Submission details
OS X can't read or burn Multi Session DVDs
The DVD UDF format allows DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs to be read and written to just like floppy drives. You can add extra files and folders until the DVD is full, plus delete and rename existing files. However OS X doesn't support this feature. Even worse, if somebody using Windows or Linux gives me a DVD after they added or modified the contents, the DVD is not readable on the Mac. Any DVD that was left open when written is also inaccessible.
It's also impossible to easily add files or rename them on an already burnt DVD using OS X. It's so simple to do in other operating systems, but OS X doesn't support it yet. A Shareware application called BurnAgain makes it easy to add files to the DVD and to rename or delete existing files, but of course it costs money. There are ways to add files using very complicated methods with Disk Utility and the Terminal, but these are impossible for most users to follow, and completely defeat the ease-of-use of simply just adding more files to the DVD.
Universal Disk Format has been available for more than thirteen years, and Version 1.5 which supports multi-session burns has been around for over ten years but is still only PARTIALLY supported by OS 10.4.11 and 10.5 (supporting Plain but not VAT or Spared formats):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format
Why is it so difficult? Why do I have to boot up Windows just to read a plain and simple DVD?
Allow OS X to read all common DVD formats as specified by the UDF standard.
Allow burning multi-session DVDs from the Finder.
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
Discussion (9 comments)
Jup. See, now you're making sense.
I should probably also mention that OS 9 can read multi-session and hybrid DVDs using this freeware extension: http://www.tempel.org/joliet/
but that's living in the past. This is the future where 'It Just Works' (but it just works differently)
Wel, apparantly it didn't 'just work' in the past either.
The point is, it was possible to read multi-session DVDs on the Mac for free. Now it's impossible. Even buying BurnAgain doesn't allow me to read Windows UDF1.5 multi-session DVDs, so the DVDs are completely unusable.
Actually, I'm lying, it IS possible to use Windows multi-session DVDs on a brand new IntelMac. You just install BootCamp and boot into Windows. That's progress.
Why don't you go buy a hard drive? You're in the past,man. But yes, MacOS should be able to do this, although I have to ask: is there an ISO standard on multisession disks or is it just something Windows?
"Why don't you go buy a hard drive?"
It's not very cheap, convenient or reliable to post hard drives overseas. You can send multiple DVDs for only a dollar or two to almost anywhere in the world. When I receive a DVD full of files from overseas and can't open it, it's rather annoying to have to boot up Windows before I can use it. On multiple occasions I've had to run to the nearest internet cafe so I can copy files from a DVD onto a Flash drive, because the Mac couldn't read the DVDs and a PC wasn't available on-site.
UDF is an ISO standard as described on the Wikipedia page, so all specifications are freely available to the public:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format
"The Universal Disk Format (UDF) <snip> is an implementation of the ISO/IEC 13346 standard (also known as ECMA-167)."
The standard also supports permissions and ownership, but OS X doesn't understand how to read them properly, which is why you get people who can't delete My Documents and My Pictures folders from their Mac after copying them from DVD. I believe you had a similar problem with network copies.
Very good facts. Although I have to say I can't delete My Videos and My Music on my hard drive, not a DVD. Also, I'de have to say that multi-session DVDs were never my area and never something I used or understood. OS X should be able to read this - but let's admit it, OS X has a basic DVD burner (mostly because burning things is not so much in use anymore, with the internet and whatnot). Can't toast do this?
"Can't toast do this?"
I wish it could... but alas, it only shows me that there is a DVD inserted and that the DVD has two sessions but neither can be accessed...
There does not seem to be a demo version on the site (waiting on response from company to confirm), but this software sounds like it will allow you to read UDF 1.5, 2.0, 2.01, 2.5, 2.6 and discs created by popular and legacy products like Nero, Roxio, VOB, BHA, and Linux UDF.
http://www.softarch.com/EN/Product/ReadDVDMac.html
Will update if I get a chance to try the software.
MicrowaveDave wrote on January 8, 2009, 3:24pm
Changed problem description.