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Updated No-Sleep Script for Pioneer BDR-205 Drives
Just a FYI I've updated earlier posts on applescripts (in Dec 21st and Jan 18th archives pages) used to prevent the 'disappearing drive' (drive going to sleep) issue some Mac Pro/Pioneer BDR-205 owners have reported. The update is just to confirm the later script worked and that increased delay still worked. I suspect even longer delays would also work but don't have one of these drives. (My MP has an LG drive and I've never seen this issue - and as noted in reports back in Nov. 2009 here when this first came up - not every Mac Pro/BDR-205 owner has this problem. For some disabling Energy saver/Drive sleep solved it - but not for everyone.)

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  • EyeTV 3.3 Build 5851 - Tip to get the later build if you updated to v3.3 Build 5848 last month
    MacUpdate today lists EyeTV 3.3 (5851), but for those of us that already updated to EyeTV 3.3 (5848) on Dec. 16th - the later build doesn't appear using the EyeTV check for updates feature so here's a reader tip posted here last July to force a new build download. (I remember adding that tip to page 2 of my Mac EVGA GTX-285 review (vs ATI 4870 and GT 120 cards) last summer, as at that time the current build had issues w/GTX-285.)
    If you have EyeTV 3 installed, just enter the following in your browser to get the 5851 build:
      eyetv://checkforupdates?build=5851

    EyeTV will then auto-launch and prompt you to OK downloading/applying the update. (I used this method vs the Elgato Download EyeTV 3.3 page - as some said using that download goes thru another re-setup.)

    Notes from Late 2009 iMac owners on Bootcamp 3.1 update issues (ATI drivers, Audio)
    Yesterday I had a 27in iMac owner write about Color banding issues after updating to Bootcamp 3.1 drivers (rolling back to the previous driver he said fixed that). Rather than include all the back and forth mails (asking if he'd updated to the latest ATI ref driver release (catalyst 9.12 released back in Dec 09), etc.) here's a post from the Apple Apple's Boot Camp forum on the issue:

    "Graphics/Colour Banding Issue On Win 7 Boot Camp 3.1
    Having updated Boot Camp to 3.1 on an existing Windows 7 Boot Camp installation I immediately noticed that their was colour banding issue (very noticeable on the blue Windows screen as Windows 7 launches). It seems that the updated ATI 4850 graphics driver (Vsn. 8.681 - or something like that) that Boot Camp installs causes this issue. My previous ATI driver issue was 8.661.0.0 and as this had previously been installed I was able to simply go into the ATI Drivers properties and roll back to this version thus solving the problem.

    If you have done a new install of Windows and therefore do not have driver version 8.661.0.0 installed then this fix, as provided by UrbanmacUser over on MacRumours may sort you out:

    Remove all the ATI drivers.
    The screen goes black and then goes to 800x600 in the middle of the 27" screen

    Run the BootCamp_3.1_64-bit installer again and it asksyou to restart.
    On restart the screen is still 800x600 but stretched to fill the 27" screen.
    On logging in you're told drivers have been installed and to restart again.
    Restart and when it comes back banding has gone

    Driver Date is now: 23/09/2009
    Driver version: 8.661.0.0
    -Nathan
    iMac 27" Core i7, OS X (10.6.2) / Boot Camp & Windows 7 64 Bit"

    I'd mentioned in Tuesday's news post my experience with the Bootcamp 3.1 update (w/Windows 7) on a 2009 Mac Pro (GTX-285) and Early 2009 17in MacBook Pro (noting installing later Nvidia site reference drivers - including a new WHQL version release that day for the desktop GPUs).
    Apple's Boot Camp forum has other Bootcamp/Win7 update related posts as well, including some on audio issues. (I don't own a new iMac and but as mentioned earlier I've used Bootcamp 3.0/Win 7 on a Mac Pro and MBP since its release in mid-Oct. last year.)
    I've not had any major issues on the 2 Macs here running Windows 7/BC but I'm still seeing "59Hz" refresh for LCD displays in Windows 7, even with the exact same drivers/GPU/system that is fine (60Hz) in Vista - setting to 60Hz won't stick. (That's apparently fairly common for Win 7 - I'd tried a Win7 forum tip in the past (creating custom rez/refresh) that worked for some PC users but didn't for me on the MBP. Believed to be an issue with the Panel ID perhaps, since exact same driver version/hardware/display has correct refresh rate in previous windows versions.)


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