Mac DVD player missing

[nic2k4]

Hi all,
I'm helping a friend with her Mac, I've searched and tried a number of things with no success. The problem is DVD player won't come up at all.

I've tried to set the default action for DVD video to DVD player in system preferences, but it's missing from the list. I couldn't re-install the software, it comes up saying there's already a more up to date version on the hard drive and gives no other options than go back or cancel.

A search on the net suggested to delete the dvdplayer.plist file, I did and got the same results. So I deleted the whole DVD player folder, there was only a bunch of .plist files in there, and still couldn't re-install DVD player.

All the trouble seems to have started after the last Safari update. Has anyone had this kind of problem?

[edDV]

Apple doesn't ship an MPeg2 decoder. You must buy it from them for $19.99.
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/

VLC player is free and includes the MPeg2 decoder.

[nic2k4]

I guess I didn't put all the details in. The OS is 10.4 Tiger. I was aware of the encoder thing, but didn't know about the decoder.

The thing is DVD playback worked before when the Mac was fresh out of the box right up to when Safari was last updated. I've has to re-assign DVD video action before and DVD player was on the list, now it's gone.

Yet there's supposed to be a version of it somewhere on the hard drive, but I can't find it anywhere and that's preventing me from re-installing DVD player 4.6.

She's tried VLC and got a message that her OS isn't supported. The point is it worked before, what the hell is Apple doing, taking functionnality away?

[rumplestiltskin]

Assuming the Mac has a DVD drive, the ability to play DVDs (the MPEG2 codec) is built into OSX -but- ONLY through DVD player. The separately available MPEG2 codec (which one buys at the Apple Store online) is for permitting other apps to access the MPEG2 decoder (those which do not have this built in). VLC, of course, -does- have the MPEG2 decoder built in.

I'll suggest you check the System Profiler app to verify that a DVD player/burner (hardware) is present. If so, do an "archive and install" of OSX (keeping the "preserve users and network settings" checkbox checked). Follow that up with as many system updates as are necessary.

[edDV]

VLC for Mac OSX is available here. It is useful for playing many video and audio formats that Quicktime won't.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html

Possibly the DVD drive isn't properly installed. It should show in System Preferences and in "About this Mac", "Disc Burning", "Reads DVD", Yes


This might work. Re-install just the DVD Player.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080112054426AAA9nUq
/Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD/System/Installation/Packages
DVDPlayer.pkg

[nic2k4]

Thanks to all for the answers so far.

Possibly the DVD drive isn't properly installed. It should show in System Preferences and in "About this Mac", "Disc Burning", "Reads DVD", Yes

Did that, the drive is allright.

This might work. Re-install just the DVD Player.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080112054426AAA9nUq
/Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD/System/Installation/Packages
DVDPlayer.pkg

Tried that, looked on both CDs couldn't find a DVDPlayer.pkg. Found an Essentials.pkg, suspect the player might be in there, but I'm afraid I might be opening a whole new can of worms.

I would like to try this:

... do an "archive and install" of OSX (keeping the "preserve users and network settings" checkbox checked). Follow that up with as many system updates as are necessary.

I looked through everything and can't figure out how you do an "archive and install" of OSX. Could someone give me a pointer here? Thanks.

[rumplestiltskin]

iDVD doesn't require any additional codecs in order to burn DVDs from iMovie projects. Apple has already paid the licensing for both the decoding of MPEG2 (via DVD Player) and encoding into MPEG2 (via iDVD). You do not need to purchase anything additional.

[rumplestiltskin]

Assuming you're running Leopard (and not Snow Leopard), boot from the OSX Install disc that came with your Mac and, as you go through the installer, you'll see an "Options" button. If the dialog doesn't come up automatically (and I suspect it will), click the Options button and select the "Archive & Install" radio button; be sure the "Preserve Users & Network Settings" checkbox is checked. Then OK that dialog and proceed to the next screens until it starts the installation. This will refresh your OSX and all the Apple-provided apps (including iDVD). Don't forget to run all the required updates after you restart. You'll find a "Previous Systems" folder at the root of your hard drive which you may toss; wait a few weeks to be sure you don't need anything from that folder.

[nic2k4]

It's been a while, but I figured I should let you know how things turned out. I got a program called Pacifist, installed that then I downloaded the DVD Player Update 4.6 from Apple. I had tried to install it before, but everytime the installer would tell me it was already there and stop. All I had to do is drop the package onto Pacifist and it installed. Thanks to all for your help.