Fussy DVD Player; will play Region 0 but plays Region 1 only occasionally.

DVD player has been freezing more of late but I have blamed that on library usage and mishandling of DVDs up to now. Now the problem has worsened to the point that most of the time commercial mainstream movies DVDs (region 1) will not play.
The flat 17" iMac has always been set on Region 1 and never been changed. I used a Region 2 disc just to see if it was recognized like my Region 0, which it was. I have not switched the 17' iMac from Region 1. Apparently commercially produced Region 1 DVDs are more demanding. I upgraded to OS 10.4.11 and the problem remains. However sometimes a Region 1 DVD will play after frequent tries. My thinking is that this may be a hardware issue, like the laser is dirty or faulty, maybe firmware, but not a software one. The 17 " iMac is now five years old and the DVD player has been in use everyday.
Why the difference in playback between Region 0 and Region 1? How come it will recognize a Region 2 disc but only rarely a Region 1? Has anyone else had a similar problem and resolved it? Any suggestions on how to fix a dirty or faulty laser? Is there a firmware fix?
C.J. Beck

You don't say where you are, but I suspect it is the USA?
Your DVD Player is set for the region where you purchased your Mac. Region 1 is the USA, Region 2 is Europe. (Region 0 is non-regional, for the DVDs you make yourself, and has no effect on the following).
You can only change that setting up to five times, after which it is carved in stone for all eternity, as it is embedded in the firmware of your Superdrive. There is no hack for making a Mac multi-regional like there is for stand-alone DVD players.
If you want to play DVDs from a different region to your own, use your stand-alone DVD player and TV, not the Mac!

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