iMAC DVD PLAYER DOESN'T READ DVDS

You were asking the proper questions & original poster's replies do not appear

to have been detail oriented; as though the information stressed as important

was not seen or read as such...

...and also, other types of discs were tried before or after your answer included

the warning about BlueRay media as not being compatible with SuperDrives.

Also, if using various Region Code-sourced DVD retail movie media discs

at some point the few code options may be cycled through, so no DVDs

would be able to work at all once all of them are used up, as you know.

There may be a way to take-apart an Apple USB SuperDrive, if not under

warranty at Apple anymore, or at least replace an optical drive in the case.

{In the following page, there is a second link to the 'firmware patch' to make

these work (for some models) as an external superdrive to Macs whose

original built-in superdrive had failed.}

•Apple USB SuperDrive Repair guide - iFixit:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_USB_SuperDrive

So as you've suggested, a visit to an Apple Store with Genius bar, with an

appointment set ahead of time could be the answer to several issues here.

Good luck & happy computing! 😐

First try both a NVRAM/PRAM reset, then an SMC reset.

Resetting NVRAM / PRAM

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.

After resetting NVRAM or PRAM, you may need to reconfigure your settings for speaker volume, screen resolution, startup disk selection, and time zone information.

Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve

1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
3. Wait fifteen seconds.
4. Attach the computer's power cord.
5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

If this doesn't work,

Optical drives have two laser lenses. One for CDs and one for DVDs.

The DVD lens maybe dirty or dusty.

You can try a commercial retail dry brush CD/DVD lens cleaning disc.

This may revive the DVD read/write part of drive.

I no purchase method to clean out the optical drive is to take credit card wrapped in a micro fiber cleaning cloth, power down the iMac, and carefully run the cloth cover credit card carefully back and forth a couple of times in the optical disc slot the carefully pull out the credit card.

This may, also, revive the drive, too!

Sometimes the PRAM and/or SMC reset will revive issues with the optical drive.

EIther try the commercial lens cleaning disc option OR the manual microfiber cloth covered credit card method.

If none of this ends up NOT working, then you need to purchase an external optical drive.

There are cheap ones (under$50 U.S,D,that'll last anywhere from a year to three years or more expensive(over $50 US.D.) and higher) that will last much longer.

Not all optical drives are Mac compatible.

Most Mac compatible drives you will only find to be purchased online.

Here are two on Amazon.com that are cheap and Mac compatible

http://www.amazon.com/LG-GP10NB20-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B004K2Z4MS/ref=sr_1 _3?ie=UTF8&qid=1398883289&sr=8-3&keywords=Mac+compatible+external+LG+optical+dr i ve

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Portable-External-GP40NB40/dp/B009DS6OFU/re f=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1398883289&sr=8-7&keywords=Mac+compatible+external+LG+opti c al+drive

Here's another source for Mac compatible optical drives. These are better quality optical drives.

These are also tray loading drives.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/VLU2SD24XS/

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MR3F82SD24S/

If it appears you have 3 DVD Player applications, click on each one and use the keyboard keys Command-I to see which one is the actual application and if the other two are Aliases/shortcuts. If all three turn out to be applications (multiple, duplicate copies), you should be able to just trash two of these and empty the OS X Trash.

Good Luck!

Do not do anything with the optical drive, yet.

Or are you trying to use the new Apple external optical drive with an older iMac?

The new Apple external optical drive only works with the new iMacs that no longer have bulit-in SuperDrives.

There is a hack to get the drive to work with older iMacs, but I have forgot what and where the procedure for this hack is?

Out of the box, these new, external Apple optical drives do not work with older model Macs.

sdfdsfdfsadfdf wrote:

ok i will try that

but i have the superdrive and the iMac couldn't recognize it

isn't a superdrive an external optical drive?

A SuperDrive is Apple's term for an optical drive that reads and writes CDs and DVDs.

These drives can be internal or external.

Macs have had these drives built into them for years.

Newer iMacs, Mac Minis and the new Mac Pro do not have built-in optical drives any longer and have to purchase an optional external optical drive.

Found the Hack!

Be careful!

You are playing around inside the OS X system folder.

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111107064435227

If you do not feel comfortable making modifications to system folder files, then, if you have had this drive for less than 14 days, return it for a full refund, and purchase one of the other optical drives that I have linked to online.

The optical drives I linked to work with any Mac.

We should've been asking you more questions about what optical drive and media you were using as this is getting ALL screwd up, now.

For one thing Macs do not do Blu-ray. All Apple SuperDrives (internal or external) only read/write CDs and standard DVD discs. NO Blu-ray!

To view and read/write Blu-ray discs, you need newer optical drives capable of reading/writing Blu-ray Discs, additional, tMac compatible Blu-ray playing/viewing software and yet additional Blu-ray authoring/writing software.

sdfdsfdfsadfdf wrote:

thanks buddy

but i got two dvds stuck in this thing now

cause the first time i tried to connect it it didn't pop up on my iMac so i thought there was nothing in there and i inserted another DVD in it

any idea how to get it out? can you open it?

I do not know.

If you have had this drive for only a short time ( less than 14days), bring it into an Apple Store, have them try and remove the discs, then ask if you can return this drive for a full refund and purchase one of the other Mac compatible drives I linked for you.

The optical drives I linked work with all models of Macs, but only play standard CDs/DVDs, as well. NO Blu-ray!

If you want Blu-ray capability, then you will pay more for these style of drives, pay for both Blu-ray pkaying/viewing software AND pay for Blu-ray authoring/burning software.

Here's a link to Mac compatible Blu-ray optical drives

http://eshop.macsales.com/search/external+blu+ray

Mac Blu-ray viewing software

http://www.macblurayplayer.com/

Mac Blu-ray burning software.

http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/default.html?rtrack=hp_T11_20110308

As I already stated, the new external Apple SuperDrive Doesn't work with older iMacs at all without hacking a certain system Kext file.

If you don't have any experience with modifying OS X system files,

Go to an Apple Store. Have then try and get the 2 discs unstuck out of the drive. Return the Drive. Get your money back. Purchase a Drive that wiil work with your iMac from the links I supplied.

Good Luck.

Don't know how you managed to get two disks into a slot loading drive, but it's likely the drive is no good anyway. Drives that read/write both CD and DVD disks have two lasers. That you could read CDs, but not DVDs anymore means the DVD laser burned out. Replace the drive.

Kurt Lang wrote:

Don't know how you managed to get two disks into a slot loading drive, but it's likely the drive is no good anyway. Drives that read/write both CD and DVD disks have two lasers. That you could read CDs, but not DVDs anymore means the DVD laser burned out. Replace the drive.

and don't put Blu-Rays into the new drive.

and don't put multiple discs at the same time into the new drive

Kurt,

NOT every optical drive made is compatible with Macs.

I doubt Best Buy will have any Mac compatible optical drives in their stores.

Best Buy is not a Mac friendly electronics store for some computer peripheral devices.

I have given the OP a list of known links for optical drives that are certain to work with Macs.

NOT every optical drive made is compatible with Macs.

I have yet to see one that isn't. I've picked up several random brands over the years and they all work without issue. Best Buy is also where I get them. It's not like a hard drive that comes pre formatted as NTFS and the user has to take the time to get it ready for use on a Mac.

If you know of any brand that has been proven to never work with a Mac out of the box, I'd be interested in seeing it. And please don't include any issues about bundled software. Anything like that included with a drive is completely unnecessary with the Mac OS. All you should have to do is plug it in and use it.