External DVD question

[switchah]

I know this has been handled a bit in other threads, but I have not found the specific answer to my question so here goes:

can any "generic" DVD-R be put in a firewire case and hooked up to a mac, or does it somehow have to be "mac specific". I know there is a hack for iMovie- but other than that, will the mac read and write from it?

I am re-approaching the mac mini with a different strategy- I am considering buying the cheapest model and upgrading the HD and maxing the ram as opposed to buying the tricked out version from Apple.

Part of this strategy would involve dropping my DVD-R into an external firewire case (I have a Optorite DD0203)

[SpecMode]

I'm using a Hi-Val (read: "generic") external 16X DVD+/-RW DL USB2.0 burner, and it worked just fine after using PatchBurn (mentioned in another thread, which is how I got it working yesterday evening). Well, almost just fine; it burns 8X DVD-R discs just fine, but refuses to burn 16X DVD+R's for some reason, even though I know the drive supports it. Nothing's perfect, I suppose...

[switchah]

Ok.. well does os X see the burner "natively" without patchburn? I am a bit wary of depending on a "hack" since Apple has a history of plugging holes in ways around thier little monoply with patches.

[Luca]

No. Patchburn is great and it's not too much of a hack. Not the kind that Apple would get mad about.

Also you can use any burner under the sun using Roxio Toast.

[Kiren]

oftentimes it will see the burner, but not support burning without patchburn. Also note that if you don't have an internal dvd drive dvd player is not installed, though that may not be relavent to you.