuperDrive. To play DVDs with this drive, we recommend the free VLC Player, which can be downloaded from http://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

and that would leave me in a pretty weak position if their drive doesn't work with DVD Player.

Has anybody got any experience with that to add to alternaut's?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
alternaut #40162 05/01/16 04:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: alternaut
FWIW, I have an OWC Mercury Pro ‘Super-Multi’ burner (LG M-Disc mechanism, no BluRay), which works seamlessly with DVD Player.

Is this that drive?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40165 05/01/16 02:38 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 5
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 5
Quote:
DVD Player Support:
Mac OS X 10.3 (all versions) - DVD player works perfectly
Mac OS X previous to OS X 10.3 - DVD player not supported
Mac OS 9 or earlier - DVD player not supported


Quoted from the OWC page you referenced....(italics added for clarity)

If you have moved beyond OS X 10.2, you are going to be just fine.


Freedom is never free....thank a Service member today.
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40166 05/01/16 04:05 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 1
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 1
Originally Posted By: artie505
Is this that drive?
No, but it’s close. Mine has an older (2014, but functionally identical) predecessor mechanism with LG Manufacturer Model Number GH24NSB0B. In addition, the (no longer available) enclosure uses different chipsets for both its FW 400 & 800 and USB 3.0 ports.


alternaut moderator
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40174 05/01/16 05:37 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 8
Offline

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 8
As Tacit observed about some drives and DVD Player, the same is true with some drives and the ability to left-click or Control-click to eject the disc in the drive. Some non-Apple drives require that you drag the icon to the trash for it to eject and will only eject that way.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40175 05/01/16 05:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 14
Offline

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 14
Originally Posted By: artie505
I suppose I shouldn't buy from OWC, because they state flat out that

Originally Posted By: OWC
Apple's DVD Player application only works with an internal optical drive or the Apple's external SuperDrive. To play DVDs with this drive, we recommend the free VLC Player, which can be downloaded from http://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

Not only that but their M Disk only protects your data from degradation and loss for 1,000 years or more. Whatever happened to solid warranties? laugh


ryck

"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers

iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020), 3.8 GHz 8 Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 2667 MHz DDR4
OS Ventura 13.6.3
Canon Pixma TR 8520 Printer
Epson Perfection V500 Photo Scanner c/w VueScan software
TM on 1TB LaCie USB-C
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40190 05/02/16 04:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Originally Posted By: artie505
I suppose I shouldn't buy from OWC, because they state flat out that

Originally Posted By: OWC
Apple's DVD Player application only works with an internal optical drive or the Apple's external SuperDrive. To play DVDs with this drive, we recommend the free VLC Player, which can be downloaded from http://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

My wife has this OWC external Super multi drive attached to her Mac mini running El Capitan and DVD Player works with (except Apple does not support Blu Ray) and I have this NewerTech drive/enclosure also from OWC and it too plays nice with DVD Player. DVD Player also works with my elderly TSSTcorp Superdrive in a LaCie enclosure. (Just to be sure I was not mis-speaking I just tested all three drives with DVD Player and all worked perfectly.)

Maybe it is a good thing that I missed that notice when I bought the drives from OWC. If I had seen it maybe DVD Player would not have worked with my enclosures/drives. grin


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: DVD Player v VLC
MacManiac #40213 05/03/16 06:48 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: MacManiac
Quote:
DVD Player Support:
Mac OS X 10.3 (all versions) - DVD player works perfectly
Mac OS X previous to OS X 10.3 - DVD player not supported
Mac OS 9 or earlier - DVD player not supported

Quoted from the OWC page you referenced....(italics added for clarity)

If you have moved beyond OS X 10.2, you are going to be just fine.

Strange that your quote and

Originally Posted By: OWC
Apple's DVD Player application only works with an internal optical drive or the Apple's external SuperDrive. To play DVDs with this drive, we recommend the free VLC Player, which can be downloaded from http://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

appear on the same page.

Maybe they're just covering their butts, but that leads to why?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
Ira L #40214 05/03/16 06:54 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: Ira L
As Tacit observed about some drives and DVD Player, the same is true with some drives and the ability to left-click or Control-click to eject the disc in the drive. Some non-Apple drives require that you drag the icon to the trash for it to eject and will only eject that way.

Thanks for mentioning that, Ira; the prospect doesn't thrill me, but it's not a deal breaker either. (Oops... I just noticed that my new deuced Mac(hina) hasn't got an "Eject" button. tongue )


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
joemikeb #40216 05/03/16 08:29 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
My wife has this OWC external Super multi drive attached to her Mac mini running El Capitan and DVD Player works with (except Apple does not support Blu Ray).... (Just to be sure I was not mis-speaking I just tested...with DVD Player and [it] worked perfectly.)

Maybe it is a good thing that I missed that notice when I bought the drives from OWC. If I had seen it maybe DVD Player would not have worked with my enclosures/drives. grin

Thanks for that; it really helped.

Looking more closely than before I see that the drive at which I was looking, primarily because it's USB 3, isn't bus powered, and that's a deal breaker.

Banking on your wife's experience, though, I'm going with this OWC drive which is only USB 2 - not a deal breaker - but is slot-loading, which I prefer because it takes up less room than a tray-loader and is, I hope, less likely to suffer mechanical failure. (I'll pass on the cheaper model...also a tray-loader and spring for Blu-ray read/NO write which I can imagine needing someday; I doubt that I'll ever need to write to a Blu-ray disc, so I'll pass on that capability.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
joemikeb #40262 05/05/16 12:18 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
My wife has this OWC external Super multi drive attached to her Mac mini running El Capitan and DVD Player works with (except Apple does not support Blu Ray)....

Luckily I haven't ordered yet, because I just remembered that the drive comes with a "Y" USB cable in case one port doesn't deliver sufficient power, and while I have got two USB ports, they're on opposite sides of my deuced Mac(hina), and although a "Y" cable can be made to connect, it's not something I want to do.

Does your wife's drive require the "Y"?

Thanks.

Edit: The drive I'm looking at is USB 2, same as your wife's drive.

Last edited by artie505; 05/05/16 12:19 AM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40353 05/08/16 12:15 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
So I called OWC tech support to see if they could tell me whether I'd need to use one or two USB ports to power the drive, and the tech to whom I spoke told me that in most instances its two, but she had absolutely no idea that the ports on MBPs are no longer adjacent to each other but are now on opposite sides of the machine and aren't suitable for use with a "Y" cable.

From what I've read, the most power a USB 3 port can deliver through a USB2 cable is 1100 mAmp at 5 volts which translates to 5.5 watts, but the according to the OWC tech the drive draws 6.3 watts, so unless joemike can confirm that the "Y" is unnecessary (Edit: or refute what I've read) this deal is dead, and I'll just give up tormenting myself and go for Apple's drive. (Jeez; they don't even post specs for the thing...pretty arrogant, don't you think?)

Last edited by artie505; 05/08/16 12:26 AM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: DVD Player v VLC
artie505 #40356 05/08/16 12:34 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Originally Posted By: artie505
From what I've read, the most power a USB 3 port can deliver through a USB2 cable is 1100 mAmp at 5 volts which translates to 5.5 watts, but the according to the OWC tech the drive draws 6.3 watts, so unless joemike can confirm that the "Y" is unnecessary this deal is dead, and I'll just give up tormenting myself and go for Apple's drive. (Jeez; they don't even post specs for the thing...pretty arrogant, don't you think?)

All I can tell you is the drive on my wife's Mac mini works just fine when plugged into a single USB 3 port. However that is on a Mac mini and not an MBP. Laptop ports may not always provide the same power as the same port on a desktop machines.

In the past I have needed to return an item purchased from OWC. It was a no hassle deal and they credited my credit card the day the returned item reached their facility. I don't know if their return policy has changed since then, but I have always found them good people to do business with. So that is certainly an option for you to try out.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: DVD Player v VLC
joemikeb #40357 05/08/16 12:55 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Thanks. smile

Apple Computers and Displays: Powering peripherals through USB is the doc on which I've relied, and it doesn't distinguish between desktop and laptop ports.

Your wife's experience contradicts every fact I can find about the drive, but in the final analysis, experience transcends conservatism/conjecture/whatever you want to call OWC's position on the drive, so what the heck; I'll gamble on the possibility of a $10 restocking fee + return shipping if my experience differs from hers.

Punch line later...


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
OWC Slim 6X Portable USB 2.0 Blu-ray Reader
joemikeb #40417 05/12/16 05:45 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
OP Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
All I can tell you is the drive on my wife's Mac mini works just fine when plugged into a single USB 3 port. However that is on a Mac mini and not an MBP. Laptop ports may not always provide the same power as the same port on a desktop machines.

I got my new disc drive today, and although I haven't tested all of its functionality (and will not for a while, if ever...lord only knows when I'll get my hands on a bootable or Blu-ray disc) I can report that
  • It works with the power from only one USB 3 port with a USB 2 cable. (It draws only 2mA?)
  • It works with Apple's DVD Player.
  • The "Y" cable has been redesigned to connect to the USB ports on both sides of an MBP at the same time if necessary.
  • Discs can be ejected with control-click and do not have to be dragged to the trash.
Many thanks for having contributed your experience with virtually the same drive, and thanks to all who contributed their expertise and experience as well.

If there's anything I've overlooked in my report please ask.

Edit: OWC has got a nasty habit of packaging upgraded products in their predecessor's packaging, which can make resale more difficult than it should be.

Last edited by artie505; 05/12/16 08:34 AM. Reason: Make title more searchable +

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: OWC Slim 6X Portable USB 2.0 Blu-ray Reader
artie505 #40423 05/12/16 04:21 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Moderator
Offline
Moderator

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Glad it worked out for you and thanks for the report. cool


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  cyn, dianne 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4
(Release build 20200307)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.4.33 Page Time: 0.045s Queries: 65 (0.033s) Memory: 0.7199 MB (Peak: 0.9094 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-29 10:27:58 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS