"Formac has today released a new version of it's tevion software for it's award-winning media converter studio dv/tv. Tevion 1.2 offers the following new features:

1) Improved video and audio quality plus synchronization
2) New preferences
Individual settings for brightness, contrast, saturation and color to adjust video quality.
3) Improved channel identification for TV-Tuner (cable as well as antenna)
4) Link to Formac's DVD authoring software, devideon.

If movies are captured in tevion 1.2 the user will automatically be prompted if he wants to burn these videos on DVD. Formac devideon superdrive and authoring software are required for this feature.

The new software is available for download at
www.formac.com/html/shopformac.html?cid=shop_products_studio_osx"

" Mike, just thought you'd like to know that the QT6 MPEG-2 component does indeed work on a G3 - I have a 400 MHz Pismo and it works fine for me (if a little slowly - I normally see 15-20 fps on 640 [pixels] wide MPEG-2 files).
David"

" Hey Mike, ....I got the MPEG2 component for work on my Powerbook G4, but I installed it on my G3/300 Desktop, with a Nexus 128, just because I could. It opened up a .vob I had lying around and played, albeit at ~12 fps. If I halved size it played pretty tolerably (~19 fps). I'm thinking Apple just suggests a G4 for performance reasons.
--Josh "

" Mike, I have tried using it with my Umax J700 upgraded to G3 500mhz over clocked to 550mhz machine. Video plays great! Audio on the other hand cuts in and out bummer. It plays the same in OS 9.04 and OSX 10.1.5
A point of perhaps interest to the person who had trouble with re-installing Quicktime 5.x with the mpg2 plug-in installed. You don't need to re-install Quicktime 5 you can use the Quicktime5 player with the Quicktime 6 install works great even plays mpeg2's ! [A reader had commented earlier today on reinstalling QT5 for use with Final Cut Pro 3-Mike]
Still has the audio problem on my G3 machine. I keep a copy of older Quicktime players on my hard drive inside a folder not labeled Quicktime. Seemed to confuse apps opening quicktime when more then one were available. Quicktime 4.x plays some .movie files that QT 5 doesn't and QT5 has some editing of mpeg files that QT 6 doesn't. Such as combining several mpg files into one file.
Will S "

Reviewer's Name: Alden Cates
Date Submitted: 7/31/2002
Drive Type: CDRW
Drive Interface: IDE
Drive Brand: TDK
Drive Model Number: 4800B 48x24x48x
Mac Model: Apple G4 AGP Slot
Mac OS Version: OS X
Comments:
"TDK's velocd drive which was just released and was only $99 after a $10 rebate from CompUSA. The box doesn't list the drive as being Mac-compatible but it works in my 533MHz "digital audio" G4 running 10.1.5.

The drive is bootable just as the standard drive from Apple is, OS X sees the drive as "Apple Disc burning: supported" but iTunes3 doesn't (as expected.) Toast 5.1.3 burns with it just fine, except I believe the drive is sensitive to the media used in it, especially at higher speeds (as to be expected.) The error I have received a couple times is:

"The drive reported an error:
Sense key = MEDIUM ERROR
Sense Code = 0x72
SESSION FIXATION ERROR"

...which was fixed by slowing down the write speed.... using off-brand cheap CD-R discs cause the drive to freeze while writing the lead-in and Toast can't abort. Force-quitting the app causes the drive to be stuck in a permanent write mode and the Mac must be restarted to use the drive again.

While Toast sees the drive as 4800B, the box reads 481648B (even though the drive is supposed to be able to re-write at 24x.) 2MB buffer and has "Buffer Underrun Protection" although I can't find anywhere that specifically says "BURNProof" which is what I was specifically looking for over "Just-Link."
[Just-Link is a buffer underrun protection scheme developed by Ricoh I think, also used with some Aopen and other 'brands" of drives based on the same OEM mechanisms.-Mike]

Drive came with 1 CD-R, 1 CD-RW, EIDE cable, screws and 2 basic quick setup pamplets. No instruction manual and even on TDK's website here, I can't find out what the different LED status indicator lights mean (green, amber, red and steady vs. flashing.) The drive supports flashable firmware but doesn't look like there will be any Mac support for doing that in the future.

48x is selectable in Toast, and allows me to burn at that speed with Memorex 32x media just fine - burned a 697.9MB cd in 2:59 (from clicking "Write CD" to the finish chime. Faster speeds might be attainable with 42x or 48x media."

I wonder if the burn error in Toast occurred even using the (I assume) supplied CDR media? (TDK like most brands usually includes at least one piece of media rated for the drive speed). Many drives like the Lite-On 40x I have do sensing of the media during the burn and I have had no errors with it burning with 40x settings on 24x rated media. (Another plus is that the Lite-On 40125S is supported by iTunes in OS X without any plugin file mods).

24x CDRW write speeds of the new TDK drive is impressive. (When 24x rated CDRW discs become commonly available hopefully they won't be really expensive.) I rarely use CDRWs however since 40x CDRs are so cheap now - I bought 100 of them for $9.94 after $20 rebate recently).
(Reader FYI - Illustrated CD drive install guide here covers G4 towers up to the Digital Audio Model, Beige G3 MT, B&W G3 and 8600/9600 Macs)

"Hey Mike, Just a tidbit from an Alias|Wavefront press release that slipped under my radar last week:

"Particularly exciting is the fact that we will be delivering the first mental ray rendering solution, with GUI, to the Macintosh community."
http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/press/maya/releases.shtml

This bodes well for hopes that makers of other (cough!..Pixar) high-end rendering packages will return to the Mac and start porting to OSX. This also might help the Xserve sales.
-Mark"

"I discovered something when reinstalling QT 5 in order to use Final Cut Pro 3 under OS X (after installing QT 6 and the MPEG2 extension/component).

Under OS X, I just discovered that when you install QT 6 and the MPEG2 extension then try to use Apple's QT 5 Reinstaller, it leaves the MPEG2 component from QT 6 intact.

This causes the Finder to crash and behave erratically with any MPEG files. For example, the Finder loses the ability to preview an MPEG1 file.

You have to log in as Root or boot under OS 9 and remove the MPEG2 component from System/Library/QuickTime/. Thought others might want to know...
Malcolm Kwan"

While on the subject of the QT6 MPEG2 component - a reader asked if anyone had used it with a G3 (Apple notes a G4 is required - it may require Altivec?). [See later news item above for G3 owner comments on using the MPEG2 component.]

Tape Drive Reports:
• SCSI Ecrix VXA-133/66 GB used w/G4 no AGP [yikes] (OS X)
  (problems noted in OS X)
  
  CompactFlash Reader:
• USB eFilm DDREADER-2 used w/G4 no AGP [yikes] (OS X)
  (includes driver download link)
  
  DVD-ROM Drive Reports:
• IDE Panasonic SR 8585 16X in B&W G3 (OS X)
  
  DVD-R DVD Recorder Drive Reports:
• IDE Pioneer DVR-104 in eMac (OS X)
• IDE Pioneer DVR-103 in G4/AGP (OS X)
  (problems noted with DVDs - perhaps bad drive)
• IDE Pioneer DVR-104 in G4/AGP (OS X)
  
  Combo DVD-CDR Drive Reports:
• GCC - 4320B (32x10x40 + 16x DVD-ROM) in B&W G3 (OS X)
  
  IDE CDRW Drive Reports:
• Buslink (actually Lite-On LTR-32123S) 32x12x40x in Dual G4 (OS X)
  (Buslink reports listed under "other" brands)
• NEC NR-7900A 24x10x40x in G4/AGP (OS X)
  (listed under "other" brands - no iTunes support)
• Sony CRX185A1 32x10x40x in Beige G3 (OS X)
  (problems noted in OS 9.2.2)
• TDK 4800B 48x24x48x in G4/AGP (OS X)
  (no itunes support)
  (FYI - Illustrated CD drive install guide here covers G4 towers up to the Digital Audio Model, Beige G3 MT, B&W G3 and 8600/9600 Macs)
  
  Firewire CDRW Drive Reports:
• Samsung SW-240 40x12x40x in FW case used w/iMac slot loading (OS X)
  
  IDE Hard Drive Reports:
• IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB in iBook 2002 (OS X)
• IBM 120GXP in G4/AGP (OS 9.1)
  (illustrated 2nd HD install guide here)

You can find full owner reports (latest shown first) by searching the database by drive/brand/interface/mac models (the latest reports are shown first in searches). For guides to installing CD/CDRW/DVD drives or Hard drives in many mac models, see the IDE Articles page. The Firewire articles page also has guides on case kits, installing drives, etc.
If you've added a IDE, SCSI, Firewire or USB hard drive, CDRW, tape drive, etc. make sure you add a report to the database. [If you post an updated entry - make sure you use the same name, etc. as you did before so I can find your past entry. Thanks.]
(Entries today will be added the following newsday. Incomplete entries are deleted. Do not post questions in the database, it's for drive reports not questions on what drive to buy - for that try searching the database for reports from owners of your mac model on the drive type/brand/interface, etc. you're interested in.)

• Powerlogix G3/400 in 7500/100 (rated 9)

(Warning - Overclocking may not be reliable and could lead to hardware failure or corrupted data.) You can find the full reports by searching the database selecting the indicated Mac model and upgrade card brand/type. If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, please post an entry in the database. Search the database for entries from most every upgradable Mac model *before* you buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand). For detailed reviews with performance tests and install tips, see the CPU Upgrades page.)

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