DVD Drive Region

[hughvane]

Mac Mini, macOS Mojave 10.14.5

The Mini has no built-in optical drive, so I bought an external one. It connects and behaves normally via Thunderbolt, EXCEPT the drive region will not change, despite unlocking SysPrefs. Not Permitted is the message I get on the screen of DVD Player.

The Mini is set by default to Region 1 (US etc), whereas I need Region 4 (NZ etc), to which the DVD movies are set, having been purchased in that region.

Before anyone asks, these are legitimate movie DVDs, either purchased by me, or loaned to me privately while I'm laid up.

Advice/workaround/resolution please.

Hugh

 

[chscag]

Something doesn't sound right Hugh. If by region you're referring to language, location, time zone, etc, you can set that to NZ easy enough. External optical drives normally do not have a parameter for changing the region. I have two external optical drives and they do not have a region setting that can be changed. Previous Macs that I owned which had built in optical drives did have a region setting that could be changed up to 4 times.

 

[ferrarr]

What does it show in System Preferences > Language & Region, or Date & Time > Time Zone?

 

[hughvane]

I replied to chscag's response but managed somehow to mess up posting it. I now include ferrarr in the mix

Region, date, and time preferences are set correctly for NZ.

There have been 'developments'. The CD/DVD in SysPrefs has disappeared. It was there a day ago when I tried to change the DVD region but has since packed its bags and left for St Elsewhere.

What puzzles me is how the macOS will not accept a region change. I unlocked SysPrefs to enable changes, no joy.

I have other options regarding DVD viewing, but as I spend much of my time in the one room with the Mini in operation, I'd really like to be able to use its resources.

 

[chscag]

There have been 'developments'. The CD/DVD in SysPrefs has disappeared. It was there a day ago when I tried to change the DVD region but has since packed its bags and left for St Elsewhere.

What puzzles me is how the macOS will not accept a region change. I unlocked SysPrefs to enable changes, no joy.

If you're on Mojave with your new Mini, there will no longer be an option for CD/DVD in System Preferences. As a matter of fact, I believe that option was removed for High Sierra. Keep in mind that no Mac since the 2013 models came with a built in optical drive.

 

[hughvane]

If you're on Mojave with your new Mini, there will no longer be an option for CD/DVD in System Preferences.

Yes, it's the latest Mojave, I'm almost sure it was there, but may have confused it with the older (2010) Mini which is operating El Capitan.

Update: there are twists and turns in every direction. I connected the external DVD drive (Asus) to the older Mini and inserted the movie DVD, whereupon I was asked to change the drive region. Options were 2 & 4 only. Duly changed, and the movie showed as it should.

Why not use the older Mini's internal optical drive? Good thought. No go, we don't even get to first base, after perhaps 30 seconds it spits the disk out, as it did the other day. There is nothing wrong with the disk, no smudges or scratches, and it works with the Asus. A mystery.

 

[ferrarr]

The CD/DVD in SysPrefs has disappeared.

It only shows up when the drive is plugged in to the Mac. Maybe it goes to sleep if not in use?

 

[chscag]

It only shows up when the drive is plugged in to the Mac. Maybe it goes to sleep if not in use?

I just noticed that. I've never heard of an optical drive going to sleep, but I guess anything is possible.

I just checked by inserting a commercial movie DVD that I own, however, there is no option to change the region as there used to be when running the older DVD player with an included optical drive.

 

[hughvane]

In summary, after trials (& tribulations):
1. I still cannot change the drive region in OS Mojave with the 2018 Mini
2. the Asus DVD drive works with the 2010 Mini, I can change the drive region (only 2 & 4 are offered), and the movie shows just fine
3. the 2010 Mini’s internal drive will not accept the DVD disk and spits it out
but
4. the 2011 MBkPro 8.2 accepts the disk and shows the movie with VLC, no region designation required.
5. a Veon tv with built-in DVD player shows the movie

 

[ferrarr]

I just found this in a web search, Change your DVD drive region in DVD Player on Mac - Apple Support, it's for AU, so I hope it works for you also.

 

[krs]

If you're on Mojave with your new Mini, there will no longer be an option for CD/DVD in System Preferences. As a matter of fact, I believe that option was removed for High Sierra. Keep in mind that no Mac since the 2013 models came with a built in optical drive.

You have me scratching my head....

I don't see an option for CD/DVD in System Preferences for El Capitan either - what was that option even for?
There is an apple application on El Capitan called DVD Player - I use that to play CD's and DVD;s using an external Asus DVD player...and I think I have played DVD's set for the European region without issues.

 

[hughvane]

It only shows up when the drive is plugged in to the Mac.

Brilliant! Sure 'nuff, CD/DVD SysPref has reappeared after I inserted the supplied Asus disk (not actually req'd with Mac).

 

[ferrarr]

I don't see an option for CD/DVD in System Preferences for El Capitan either - what was that option even for?

As I said in Post #7, it only appears when the optical drive is connected and powered on. The options allow you to choose what happens when you insert optical media.

 

[hughvane]

You have me scratching my head....

I don't see an option for CD/DVD in System Preferences for El Capitan either - what was that option even for?

See earlier, seems the option appears only when a disk is inserted in the external drive.

There is an apple application on El Capitan called DVD Player - I use that to play CD's and DVD;s using an external Asus DVD player.

I remember a post some years back that recommended anyone playing videos from disks should use VLC Official Download of VLC media player for Mac OS X - VideoLAN as the default application because it ignores regional codes. That has been my experience of it, but on the occasion being discussed in this thread I let DVD Player deal with the DVD I'd inserted. I have since changed that setting to VLC. Whether or not the OS accepts the inserted disk remains an issue however.

 

[ferrarr]

See my Post #10, on how to change the region code in macOS DVD player app.

 

[krs]

As I said in Post #7, it only appears when the optical drive is connected and powered on. The options allow you to choose what happens when you insert optical media.

Ahhhh... OK... thanks
Yes, just tried it.

So let me ask my real question - the one I was going to ask before I looked into System Preferences on ElCap.

That CD/DVD option disappearing in High Sierra or Mojove - I assume only the preference options disappear but one can still play CD's or DVD's either using VLC or the DVD PLayer app.

 

[chscag]

See my Post #10, on how to change the region code in macOS DVD player app.

That will only work if you insert a DVD with a different region code than the region you're currently in. I tried it by playing a region 1 DVD movie. The DVD player (Mojave) never asked about region nor could I see anywhere to change it. I no longer have any foreign made DVDs to try. I gave those away long ago.

And to answer member "krs".... I believe VLC will play DVDs from any region although I have never tried.

 

[hughvane]

See my Post #10, on how to change the region code in macOS DVD player app.

Thanks Bob, I did see that following a Google search - and it was specific to Mojave - but it didn't work, the OS gave me the Not Permitted message. On reading the advisory a second and third time, I noted reference to the Drive's region setting, when I thought it was somehow imprinted on the Disk. I have tried a Disk which is Universal (no region) and it works fine, but via VLC, not DVD Player.

 

[krs]

.....the OS gave me the Not Permitted message. On reading the advisory a second and third time, I noted reference to the Drive's region setting, when I thought it was somehow imprinted on the Disk. I have tried a Disk which is Universal (no region) and it works fine, but via VLC, not DVD Player.

Is it not possible that you used all of the region setting changes allowed?
I'm slowly remembering the issues I had many, many years ago with Apple DVD Player - the very limited number of times one could change the region setting.
I received DVD/s with the European region setting on a regular basis and of course also had DVDs with the North American setting - didn't take very long before region changes were no longer permitted in DVD Player and I then found VLC to play all DVDs.

 

[hughvane]

Is it not possible that you used all of the region setting changes allowed?

No, although I did wonder about that. I think I tried twice, at most three times, noted the warning, and desisted. No changes occurred simply because the process didn't work.

didn't take very long before region changes were no longer permitted in DVD Player and I then found VLC to play all DVDs.

VLC is the solution to the problem, and I'm surprised, quite frankly, that Apple persists with its proprietary constraints in respect of DVD Player region limitations.