Can 15" PowerBook Play European DVD's?

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compuser - 21 Dec 2005 15:41 GMT

My daughter recently brought back a DVD from Germany. Its label has the standard
"DVD Video" logo, plus a "PAL 2;4" emblem. Before opening it, we want to
determine if we can play it on our American equipment. A quick internet search
makes it look like it will not display properly on our TV...but can a new
Aluminum PowerBook play it?

Your feedback it greatly appreciate it!

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Karl - 21 Dec 2005 17:47 GMT

> My daughter recently brought back a DVD from Germany. Its label has the
> standard
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Your feedback it greatly appreciate it!

depends if it's a region coded or region free DVD. If it's region free
then yes, if not, you have some options: there are hacks available to
make the DVD drives permanent region free (not only for your computer
but also for you home DVD player (f.ex.
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks, or do a google search for dvd player
region free macintosh). You do have the options to switch your DVD
player up to five times but after that you are fixed to the last played
region.

Karl.

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fastMario - 28 Jan 2006 21:35 GMT

> > makes it look like it will not display properly on our TV...but can a new
> > Aluminum PowerBook play it?

No problem about the video standard (Pal Ntsc), but a big problem with
the region lock. You may see it but you will have to change your region
setting to 2 (Europe) and then go back to 1 (NorthAmerica). You can
change it only four times. Unpractical. Patched to make your dvd player
on alubook exist AND are fully legal (I have one on mine) but not for
every drive installed on these pb
M

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Arild P. - 29 Jan 2006 02:01 GMT

>>>makes it look like it will not display properly on our TV...but can a new
>>>Aluminum PowerBook play it?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> on alubook exist AND are fully legal (I have one on mine) but not for
> every drive installed on these pb

To the original poster: yes, a Powerbook bought in a country that uses
the PAL TV-standard plays PAL DVDs just fine ;-)

Seriously though, like you (fastMario) say, the region-locking is a
problem. I bought a G4 Powerbook recently and it came with a Matshita
UJ-846 "Superdrive". I want to be able to play all regions as well and
have tried searching for hacked firmware for the drive, but haven't
found anything yet.
I've read various places that this drive is impossible to upgrade the
firmware. This seems to go for several Matshita drives apparently.
If anyone knows otherwise I'd be very interested in hearing about it!!!

For other drives that are indeed possible to patch with replacement
firmware, one good place for downloads is here:
http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_all.php

There's also a discussion forum there.

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Nigel McMillan - 29 Jan 2006 09:43 GMT

I know some of the newer drives cant be patched so your only solution is to
use a program like VLC to view your DVDs from any region. Get it here

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Nigel

On 29/1/06 12:01 PM, in article drh7ld$v0h$1@domitilla.aioe.org, "Arild P."
<none@nothing.org> wrote:

>>>> makes it look like it will not display properly on our TV...but can a new
>>>> Aluminum PowerBook play it?
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> There's also a discussion forum there.

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Marc Heusser - 30 Jan 2006 23:35 GMT

> Seriously though, like you (fastMario) say, the region-locking is a
> problem. I bought a G4 Powerbook recently and it came with a Matshita
> UJ-846 "Superdrive". I want to be able to play all regions as well and
> have tried searching for hacked firmware for the drive, but haven't
> found anything yet.

Indeed - on your mentioned forum there is only one for UJ-846S - is that
a different drive?

> I've read various places that this drive is impossible to upgrade the
> firmware. This seems to go for several Matshita drives apparently.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> firmware, one good place for downloads is here:
> http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_all.php

BTW: I assume you cannot even read the drive with an other application
like HandBrake (decrypts the DVD's and encodes eg in H.264 - compresses
your DVD's to less than 1/3 of the size:-) ? Or is this possible?

TIA

Marc

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Mac Forum / General / Portable Macs / January 2006

Can 15" PowerBook Play European DVD's?