DVD playback problem (New system) [Solved]

[Just17]

I wouldn't know about that.
Maybe some DVD disks are so stubborn that can't work without proper region setting on the device.

It won't hurt giving it a try, right?

Except it would lock the drive to Region 2 ......  which might in the future cause hassle I suppose ...

In truth I am trying to figure out how a region setting could affect this at all ......  even though it might be doing so as libdvdcss2 should overcome (ignore) region settings, and this is where things appear to go wrong - "Error cracking CSS key"

If the region setting is ignored sometimes and the disc plays, and at other times an error is thrown, it is difficult to determine what is the cause.
libdvdcss2 working sometimes and other times not? ......  that would imply to me a physical read problem on the disc ....

If it was my disc I would rip it and store the original 

IIRC region coding is in the IFO file/s ....  so if those are rebuilt without region code on ripping, there would be no region setting.

Of course manufacturers could very well have introduced some new problems .....  it is quite a while since I had anything much to do with DVDs   

[agmg]

OP wrote that he uses only Region 2 discs, so what would be the problem changing the region to 2 on the drive?
You can do it up to five times, it won't lock from the first time.

Of course manufacturers could very well have introduced some new problems .....  it is quite a while since I had anything much to do with DVDs   

True. I currently have no DVD drive on either of my two machines

[µT6]

i bought a external drive and i have no idea on what region is set 

my dvd player is region free and stored in a box

dvds are a thing of the past, i'm afraid we forgot how to deal with them 

since it is region 2, yes, set it to region 2, it won't harm the drive, at least it didn't came in region 1 already and with 4 changes remaining, as some old drives came

[Just17]

If everything is working properly, and libdvdcss2 is in use, then region codes are ignored in Linux.

In this case libdvdcss2 is throwing an error .....  at some point and thereafter, into the DVD.

So the problem is what would cause this?

Sure, setting a region code in the drive might 'fix' it .....  but could anyone tell me why?

Typically after about 20 minutes of trying to retrieve the keys, some are successfully retrieved meaning some chapters on a disc will play, others not.

That behaviour implies a difficulty in reading the disc.

That makes me wonder if there is some extra protection built in to the discs in question which might be causing a read problem, and the difficulty is not in the software.

Producers have been know to introduce deliberate track breaks to prevent (or try to) the discs being copied.

Maybe something of this nature is interfering with libdvdcss2 reading the encryption .......  speculation

I would like to know the cause of the problem   

[richiereyn]

Hi guys.

You will be pleased to know that with your help the problem has been solved. Rather unexpectedly it was indeed the fact that the drives had not been set to any specific region. I set the drives to region 2 and now ALL discs irrespective of their region play just fine. So it appears that Linux or libdvdcss2 requires the drives to be set to a region, then promptly ignores the region that's set anyway. Kind of puzzling really. So if anyone else encounters this problem, always check the region setting of the drives.

Thanks guys
Rich..

[Just17]

Hi guys.

You will be pleased to know that with your help the problem has been solved. Rather unexpectedly it was indeed the fact that the drives had not been set to any specific region. I set the drives to region 2 and now ALL discs irrespective of their region play just fine. So it appears that Linux or libdvdcss2 requires the drives to be set to a region, then promptly ignores the region that's set anyway. Kind of puzzling really. So if anyone else encounters this problem, always check the region setting of the drives.

Thanks guys
Rich..

Glad you got it working  

I am not sure about your conclusion though .....  it could also be something within some specific drives (firmware?) that prevents correct reading unless a region code is set    

[µT6]

good to hear you made it work, still it seems that we forgot how to use that technology   

[richiereyn]

Hi guys.

You will be pleased to know that with your help the problem has been solved. Rather unexpectedly it was indeed the fact that the drives had not been set to any specific region. I set the drives to region 2 and now ALL discs irrespective of their region play just fine. So it appears that Linux or libdvdcss2 requires the drives to be set to a region, then promptly ignores the region that's set anyway. Kind of puzzling really. So if anyone else encounters this problem, always check the region setting of the drives.

Thanks guys
Rich..

Glad you got it working  

I am not sure about your conclusion though .....  it could also be something within some specific drives (firmware?) that prevents correct reading unless a region code is set    

Yes that's a good possibility because I have never encountered this problem before when I've swapped out old drives for new ones, but this is the first computer I've built for myself using the SATA interface for optical drives, maybe that might be a contributory factor too, though unlikely.

[richiereyn]

good to hear you made it work, still it seems that we forgot how to use that technology   

Haha, I like your previous post where you say DVD's are a thing of the past I suppose I'm a bit of a luddite in this regard. Sure I have Netflix and it's great and everything, but when there's something I really want to keep I still prefer having the physical media. I still use videotape believe it or not, albeit due to my background in television I use professional formats as opposed to VHS, but again there's something about the physical media that says it's mine until the day I die provided it's looked after. I'm just skeptical of this digital future we all embrace today, so would rather not put all my eggs in one basket, so to speak

[µT6]

i understand you, i still have to migrate 3 or 4 vhs too, but i don't have a usable vhs 

yes, put all your eggs in one basket is not a good idea but store videos on your hard disk has become something rather simple and relatively secure, considering how easy is to keep copies of your files

i'm still waiting to get crystals to store data 

[Just17]

Hi guys.

You will be pleased to know that with your help the problem has been solved. Rather unexpectedly it was indeed the fact that the drives had not been set to any specific region. I set the drives to region 2 and now ALL discs irrespective of their region play just fine. So it appears that Linux or libdvdcss2 requires the drives to be set to a region, then promptly ignores the region that's set anyway. Kind of puzzling really. So if anyone else encounters this problem, always check the region setting of the drives.

Thanks guys
Rich..

Glad you got it working  

I am not sure about your conclusion though .....  it could also be something within some specific drives (firmware?) that prevents correct reading unless a region code is set    

Yes that's a good possibility because I have never encountered this problem before when I've swapped out old drives for new ones, but this is the first computer I've built for myself using the SATA interface for optical drives, maybe that might be a contributory factor too, though unlikely.

Yeah, I strongly suspect it is the drives themselves .....  I fitted several SATA DVD Drives in the last 18 months and never met with this ......  but you are not the only one to meet it from what I have read - although that is not quite certain either 

Can you provide the drive make & model numbers?

It might be of interest to know, in case it occurs to someone else.

[µT6]

i was going to ask that same question but i thought that it wasn't important, by any chance are samsung dvd burners?  lg doesn't ask for anything this days

[richiereyn]

i was going to ask that same question but i thought that it wasn't important, by any chance are samsung dvd burners?  lg doesn't ask for anything this days

For Just17 also:

Yes you are correct, they are Samsung drives. The DVD-ROM is a model SH-118AB and the DVD-RW is a model SH-224BB.

[richiereyn]

i understand you, i still have to migrate 3 or 4 vhs too, but i don't have a usable vhs 

i'm still waiting to get crystals to store data 

How about DNA storage? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21145163 Sounds interesting

[Just17]

i was going to ask that same question but i thought that it wasn't important, by any chance are samsung dvd burners?  lg doesn't ask for anything this days

For Just17 also:

Yes you are correct, they are Samsung drives. The DVD-ROM is a model SH-118AB and the DVD-RW is a model SH-224BB.

Thank you