[G4] MPEG DVD play problem

[Joe Dundovic]

Hi Aaron,

Thank you for responding to my request for assistance on the G4 list. 
My computer plays the normal -R or +R burned disks with no problem. 
But my PC friend burned for me this so-called "MPEG disc" on a -R 
blank.  When attepting to play it with Apple DVD Player all I get is 
a blank screen and the on-screen controller has no effect.  A normal 
TV set with DVD player will not load this disc but gives me a 
message: "incorrect disc".

I am not sure what the differences are between a usual DVD disc and 
the MPEG DVD disc.  My PC friend, Bob, can address that question, I 
am sure, so I will copy him on this message.  Let's see what his 
response is.  Perhaps the problem lies in the lack of compatibility 
between the PC and my Mac, although the fact the disc won't play on a 
TV set would tend to discount that supposition.  At any rate, it is 
an interesting question and I would like to find the answer.  Your 
comment that all standard video DVD's use MPEG-2 or (occasionally) 
MPEG-1 is news to me.

Thanks and best regards,

Joe Dundovic
------------------------------------------------------------------------
At 13:17 -0700 09/03/06, Aaron wrote:
>It's not clear (to me, at least) what you mean by "an MPEG DVD" 
>since all standard video DVD's use MPEG-2 or (occasionally) MPEG-1 
>for the encoding.
>
>Since the DVD you're trying to play was burned on a DVD-R or a DVD+R 
>disc, it is probably a problem of compatability between that disc 
>and your player. Some of the older players will only play DVD-R (and 
>perhaps some only play DVD+R), and even within the correct category 
>there are often incompatibilities between particular discs and 
>particular players.
>
>If the Finder won't mount the disc, it is almost certainly a problem 
>of compatibility.
>
>The extensions should, I believe, be irrelevant if you are using 
>Apple's DVD player. I never played a DVD under OS 9, so I'm not 
>sure. But if you want to play an MPEG-2 file using QuickTime, you 
>need the QuickTime MPEG2 Extension. (Not sure of its exact name in 
>OS 9. In OS X, it's "QuickTimeMPEG2.component".)
>
>  - Aaron
>
>  >Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 21:26:40 -0500
>>From: Joe Dundovic <jodun at usinternet.com>
>>Subject: [G4] MPEG DVD play problem
>>
>>I find I cannot play an MPEG DVD in the original DVD/CD player of my
>>G4 Sawtooth running OS 9.2.2.   Does anyone know what kind of
>>software is required?  My CDs and regular DVD movies play perfectly.
>>The MPEG movie I am trying to play was burned by a friend with a PC.
>>
>>I have these extensions:  QuickTime MPEG4  and  QuickTime MPEG
>  >Extension but they don't do the job.  When I try to open the disc I
>  >get the message that  "it could not be opened because a software
>>component needed by the movie could not be found"  Any help will be
>>appreciated.
>>
>>Joe Dundovic
>>jodun at usinternet.com