Watching movies: Bad idea?

Is it OK to watch entire movies on store-bought DVDs on an iMac? Am I wearing out the machine? I only watch about one movie per month.

Optical drives seems to have a high rate of problems compared to hard drives. I know that the one in my iMac started misbehaving after about a year a very light usage. That's one of the reasons I now buy Applecare with all my Macs. Gives me peace of mind for 3 years.
lenn

Similar Messages

  • Distributed encoding of referenced movies --bad idea?

    Distributed encoding of referenced movies (using Compressor) --is this a bad idea? If you do this routinely and it works for you, please let me know.
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    Nebraska,
    Thanks for your reply. I am trying a home network to see if I can cut down my encoding time and increase my capacity on existing equipment. What I have is outlined in "other details" below. Because of the limitations, I am putting highest priority on trying to find out what has been causing problems with my real time mp2 transcoder nor recoginizing some Quicktime files and consider the Qmaster distributed processing for batch processing files for web streaming. For now, thtis will have to do.
    I see the sense of having a dedicated server for the source footage. But I need to do things peer to peer. I use to oversee a WinNT server years back. Its been awhile. Do you would log into each of your G5 quads as the same domain user (or Mac OSX server equivalent)? Is one of your G4's (not the server) the controller? Is the same machine both controller and client?
    For the referenced movie I tried, it took many many hours --at least several times longer than if I did the job on a single machine. However, that was when I only had a cluster of two. I might try again with three.

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  • Is it a bad idea to move a Pagefile to a Ramdrive if you have plenty of RAM?

    Hi,
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    Probably, you can move the page file to an other drive. In any case, you should never disable the page file because it helps keep your computer stable.
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    http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001293.htm

  • Bad sound if I watching movies

    Hello, for last 2 weeks I have a problem with audio. For example:
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    For vision:
    If you plug some headphones into macbook, you set volume to higher and if you put headphones on the table, you hear sound very quietly. I hear movie/tv serie same after 10-15 minutes and I don't have connected any headphones.
    Can anybody help me please? I tried to format disk and clean install mountain lion but it didn't help me.
    BTW I'm using Logic Pro with external audio device Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but if I watching movies I don't have connected audio device into my macbook.
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    bump. I think, there is problem with "equalizer". Sounds like sound without basses (only high frequencies)

  • Bad sound when watching movies etc..

    Hi,
    I bought an Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Cable @ ebay a while back, and recently Ive started using it with my macbook air (running OS X Mountain Lion)
    I have this hooked up to my receiver and the image quality is superb, but the sound is not that great..
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    Anyone ???? I doubt I am the only one who have had this problem..

  • I have an older Macbook pro with a dvi output and I want to watch movies on my tv. I have a dvi to hdmi cable but the only image I get on my TV is my desktop background. None of my movie players with appear on the TV screen. What am I doing wrong?

    I have an older Macbook pro with a dvi output and I want to watch movies on my tv. I have a dvi to hdmi cable but the only image I get on my TV is my desktop background. None of my movie players with appear on the TV screen. What am I doing wrong?

    Hi Maryan,
    Open System Preferences > Displays > select the window for you external monitor > click on the Arrangement tab and check the box next to Mirror Displays. It may be slightly different in Lion, but the idea is the same.

  • So I have to watch movies in German just because I live in Austria?

    I always watch movies in their original language and was extremely disappointed to find out I had to watch a movie in German just because I live in a German-speaking country! It's not like I have the option of creating an iTunes account other than for the country I live in, so why in the world is one not able to choose the original language (in this case english) if this is possible on every DVD and BluRay!?!?
    The UK and USA stores had the same movie in german, but without a US or UK iTunes account, I cannot get that movie! When I hold the round button On the remote I can only select chapters... No mention of langauge whatsoever. Simply pathetic! I am not impressed!!
    If apple does not get this sorted i will no longer be using the appleTV services. What a waste of my money!
    Regards,
    Moe

    MoeVienna wrote:
    If i were able to see what languages are available prior to purchasing the movie, i would have been so peed off about the whole thing. Thx for your link though!
    I think that's the problem - unless they list any alternate language tracks, there aren't any - it's usually just stereo plus/minus Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in the language the store defaults too.
    Whether or not this is just to keep the files 'simple' or related to regional rights issues with various soundtracks I have no idea but I think primarily it's to make files smaller for download purposes - the assumption you want the audio in a particular language is flawed but probably suits 99% of users - not saying that's right, just likely.

  • I have a late 2008 MacBook I would like to watch movies on my tv from.  I bought the HDMI cables and the one to use for audio also but I still don't get any sound.  What am I doing wrong?

    I have a late 2008 MacBook I cant get to send sound to my TV when I try to watch movies.  I have bought the HDMI cable and audio connectors but still no sound.  What am I doing wrong?

    Hi Maryan,
    Open System Preferences > Displays > select the window for you external monitor > click on the Arrangement tab and check the box next to Mirror Displays. It may be slightly different in Lion, but the idea is the same.

  • IPad volume too low on Apple TV when watching movies

    Hi.
    I have the latest Apple TV, 3rd Gen iPad and Retina MacBook Pro.  If I play any movie through Apple TV using my iPad (using Video App) the volume is often far too low.  This means that I have to turn my Amp/Speakers up (to around +60; +40 is normal) often leading to the sound cutting out altogether and on one occassion blew my amp.
    However, I can put the identical film/file on my MacBook Pro - stream that into my Apple TV and the volume outputs at +40 as normal and everything is fine.
    Also - If I stream TV etc through the iPad and play it onto my Apple TV - again this can be heard no problems at +40.  The same can be said if I stream a youtube video using the iPad (+40 is fine)
    I can only conclude there is something amiss with my iPad or in partic the Video App/settings for films but have no idea how to remedy it.
    Pls can someone help me sort this as my Macbook pro is often left in the office and so I cant use it to watch movies at home all the time
    Thanks

    Have you tried checking or resetting your volume limiter under "music" from the Settings home page.  Scroll down to "Music" and tap "Volume Limit".  Once there you can either turn it off or raise the maximum volume.  If you go to the max it will just turn off the limiter.
    Here's a video from CNET that also explains this easy adjustment. 
    http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57589446-285/restrict-volume-on-iphone-ipod- and-ipad/
    Hope this makes it better for you.

  • Cable needed to watch movies

    I have a 160 gig Ipod Classic and would like to watch movies off it on my TV. I found out the cable I was using for my old 120 gig would not work on the 160. Any ideas on where I could get one and what its called or look like

    You may find helpful information in this Apple discussion thread.
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3085035
    For more info check out the discussions listed under the column More Like This, just right side of this.
    Best.

  • HELP. Screen seems to start flicker when watching move/playing games?

    Hello there.
    I could really use some help.
    Im having this problem that my screen freezes and start flimmering. I have some idea's of what can be trickering it. Because it happens when i watch movies or trying to play games.
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    NOT THAT THE COMPUTER ON THE LINK IS NOT MINE.
    Im looking forward for help!
    Christoffer, 23 from Denmark.

    Hello christoffer153,
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
    To troubleshoot this issue where you're having flickering on your display, please follow the steps in the article linked to below.]
    Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays - Apple Support
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    Alex H.

  • After Effects Error: Make Movie - Bad Parameter (-50).

    After Effects Error: Make Movie - Bad Parameter (-50).
    (44 & 36)
    This error occurs suddendly - i have no idea why, so i reinstalled my PC (Vista) and it worked one time and then same error appeared again.
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    my Quicktime version is 7.1.3
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    Matthias

    AE Professional 8.0.1.8
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  • Problems watching movies on iTunes -- lagging video, distorted audio

    Hello. I have a black MacBook running Mac OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard) and iTunes 9.0.2, and I'm having some problems. It's been going on for a few weeks now, and is worse some days than others, but the overall trend has been downward, so I wanted to try to get some help before it gets any worse.
    The problem occurs when I try to watch movies on iTunes. I haven't had any problems with any other aspect of iTunes, although I don't really use any other aspects of iTunes at the moment besides the iTunes Store (I don't listen to music through iTunes or anything). Anyways, here's the problem:
    Sometimes, when I'm watching a movie on iTunes, it will randomly (or seemingly randomly) glitch on me. I use the general term "glitch" here because the problem can manifest itself in one of a few different ways:
    1.) The picture will freeze for a quick moment (less than a second usually) and skip forward real quick to catch up, and then sometimes, after it does this, it will go back to normal and keep playing the movie correctly. Other times after it does this, however, it will continue playing the movie, but with lagging video. When I say "lagging video", I mean that the video is slowed down, as if in slow motion. The audio remains normal. This only seems to happen in full screen mode (although I don't really watch movies any other way), so when it happens, I can generally hit escape to go back to regular viewing mode and it will fix itself, although sometimes I have to quit out of iTunes and reopen it.
    2.) On rare occasions, instead of the video lagging problem, the picture will freeze all together, and if I recall correctly, the application always freezes with it.
    3.) Less commonly than the video problem, the audio will become distorted. This usually occurs separately from the video issue, but can occur simultaneously as well. When this happens, the audio gets really scratchy and distorted, as if it was being filtered through a low quality children's boom box microphone. iek the video problem, this problem occurs randomly in the middle of watching the movie, but unlike the video problem, this problem persists after I quit out of iTunes. Quitting iTunes does not fix the problem in this case, unlike with the video lagging. When I quit iTunes, the distorted audio remains an issue an any application I use, and I have to wait awhile for it to go away on its own. So, unlike the video lagging, this audio issue seems to exist outside of iTunes, although it always starts with iTunes.
    Can anyone help me figure out what is going on here? I've looked for patterns in other applications that are open during the times these problems occur, but haven't found any. I do have Norton AntiVirus installed on my computer, and I did notice awhile ago that any time I try to watch a movie on iTunes while I have a virus scan going on, I always get a glitch on iTunes, so I stopped running those two applications at the same time a long time ago, but I still have the problem. Should I try reinstalling iTunes? If I do this, will I lose any of the music or movies or apps that are in iTunes? I would assume not, but I just want to make sure I don't need to back anything up if I want to reinstall iTunes.
    Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

    Not sure why this question is labeled as "answered" since there are no answers in the thread?
    I'm having the same issue with the extremely distorted audio track on itunes video. It's worst on the speech, which is hard to hear, garbled, a lot of scratchy noise overtop of it; the music tracks are somewhat better (and much much louder). This started a bit ago and was intermittent at first, now very bad, can;t get rid of it.
    I have a lot of itunes video, and since it is all protected, to my knowledge it is not playable through any other player... so this is a real problem. Reinstalling itunes (9.2.1) did not help. Sometimes VLC also distorts sound (on other video), more often that's fine but itunes is not.
    I would love to have a solution to this-- my video library is not much use.

  • Bad Idea: Making default behavior of "built in mouse wheel support" set to on key focus

    This is just a little rant....
    I love new features in Labview, but setting them to be on automatically when they can generate unexpect behaviour is really a bad idea. We recently moved from 2012 to 2013. Suddenly, I have users saying "values are changing and I don't know why". Turns out they were changing a value in a numeric, then attempting to scroll away. Why on earth would NI make this the default behavior??? Luckly for us the value change wasn't too bad but I could think of a few places that a sudden, unplanned change in a numeric could have ruined an experiment.
    Off to do alot of work to undo this....

    RTSLVU wrote:
    I have noticed this too, but I swear long before 2013.
    You should not have to scroll around a user interface to begin with.
    If you can not fit a user interface on one screen of the target machine it's time to rethink your interface.
    I suggest dividing things up by task and using a tab control.
    and this is why I now hate posting in this forum.....
    People just love to tell you how you should be doing something, and not focusing on the topic of the thread. If everyone is going to get stuck on the "UI's should not have scroll bars" soap box, see the attached screen shot. This problem arose from a settings pop-up dialog. I could have used tabs, but in this case it makes more sense for the users to move top to bottom in a linear fashion through the process they are setting up.
    My point in all this is why would NI make this the default behavior? I like the feature, but it should have been something that a designer has to actively turn on.
    Attachments:
    settings screen.PNG ‏181 KB

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