iBook as an external DVD player?

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canineu - 21 Feb 2005 02:41 GMT

Late 2003 iBook G3 800 MHz. While I have no difficulty playing DVDs
using my laptop as the monitor, I have run into problems with
displaying output to a tv. I have purchased 2 sets of video &
audio cables (to hook up thru the video adapter which shipped with
it) to make sure it's not the cables. The color changes back/forth
when watching some DVDs. The TV is older & not S-Video
compatible...
Applecare said it had to do with macrovision- piracy protection
embedded in DVD's- but as I said it soesn't happen with all dvds, in
particular not with cartoons/animation (scooby doo. Assuming it's
not the hardware (and I'd love to hear from you if it was/is),
anyone know of a workaround so I can use my iBook as an on-the-fly
DVD player?

* posted via http://mymac.ws

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Gregory Weston - 21 Feb 2005 11:42 GMT

> :E
> Late 2003 iBook G3 800 MHz. While I have no difficulty playing DVDs
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> embedded in DVD's- but as I said it soesn't happen with all dvds, in
> particular not with cartoons/animation.

Not all discs have Macrovision protection on them. Some publishers,
especially over the last few years, have decided that the licensing fee
for the protection outweighs the likely losses due to piracy.

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I think the breaking point for me as a fan came when George started talking
about the pivotal Episode 3 light-saber duel between Palpatine and C-3PO.

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Spud Demon - 22 Feb 2005 18:05 GMT

Gregory Weston <uce@splook.com> writes in article <uce-137DFD.06422721022005@comcast.dca.giganews.com> dated Mon, 21 Feb 2005 06:42:27 -0500:

>> :E
>> Late 2003 iBook G3 800 MHz. While I have no difficulty playing DVDs
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>> embedded in DVD's- but as I said it soesn't happen with all dvds, in
>> particular not with cartoons/animation.

I had the same problem when I used my VCR to RF-modulate output from a DVD
player so I could watch in another room. The picture kept getting bright
and then dark. But if the TV was connected to the video output of the DVD
everything was fine.

Are you using a VCR as part of your setup? You could try an older,
pre-Macrovision VCR.

>Not all discs have Macrovision protection on them. Some publishers,
>especially over the last few years, have decided that the licensing fee
>for the protection outweighs the likely losses due to piracy.

It's funny when you think about what kind of piracy it protects against --
just analog copying. Yep, your VHS made from this DVD will look like
crap.

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / February 2005

iBook as an external DVD player?