I've inserted a Disney vacation planning promo disk and the Select Region dialogue box appears. After selecting Region 1 for disk play, nothing happens. I can't play the CD because the Select Region dialogue box doesn't go away. How do I play the disk? I'm relatively new to Apple and this is a new one on me! Please help.
iMac with Intel
iOS 10
External CD player
You can only change the region on any DVD drive about 3 times and then it is locked. Assuming you are in the same country as the DVD came from you should not have to change regions.
In your case you may want to visit the local Apple Store and speak to a Genius, the appointments are free and you may get some insight.
I wasn't trying to change anything, just play the disk. This was the first time I've ever seen this and just didn't know what to do. I'm in the US and playing US disks. I'll try the Apple store. I also tried to play an exercise video from a US company and got the same thing. Does this happen only on the first time you try to play something? I think it was set on 0 when the dialogue box first came up. Does that make a difference?
K
Here is an explanation on the DRM region codes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code
And, here is Apple's:
DVD Player 5.x: DVD region codes
Be careful how often you change/set the code - a total of 5 times including the initial setting is allowed - can't change it after that.
OK, now I'm scared! Thanks for the links. How is the iMac set when it comes from Apple? I just switched to Mac in February and really cannot remember if I've ever actually played a DVD on it or not. I put in this Disney promo disk and up pops this code dialogue box. It seems like it was set to 0 and I changed it to 1 after studying the map. Nothing happened and I couldn't play the DVD. The dialogue box just stayed put. Then I closed it with the 'x' and inserted the disk again--it was set at 1 and I left it there. Again, nothing happened so I closed the box. I may have done that several times. Then I inserted the exercise video and it was still set at 1. I may have clicked on 1 again just to make sure but again, nothing happened and I closed the box. Does that mean I've changed it each time I clicked on 1? Should I change it back to 0? I don't watch movies on my computer or normally play DVD's at all except maybe to look at photos or other data someone has sent me. How can you tell what region the DVD is set for? If I am in the US and playing disks from the US, why shouldn't it just play it the 1st time? I'm so confused. Thanks for the help.
The first time you put a CD or DVD in, it will prompt you to pick a region. Although it is normally set to the country where you live when you bought the Mac, it still prompts usually. 1 = US. Any DVD coded 0 will play in any region. Or, you can use an external DVD player which does not require region codes - my old one was like that; unfortunately, it finally died and I recently got a new one. This one is picky as well.
I don't have an answer as to why the dialogue box stayed and it wouldn't play, so I'd follow rkaufman's advice and take it to a Genius Bar (along with your CDs) and question them about it. Or, if it's a brand new Mac, you have 90 days phone support - take advantage of it and call Apple.
I will do that--hard to carry in a 27" iMac though! I am using an external player. Made by Dell and got it in 2009. So wouldn't think it would be asking for the region. Or, I guess it is the computer asking for it. Thanks.
If you are using the built in DVD player (app) - yes, that will ask no matter what. I don't know if VLC (free download) does.
Selecting a region for CD play
