MacTheRipper 1.5.6: New Version, RCE & Region Removal

[WiseWeasel]

There's a new version of MacTheRipper out, version 1.5 which has the following improvements (these apply to MTR version 1.5.x):
• RCE and Region detection and removal
• New interface with progress bar
• Now makes playable output in 'Main Feature' and 'Title Set' modes, thanks to the addition of tocgen
• Consolidated different releases to have a single version for MacOS X 10.2.x, 10.3.x and for G5s.
• Additional minor bug fixes

Attention: Version 1.5.5a (and above) has reworked code for RCE removal, and should be switched to immediately. There's a possibility the old code might have caused playback issues on some discs.

You can pick up your copy of MacTheRipper 1.5.6 here:
http://homepage.mac.com/wiseweasel/mactherippercurrent.dmg

Let us know how it works for you. Happy ripping!

P.S. Disk Region should always be left on its default of "0". RCE Region should only be set if RCE is detected, and then you will set it to the region from which the DVD was purchased. For example, if I have a DVD bought in N. America, and RCE is detected, I would set the "RCE Region" to "RCE 1", and it will remove the RCE region protection. If it says that RCE is clear, I would leave the "RCE Region" on its default of "OFF". More info in the ReadMe Manual.

[Edit] Added reference to new version, 1.5.1 [/Edit]
[Edit2] Added reference to new version, 1.5.2 [/Edit2]
[Edit3] Added reference to new version, 1.5.3 [/Edit3]
[Edit4] Added reference to new version, 1.5.4 [/Edit4]
[Edit5] Added reference to new version, 1.5.5 [/Edit5]
[Edit6] 3-20-04 Added reference to new version 1.5.5a [/Edit6]
[Edit7] 4-4-04 Added reference to new version 1.5.6 [/Edit7]

[bendermac]

finally a status bar
seams to work ok so far

here new request which ould be nice to add:

an eject button. that would be helpful for getting the disk out and not quitting and restarting the app everytime. before you guys beat me 'why you need this?' ect. believe me it's useful

thanks to weasel and the developer for the good work 8)

[deadsierra]

Well, this is good news.

[geezerbuttz]

Seems to me tha most people would be happy with a Progress bar , an Eject Button , and nothing else !!!!!

[geezerbuttz]

Question.... why must you have to restart the app each time you wish to change disks?.... i have never had to ... i just eject the disk with the app running....!!!

[geezerbuttz]

BOYS AND GIRLS.... PAY ATTENTION NOW....

DO NOT START MTR WITH A DISK IMAGE MOUNTED!!!! IT WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS.... YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED>

[TugBoat]

Yeah, the menu bar or keyboard eject has always worked for me even with the app still running. The first suggestion I can see is maybe allowing the 'Disc Info' panel to be expandable. The new one is roughly half the size as the old one and even with the smaller fonts it requires more scrolling. Anyway, NICE WORK

[pusa]

BOYS AND GIRLS.... PAY ATTENTION NOW....

DO NOT START MTR WITH A DISK IMAGE MOUNTED!!!! IT WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS.... YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED>

When you said disk image mounted, do you mean an disk image like even though it doen't matter what they are?

[WiseWeasel]

The F12 key (or 'eject' key on recent Apple keyboards) ejects the disc no matter what app you're in, and works fine with MTR, no need for an eject button (and so none will be added). The info drawer is expandible, and you can drag the lower edge to whatever size you want.

[TugBoat]

The info drawer is expandable, and you can drag the lower edge to whatever size you want.

Yeah, mine expands to whatever size I want too, as long as I want it 2 inches or less. Same thing on two different machines with four different downloads. Is there something I'm missing? No biggie 8)

[zorankarapancev]

Wonderful application, FAST and... and... and didn't change the region code 2 from the "No Mens Land" DVD !

I think that we are facing some kind of new region code protection (it is not RCE).

[WiseWeasel]

You did set the "RCE Region" popup menu to "RCE 2", right (or did it say "Clear!" for RCE)? "Disk Region" must be set to "0" as well.

[TugBoat]

There's always that strange one. What happens when you do the 'Extract Main Feature'? The Region code is stored in the VIDEO_TS.IFO file and since the main feature mode results in a totally new file, I'd be interested to know the results.....

[destreaga]

I like the way GUI looked before with the big window that would open up. It looks nice now though. And its working great, seems a little faster.

[WiseWeasel]

Yeah, mine expands to whatever size I want too, as long as I want it 2 inches or less. Same thing on two different machines with four different downloads. Is there something I'm missing? No biggie 8)

Oh yeah, my bad . . . dunno why I thought it could be any size. So you have to scroll for now, we'll see about changing it. I personally much prefer a drawer I can resize to the old window that was fixed at a certain size.

[geezerbuttz]

1) The Draw Can be only be the maximum size ( width or depth ) of the parent window.


2) If the old interface was better for you .. feel free to use the old version.


3) Every Disk That I Threw At It , It never Failed.... Unless You Can provide Me With A disk / VIDEO_TS etc etc... there is nothing i can do..(crystal ball not working)

[geezerbuttz]

FOR YOU INFORMATION.... the region code bit is the 35th byte into the video_ts.ifo.... socrack open hex edit and check it.

[geezerbuttz]

Ok.... i have fixed the disk image problem + a few more bugs that i found........ Once i can get in contact with WW i will get a new release out there.

[zorankarapancev]

You did set the "RCE Region" popup menu to "RCE 2", right (or did it say "Clear!" for RCE)? "Disk Region" must be set to "0" as well.

Yes, I did it correctly. It says: "RCE Clear". "Disc Region" is set to "0". For the Region info, MTR display says: 1 2 3 4 5 6 8. (?)

The Region code is stored in the VIDEO_TS.IFO file and since the main feature mode results in a totally new file, I'd be interested to know the results.....

Same result.

Do you think that the problem is, maybe, because this DVD comes from PAL recording region (Europe)?

geezerbuttz, if you think that this DVD can help you to fine tune MTR, I will be very happy to donate it for your research. Please, e-mail me your address and the DVD will be ship to you immediately.

[geezerbuttz]

i am a PAL EUROPEAN , and i have not come across this prob, thanks for the donation to gfet this sorted....All you other guys need to do the same if a problem arrises with a disk, its the only way to break all of the RCE/ region methods..... one last thing.... MYR is coded never to show region '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8' ..... as this is all regions it should show up as '0'

thanks for the good cooperation guys

[geezerbuttz]

Hang on... your still getting a region problem even if you extract just the mainfeature ( this generates a new set of main menu IFO's) So... i bet the bastards have enabled a region bit in every menu IFO...... need to see the other iFO's of this disk please.

[motherwell]

Nice update.

The first time I opened the app it began to scan the disc, but when it finished the RCE box still said Scanning....

I quit the app and re opened it and it 'found' the RCE this time.

cheers

[WiseWeasel]

Do you think that the problem is, maybe, because this DVD comes from PAL recording region (Europe)?

Are you saying that your TV doesn't play PAL content? Does the ripped DVD work with Apple DVD Player? If this is just a colorspace problem, then there's nothing we can do about it.

[zorankarapancev]

Does the ripped DVD work with Apple DVD Player?

The original and ripped DVD works with Apple DVD Player.

The original and ripped DVD works fine with Malata DVP-500P player (this player is set on Region 0).

The original and ripped DVD doesn’t work properly on Pioneer DV340 player (Region 1 player - picture is distorted and sound is OK) and on Panasonic DMR E-60 DVD recorder (completely refuses to play both discs).

Also, YADE couldn't ripp this DVD ("error" message).

[WiseWeasel]

That definitely sounds like a problem with PAL rather than the region code. You just need to play the DVD on setups capable of playing PAL content, or convert to NTSC somehow (tedious pain in the arse). MacTheRipper is working fine here.

[TugBoat]

Ya know, it's fairly easy to tell if you have a region problem. On a set-top box, when you insert the wrong region disc you get a message like;

"Region Error:
Playback is not authorized in your region.
Please eject the disc."

And the only command that works is 'Eject'. In OSX, when you start DVD Player you get;

"Drive Region Code
The disc region code does not match the drive blah, blah, blah..."

You're then given the choice of using up one of your five drive region resets or hitting 'Cancel' which ejects the disc. In either case, the disc will not even attempt to play. If you don't see these messages, you don't have a region problem. If you run into a disc with RCE, and it's the wrong region, you will see the map displayed on this page. 8)

just to make things clear, you understand....

[zorankarapancev]

That definitely sounds like a problem with PAL rather than the region code. You just need to play the DVD on setups capable of playing PAL content, or convert to NTSC somehow (tedious pain in the arse). MacTheRipper is working fine here.

Maybe yes, but then... maybe no.

Reasons:

1. Malata and Daytek (I had a chance to test this DVD player too) are sub-$50 players (both Region 0) that do not make PAL-NTSC conversion at all. They play both DVD’s (original and ripped) fine on my NTSC TV set.

2. The original DVD is not playing on Region 1 DVD players, which is understandable. But the ripped DVD is also not playing. The ripped DVD acts the same way as the original DVD if it plays on Region 1 players (the original DVD also has a distorted picture and fine sound on the Pioneer player and on my NTSC TV set).

3. The Panasonic DVD recorder (Region 1) doesn’t recognize both DVD’s at all.

4. YADE couldn’t rip the original DVD. It was always stopping halfway with an "error" message.

5. For the Region info MTR displays: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 all at the same time!

My take on this:

Malata and Daytek were able to play both DVD's because they are ignoring the Region 2 code. The Region1 players couldn’t do that which proves that ripped DVD is still Region 2 (unchanged).

Ya know, it's fairly easy to tell if you have a region problem. On a set-top box, when you insert the wrong region disc you get a message like;

"Region Error:
Playback is not authorized in your region.
Please eject the disc."

I am not getting masseges like this one from my DVD players.

In OSX, when you start DVD Player you get;

"Drive Region Code
The disc region code does not match the drive blah, blah, blah..."

You're then given the choice of using up one of your five drive region resets or hitting 'Cancel' which ejects the disc. In either case, the disc will not even attempt to play. If you don't see these messages, you don't have a region problem

With my Mac, I can play DVD's from Region 0, 1 and 2 without any problem. Maybe I am the lucky one.

[WiseWeasel]

I'm POSITIVE it's a problem with PAL and not with region issues. You said yourself the DVD played with sound and no picture on the region 1 players. If there was a region problem, it wouldn't play at all. What you fail to understand is that your original DVD is already region coded to all regions but commercial airlines, so the original, as well as rips of it should play fine on all those regions (1-6 & 8 ). I'm glad MTR was able to work for you on this disc that gave so many problems to the other rippers. Try to look for settings in your region 1 DVD players' system menus to change from NTSC color mode to PAL color mode, as it may be available. Also, be aware that some televisions are incompatible with PAL altogether, so it becomes necessary to convert to NTSC in some cases. Apart from an option on the DVD players to change to PAL mode, there is no quick fix for your problem, and MTR can't help you beyond ripping it to your hard drive in its orginal PAL format. Case closed as far as we're concerned.

[motherwell]

subject change:

how does MTR compare to HandBrake?

[Meritocracy]

subject change:

how does MTR compare to HandBrake?

Totally different applications. HandBrake only outputs MPEG-4, not MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 which is needed to burn the file to DVDR. Handbrake also does not remove any form of copyprotection.