MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 - Region Code Setting

Dear All,
I've exhausted my available changes on my Superdrive. Does anyone know of a safe way to lift the restriction?
I have the MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 on a PowerBook GR 12" 1Ghz.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Paul.

Paul, unfortunately you get 5 changes and thats it. There are reports that this Region free hack work.
http://www.powerbook-fr.com/dossiers/dvdregion_free_enarticle30.html
The only thing to remember it voids any warrantee you have.
Cheers Don

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MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 won't play *some* DVDs now (mysteriously!).

Quite mysteriously, my Mac is refusing to play some of my DVDs.
The DVDs aren't scratched or unplayable. I tested them this weekend on someone else's multi-regional player.
These DVDs most certainly did play before on this laptop (a late-2003 Titanium Powerbook--details below) but now just do not! Won't read at all. The DVD never mounts on the desktop. Sputtering. Eventually get spit out.
The two DVDs that my Mac now refuses to play are GRAHAM NORTON FOR YOUR PLEASURE [Region 2] and TABOO THE MUSICAL [Region 2 or maybe Region 0].
I can't imagine what's happened/happening. These played fine as recently as March 2007. I've done nothing to my firmware since that time (on purpose, at least!).
I just got the new BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE DVD [Region 2] and it plays just fine. It also plays all Regions (limits reset by Region X).
Any idea at all why my drive refuses to read/play certain DVDs?
Your help &/or theories are appreciated!
Thanks.
==
BIG BUNNY’S TITANIUM POWERBOOK G4 (15”)
System Version: Mac OS X – v. 10.4.11 (Tiger)
Kernel Version: Darwin 8.9.0
Machine Model: PowerBook5,2
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.1)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.25 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.7.1f1
MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 (Firmware Revision: XXJ3)

It started the same way on my PowerBook G4 15" aluminum with the same optical drive (my laptop is from Sept 2003). After reading some DVD/CD and some not (even didn't recognize them in Finder), once, when I tried to write something on DVD-R (or+R - I don't remember) it didn't do the task - neither with Toast Titanium 9.0.4, nor with Dragon Burn 5.0.5, nor with Disk Utility...!?
One of Geniuses in one Apple store told me my optical drive is about to "die" and I shoul replace it. Well, the estimated cost of replacement was close to $450.
I decided not to do it within Apple.
I ordered new optical drive "*+Apple SuperDrive 8x DVD Burner Drive - Aluminum or iBook G4+*" (MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ-875S - Reads DVD:Yes; CD-Write:-R, -RW; DVD-Write:-R, -R DL, -RAM, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW; Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO) from POWERBOOK MEDIC.COM for $99 + shipping. I replaced it myself for about 2 hours. Replacement by professional shouldn't be more than cost of the part.
Now, I have a new powerful and fast optical drive working as a dream.
I wish you lack.
prof. DEJA VUE

What Speed can I run on my PowerBook G4 1.25GHz Matshita DVD-R UJ-816 drive

What Speed can I run on my PowerBook G4 1.25GHz Matshita DVD-R UJ-816 drive?
Can I run above the 2x speed, say if I bought some TDK 16x DVD-R would they work. Please can anyone help me.
Cheers Nick G
Powerbook G4 (15" 1.25GHz) & a Desktop G4 400MHz (PCI graphics) Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Be careful of the Verbatim 16 X DVD-R. I just made 14 Coasters before I got the correct answer from Pioneer who supplied the DVD 104 Super Drive on my Mac even though I installed an A227 firmware update.
They will not burn reliably on my g-4 mac when running Mac OS 10.4.5. I can not burn these DVDs using Toast 7.02.
I have no problem with HP 8X DVD-RW or DVD-R though.
I checked with Pioneer on this and they were helpful explaining the inability of that drive to handle that disk with the present firmware version.
bobg
POWER MAC G-4 (933 MHz QuickSilver) Mac OS X (10.4.5) iSite

Tecra A6: DVD-RAM UJ-841S region code is locked

After playing several DVD Movies from my homeland and USA the DVD drive is locked... Is it right, that the only way to get t back in working condition for Germany, is to replace the unit? ...or at least the ROM of the unit...
Thank you for fast replies!

Hi
No, its not possible
Fact is that you can change the region code 4 or 5 times (I cannot remember) and then the setting is locked and its not possible to change it anymore on legal way.
Of course, you will find many tips and advices in the internet how to change the settings but I would not recommend to follow such guide lines because you can damage the drive!

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 DVD burn fails if computer is doing other things too

I can burn DVDs successfully if I leave the computer alone and don't try to do anything else with it while the burn is taking place. However, if I am printing or typing or even using the Finder at the same time, then the burned disk will not verify (errors in sector such and such). This is with Toast 7 and the Superdrive. It also happens with my external Pioneer 4x burner too.
Is this normal?

Just a note of interest. as a brody points out.
It is not a good practice to burn DVD's and use other applications at the same time.
Burning is not only very Ram Intensive, there are several other processes that are taking place as well.
It is a very good idea to burn by itself and not do any other process.
Many users that try to multi-task while burning report burner errors and overall poor preformance.
You are also using a burner that is a few years old as well and there have been updates to not only the burner, but firmware and software and media as well.
Cheers Don

DVD Player Hasn't set the REGION code

I just got a new MacBookPro (a replacement for one that had failed). Well, I restored all my data and am working fine... BUT...
I think all my settings think that I've already set the Region Code of the DVD drive. But, using a tool, I was able to verify that the region code has NOT been set.
How can I force DVD Player to set the region code of the DVD Drive? Right now, I can't play anything.
Thanks!

Hi Jack and welcome!
Until I read the last sentence my answer would have been: insert a commercial DVD intended for your region code (unhelpfully you don't say where you are!), i.e. NTSC for the US or PAL for Europe, and it will ask you set the region code for that DVD.
Remember: you can only ever do this five times, so best not to play DVDs from other regions.
But then you spoilt it all by saying "Right now, I can't play anything"!
What did you try to play?
Did you repair permissions?

Dvd region code, prefs?

Hello. We have 500 or so computers in our company, and our "final image" does not have the region code set in DVD Player. Can I use Remote Desktop and blast out the DVD prefs? I ask this because a lot of people are going to use their laptops with DVD's. Do I need another pref? Thanks!

Once a DVD is created there is nothing you can do to actually change its content (except RW and RAM disks). Most DVD burning software include the ability to specify region code if you desire it. These articles should help you understand how it is set. If you have a specific burning software question other than iDVD about setting the region code, you might want to take it up with that software's tech support.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302970
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60183
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=31304
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60788

Set my DVD player to Region Code 0?

I have a Region 2 DVD I purchased and playing it forced me to change my DVD player settings from Region 1 so that I could view it on my iMac. I have 3 more changes left and would like to set my DVD player to Region Code 0 so that I can view all the DVDs in my collection without having to worry about this. Is there a fix for this or some 3rd party player I can install?
Thanks.

Hi Kort,
Using VLC you have to use option "Open Disc..." then you select the image that fairmount generated (I'm at work so I don't have my mac to check the exact name of the menu option).
This way you could see a DVD from other region without having to change the DVD player region, because fairmount has created a replica of the DVD without the zones protection.
Hope it helps.

How do I set the DVD region code via ARD?

We recently deployed around 200 MacBooks in a k12 environment and manage them via ARD & WGM. We forgot to set the DVD region when creating our master image and as a result, every single MacBook prompts for an admin password when attempting to use the DVD Player to view a DVD for the first time.
Instead of attending to each of the 200+ MacBooks personally and putting a DVD in and setting the region code one by one, is there a way I could do this via ARD? Unix command? Managed preference via WGM? Thanks, I appreciate any input.

I've been working on this very topic for about a year. Here's what you need to know.
1) setting the region code on your master image would result in the same behavior. Setting the region code triggers an update to the DVD drive firmware itself - it's not something that's stored in software. Obviously this is something that needs to be set on each machine individually. Setting it on the image won't affect the imaged-machines.
2) Apple seems to have gone to great lengths to hide the app that triggers this action. If they had provided a simple CLI interface to trigger this on a client machine we'd be able to use ARD to trigger the action on all of our client machines. Alas, this app is buried somewhere I can't find and seems to only rear its head when a DVD with a region code is inserted into the drive. There is one idea that popped into my head while at Macworld that I want to try to see if I can find this app but I have my doubts.
3) Failing my last ditch effort to find this app, I think our fallback will be to give users explicit rights to set the initial DVD region code on thier machines. This is something that can be done using WGM. There is a rule in /etc/authorication specifically allowing users/groups to set the region code for the first time. According to the notes, giving this access will NOT allow users to change the region code - which is a good thing - but only give them rights to do so the initial time. This way, we can empower our users to help themselves while also protecting them from resetting the region code accidentally.
In conclusion, I haven't found any way to script/push this command to a client machine. I'll definitely file this with Bug Reporter and hope Apple will give us a CLI or an ARD command to trigger this action after imaging.
G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)
G4
G4

How do I set my Region Code for the DVD player?

When I insert a DVD, it is not prompting me to set the region code and I cannot figure out how to set it manually. When I insert a DVD, I get an error message that says "supported disk not availabe". I have already run the Repair Disk Permissions from disk utility and that didn't work so I thought maybe the problem is with the region coding. Your help is appreciated!! Thanks.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2397

Continually have to Set Region Code for DVD Help?

LG GSA-H50L.
This drive, so I've discovered, is not supported (Disk Utility says Burn Support: Unsupported).
Every time I put in a DVD, it says that the region code of the drive and the disk don't match (Drive is Region 1, disk is region 2). I lets me change the Region code, but next time I put in a DVD...same thing all over again.
Oddly, it always states "You can change the Region code 5 more times"
Any ideas?

If your LG doesn't work, give the Pioneer a try. Before I bought it, I researched many other's experience with it, and it seems that the 115D is the winner. Just thought I'd help with additional options for you. In my humble opinion, I don't think it's wise to spend so much time fussing with a $30-$50 DVD drive vs. getting a new one and getting the Mac back on track for work/fun.

My DVD Player hangs when trying to change the regional code the first time

Hello,
I am new to this forum and I couldn't find one for the DVD Player specific so I chose this one. Please direct me to a different one if my eyes were misleading me.
I have a new Macbook. Just over three month now and I attempted to watch a movie with the DVD Player last night the first time. When inserting the DVD, the DVD player comes up with a Screen asking me to change the Regional Code from 6 to 1. I don't understand this in the first place since I purchased my Mac within the US. But anyway, When I unlock it with my password and then click the "Set Regional Code" Button (Regional Code preset to one at this time), it turns blue and then the rainbow wheel for being busy shows up. Unfortunately it never leaves and going to the activity monitor it says (Not responding). That causes bad Windows Memories .
Tried multiple ways, let it run for 10 hours and it never returns to the world. Very frustrating, since this is the first time I tried to use this feature.
Is there any advice on how to set this to Regional Code 1. I only have to set it once, but I think there must be an option.
And yes, I know of VLC, but I still would prefer to use this regular DVD player. I think this should work somehow.
Computer out of the box, nothing other then iWorks and MS Office 2008 installed.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks a lot
The Dark Lord
Bernd

Does the account you are using have admin rights? I found this :
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2397
+In Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and later, users with administrative privileges aren't prompted to change the region the very first time a DVD-Video disc of a single region is inserted. Instead, the region of the DVD drive is automatically set to the region of the DVD disc that was inserted. Accounts that don't have administrative privileges must authenticate with an administrator account name and password, because changing the drive's region code requires administrative privileges.+
Sounds like it might be worth a try from an admin account first.

DVD player region permanently set

I recently bought a used MacBook. The optical drive handles music CDs, CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs fine, but it won't play movie DVDs. Apparently the previous owner(s) changed the DVD region setting five times, so it is now permanently set to something other than Zone 1 (North America).
My question is: what's the fix for this? I'm betting just reinstalling the DVD Player software won't reset the region. Will replacing the Superdrive with a new one solve the problem, or is there some software setting somewhere in addition to the hardware?

Well, as usual nobody could help me so I found my own fix. The answer is that the setting is the firmware of the DVD drive.
There is a fix, but it's probably illegal. I finally found the right combination of free downloads to "flash" the firmware and replace it with a region-free version. There were many warnings about bad things that could happen, but since my DVD drive was already basically worthless I didn't have much to lose.
1. Use "DVD Info X" to verify the firmware settings.
2. Download the firmware hacks, but they only work in Tiger (OS 10.4)
3. Download "Matsushita Flasher" which allows the hacks to run in 10.6
4. Download "RegionX" which allows you to manually set the region code once the hacks have been applied.
Problem solved.

DVD Region Code

Problem:
Most of my DVDs have the Hong Kong region code (whatever it is) and my macbook will not play those dvds only the north american region coded ones. Is there some kind of codec to let me play these other DVDs which make up 95% of my DVD collection?
Thanks

Hi Alex
I'm afraid the answer is most likely to be no. But this depends on which model of DVD drive you have. If you have a Matshita drive then you probably haven't got a chance. Other drives may play other region DVDs using VLC media player . The only other option is to flash the firmware in your DVD drive, which I understand is at least potentially illegal. Googling the web will return information on this, and make sure you are aware of the risks of any action you might want to take.
Matthew Whiting

Switching the DVD drive region code - Is there a workaround?

Hi - would appreciate a confirmation or helpful hints how to circumvent the regional settings.
I understand from the Apple doc, http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60183, that the regional coding is set in the firmware of the drive and not linked to the player (as I had apparently incorrectly surmised). If this is the case, then installing an additional player such as the VLC media player for Mac OS X (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html) to use for say Region 1 discs, and maintaining Apple's DVD Player set for Region 2 discs would not prevent the drive from freezing the 5th time a different region coded disc is slid into the drive.
Right?
If so, the only work around would be to install an external DVD drive to set to an alternative region, right? Or does somebody know a cute way to disable the firmware coding and set the drive to multiple regions. This must be possible because DVD players are available commercially which have been set to region code 0.
I have 2 changes left ... before the big freeze. Thanks

To Apple Discussions!
It has been reported that VLC overrides the 5 region code option. You will need to read their documention on their website. Otherwise................
You can change the computers region "only 5 times". Then it's locked in the 5th version/region (until you erase your HD & start all over.).

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 - Region Code Setting

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