Play DVD's on an iMac?

[AnonYonimousBird]

I thought you were able to play normal purchased DVD's on an iMac. My disc drive definitely works, but no DVD's will play. I've tried about 6.

Anything I can do?

Something called iDVD is installed, but does not respond at all when a disc is inserted.

Am I am a complete non starter or is there something I can do to make this work? It would be a huge help to be able to do so!!!!

Thanks

Just a thought, go to System Preferences, click on CDs & DVDs in the Hardware section and check the settings.

SP via the Apple thing top left (i have a Macbook but should be the same)

I discovered this morning that some of our DVD's play - the older ones. Newer ones, on closer examination, have "copy protection" labelled on the box. Those are the ones which won't play it seems.

No idea how you get around that one, since obviously, you aren't meant to! I don't want to copy, I just want to WATCH a DVD that I have paid for!

This is why copy protection sucks. Normal DVD's should play just fine on an iMac.

Copy protected DVD's often won't play on a normal computer because that's how people usually copy them. Unfortunately manufacturer's haven't quite grasped the concept yet that we also watch DVD's on our computers!!!!

And it's a waste of time anyway since you can probably find a pirate copy within minutes using nothing but Google.

Can you get VLC for mac? That's what we always used to use on Windows XP before they brought in DVD compatabilty with 7+.

It's free (open source) and very good.

www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

I have VLC loaded, but it makes no difference. Mac just doesn't seem even to "register" most of our DVD's, so hence whatever DVD player program/app I use, they can't even see that there is a DVD to play at all.

I did a bit of research, loads on the web about how to RIP copy protected DVD's, but ripping them assumes you can actually play them in the first place, which I can't! I just want to play them, no copies, no pirating, no nothing. Just our DVD player is a bit flaky and I want a back up means to play them! Grrrr.....

Thanks, peeps.

You could try contacting apple and asking? I've googled and it looks as though lots of people are having the same issue although they have not all identified it as copy protection, they are just finding that some DVDs play and others aren't recognised.

Did you come across this thread OP?

I would second contacting Apple, this doesn't seem right. I have no problem playing commercial DVDs on my Macbook.

Hi there, thanks for the link. Unfortunately mine is one of the ones that "just don't play" certain DVD's and the techy stuff is way over my head. I have tried VLC, to no avail.

My Mac is 3+ years old, I don't imagine Apple would help?? Or would they - it's not advice I want to pay for.

Yoni - yes, I agree, that it's not just down to copy protection - I totally got that from the various discussions. Some of my DVD's play, some don't - I think I just need to try them and see.