Black Bars Surround the Picture
Black bars on the top or bottom of the screen, and perhaps on the sides of the movie, are normal. See technical document 60795 "
Apple DVD Player: Why Black Bars Surround the Picture" for more information.
Video or Sound Stutter
Stutter is a momentary pause in playback. It can affect the video image or the sound. See technical document 31020: "
Apple DVD Player: How to Reduce Skipping or Stuttering" for tips on how to reduce stuttering. Also try these tips:
- The DVD-Video disc could be dirty. Clean it with a soft cloth.
- The DVD drive may need to be repaired or replaced. If you have a PowerBook, try a different DVD drive if one is available. If not, take your computer to an Apple Authorized Service Provider for further troubleshooting.
Hardware Error
The Apple DVD Player application displays a message that there is a hardware error.
- If you have a PowerBook G3 Series computer, see technical document 24865: "PowerBook G3 Series: 'Apple DVD Player Cannot Open...' Error"
- If you have installed Mac OS 9.0.4, you may also need to install Apple DVD Player 2.2. See technical document 20125: "Mac OS 9.0.4: Requires Apple DVD Player 2.2."
- Use Apple System Profiler to verify that the computer has DVD capabilities.
- Make AppleTalk inactive in the AppleTalk control panel.
- Clean the DVD-Video disc.
- Make sure the Apple DVD Player application and the Apple CD/DVD Driver software is installed correctly and is active.
- If you have installed QuickTime 4 using the Basic Install option, which is the default, open the QuickTime installer and select the "QuickTime Authoring" option instead of the Basic option.
- Take your computer to an Apple Authorized Service Provider for service.
Pixelation in Dark Scenes
- Open the Monitors and Sound or Monitors control panel, and select Millions of colors. Select an 800 by 600 resolution. If your computer is connected to an external monitor, select a 720 by 480 resolution.
- Choose normal size as opposed to full screen for the best quality image.
- Select best for video when playing the movie on an S-video device like a television.
Audio Synchronization Issues
Low Sound Volume
1. Open the Sound or Monitors and Sound control panel
2. Make sure Line In audio is not selected.
No Sound
1. Change the sound setting while playing the movie by clicking the audio button on the DVD controller.
2. Access the DVD-Video disc as an ISO 9660 disc by pressing the Command-Option-i keys simultaneously while inserting the disc.
3. If you're using external speakers, check their connection. Try different external speakers, or use the internal speaker(s).
4. On a PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze keyboard) computer, make sure Zoomed Video is selected in the Sound Strip portion of the control strip.
5. Take your computer to an Apple Authorized Service Provider for service, especially if you don't hear sound from other applications.
No Video with Sound
1. Check to see if the Viewer Window is Hidden (using the Hide/Show Viewer option from the Window menu)
2. Verify that the application is not hidden (using the option from the Application Menu)
3. Make sure you are using the primary Apple display card as the boot monitor and that the location of the menu bar is on the primary display.
4. Make sure the DVD player is being presented on the factory installed Apple display card with the primary monitor attached to this card.
Movie Stops Playing at Opening Window
- Press Return for a few seconds. If the video has not started, press the Space bar.
Some Items in the Movie's Menu Can't Be Selected With the Mouse
- Use the arrow keys to select a menu item, then press Return to choose it.
White Image in Viewer Window
- Make sure Video Mirroring is turned off when connected to a television.
Window Will Not Move From External Source to Computer Display
When an external display is connected, the window is only viewable on the external display.
1. Put your computer to sleep.
2. Disconnect the external monitor.
3. Wake up the computer.
Compatibility With Additional Features
On a limited number of DVD-Video titles there is a message in small print on the back of the box that reads, "The DVD-ROM features will not work on a CD-ROM or a Macintosh computer." The movies "You've Got Mail" and "The Matrix" and "Enemy of the State" are examples.
- Many features of the DVD-Video disc, including the ability to play the movie, are available when using the Apple DVD Player application. Only features that require additional software to be installed are not available. For the most part, those features are likely to have software written for a Windows environment. It is possible the movie was not mastered in the standard format for DVD-Video (UDF). You may have to access the disc as an ISO 9660 disc. If you insert the DVD-Video disc and it doesn't contain any files, then it was not mastered in the standard format for DVD-Video discs.
1. Eject the DVD-Video disc.
2. Access the disc as an ISO 9660 disc by pressing the Command-Option-i keys simultaneously while inserting the disc. It may take a few minutes for the disc to be available on the desktop. For more information on this issue, see technical document 25000: "Apple DVD Player: "Disc May Be Dirty or Scratched" Error Message."
Pause Before Playing
After clicking Play in the Apple DVD Player application, the movie does not start immediately.
- It takes a moment for the movie to load. The system software is accessing necessary information to decode the movie. This behavior is completely normal and is not indicative of any hardware or software issues.