[coolrunguy]

Ok. I've read many threads about the lack of software alternatives to get around region coding iwth the Matsushita drives in the newer Powerbooks and Macbooks. I have one of the newer Powerbooks, and I travel alot, so I figured the best way to unify my colleciton would be to buy an external dvd drive. done. now i have some issues i need help with to configure it properly.

1) the video is garbled using VLC, but plays using DVD Player. However the dvd rom i am using was from my old region 1 pc, and i have never been asked to switch the region code. how do i lock or change the region code to region 2 (where my other dvd's are from). i just dont want to get screwed on the region change, whcih i have no clue how to check aside form starting up DVD player.

2) i can't seem to rip any of my region 2 dvds on the external using Mac The Ripper. it stalls or is unusable, which makes me suspicious it also is in the wrong region. however, as i mentioned earlier, it still plays region 2 dvds.

please help, i have been battling this beast for a while, and just want to put it to bed.

[badidea]

Originally Posted by coolrunguy 

1) the video is garbled using VLC, but plays using DVD Player. However the dvd rom i am using was from my old region 1 pc, and i have never been asked to switch the region code. how do i lock or change the region code to region 2 (where my other dvd's are from). i just dont want to get screwed on the region change, whcih i have no clue how to check aside form starting up DVD player.

What do you mean by "However the dvd rom i am using was from my old region 1 pc"?
The region code has nothing to do with the computer a DVD has previously been used on!
If you burned this DVD yourself, then it should be region free!

Originally Posted by coolrunguy 

2) i can't seem to rip any of my region 2 dvds on the external using Mac The Ripper. it stalls or is unusable, which makes me suspicious it also is in the wrong region. however, as i mentioned earlier, it still plays region 2 dvds.

I have no clue!
Try playing the DVD first before you rip it - sometimes they need to get "unlocked".

[coolrunguy]

i have an original region 2 dvd. the optical drive was harvested from an old pc in my house, set to region 1. i put the harvested optical drive in an external case, and attempted to bypass my matsushita superdrive to rip dvds i have already purchased and cannot view on my powerbook. i can't rip it, using mac the ripper or handbrake. it rips the dvd exactly as if i rip a region 2 dvd on my region 1 superdrive; many errors and a garbled video ts. is there a way to check on the region of my external optical drive? this is really getting to me, i bought these dvds, and i hauled an external case and optical drive with me to europe. any suggestions?