Can't play Universal Disc Format (UDF) DVDs on my computer

Question

Level 1

20 points

Can't play Universal Disc Format (UDF) DVDs on my computer

I rarely watch movies, and it's even rarer that I watch them on my computer. I have a movie on DVD that I checked out from my library. It is in UDF. Here's what happens when I try to watch it, and what I've done to try to get it to play.

When I insert the DVD in the drive, the disc image shows up on my desktop, and DVD Player automatically opens. I then see a split screen, with a still image from the movie on the right side, and the opening video sequence for the movie on the left. I get a 90 second loop of that sequence, and nothing else.

I tried to watch the movie in QuickTime 10.5 (not QT Pro). That doesn't work.

I have DivX Player and DivX Converter. DivX cannot recognize UDF.

I have VLC player, and it cannot read UDF.

I did a great deal of reading on the internet about this problem. I looked at Roxio Toast and Popcorn, and they do not support UDF.

I looked at some external DVD players, but couldn't tell if they read UDF. Even so, it wouldn't make sense to purchase an ext. player for the rare UDF disc I'd want to watch.

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me what I need to watch UDF formatted media on my iMac.

Thanks in advance.

RB

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.3), XP Pro w/Boot Camp

Posted on May 23, 2014 10:29 AM

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Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

May 23, 2014 11:00 AM in response to Ruth Brown1

UDF is not used for video but for data storage. Are you sure it is a video DVD?

I wonder who would use UDF for a movie?? (Although it is used for the Xbox)

Message was edited by: Klaus1

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Answer 2

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

May 23, 2014 11:04 AM in response to Ruth Brown1

Software Architects (now defunct) had a software called ReadDVD. If you can find it, it may be what you need.

It is unknown at this point if that software worked in Mac OS X 10.7 or later.

Going to the web archive, it was last published for Mac OS X 10.5 and Intel and PowerPC:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120124072453/http://www.softarch.com/EN/Product/Re adDVDMac.html

Since that is before Rosetta's demise, it is really hard to say if it might work. Now Rosetta can run on newer Macs with Parallels:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6841

But that only gives you 10.6 Server. Not sure if ReadDVD will work with that.

XP by the way is not secure anymore, and you should update to Windows Vista or 7 unless you are paying the annual payments rom Microsoft for security updates. April 8th, Microsoft instituted a per license fee for XP security updates. You could try to locate a UDF reader for Windows as well.

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Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

May 23, 2014 11:03 AM in response to a brody

If you find ReadDVD can be read on 10.6 or later, please add an entry to http://www.roaringapps.com/ so people can know what is needed.

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Answer 4

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

May 23, 2014 11:23 AM in response to a brody

Aha! http://freecode.com/projects/udfmediareader has a 10.7 or later compatible release! Might be worth trying and getting an entry on RoaringApps.

Google found it.

UDF reader Mac.

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Answer 5

Ruth Brown1 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 23, 2014 11:35 AM in response to a brody

Thanks for the info, a brody and Klaus 1. I will look for ReadDVD, and if I find it, and if it works, I'll post back here.

The DVD is of an Italian movie that is/was shown on MHz Networks. MHz sells movies on disc, and that is what my library has. I checked out 2 movies, both from MHz, and they are both UDF.

@ a brody: eventhough I still have XP on my computer, I rarely go "over to the dark side" these days. I know it's insecure, but I'm not ready to spend the money for Windows 7 since I do 99.99% of what I do on a computer on the Mac side. I haven't used IE for at least 6 years, but I have kept that updated anyway.

Having said that, I looked to see if Windows Media Player can play UDF videos, and it can't. I did have WMP for both Windows and OSX, but I dumped them some time ago because I never used them.

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

May 23, 2014 11:37 AM in response to Ruth Brown1

Don't forget to get the freecode link I posted 12 minutes before your post. You may have better luck with that one.

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Answer 7

Ruth Brown1 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 23, 2014 12:13 PM in response to a brody

Thanks for trying, a brody, but UDF Media Reader doesn't seem to be the answer either. I dl'd it, opened it, it saw the disc I am trying to view, but it will only give me a file tree. I read the use instructions at a link contained in a "read me" included in the package, but the Reader can't play the disc. When I look at the log I see the message that there is a don't-have-permissions/not authorized problem.

I may just take this DVD back to the library. It's not important enough for me to spend hours and hours trying to figure out how to play it. Too bad I dumped my DVD player (for TV) when I dumped cable TV 2 years ago.

Thanks, folks.

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Answer 8

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

May 23, 2014 12:15 PM in response to Ruth Brown1

With the file tree, if you can find a Video_TS file, Apple's DVD Player will open those files.

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Answer 9

Ruth Brown1 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 23, 2014 12:59 PM in response to a brody

Thanks again, a brody. I'll try that when I get home later. I just finished looking at several programs that are supposed to play UDF DVDs on earlier versions of OSX, but the programs aren't supported any longer, and all I could find was source code, and this DVD that I want to watch isn't worth my figuring out how to compile the code. I'll do more searching later.

Anyone out there who might have another suggestion? Please?

Thanks, RB

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Answer 10

Ruth Brown1 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 23, 2014 2:53 PM in response to a brody

Thank you a brody! It's not an elegant solution, but while I had VLC open, I opened the DVD and started trying to open the Video_TS files, and darned if the fourth one in the file opened, and started playback from the opening credits. I think I'll probably have to watch the movie in 10-15 minute chunks as I open each of those files, but it's better than not watching at all. Video, audio, and subtitles are all present and accounted for.

Thank you again.

Of course, if anyone can think of a neater solution, I'd be happy for the suggestions.

RB

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Answer 11

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

May 23, 2014 4:49 PM in response to Ruth Brown1

Thanks for the report. I've updated http://roaringapps.com/app/udf-media-reader

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Answer 12

Ruth Brown1 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 23, 2014 5:25 PM in response to a brody

You're welcome. I've watched several of the "chapters" already, and it's not a bad way to watch a movie. When one file finishes, it's a good time to go get something to drink...or something.

Thanks again for your solution.

RB

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Answer 13

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

May 24, 2014 1:37 PM in response to Ruth Brown1

No matter what you do to convert the UDF to run on your computer, I bet the movie is still in Italian! 😁

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Answer 14

Ruth Brown1 Author

Level 1

20 points

May 24, 2014 2:31 PM in response to MlchaelLAX

But MichaelLAX...that's the point! I know a bit of Italian, and there are subs. And you can hear the swear words, but the subs never let you know they're there. Clean shows for clean Americans who only speak "American". 😉

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