Niku

Q: Playing DVDs on iMac with external CD/DVD player

When I try to play a DVD in my iMac using  the external CD/DVD player I bought in the Apple store for that purpose (Model A1379), the player tries to load maybe seven or eight times and then ejects the DVD. What can I do to make it work? Here are the settings in my CD preferences: Screen Shot 2016-07-04 at .png

iPad (4th gen) Wi-Fi, iOS 9.3.1, null

Posted on Jul 4, 2016 4:28 PM

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Q: Playing DVDs on iMac with external CD/DVD player

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  • by sberman,Solvedanswer

    sberman sberman Jul 4, 2016 4:27 PM in response to Niku
    Level 8 (39,083 points)
    Jul 4, 2016 4:27 PM in response to Niku
  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Jul 4, 2016 4:30 PM in response to Niku
    Level 8 (39,083 points)
    Jul 4, 2016 4:30 PM in response to Niku

    Niku wrote:

     

    Here are the settings in my CD preferences: Screen Shot 2016-07-04 at .png

    What does "CD preferences" mean?  Where are these preferences?

     

    My preferences look very different.  These are in iTunes > Preferences > General.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-07-04 at 4.29.12 PM.png

  • by Niku,

    Niku Niku Jul 4, 2016 4:33 PM in response to sberman
    Level 2 (305 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 4, 2016 4:33 PM in response to sberman

    My model of iMac does not have a slot for loading CDs/DVDs. They stopped including such slots several generations ago. That's why I had to buy the external player.

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Jul 4, 2016 4:54 PM in response to Niku
    Level 8 (39,083 points)
    Jul 4, 2016 4:54 PM in response to Niku

    Yes, I understand that.

     

    I have a MacBook Air, which also lacks a CD drive. I use a SuperSrive with no issue.

  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Jul 4, 2016 4:59 PM in response to Niku
    Level 5 (5,895 points)
    Mac App Store
    Jul 4, 2016 4:59 PM in response to Niku

    FWIW, your CDs & DVDs preferences seem to be correct, however…

    1. You can't play Blu-ray DVDs without special software.

    2.. DVDs have Region codes so if the DVDs are from a different region than your drive they won't play. Although you should get a message asking if you want to change regions. You can only do that 5 times.

    3. If the DVD is a copy of a commercial movie it may not have been formatted correctly.

     

    that's all I can think of at the moment.

  • by Niku,

    Niku Niku Jul 4, 2016 5:09 PM in response to dialabrain
    Level 2 (305 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 4, 2016 5:09 PM in response to dialabrain

    I've only tried two DVDs so far. Neither of them is a Blu-Ray. I say this because the boxes they came in do not mention Blu-Ray, and I think they would if they were Blu-RAY. One of them is the musical 1776, and the other one is a set of DVDs on the Founding  Fathers (I was getting prepared for the 4th).  I purchased both of them from Amazon. I was using my computer because my TV is not working now.

  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Jul 4, 2016 5:15 PM in response to Niku
    Level 5 (5,895 points)
    Mac App Store
    Jul 4, 2016 5:15 PM in response to Niku

    Did you follow all the steps in the link sberman posted for you?

  • by Niku,

    Niku Niku Jul 4, 2016 5:26 PM in response to sberman
    Level 2 (305 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 4, 2016 5:26 PM in response to sberman

    SOLVED! To my way of thinking, the external CD/DVD player is designed upside down (the shiny metallic surface is intended to be on top, and the black surface with the Apple logo is on the bottom). Anyway, when I inserted the DVD the upside down way that Apple intended, the player worked. Now I can celebrate the 4th properly.

  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Jul 4, 2016 5:28 PM in response to Niku
    Level 5 (5,895 points)
    Mac App Store
    Jul 4, 2016 5:28 PM in response to Niku

    It happens quite often as it turns out. Happy 4th.

  • by Niku,

    Niku Niku Jul 4, 2016 8:37 PM in response to dialabrain
    Level 2 (305 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 4, 2016 8:37 PM in response to dialabrain

    I hadn't really expected much of the musical, so its music, what little there was, didn't disappoint me. However, the music wasn't the important part. The important part was the message, our message, and I found it to be powerful and inspirational. In fact, I went on to order another patriotic musical that I hadn't heard of before tonight. It's "Dearest Enemy" by Rogers and Hart. It was one of their first musicals and I look forward to seeing it.

  • by Niku,

    Niku Niku Jul 4, 2016 8:41 PM in response to sberman
    Level 2 (305 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 4, 2016 8:41 PM in response to sberman

    Apple icon in menu bar>System Preferences>CDs & DVDs.

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Jul 4, 2016 10:31 PM in response to Niku
    Level 8 (39,083 points)
    Jul 4, 2016 10:31 PM in response to Niku

    Niku wrote:

     

    Apple icon in menu bar>System Preferences>CDs & DVDs.

    OK, thanks.  As I said, I have a MacBook Air which has no built-in CD drive (just as your machine does not either).  I only connect my SuperDrive when I use it (rarely), so I have not paid attention to a "CDs & DVDs" category under System Preferences.  To see it, you must either have a built-in CD drive, or have a drive connected to your Mac.

     

    I'm very glad your issue got resolved.  dialabrain deserves a lot of the credit.

     

    Enjoy your Apple gear.