Problem with new Pioneer DVD drive.

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I have a PowerPc Mac G5 running Leopard 10.5.8 and I have been upgrading some parts. I installed the Pioneer DVR-A18L, which is the European version of the DVR-118L that is being sold as Mac compatible everywhere. When checking on System Profiler it is recognized as the Pioneer DVR-118L and the following:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-118L
Firmware Revision: 102
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Generic Drive Support)
Profile Path: None
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RAM, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: No

So, at the moment the drive reads CD's but it doesn't get to play them; on iTunes it reads the tracks and gets the titles and stays hanging and doesn't get to play them at all. When inserting DVD's it spins for a while until it says that a blank DVD/Media have been inserted.
Anyone knows why this is happening? Do I need to flash it or fix something? I thought it would work straight away as the DVR-118L.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
You've probably thought of this already, but could it simply be a faulty unit? Is there some straightforward way of exchanging it for another drive? Pioneer are usually great with Macs, which makes me suspect the drive itself.

A second thought is that when connecting the drive cable at the rear of the unit, one (or more) of the pins has been bent and is not connected - it can happen all too easily.
 
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Thanks for the reply. I will try taking it out and checking and connecting again, but it all looked alright when I did it. Yes, I can change it for another in case it's faulty. But it is weird that it reads CD's but can't play and the DVD issue is weird as well.
 
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But it is weird that it reads CD's but can't play and the DVD issue is weird as well.

Exactly, which makes me lean more towards my second supposition, ie, a faulty connection; that, and the fact that the previous optical drive worked okay. The drive 'knows' a disk is there, but the playback function isn't working, in other words - faulty interface.

While you've got the drive out of its bay, why not try a connection with a USB/ATA adaptor. I realise it's an extra expense, and a hassle in buying an adaptor - assuming one is readily available - but what it will do is make it easier to test the faulty connection theory.
 
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Just took it out and even changed the IDE cable, I didn't see any bent pin or connector. Situation after that is the same: it reads and recognizes blank CD-R, CD-RW and music CD, it won't play the music ones. And the movies and data DVD are only recognized as blank ones.
I couldn't try the USB/AT adaptor as I don't have any at hand now.
 
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Okay, on to theory No 3. Do you have the original OS installation disks? If so, boot from Disk 1 and run Disk Utilities to do a hardware check (First Aid, Verify Disk, Repair Disk etc). It may show a fault in the ATA connectivity - other than the plug/pins.
 
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I am trying to do that, but can't see where it says to check hardware. The only option that shows next to Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-118L is to Erase CD.
It also shows:
Disk Description: Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-118L
Capabilities: Click for more information
Connection Bus: ATAPI
Connection Type: Internal
Burn Support: Unsupported.
 
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MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
I am trying to do that, but can't see where it says to check hardware.
Sorry, I may have misled you a bit there. In Disk Utilities, use Verify Disk and Repair Disk - the latter only if Verify identifies something that needs repairing. You might also use Verify Permissions (+ repair if necessary).

Disk Description: Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-118L
Capabilities: Click for more information
Connection Bus: ATAPI
Connection Type: Internal
Burn Support: Unsupported.
That last bit is strange. Mind you, so is my setup where it says in Sys Profiler 'Yes' (unsupported). I take that to mean it's not an official piece of Apple branded and identified hardware.

Did you get any installation software with the Pioneer drive? If so, it may have some sort of driver, or modification to the OS, to accommodate the Pioneer hardware. However, Pioneer generally just works with Mac.
I have to sign off now, but will come back to this issue tomorrow. Hopefully someone else will visit the thread to assist you meantime.
 
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Mate I think you have got a crookie. Take it back and ask them to check it out or contact Pioneer. Have you registered the superdrive with Pioneer as they are required to provide a warranty. Thoughts things a little odd when the salesman told you it was the last one in England when you purchased it. There is a 'register' and 'Contact Us' on this web page:-

http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/products/42/84/222/overview.html
 
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Our pleasure. See it was not the last one in the UK?
 

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