Sheer greed. Mac_slide, Jan 2, 2018 3:20 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 2, 2018 5:00 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 2, 2018 7:28 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 2, 2018 8:17 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 4, 2018 3:17 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 4, 2018 7:28 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 8, 2018 2:20 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 8, 2018 3:42 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 8, 2018 6:32 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. The other two are Region 1 only. Dvd plays everything EXCEPT store bought DUAL LAYER DVD movies. Found a cheaper option for the same LG drives. some dvds won't play. However, you have a limited number of times (usually 5) for changing the DVD player's region. What should you do if VLC does not work for DVD? I have played both region 1 and region 2 dvds in the past. Maybe have it properly labeled. After starting, it plays for a few seconds and then stops. They don't want to confuse customers who are used to seeing just one region code. While other damage will be more subtle and hard to find with the naked eye. Other times that doesn't help. Part of the issue is that Apple doesn't make the hardware, and the region encoding is enforced at the hardware level now. Hi, I have an Apple MacBook Pro. At … When a DVD is mastered it can be done in such as way that your player cannot read properly. Also it won't play in my DVD player or PlayStation. I’d just note that the producers and artists don’t generally care. I guess, that unless Apple does anything about it, we all have to live with it all. Hi, I have an Apple MacBook Pro. Any ideas? VLC player is not playing the whole DVD. I know that because I can look at all the stuff in System Report and see that my OEM hard drive was from HGST, the optical drive is from Hitachi-LG Data Storage, the Bluetooth module is from Broadcom, the battery is made by Simplo Technology, it has an Intel Series 7 chipset, and has Intel internal USB hubs. In response to chrisfromkerikeri. Hi Malcolm, Thanks for this info. In response to chrisfromkerikeri. chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 9, 2018 12:43 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 9, 2018 6:30 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, User profile for user: Typical scenarioes come that you cannot play a UK DVD in USA or Japan, or an PAL disc cannot be played on a NTSC standard player. Your MacBook Pro does not have a retina display. And they must also take into account pirated dvds as a loss...and still making money. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. It's a bit like Big Brother. Otherwise, Xbox One won’t play DVD due to region codes. So how do these computers with no optical drive read dvds? Why? If some DVDs play and others do not (all of the same region), it is possible that the DVD laser is marginal, which then validates osprey4 and rdunnill recommendations to replace the drive. Such problems are likely to be caused by Dirty contacts on RCA jacks on DVD drive or amp Sometimes, dirt and dust can also get transferred to the other internal components of the DVD player so if you are having issues with many DVDs it is a good idea to try and clean off your laser. I have burned movies on DVD-R's and they play fine but the wedding stuff won't play. No matter where you purchase your DVDs from there is always a possibility of this happening. Is there any alternative to VLC or options as I'm experiencing problems with playing region 2 dvds? I tried different programs like 'DVD Region + CSS Free' and 'VLC' but they don't seem to help. People Do move. In response to Malcolm J. Rayfield. If imperfections and scratches are on the disc and the disc is not brand new then we recommend you try using special scratch removers. People still watch DVDs? There is nothing quite as frustrating as buying a new DVD movie or TV series and having issues with it playing. More O.C.’s PC Club tackles a reader’s DVD dilemma. There are basically two formats of physical media that you can currently purchase: DVDs and Blu-Rays. Many people will not realize that they are buying the wrong format of disc for the player that they own and will then not know why their new movie or TV show isn’t working. Search on ebay for "region-free dvd drive". The DVD-R won't play as a DVD but will play on my computer. Not sure how reputable the company is though. Knowing and hearing that the movie industry has a stranglehold on all this and tells Apple, e.t.c. "Compatible with the following computers: It won't work wth your MacBook Pro because that would make it too easy to play DVDs of multiple regions. But they got tired of the inadequate performance in mobile processors that they bought PA Semi and used their expertise to make the A-series mobile processors. These are mainly given on the basis of the geographical region from where the DVD or DVD player was originally sold. Why Won't My DVD Player Play Certain DVDs If you have some favorite collections of commercial movie DVDs at home, there could be sometimes the DVD player is not working for particular DVDs. Jan 1, 2018 11:44 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri Some people might think that this is an issue caused by the DVD player and that sometimes can be true. If your DVD won’t play at all and it isn’t because of any of the prior reasons and other DVDs will play on your player just fine then it is quite likely that your DVD is defective. I do. Each country has its own list of movies, some very limited. Jan 2, 2018 7:28 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield https://www.macworld.com/article/1136079/bluray.html, https://9to5mac.com/2011/01/03/steve-jobs-upgrades-bluray-from-bag-of-hurt-to-ma fia-and-other-rumors/, Question: If they did that, do you suppose that they might have problems with getting deals distributing movies and TV shows on the iTunes Store? Apple is not making any money from region coding. If your DVD player won't play movies on your LCD TV, or the movies are discolored or distorted, read the discussion below. There are also DVD cleaning kits available at almost any store that sells DVD,s that you could try, they will not clean as thoroughly as seen in the links though. 2. If you have also faced any or more of the above situations where VLC won’t play DVD, we will help you to fix them with the best methods and solutions. Just insert the DVD disc you want to play into the DVD drive. When a DVD disk doesn't play, my DVD drive rolls the disk a few time and then, the DVD drive pretends as if there is no disk in the drive. Apple does make its own trackpad and keyboard though. This isn't a battle that Apple would really care to fight, especially since the iTunes Store is a major revenue source for the company. In response to chrisfromkerikeri. I tried VLC, but it wouldn't play region 2 dvds. Sometimes the owner of a title might not want to distribute it at all In a certain region. Sometimes there can even be multiple DVDs in a row that are defective! Each of these possible reasons will be discussed more in depth in the rest of this article. I got a ps2 and it just won't play dvds. Samsung LCD TVs have four kinds of video jacks. Kinds of Video Jacks. Step 1 Load the DVD Won't Play. If you are in the USA then you will need that number to be either 1, 0, or have the word “all”. You can order it online from Apple: Jan 4, 2018 3:17 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield I'm am not against coding, per se, but as I said in my previous mail, is it 'right' that If, say, I have a region 2 player and I buy a region 2 dvd from Amazon (or other outlets) and it is not region 2 but region 1, that they should be able to sell it. Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 1, 2018 11:44 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 2, 2018 1:33 AM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, Jan 2, 2018 12:19 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 2, 2018 12:26 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield, Jan 2, 2018 12:47 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri, User profile for user: The publisher of the music or video disc decides what region coding to use. Some damage done to DVDs will be noticeable such as scratches, cracked discs, etc. This means after 5 times max, you cannot use that dvd again, it would seem? In the past few days I have tried 2 different dvd players and neither of them would play the disks. That way they can use the same DVD for more than one region, and just use different packaging. ← Older Post Is this right? Jan 9, 2018 6:30 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri hi y_p_w, How do you guys know all this stuff? Method 1. When it comes to free DVD player, VLC Media Player should be the top choice. How about this one. Then I see in Apple Support," If the dvd drive reaches the maximum number of changes, dvds that don't have a compatible dvd region code are rejected." Hi Malcolm, I have opened Apple DVD player's File menu and do not see ' get disc info' or 'select regions 'tab. atshita, etc. Now when I try to play a region 2 dvd, it says in a pop-up message on my screen, " The dvd-video disc region does not match the driver region code. The zero and “all” mean that the DVD is region free and can play anywhere in the world. All I can see under 'File' is "Open DVD media and "close all' functions . Originally the region changing limit was enforced in software, but the movie industry insisted it be moved to the drives, so they could control where, as well as how, their movies were watched. The license imposes restrictions on the DVD player. Also DVD prices may differ by region, and they want go avoid cheap imports reducing the sales. And still they want more! They're a lot cheaper than bluray usually so that's why I do. No matter where you purchase your DVDs from there is always a possibility of this happening. It probably hits a block when Mac DVD player to read a DVD encrypted with region code which is not matching region code of your DVD player or a scratched disc. (Retina display versions don't have optical drives.). Newer Post →. I cannot believe that this is proving to be such a hassle. So, I can play many "all region" compatible dvds but only 5 region 2 dvds and so after playing region 2 dvds 5+ times, it will lock on to region 2 and not allow me to play "all region" dvds again. There are some externals listed. I have checked on Amazon.com for external optical dvd drives/players and they will NOT ship them to New Zealand . There is nothing quite as frustrating as buying a new DVD movie or TV series and having issues with it playing. Nobody is doing us any favours here. It can play most dvds, but some don't play at all. it says reading disk for a few seconds then stops. The same holds true if you purchase DVDS that are region 2 then they will only play in a region 2 DVD player. Try your DVD disc that are giving problems in another player to rule out damaged disc. The black LG is $44, and the silver one is $47. I sure would appreciate some help. In response to chrisfromkerikeri. If the old DVD player won’t play new DVDs, that's probably because of the format incompatibility. That will show all the disc's region codes and the drive's code. Jan 4, 2018 7:28 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri MacBook Pro with Retina display, This is misrepresentation, surely. See more . Jan 8, 2018 5:28 PM in response to y_p_w Therefore, always look for dirt and dust on your DVDs before inserting them into the DVD player. It's pretty standard for a computer maker to design a system, and populate it with commodity components, or at least have a competent supplier with the tooling and expertise to make stuff. Jan 8, 2018 2:20 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield That's why you can't fast-forward though anti-piracy warnings (always nice to annoy the people who are paying you). I hope this article has been helpful in giving you some answers why DVDs might not play properly. Region codes means that DVDs that you buy in the USA will only play in the USA and Canada unless you have a region free DVD player. A disc plays one day then won't play the next day. - well, needless to say, I was quickly locked out... but VLC did the trick for me as well as another one I don't recall. How did you find out? How do I find out where it was actually manufactured? I checked all the aforementioned through both my Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com past orders to ensure I had the regions designation on bought dvds, correct. Also, I think there is some maybe all that have hardware lock out. Why and How to Fix VLC Won't Play DVD Issues on Windows and Mac. Generally speaking, make sure your Xbox One and DVD discs are bought from the same country. Less, User profile for user: They block VPN traffic to enforce this. For example, if you live in the United States or Canada, you are in Region 1. The drive makers are required by their license agreements with the DVD consortium to limit the number of region changes. Some DVD's play perfectly fine. Other DVDs (of various types - burned and original copies) take a long time to load and skip themselves to a freezing stop, or don't play at all. How do I find out if it was set to region 4 (N.Z) , OR, if it was region set in the country where it was manufactured? The ones that don't play don't even show up under 'My Computer'. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question. - Both my old and newly purchased DVD drives have the exact same problem, so I think there is no problem like a dirty lens. Even if you pay for a Nexflix account in another country they won't let you watch. If you only have a few discs that are damaged, you can often pay a small fee at your local library or DVD rental store and they will clean the damaged discs for you. Get a normal external that VLC can play with region-mismatch DVDs. They just burn one type then label them differently for selling in different regions. The third game disc worked without any issues! If you have a DVD drive or a DVD decoder installed on your computer, you can play the DVD disc with Windows Media Player. However, if all of your other DVDs are playing just fine then it is likely an issue with the discs themselves. Region codes are software locks which are assigned to DVD players and DVDs. Shipping should be $8.50, http://1stwave.co.nz/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_ id=886, http://1stwave.co.nz/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_ id=1171, Jan 9, 2018 12:43 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri Later it plays again. I have a boxed set of three movies. I really wish Apple would go to region-less, this happened to me a long time ago using dvd's from friends and allowing them to watch them - they were from England, Middle-East, Spain, etc. Generally, you cannot play DVD in Windows Media Player directly. Region codes means that DVDs that you buy in the USA will only play in the USA and Canada unless you have a region free DVD player. Jan 2, 2018 12:47 PM in response to chrisfromkerikeri One one of my laptops I used some program to play the Video_TS folder, and it worked like a charm... but that laptop is crashed with a dead mother board and I tossed my backup drives so I don't recall the other programs I used. Then I played a region 2 dvd (Robin Trower -Living Out of Time) and it played BUT when I tried to play another region 2 dvd (Steve Miller band -live in Chicago 2008), it did NOT play; a window appeared saying, "doesn't match dvd region code." Hi Malcolm, Talk about restrictions. Will NOT play store bought dual layer Dvd s. It HAS to be a software or driver problem but as you can see below I have tried everything twice. Jan 2, 2018 3:20 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield So someone who does something like install a second drive in place of the optical drive can't use this. Hi Malcolm, Thanks for your help-again. In the United States, bypassing a region code may even violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But on topic. Here's one for you: I tried one of my music dvds region1 and it played ( Foghat Live-Two Centuries of Boogie) , no problem. IF I know my dvd player can only play region 2, for example, and I buy a region 2 dvd from a vendor on Amazon, then find it won't play because in actuality it is region 1.....? I will look at the Apple external drive option. They don't even have optical drives built in any more, and the external Superdrive that Apple sells uses a commodity part. Finally, cannot buy external optical dvd drives that will ship to N.Z unless you happen to know who will-I have checked Amazon. No matter how many times I try to play it, it hums and whirrs and finally ejects the dvd itself from the computer and will not play it. If you purchased a brand new movie or TV show and are having issues right out of the box then you probably are experiencing a defective disc. If you see nothing wrong with the disc or if it is brand new then it is likely an issue with the disc being damaged during manufacturing or shipping or the disc is simply defective. DVD Scratches Can Prevent Playback. Although DVDs are made quite durable they are not strong enough to endure every kind of harsh conditions and they could have easily been damaged during shipping, manufacturing or at other points before they got to you. How can distributors get away with not even region coding them as you say IF the Movie industry has such a say in this? You can argue all you want about it, but as long as the companies selling the DVDs place region coding on them, we're going to see this. Looks like no one’s replied in a while. Isn't that misrepresentation ? In response to Malcolm J. Rayfield. It’s the regional rights holder that cares. Just had the laser replaced earlier this year so I know thats not it. There is nothing special about these dvds. Violations of these licenses in the US can bring criminal charges, as well as lawsuits, so Apple has to follow the rules if it wants to do business in the US. Either way, you will want to return the movie or set to where you bought it from and exchange it for a new one. https://www.apple.com/nz/shop/product/MD564ZM/A/apple-usb-superdrive. Question: Q: some dvds won't play. Normally defective discs won’t look any different than a normal one and you will think that there shouldn’t be anything wrong but if the data is written onto the DVD improperly or there was a glitch during the manufacturing process then DVDs can be defective. Jan 2, 2018 1:33 AM in response to chrisfromkerikeri iOS 10.3.2. It has been extremely controversial in the United States, and has never been officially released on home video, even though there are some convincing looking bootlegs. Aren't the movie industry among enough money out of folks as it is? Could one by another Mac Superdrive or other brand external drive dvd player and set it to region 2 and have Apple's dvd player set to region 1 which it appears to be set on at present and then be able to play region 1 and 2 dvds? Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. You might also try running the DVD through a disc repair kit to help fix DVDs that skip or jump due to scratches. To know what region the DVD is for you simply have to look on the back of the case and at the bottom you will see a world logo with a number on top. One example is Disney and Song of the South. You think Netflix has no restrictions? Ironic that Apple's re (on LIVE CHAT) suggested that I try VLC as a way of getting round this problem. Hi Grant, This will be my last comments on this topic: I think in this day and age we are still under the control of Big Brother in the form of the entertainment industry dictating to us what we can and cannot watch (though not as bad as other countries, agreed). Therefore, you could possibly have this issue if you accidentally buy a DVD movie or set that is for the wrong region of the world. Blu-Rays will only play on machines that are designed to play Blu-Ray discs. Generally, DVD drives have proven to be very reliable, meaning such outright failures are not a common occurrence. This can happen when the DVD disc is rotated in the DVD player and often will go unnoticed until one day the player will stop working. Part 2. Apple's DVD player probably won't work with external drives. It is about time ALL dvds were "all regions". If one has an RPC2 drive, some give problems and others take a long time. Those darn DVDs. However, Apple has also restricted the compatibility to computers that don't have one built in. Here at Blaze DVDs, we have a 120 day return policy for all of our items and if you have any issues with DVDs that are damaged or defective we will replace the discs or exchange the set at no cost to you! I bought some music dvds on Amazon in good condition. 2) Even if correct media is used, most DVD players will only play certain formats, that would be DVD … In response to Malcolm J. Rayfield. If you know a good Mac computer repair shop, you could get the internal optical drive replaced. Software such as VLC is from outside the US, and there is no company to sue. If your DVD player plays some old DVDs, it could be the DVDs that cause the issue. You can set your DVD player to match the region. "Get Disc Info" is just below "Close All". Apple barely supports optical media now. Click Amazon: ... (This is also true for DVDs that won’t play.) questions@blazedvds.com, It is important to know that DVDs which are meant for playing in Region 1. won't work properly in a DVD player in Region 2 (different areas of the world). Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums. If that doesn’t do the trick, look the disc over … They are legal copys of the dvds. Why do some DVDs play on a PC but not others? You can also get info with Command-I (⌘I). The same holds true if you purchase DVDS that are region 2 then they will only play in a region 2 DVD player. So I have no idea which region it is set to and anyway why it should play the aforementioned . If your Mac has no recovery partition, run Terminal (Utilities folder) and enter: It will ask for your password. A small publisher may make their discs multi-region, so one disc can be sold everywhere. Some are bargin bin selections and some aren't. Ideal would be a region-free drive, but at least one that VLC can play with region-mismatch DVDs (Pioneer should be OK). I find it wrong that Amazon can allow vendors to sell a region 2 dvd that isn't a region 2 dvd. When did this happen? Defective discs can be quite annoying but unfortunately they do happen. In response to Malcolm J. Rayfield. You can check a disc's regions using "Get Disc Info" from Apple's DVD Player's File menu and select the Regions tab. I've personally bought a few DVDs from small distributors that didn't region code them.