Unable to navigate DVD menus

[armitage_cake]

Hello VLC boards

Having trouble navigating DVD menus from inside VLC. Obviously like many of your users I am a VLC user because it is a way of escaping the ludicrous region code laws surrounding DVDs. However I have been unable to play DVDs properly in VLC because whenever I try to navigate from a DVD title menu (I can get as far as opening the DVD as a disc in VLC), the window closes and nothing happens. When I try and open the DVD from a specific chapter instead I get the error:

dvdread: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x01

Any ideas of how to get around these issues?

Thanks for any response
Jack
x

[kaboekieman]

Hi VLC crew, I second that... I have exactly the same problem, but to top it off a little:

I haven't downlaoded or copied other DVD's, but made my own.

I have created several DVD's with a Philips commercial DVD burner (DVDR 7300H). These DVD's and the menu's made in this DVD play in other standalone DVD players and in a computer with for example WinDVD or AVS DVD Player installed on it, but VLC Player gives an error. VLC Player (I have installed the newest 0.8.6h version) can play the DVD's but only by manualy selecting 'open disc' and then open 'DVD', but it can't show the menu's. Is this a bug in the program? Since other DVD player software can show it.

The burner makes the following disc structure on a DVD_VR disc

VIDEO_RM
VIDEO_TS

(so no AUDIO_TS) - I don't know if this is a problem for VLC since the directory is always empty?

VIDEO_RM containing the following files:
VIDEO_MN.DAT
VIDEO_MN.IFO
VIDEO_RM.BUP
VIDEO_RM.DAT
VIDEO_RM.IFO

VIDEO_TS containing the following files:
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_1.VOB

If you insert this DVD movie disc into the computer and select "Play DVD movie using VideoLAN VLA media player" it gives an error 'VLC media had encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.' It can be openened like a said earlier by manually open VLC and select open disc, followed by open DVD, but no menu's

Other DVD's for example DVD's made in Pinnacle Studio (with lots of menu's) play super, but VLC only has a problem with the philips DVD's

appname: vlc.exe
appver: 0.8.6.0
modname: ntdll.dll
modver: 5.1.2600.2180
offset: 00011430

Could you please help me out with this problem and perhaps give me a method to fix this menu problem?

Thanks a lot in advance
Jeroen Wolf
from Amsterdam, the Netherlands

[fearthehat1]

You're trying to open a DVD from a region different to the one your drive is set to, right?

Keep in mind that VLC by itself is not always sufficient for multiregion DVD playback. If I remember correctly the optical drives installed in some recent Macs have region encoding on the hardware level, and so cannot really play multiregion DVDs without a complete firmware replacement. I suspect in your case VLC is able to open the menu but not the actual video.

I got pretty much the same error code trying to play back some Region 1 DVDs on my iMac - in the end I was only able to play them properly by using an external DVD drive that was set to the proper region.

[armitage_cake]

Yeah the DVD(s) is from a different region

My G5 is from like 2004, so I don't think there's the '5 changes then out' that some iMacs get. I remember the first DVD I put in was one from Canada (I'm from UK), and it asked me if I wanted to use this region code forever, and, quite naively it would seem now, I accepted. I didn't really know what would happen... But the fact that it asked me suggests that it's not a hardware thing or it wouldn't be able to ask me at all.

Messing with firmware voids my warranty/guarantees right? That's the only reason I'm put off by it. I've picked up a little piece of software - Region X - no idea if everyone is familiar with it or not on here. I'm not sure whether I could use it successfully or not, if anyone could answer that?

Thanks for the response

[fearthehat1]

My G5 is from like 2004, so I don't think there's the '5 changes then out' that some iMacs get.

Sorry, I'm pretty sure the '5 changes and out' system (aka RPC2) has been in place for quite some time. I think it's only early DVD drives from around 2000-2001 that don't have this system.

Messing with firmware voids my warranty/guarantees right? That's the only reason I'm put off by it.

Yes, I'm pretty sure it does. Of course, there's also the risk of something going wrong, and your drive getting screwed up...

I've picked up a little piece of software - Region X - no idea if everyone is familiar with it or not on here. I'm not sure whether I could use it successfully or not, if anyone could answer that?

Doesn't that require a region-free DVD drive to be connected to your Mac for it to work?

[armitage_cake]

Sorry, I'm pretty sure the '5 changes and out' system (aka RPC2) has been in place for quite some time. I think it's only early DVD drives from around 2000-2001 that don't have this system.

Really? That is strange then, because I certainly didn't get 5 chances to change my region. Or maybe I've not looked in the right place? DVD Player just says that I'm locked to a region and can't change that.

Doesn't that require a region-free DVD drive to be connected to your Mac for it to work?

It says, upon opening, "A region free (RPC-1) drive is required to enjoy Region X."
Does this mean it wants an external DVD player connected?

[fearthehat1]

Really? That is strange then, because I certainly didn't get 5 chances to change my region. Or maybe I've not looked in the right place? DVD Player just says that I'm locked to a region and can't change that.

Hmm.. that's odd. I think the normal procedure is that when you try to play a DVD from a different region you're given an option screen to change the region. I'm not sure why it's not happening with your PC, unless you bought it second hand and the previous user had already changed the region 5 times...

[armitage_cake]

No I bought it brand new :S

Strange situation. So it looks like my only option is to mess about with firmware..? I do have a DVD player but it's just awkward when someone wants to watch TV etc.

Thanks for the replies anyway!