Richard Williams Jr

Q: Best software for watching DVD on Pismo?

Hello all

 

I've resurrected an old Pismo (G3 Powerbook - Firewire).  I have upped the RAM to 768MB and swapped the 400MHz processor out for a blindingly fast G3 500MHz from another unit.   (Yes, it makes a difference!).  I have swapped out the original DVD-ROM (which seemed to be on its way out) with a nice slot load DL DVD-R/W unit, complete with appropriate faceplate.  The Pismo is running 10.4.11 Tiger with all updates on one partition, and OS 9.2 on another.  I default boot into OS X and when I insert a DVD (using Apple DVD Player) all I get is the initial audio (that jingle you hear when the menu pops up) and that's it - NO video (just a black screen) and nothing else.  I have tried VLC for Tiger, and I can get audio but NO video. In the VLC menus, I have fiddled around with the video settings to no avail.

 

Here's the kicker - when I boot into OS 9, the DVD plays just fine using Apple DVD player (I think it's 2.7), so I know the hardware is all good and the disk isn't scratched or anything.  (And the symptoms in OS X happen with various DVDs - I've tried a few).

 

What software can I try to watch DVDs in OS X?  Or is there some secret to getting either Apple DVD player or VLC to work properly?

 

thanks

PowerBook, Mac OS X (10.4.11), Pismo 500MHz G3, 768MB RAM

Posted on Jan 13, 2012 4:30 PM

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Q: Best software for watching DVD on Pismo?

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  • by Cattus Thraex,

    Cattus Thraex Cattus Thraex Jan 14, 2012 12:17 AM in response to Richard Williams Jr
    Level 4 (1,714 points)
    Notebooks
    Jan 14, 2012 12:17 AM in response to Richard Williams Jr

    I am afraid you cannot do this on that generation, but am also curious to see if someone else may suggest something here. Theoretically, VLC running in Tiger should do that, but I think the video card cannot support such a task.

  • by Richard Williams Jr,

    Richard Williams Jr Richard Williams Jr Jan 14, 2012 7:55 AM in response to Cattus Thraex
    Level 2 (150 points)
    Jan 14, 2012 7:55 AM in response to Cattus Thraex

    Well, I hope it supports it.   A *very* long time ago I had a Wallstreet with a DVD drive, and I know I used to watch movies on it (with the DVD decoder card, which the Pismo is supposed to have built-in), but it's been so very, very long since I used a G3 Powerbook that I don't remembrer any of the details.  At the moment, I'm using the DVD Player in OS 9 (so I know that the hardware can handle DVD playback), but I don't remember how to do it in OS X --- or even if it's possible.  

     

    thanks