Playing Video DVDs on Lombard

Question

Level 1

105 points

Playing Video DVDs on Lombard

I am considering bidding on a used PowerBook G3 at a local auction. I was able to look at and use the computer - it's in great condition. Also, I was able to look in the system profiler to find out about it and it says it has a DVD-ROM drive. After doing some research online, I found that playing DVDs only works in Classic, and only the 400MHz Lombard has the hardware to play video DVDs. This has left me thoroughly confused.

By the way - the computer was running OS X 10.3

eMac, Mac OS X (10.4.7), 512MB RAM 80GB HD (multiple other computers)

Posted on Jul 24, 2006 8:46 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Hardy Geer

Level 4

3,166 points

Jul 25, 2006 6:33 AM in response to Iko Jones

Some wallstreets came with DVD drives and a DVD decoding card.

Reply

Answer 2

Iko Jones Author

Level 1

105 points

Jul 25, 2006 8:30 AM in response to Iko Jones

I looked at www.lowendmac.com and saw that the Lombard 333 does not have the hardware to play video DVDs at all, (even though it has a DVD-ROM drive) and that the computer must be booted into classic mode to play the DVDs. Why is this?

Since this is not a Wallstreet but instead a Lombard, should it be able to play video DVDs? If so, will they work with DVD player in Mac OS X?

Reply

Answer 3

jpl

Level 7

28,285 points

Jul 25, 2006 8:51 AM in response to Iko Jones

Iko,

Some 333MHz Lombards were build-to-order from Apple and had the option to include DVD; this option had the DVD-ROM drive and the DVD hardware decoder on the logic board. All of this was standard on the 400MHz.

If the 333MHz did not come with DVD, someone may have bought a DVD-ROM drive and used a DVD Decoder PC card to play DVDs. You can check via the Apple System Profiler if the 333MHz has the built-in decoder:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58337

You can only play DVDs while booted to 9.x; running Classic while booted to OSX does not support DVD nor does OSX.

If you like the 333MHz, are certain it has a DVD-ROM drive but it has no built-in DVD decoder on the logic board, you can buy a $20 DVD Decoder PC card and play DVDs in 9.x.

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&ProductCode=DVDMPG2&CategoryCode=

Reply

Answer 4

Iko Jones Author

Level 1

105 points

Jul 25, 2006 1:43 PM in response to Iko Jones

Still, I am confused as to why the DVDs would not play in OS X.

Reply

Answer 5

jpl

Level 7

28,285 points

Jul 25, 2006 2:37 PM in response to Iko Jones

Iko,

The Wallstreet and Lombard use hardware DVD decoding and Apple did not write drivers for this in OSX. The Pismo and all following powerbooks use software decoding which Apple does support in OSX. There is just no way around this issue.

Reply

Answer 6

Iko Jones Author

Level 1

105 points

Jul 25, 2006 4:18 PM in response to Iko Jones

Thanks. I appreciate all the help.
Still, would there be any way to play the DVD as a video TS file? Or will the drive not even recognize video DVDs?

Reply

Answer 7

jpl

Level 7

28,285 points

Jul 25, 2006 7:16 PM in response to Iko Jones

Iko,

There are two third-party apps that can play DVDs in OSX:

- I have absolutely no experience with this one and was referenced by another user:
http://xineplayer.berlios.de/index.php

- Some have used this with limited success; usually a smaller window than full-screen is required:
http://www.videolan.org/

Reply

Answer 8

Iko Jones Author

Level 1

105 points

Jul 26, 2006 9:23 AM in response to jpl

Thanks again. That helps.

Reply