The VideoLAN Forums

I read on one site (http://forum.rpc1.org/portal.php) that VLC helps bypass the region code issue for macs with region coded dvd players. I still have 3 tries on my machine so am not yet stuck. Based on the info on the site I set VLC to be the default player and stuck in a Zone 1 Dvd (my machine is set to zone 2 since I am in Europe and have mainly zone 2 dvd's).

Before going on, the question to answer would be can VLC play dvd's of different zones on zone controlled players. If the answer is no then there is no need to see my error messages. Please let me know though

If the answer is yes, then I would ask for some help troubleshooting the problems. Info follows:

Sticking in the DVD brings up VLC, I can even see the name of the DVD. Then I get the following error messages:

In the error popup box:
vcd: search for kIOCDMediaClass came up empty
vcd: failed to get the TOC
vcd: no movie tracks found
access_file: file /dev/rdisk5 is empty, aborting
cdda: search for kIOCDMediaClass came up empty
cdda: failed to get the TOC
cdda: no audio tracks found
main: no suitable access module for `dvdnav:///dev/rdisk5'

In the messages window:
main debug: CPU has capabilities 486 586 MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 FPU
main debug: looking for memcpy module: 3 candidates
main debug: using memcpy module "memcpymmxext"
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: thread 2953318400 (playlist) created at priority -47 (playlist/playlist.c:184)
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: thread 2953850880 (preparser) created at priority -47 (playlist/playlist.c:210)
main debug: looking for interface module: 1 candidate
main debug: using interface module "hotkeys"
main debug: thread 2954383360 (interface) created at priority -47 (interface/interface.c:198)
main debug: looking for interface module: 3 candidates
main debug: using interface module "macosx"
main debug: thread 2955448320 (manage) created at priority -47 (interface/interface.c:164)
main debug: adding playlist item `BATTLESTAR_GALACTICA' ( dvdnav:///dev/rdisk5 )
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: thread 2959708160 (input) created at priority 37 (input/input.c:265)
main debug: creating statistics handler
main debug: `dvdnav:///dev/rdisk5' gives access `dvdnav' demux `' path `/dev/rdisk5'
main debug: creating demux: access='dvdnav' demux='' path='/dev/rdisk5'
main debug: looking for access_demux module: 1 candidate
macosx debug: input has changed, refreshing interface
dvdnav warning: cannot open dvdnav
main warning: no access_demux module matching "dvdnav" could be loaded
main debug: creating access 'dvdnav' path='/dev/rdisk5'
main debug: looking for access2 module: 6 candidates
vcd error: search for kIOCDMediaClass came up empty
vcd error: failed to get the TOC
vcd error: no movie tracks found
vcdx warning: Trouble reading TOC
vcdx warning: error reading PVD sector (16) error -1
access_file debug: opening file `/dev/rdisk5'
access_file error: file /dev/rdisk5 is empty, aborting
cdda debug: separate items : 1 - single track : 0
cdda debug: starting Audio CD playback
cdda error: search for kIOCDMediaClass came up empty
cdda error: failed to get the TOC
cdda error: no audio tracks found
main warning: no access2 module matching "dvdnav" could be loaded
main error: no suitable access module for `dvdnav:///dev/rdisk5'
macosx debug: error panel requested
macosx debug: input has stopped, refreshing interface
main debug: thread 2959708160 joined (input/input.c:412)
main: nothing to play

I look forward to hearing from you.

With best regards,
Charles

VLC can't help you if your drive has firmware that performs a region check, in which case you should check the page at the URL you mentioned yourself, to see if you drive is listed among those for which there is a firmware update available.

If you are in luck, download the hacked firmware and patch your DVD drive following instructions precisely.

I did this myself on my Mac G4 Powerbook and can now play any region DVD.

Always run Region X to change region first though, since OS X does its own checking and will pop up the 'changes left' box otherwise.

Thanks for the information.

I can find a hack to upgrade firmware but have a number of warnings that I might fry my drive and definitely will void the warranty. So will avoid it for now. My surround sound system can handle multi-region, just is not portable so no region 1 when I travel.

If you have an active Region X link this would at least help as it apparently resets the count on code changes (do you know if this is correct?). If this is true that would be sufficient for me. The link I have is dead.

Best regards,
Charles

If your DVD drive is RPC-1 (not region-free), using Region X is pointless, but also dangerous, if I remember correctly. It does not reset the count, AFAIK, but in fact decrement your available tries by one EACH time you run it on a RPC-1 drive, after which an upgrade is impossible unless the count has been reset by the vendor or manufacturer, which can only be done 4 times. However, should you brave the upgrade, and succeed (most likely, if the DVD-drive IS supported and you do things carefully) - check out http://www.regionx.tk/ for download links for the application.

Thanks for the info. Will consider the risk. Charles

Could you indicate a software to read the region of a DVD drive ?
Maybe VLC can extract this info ?
Is it possible to "edit" this parameter ?

Thanks!

It's all at http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?t=43082

Read the page carefully for instructions.

The application is called DVD Info X, and can be found here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/49643080/DVD_Info_X.app.zip

My DVD drive is unfortunately not region free so it seems I am stuck. Will keep on checking the web for solutions. Somewhere along the way it should happen or I will breakdown and get an external region free drive.

Thanks for checking, have learned a bit.