VLC Software - Region free DVD player - HELP!
Hi folks,
I'm looking for a DVD software player that plays DVD's from any region on my iMac, which is running Leopard OSX. From everything I've read, the VLC software SHOULD enable me to do this - but I've downloaded it and it doesn't!!!
I've disabled the DVD Player that comes with the iMac and changed the settings so that the VLC software is what launches when a DVD loaded and although it'll see and run Region 1 DVD's fine, it won't pick up on, say, a Region 2 DVD. Does anyone know why this is? Or what I'm missing? I'm from England. now living in the States, so have a lot of R2 DVD's that I really need to be able to play on my iMac...PLEASE HELP!!!!
I'm looking for a DVD software player that plays DVD's from any region on my iMac, which is running Leopard OSX. From everything I've read, the VLC software SHOULD enable me to do this - but I've downloaded it and it doesn't!!!
I've disabled the DVD Player that comes with the iMac and changed the settings so that the VLC software is what launches when a DVD loaded and although it'll see and run Region 1 DVD's fine, it won't pick up on, say, a Region 2 DVD. Does anyone know why this is? Or what I'm missing? I'm from England. now living in the States, so have a lot of R2 DVD's that I really need to be able to play on my iMac...PLEASE HELP!!!!
Comments
Hi folks,
I'm looking for a DVD software player that plays DVD's from any region on my iMac, which is running Leopard OSX. From everything I've read, the VLC software SHOULD enable me to do this - but I've downloaded it and it doesn't!!!
I've disabled the DVD Player that comes with the iMac and changed the settings so that the VLC software is what launches when a DVD loaded and although it'll see and run Region 1 DVD's fine, it won't pick up on, say, a Region 2 DVD. Does anyone know why this is? Or what I'm missing? I'm from England. now living in the States, so have a lot of R2 DVD's that I really need to be able to play on my iMac...PLEASE HELP!!!!
Your first assumption is incorrect. It's your DVD drive that determines what Region (#) DVDs will play inside it. VLC and DVD Player can play any Region number. The first time you play a DVD with a region code, your DVD drive is set to match that code. This restricts the DVD Player to playing only discs with the same region code or with no region code.
IMPORTANT: You can change the region code of your DVD drive only five times (this includes the original setting). The fifth setting of the region code is permanent.
When you insert a disc with a different region code, a dialog allows you to choose a new region code setting for your DVD drive. If you have already changed the region of your DVD drive 5 times than what ever was the last setting is permanent.
You can buy an inexpensive external firewire DVD drive and use that one to play the DVDs from the other region.
Best bet - put the drive into R2 mode. Rip all the DVDs. Put it back into R1 mode. Play movies straight from ripped DVDs on your HD.
Good advice - and that's the way I'm thinking of tackling this now.
Your first assumption is incorrect. It's your DVD drive that determines what Region (#) DVDs will play inside it. VLC and DVD Player can play any Region number. The first time you play a DVD with a region code, your DVD drive is set to match that code. This restricts the DVD Player to playing only discs with the same region code or with no region code.
IMPORTANT: You can change the region code of your DVD drive only five times (this includes the original setting). The fifth setting of the region code is permanent.
When you insert a disc with a different region code, a dialog allows you to choose a new region code setting for your DVD drive. If you have already changed the region of your DVD drive 5 times than what ever was the last setting is permanent.
You can buy an inexpensive external firewire DVD drive and use that one to play the DVDs from the other region.
Where would I get one of these? I checked Amazon, Ebay, etc. but can't find one with the searches I'm doing???? Also, would I need to search for a special drive? Surely even external drives are only set to R1, no?
And would the iMac recognize that drive? If so, I could use that with the conversion (DVD to MP4) software I have and that would solve the problem - is it as easy as I'm making it sound?
Where would I get one of these? I checked Amazon, Ebay, etc. but can't find one with the searches I'm doing???? Also, would I need to search for a special drive? Surely even external drives are only set to R1, no?
And would the iMac recognize that drive? If so, I could use that with the conversion (DVD to MP4) software I have and that would solve the problem - is it as easy as I'm making it sound?
No, they're not set to be R1 only. Of course there are dozens of external Firewire and USB DVD drives. Personally I have had good luck with LaCie.
I think it used to work that you'd just put in the DVD, not launch DVD Player and you could rip or watch with VLC. Not anymore.
It's the hardware that checks the Region code, not the software.
It's the hardware that checks the Region code, not the software.
Hardware holds the region code, but not all hardware enforces it. So if I recall correctly, on my iBook the DVD just held the code. DVD contents could be read as data no matter what, which means they could be ripped and VLC would play them. DVD Player checked the regions on the disc and the drive, and refused to play.
I don't get why Apple would go backwards with this.
Hardware holds the region code, but not all hardware enforces it. So if I recall correctly, on my iBook the DVD just held the code. DVD contents could be read as data no matter what, which means they could be ripped and VLC would play them. DVD Player checked the regions on the disc and the drive, and refused to play.
I don't get why Apple would go backwards with this.
So if I do buy an external DVD drive to run my R2 discs, how do I set it up? Won't a DVD drive be set to only play R1 discs?
It would be great if the inbuilt iMac DVD player would play my R1 discs and an external drive play my R2 discs but I've just never done anything like that so I'm not sure how I'd set that up?
HELP!!! PLEASE!!!!!