Some DVD's will not play?

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Normally when I put a DVD into the super drive it will play automatically without problems! But occasionally even new DVD's will not play, instead I get a long pause with a beep then another pause with a beep then the DD ejects itself?
These DVD's play perfectly well on my desktop PC? Is this a codex problem. or is my iMac fussy?
Any advice and help would be appreciated.:Confused:
 
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Have you restarted?
 

chscag

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These DVD's play perfectly well on my desktop PC? Is this a codex problem. or is my iMac fussy?

Try cleaning the drive on your Mac with a can of compressed air. Could be a dirty or dusty lens.
 
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I'll give compressed air a try, but if I put a different DVD in the drive it will play that, then if I put the problem DVD back in it still will not play? So I don't hold out any hope that canned air will work! I don't think a re-start would do any good either, because I tried the problem disk immediately after starting up?
 
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IWT


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if I put a different DVD in the drive it will play that, then if I put the problem DVD back in it still will not play

Hi and welcome.

Ordinarily, such a statement as you made above would tend to point the finger at a faulty DVD. However, you have stated that it played on a Windows PC. That prompts me to ask whether this might be a Regional problem if, for example, your PC was set up in such a way as to allow a DVD from Region x to be played, whereas your iMac restricted DVDs from that Region?

Can you check the Regional status of your PC and iMac and post back, please?

Ian
 
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Where would I find that info on the iMac?
 

IWT


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The region code on my PC's and iMac are region 2 (UK and Europe). And all 2000 DVD's in my collection (with the exception of 3 or 4) are all region 2. So I don't think it is a region setting problem.
I was thinking a codex problem? Or an imminent Martian invasion?
 

Slydude

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It's getting late in the UK, so I'll sign off until tomorrow.
 

IWT


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Well, sorry Willabong, but it was worth checking because these Regional issues do crop up. And your reply did make Sly laugh which is rather nice.

Do you, by any chance, have VLC on your iMac? ( Official Download of VLC media player for Mac OS X - VideoLAN )

If so - or if you download this free app - see if it will play the DVD.

At the moment, that's the best I can come up with.

Ian
 
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Can you change the settings in System Preferences > CDs & DVDs? Choose ignore, for Video DVDs. I don't know if it will get them to play or not, but it should keep them in the optical drive and something like VLC (mentioned above by IWT) should play them. The only other thing I can think of is to clean the lens?
 

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I have a similar iMac to yours. Those internal slot drives after a lot of use start to flake out after a couple years of heavy usage. Mine started to not read just certain DVD's then it got worse and eventually would not read any DVD nor burn either. I found a new one on Ebay and installed it and it's like new again.

A heads up just in case.

I had also tried the compressed Air and nothing as I really did not want to open the iMac if I did not have to.
 
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Yes I have VLC media player and it will not play the DVD either. So I am inclined to think that the super drive is failing! Don't fancy taking the iMac apart to install a new one though?
 
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Just get an external drive. They aren't expensive. Typically under $20US.
 
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That Is what I plan on doing!
 

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