DVD region code contradiction...

I inserted a rented DVD (the 1st DVD besides a DVD r/w that has gone in)into the slot on the side of my G5 and the following message appeared:

Region code set to region 1, needs to be changed to region 4. There are 4 changes left to make on the region code.

I ejected the DVD without making any changes.

I live in region 4 and wonder why 1 of my 5 allowed region code changes has already been used up. The code is supposed to set the 1st time you put a DVD in. It shouldnt be set to US cos it was bought in Australia. My machine is brand new and only the apple shop had it going.

I inserted a second rented DVD moments later and it said:

Region code set to region 1, needs to be set to region 2.

I opted to cancel the action until I investigated it further.

why would 2 dvds from the same rental shop bring up conflicting messages when inserted into my G5's drive?

Both DVD's play without a hitch in a PC and on our PS2.

What country do you live in? Curious. I never get that here in America with any DVD made here anyway.

dtravis7 said:

I never get that here in America with any DVD made here anyway.

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that is because you are in the United States, and all DVD's in the United States are Region 1 therefore your DVD drive has no reason to prompt you to change regions.

I live in Australia.

hondagus87 said:

that is because you are in the United States, and all DVD's in the United States are Region 1 therefore your DVD drive has no reason to prompt you to change regions.

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I knew that. I just wanted to know where he is without having to look. You get 5 changes. That is standard. I have seen his issue happen with imported DVD's here.

Once it prompts you, there are 4 changes left on every system I have used or worked with.

It's funny you are not getting the message on your PC as I have had more problems with PC's and XP with imported DVD's played here in the USA. Had one from Europe that even on my set top DVD kept asking for the region even though I changed it.

Perhaps you got an american machine by mistake? I.e. a machine preconfigured to region 1 instead of 4.
Was the second DVD you got region 2?

I hired both dvd's from the same place here in Aust. Why would my iMac state that I have to change the region code from reg 1 to reg 4 (which is technically correct), then ask me to change the region to 2, which is incorrect for where I live?

Was the 2nd DVD a British DVD by any chance? I live in Aus too and some of my Brit comedy DVD's are written in both region 2 and 4 (e.g. Shaun of the Dead). So maybe your mac is just picking one region, and in your unfortunate case the wrong region.

Most likely the place you got the DVD from, buys their DVDs online, and was sent a region 2 DVD along with all the region 4 DVD's by accident.

Aptmunich said:

Perhaps you got an american machine by mistake? I.e. a machine preconfigured to region 1 instead of 4.
Was the second DVD you got region 2?

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Nope. He didn't. I live in Greece which being in Europe is region 2.
So the first time I put and original DVD into my Mini it prompted me to change from region 1 to region 2. Anyone else I know has had this. So I guess Apple sells all machines pre-configured to region 1.

sugoruyo said:

Nope. He didn't. I live in Greece which being in Europe is region 2.
So the first time I put and original DVD into my Mini it prompted me to change from region 1 to region 2. Anyone else I know has had this. So I guess Apple sells all machines pre-configured to region 1.

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Thanks sugoruyo,

You are 100% correct with your post!

I rang Apple Help and the Mac shop here in town and both couldn't come up with an answer that made sense.

As I suspected, and as sugoruyo stated in his post, my Mac came pre-configured for Region 1 and the 1st DVD I put in prompted me to change the Region Code to the Region I live in, which is Region 4.

As I also suspected, the 2nd DVD only prompted me to change the code to Region 2 because my drive was still configured to Region 1 (US) and wouldn't ask for a Region Code change had my drive been set to it's proper Region.

Once I changed the region from 1 to 4 for the 1st DVD, and then inserted the 2nd DVD, it didn't prompt for a Region Code change at all....Problem solved.

Both DVD's play without any trouble and I'm happy, tho' a bit disappointed that the dude at the Apple Help Line couldn't figure it out, instead telling me I should change the code depending on the DVD I was watching....?

The option to change the Region Code up to 5 times is, in my opinion, only useful for those who travel overseas to other Regions and take their Macs with them.