Pioneer Tech Support Says Updated Mac SuperDrive Firmware Coming

Pioneer's Technical Support team is issuing the following statement to customers inquiring about an updated set of firmware which alleviates the widely reported overheating issue:

"Pioneer is working with Apple, to get this up and running. Within the next two weeks, they hope to have the link working. Please check the site periodically, for the update."

A description of the overheating problem from Pioneer's support site:

"The DVD Forum has established new standards for high-speed recordable discs (4X for DVD-R and 2X for DVD-RW). Various media manufacturers have begun production of these discs that will soon be available in the marketplace. The source of the problem is a firmware 'bug' in certain Pioneer DVD-R/RW recorders and drives, and not with the high-speed media itself. As a result, use of the new high-speed discs for recording on these particular Pioneer products may cause damage to both the loaded disc and to the drive/recorder."

The problem causes the optical lens, which is used to write data to the DVD, to become stuck at a certain location on the disc. After several seconds of direct operation, the optical lens can become too hot for correct operation and potentially damage hardware.