MAC DVD firmware circumvention?

[land_stander]

Anyone know of any new safe way to get around MAC's need for you to choose a region code for your dvd drive?

I'm on Macbook Pro.

[RobertX]

I don't use Macs, but I don't think you need to worry about that; if you're just using the following, you just need different programs.

If you're just going to watch movies with it, just use VLC Player. http://www.videolan.org/
If you are going to rip DVDs, you can use http://www.dvdfab.com/dvd-ripper-for-mac.htm

Hope this helps.

[land_stander]

hey Mr X, Well.. I just got my new MAC and faced with that irritating request.."Please choose your region."
It has been a few years and so I was wondering if anything new had cropped up.
I have as many DVDs from region 1 as region 2. Mostly I am playing files though.

Should I choose a region, so I don't keep getting that annoying message? Or is it better to leave it hanging, and just go to VLC?

Some time back there was talk of a hack to go with region zero, or some such. Didn't know where it landed.

[stormium]

i would suggest setting the drive to the region you are in or opting to ignore it's request to set a region as i believe it's a firmware issue and not an os issue and once it's set, you won't be able to change it without some type of reflashing. on older macs, you were able to play like 4 disks from 4 different regions or so before it locked.

also you can use your system settings to ignore dvds that are inserted into the drive.

also, most external drives won't have the lockout issue so it's a viable option and a pretty good one as the majority of new macs don't even come with optical drives anymore.

[land_stander]

yes - firmware, not OS.
So far I have not set the region but it also appears that not choosing a region might prevent VLC from playing a DVD. Could that be correct? hmm. Still playing with it.

[RobertX]

Can't really say anything on this issue as I don't own a Mac nor ever used it in great detail.

Is your Mac's DVD drive cheap and replaceable?

[stormium]

yes - firmware, not OS.
So far I have not set the region but it also appears that not choosing a region might prevent VLC from playing a DVD. Could that be correct? hmm. Still playing with it.

i'm not sure if vlc will still play the dvd without setting the region but if it does, it will probably count towards the limited amount of plays before the device locks to a region.

[kjf]

Once you set the region, you can change it up to 4 more times. After that, it is locked.

You can't get around this without changing the drive's firmware.

There may exist a firmware update for your drive. You'll have to look up the drive model and do a bit of searching. Chances are it will require using Boot Camp as the update will require Windows.

Unfortunately, VLC won't be of much use as the drive itself will block access to any DVD outside the current region.

You can get an external drive that is region free. Obviously it adds a bit of inconvenience to the portability of the MacBook, but you can always use the external to rip or copy problematic DVDs.

[land_stander]

Thanks all for considering. While it is my pesky irritation, it is also what it is ALL about. Someone has decided (for the sake of profit) to place limitations on access to media. This is the kind of thing that made me first look at torrents.

So, I set the firmware to region one though I live in region 2. (I can change 4 more times.) I could actually not get VLC to play a region 1 DVD either before or after setting the firmware. Though of course it plays on the system.

I can play (in sample size) through Aimersoft. And I can easily copy/convert/rip when there is time. I would just like to take advantage of a little convenience if it exists.

Yes - at home it is not an issue. I can play whatever. But in my work I teach and travel between up to 8 different teaching locations in a week. I bring my laptop. I don't want to carry an external drive. I use some media in the classroom and often use some media for my own education or entertainment, or distraction, between classes or while riding commuter trains or sitting on train platforms.

Usually, I am playing off files rather than DVD, but sometimes I want the choice.
And sometimes a student will pass me a disc to play, and I would like it to work without too much fuss.

Some people may not realize but quite a bit of educational and documentary dvds are not region coded. (Yeah! for teachers.)

ps To answer RX, the drive is replaceable but I don't consider it cheap. (nothing on MAC is IMO.)

[stormium]

Thanks all for considering. While it is my pesky irritation, it is also what it is ALL about. Someone has decided (for the sake of profit) to place limitations on access to media. This is the kind of thing that made me first look at torrents.

as i recall, it was part of a compromise with the copyright trolls.