Viewing films on a computer

[Christopher Matheson]

Hello there,



I have been watching films on a fairly new Apple computer where it is made very clear that you can switch from viewing a UK disc to a US disc, or any other format, a total of five times. Is there any way to get around this obstacle?



Thank you,

Christopher Matheson

[CaptainWaggett]

name='Christopher Matheson']Hello there,



I have been watching films on a fairly new Apple computer where it is made very clear that you can switch from viewing a UK disc to a US disc, or any other format, a total of five times. Is there any way to get around this obstacle?



Thank you,

Christopher Matheson

Download VLC

[autolycus]

If you don't want to use VLC, there are various hacks available.



But DVD drives are so cheap these days - under a tenner - that i have one to complement my DVD burner. I use it for playing region 2 disks and my burner for watching region 1 disks and, well, burning.



Hopefully that way the burner will last longer, and it's occasionally useful to have a spare drive. A few times, for example, one drive has managed to read a DVD that the other would not.

[aaron]

Two dvd drives is a good fix - A samsung multiburner is under £18 delivered from play.com...

If for whatever reason you are seeking to have just one drive and wishing to use dvd software like 'power dvd' or other commercial brands, then you will need to 'flash' the firmware in your dvd drive. This effectively means that you can install a new fimware version which will make the drive multi region. To do this, you first need to ascertain EXACTLY which make and model your drive is. A tool which will help you discover this is http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html However, even a firmware fix will not defeat all software, so you will also need to download and install another free utility such as http://www.videohelp.com/tools/DVD_Region_Killer Good luck, Aaron

[dubster75]

ARRON



have you got a link for the samsung multiburner please, i can't seem to find it on the site.

[aaron]

name='dubster75']ARRON



have you got a link for the samsung multiburner please, i can't seem to find it on the site.

I have the link (Play.com (UK) : Samsung Super-WriteMaster SH-S202N / DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM Internal IDE Drive With Nero Software : Computing - Free Delivery), but they have removed the price - Play.com are good value, but blink and it's gone...

Mind you, this one looks comparable for the same price Play.com (UK) : LG GH22LP20 22x DVD-RW Lightscribe Internal IDE Drive : Computing - Free Delivery

[Christopher Matheson]

Hello again,



I would just like to thank everyone who answered my original message. I took the VLC route and am pleased to report on its success. Excellent.



Thanks again,

Christopher

[Christopher Matheson]

Hello again,



After a bit more consideration I find I have to take back my earlier glowing report on VLC. The computer I was using was set to play Region 1 discs and I thought VLC was playing the other regions. This was not so. By pure chance the discs I had been playing which came from England, China, Australia and France were region free and the dvd player in the computer (set to Region 1) was reading these discs and not VLC. I noticed this when I attempted to play an English disc, 'Brothers in Law' in fact, which isn't region free and it would not play. The computer indicated that the dvd setting was for Region 1 and the disc was Region 2. At this point I wondered why VLC hadn't stepped in to do its job? Clearly VLC was not working.



Since then I've switched the computer to Region 2 hoping VLC would have more luck playing Region 1 discs. To date VLC has failed to play any Region 1 disc and, as stated above it has failed to play any disc no matter what the region.



Can anyone suggest a way to VLC to work?



Thank you,

Christopher Matheson

[CaptainWaggett]

Probably a really obvious question, but you did download the Mac version? There may be some advice here.

[sippog]

As far as I'm aware, the region restrictions on a Mac superdrive are hardwired into the drive itself on most models. The drive "kicks in" long before any software has a chance to do its stuff. I've heard about cracks and bypasses but I've never successfully got one to work myself - I always had the "wrong drive", the one that didn't work with the crack.



Easiest solution: buy a second drive. When I ordered my last Mac I made sure it had two drives and I keep a spare 'plug in' drive for the occasional Region 5 & 3 that come my way.

[ollie]

I use slysoft anydvd it runs in the background and works round most things oops pc tho' dont know about mac? SlySoft Products | Copy Movie DVDs with AnyDVD and CloneDVD

[Dave Rattigan]

I was using VLC for years without realizing it could play my R1 DVDs. Was simultaneously delighted and gutted when I realized I could, as I'd been avoiding buying R1 (including dozens of must-haves) all that time.