Well, my first post to a Linux forum and, to be honest, I'm somewhat... reticent. All the other problems that I've had getting up to speed (well, a positive crawl at the moment, all my own fault) I've done by Google-fu. Indeed, after spending much time figuring out how to get things working manually, I was more than pleasantly surprised with openSuSE's "1-click install," even if it does drain my dial-up connection... Anyway, that's an aside.

So, what is my problem?

Only this. I have a fairly fresh install of openSuSE 10.3 (DVD install downloaded in the past month as of the day of writing) with the only real modifications being installation of nVidia drivers for my 8800 GTS 320 Mb, Compiz Fusion - because, dang, it's just too pretty not to have on my machine and it makes everyone else drool - and 1-click Restricted Format. Actually, the other (drivers and Compiz Fusion) were also 1-click installs.

Okay, so first off. After the Restricted Format 1-click install, I eager-beaver to push in a DVD and get the following message:

"The source can't be read.
Maybe you don't have enough rights for this, or source doesn't contain data (e.g: no disc in drive). (Error reading NAV packet.)"

Okay, I've found that online, so decided to install MPlayer. Many hours later (darn dial-up) I manage to get MPlayer up and running and, suffice to say, the DVD (commerical) plays. The same DVD, that is.

Cool enough. While MPlayer is great, I hate having to surf through all the Chapters and Titles to watch various TV shows that I have on DVD, but baby steps. I can handle MPlayer. Heck, I'll download SMPlayer.

It worked beautifully. I loved it... Until I put in another DVD. It didn't work (brand new "Live Free or Die Hard" straight out of the box). Ha, I think, maybe it's a DRM issue. In goes an older DVD (Supernatural Season 2) and it works just fine. Okay, confusing, so I put in an older DVD again. Still no go. So a newer DVD? I put that in and it doesn't work... (Incidentally, I also put some Region 2 DVDs and neither of them work for a machine that was purchased in American, i.e. Region 1.)

(At this point, it's worthwhile mentioning that this is a fairly standard HP A6200n desktop, with the only after-market modifications being the aforementioned graphics card, a new PSU, and a PCI RS232 for a Zoom external modem. Specifications can be downloaded from HP or Circuit City for a HP Pavilion a6200n (cannot post link because this is my first post).)

When it doesn't work, what happens? Well, the DVD seems to cycle. Whereas with the DVDs that do work seem to "automount" (?) and openSuSE opens up a dialogue box asking what I want to do with it. Nada with the discs that don't play.

Is this a DRM issue (unlikely), a driver issue (?) or something else? If so, how can I resolve the situation. I set myself some clear goals for my transition away from Windows and DVD playback is a major one (I tend to watch as I work), so please help me unburden myself from Windows!

I appreciate your patience and any help that you can give.

Regards.

Hi,

and welcome to LQ!


And from the description you're giving I'd be tempted to suspect
your DVD drive. Whether it's a Region-CODE issue, or whether it
simply doesn't like some of the media I can't say.

It may be worthwhile for you to have a look at 'dmesg' output after/
while trying to read one of the discs it refuses to play.



Cheers,
Tink

Thank you. A die-hard Linux fellow of the Gentoo flavour sent me over here when he couldn't figure out the problem...

Okay, I've done that. What am I looking for?

As a newbie that's a whole lot of stuff that I can "kinda" recognise, but really don't know what it means. Any suggestions?

Regards...

I'd be expecting error codes (I/O, time-out) in relation to the
DVD device (/dev/cdrom? /dev/hdc, hdd?) ... of course I may well
be barking up the wrong tree - it's just a thing of experience
with the description of yours thrown in ...


Cheers,
Tink