How do I get the DVD player to automatically play with a DVD?

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Level 6

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How do I get the DVD player to automatically play with a DVD?

My wife has a collection of DVD-Video that she wants to play on her newer Intel MBP running Monterey. So she asked me to get her an external DVD player. I didn't get a SuperDrive but got an LG external drive with a tray mechanism. I tried it out on my mid-2012 MBP (with a built-in SuperDrive and running Catalina) and the MacOS DVD Player showed up almost immediately. I did find one of my old mini-USB to USB-A cables and it worked just fine.

So I grabbed a USB-C plug to USB-A port adapter, since I figured a dedicated mini-USB to USB-C cable would be a waste of $10. I guess in the future it might work with a USB-C to USB-A hub or dock, and I can try that out later. But when I plugged it in my wife was a bit impatient and when it asked what to do, the default was to just open Finder she clicked on that immediately. I believe one of the options was to open DVD Player, but I can't seem to get back to that.

I think it's easy enough to just install VLC to watch DVDs, but I'm not sure how it's supposed to open Apple's built-in video player, or even if it's installed in Monterey.

Posted on May 22, 2022 4:40 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Lanny

Level 6

13,207 points

May 22, 2022 5:43 PM in response to y_p_w

The location of Apple's DVD player, it will play an inserted DVD.

If you forget the location, just type "DVD player" into Spotlight.

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Answer 2

May 24, 2022 9:10 AM in response to y_p_w

I have Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk DVD mounted here and Apple's DVD Player will not recognize it on macOS 11.6.6, but on macOS 12.4, it will automatically recognize the same DVD and bring up the DVD menu where one can select play. Were it not for this menu, I suspect that it would automatically play the content.

VLC 3.0.17.3 plays this same DVD on both macOS 11.6.6/12.4. All you have to do is tell VLC (Open Disc) what the mounted drive name (DUNKIRK) is in the Finder sidebar, and it begins to play it.

Similarly, the unregistered version of Blu-ray Player Pro from MacGO will also play this movie when provided the Disc name, and one clicks the bottom of the video to present the Play Movie, Scene Selections, and Languages items.

I use VLC or the MacGo player and have not used Apple's DVD Player for years. I noticed that on my 16-inch MBP M1 Pro that the images and text when played with VLC or the MacGo application are much sharper on the display than when using Apple's DVD Player.

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

126,425 points

May 24, 2022 9:43 AM in response to y_p_w

FWIW, on both Monterey & Big Sur, DVDs will mount automatically using an Apple SuperDrive. If you insert a DVD previously mounted it will pick up where the DVD left off. Otherwise, it will open the title menu.

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Answer 4

y_p_w Author

Level 6

17,696 points

May 26, 2022 9:46 PM in response to dialabrain

dialabrain wrote:

FWIW, on both Monterey & Big Sur, DVDs will mount automatically using an Apple SuperDrive. If you insert a DVD previously mounted it will pick up where the DVD left off. Otherwise, it will open the title menu.

I had a chance to try again and it brought up DVD Player immediately regardless of what happened before. Not sure what the deal was before, but my wife (who asked me to get this for her) said she didn't have time to let me test it out.

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Answer 5

tbirdvet

Level 6

14,633 points

May 24, 2022 8:23 AM in response to y_p_w

With DVD player attached open "CD & DVD's" in preferences and set the last item to "open DVD player" when you insert a video DVD.

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How do I get the DVD player to automatically play with a DVD?

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