Will Toast Help Transfer Photo Files To Blu-Ray Disk

[psmith2383]

I've read just about all the entries in the Toast 11 User Group. I'm amazed at the range of user knowledge about Macs, Toast, and getting the most out of both. I have a Mac Pro, using Lion. My photo images record a lifetime of work, professional photography as well as family shots. I use WD hard disks as one form of storage and would like to use my newly purchased LG Super Multi Blue reader/writer. It also reads/writes the new M-Disks which have an incredible archival quality but limited capacity. Want to use Blu-Ray 50Gb's.

 

I quickly discovered that the Blu-Ray disks and Apple had a falling out and now Apple won't play with Blu-Ray. I love Apple products but the company often behaves like the spoiled kid on the playground who has all the neat toys but you can play with them but you got to play with them the way the boss wants you to.

 

I saw some references to Toast on some Apple Forum discussions and so I headed over to this forum and, when you read the Roxio Toast 11 advertising, it seems that if I use Toast and a separate plug in (not sure of its name) then my computer will recognize my Blu-Ray Writer and I will be able to transfer my photo files to the Blue-Ray disks and have a complete library of all my work. I'm asking those who do data transfer from Mac to Blu-Ray if Toast 11 seemed to do the trick. Don't want to buy yet until I found out if the software will solve my problem. Of course I would like to view movies in Blu-Ray too. Just view them not rip them.

 

I know many companies are in the Cloud storage business now but I think I'd like to wait a year or more til the market stabilizes and some of these service companies get a track record.

 

Finally, my Mac Pro does not have a SATA connection, only USB and Firewire 400/800. Will I have to install a SATA hard drive, like from OWC, to obtain quicker transfer. This will involve adding a third hard drive on my Mac Pro and will cost in the area of $300.00 minimum. The LG unit also came with a USB 2.0 connector cable which is much slower transfer, according to the LG guide. Are any of you using the slower USB method?

 

Any help here with my questions would be very valuable to me. Thanks for your time reading, Phil

[tsantee]

I'm not certain that you need the Blu-ray plugin in order to burn Blu-ray data discs. I know the plugin enables authoring Blu-ray video discs but I think it isn't needed for data discs. I have it so I can't find out. You can purchase Toast 11 as a download from Roxio and there is a 30-day refund policy if you find it doesn't meet your needs.

 

The issue of speed isn't one that concerns me. My Blu-ray drive is USB 2.0. It takes as long as it takes. In olden times slower burning meant less chance of write errors so that was considered the safer way to go. So I wouldn't sweat that. My preference is Firewire which is how my DVD burner is connected.

 

As for burning large data collections, Toast has a disc spanning feature where you just keep replacing the discs until all the data in the Toast window is burned. There is an option you'll want to check that won't split a file across two discs. Each disc has a directory for finding and recovering any files on the disc. A problem with disc spanning is when an error occurs during the burning. Toast won't let you start up again from where it left off. There's a manual workaround where you check the existing discs to see what was already burned and remove those from the Toast window before starting a new spanning project.

 

I don't know the longevity or reliability of 50 GB Blu-ray discs. If this checked out okay to you then it should be good with Toast. The Finder shouldn't have any problem mounting a Blu-ray data disc inserted in a Blu-ray drive.

[psmith2383]

Tsantee: Thanks so much with your advice. I realized after I posted my questions that the plug-in was for HD disk transfer, I think. Not a problem for me. Also it's good to know that I have 30 days to work with Toast 11 or I can ask for a refund. Again thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. Phil