Problems with my PC DVD player!

[Aikido]

My kids have found the new sport of leaving out my DVD after they watch them and they become scratched, etc. I had a thought of making a back up of some of the best films in my collection. I read though your forum (very good) and got the basic idea. Down loaded some freeware, bought the blank cd and then the problem.
My DVD player can read audio, games, data cd's no problem, but cannot play film DVD's. My system doesn't even see the dvd in the drive. It will play some of the older DVD's and some of the 'dodgy' dvd's you get on holiday. Recently I bought the dvd 'The Terminal' and it won't play. I have tried many dvd's, just in case it was the dvd and not the player/ system
Can anybody tell me the reason and can it be cured? I know they encrypt the dvd to prevent coping but this should not stop it from working, should it?
Hoping you can help
regards

[waheed]

Try to play the dvd in another player. i suspect its a faulty/damaged disc.

[Aikido]

Thanks for the suggestion but the DVD plays fine on any of my three other stand alone DVD players!

[the * dude]

ahh... maybe your dvd drive is locked to another region,,, consult your manual....

just a wild guess

[pfh]

Perhaps it's a region setting problem. If the regions don't match they don't play.

[waheed]

Well, i could still be a faulty/damaged disc.

PC DVD drives are known to be more sensitive to errors than standalone dvd players. Try to play the dvd in, say a relative or friends PC.

[DarrellS]

Can anybody tell me the reason and can it be cured? I know they encrypt the dvd to prevent coping but this should not stop it from working, should it?

Yes it should. If you could play a copyrighted DVD on a PC then it could easily be copied. That is why DVDdecrypter was created so that you could get the DVDs into your computer so that you can make back-ups.

[Aikido]

Thanks for the info. I have downloaded the software. With the software running, I have been through my DVD collection and most of them don't work (the software does'nt regonise that there is a dvd present). I get the message 'media not present' when the DVD is in the player. A few films are ok. There must be a different propection on the DVD which stops the player from even 'seeing' the disc. Is there any other way of making back up's? Or does my DVD player need replacing?

[waheed]

Sounds like your DVD Drive is giving up on you. Try cleaning the lens.

[Aikido]

I have tried cleaning the lens a number of times. The dvd drive plays audio, games and data cds no problem. The dvds play in my dvd players. I have checked the region coding. I hired a dvd last weekend and tried to play that and still nothing. The player does not see the disc using powerDVD, dvddecrypter, dvd pro, windows media player, etc. I have tried the windows trouble shooters, read a number of forums but there is nothing about the device not reading the disc. I have tried to update the driver but it's not needed.
Am I missing something? or shall I just have to give up?
Any more hints or ideas would be gratefully received.