Apple Mac and limits on changing DVDs region...

The "5-changes-limit" is nothing to do with Apple. Happens on PCs too. Built into all DVD-drives' firmware. Blame Hollywood.

I thought there was software out to get around this but it's been so long I don't know if it exists anymore. I'm actually curious as well because I wanted to buy a couple dvd's of british shows.

You can find firmware to update older drives to remove the restrictions. Doesn't take too much searching.

However, there is always the chance you can brick the drive doing so.

Cbdboz said:

Does it lock the external drive?

I am wondering if I interchange with my i-Mac and Mac mini, whether I can just use each for a different region when I plug in the drive?

Click to expand...

No...
The region setting is set in the firmware of the DVD drive. If you change to Region 1 from your iMac, then move the drive to your mini, the drive is still set for region 1. Try to play a region 2 DVD, and you are required to change to region 2.
You can change the region setting a maximum of 5 times.
If you use the DVD player software, then that will require that the drive be set for the DVDs region. You should be able to use VLC to play your DVDs, without needing to change the region.
I think another option would be to purchase a second DVD drive, and only play DVDs from that region in the drive that is set for that.

I was just wondering if the limit has been changed recently since its no longer 2015 its 2021- almost sounds like you could have two of these https://www.apple.com/shop/product/...f8f6b921d565e0b182e4c6078642ad57a059fdebb2a9d one could be set for Region 1 for the USA then the other could be set as a different region- so its just firmware on the DVD player and not the computer

Even before 2015 I was pretty much done with optical disks and dedicated players. Between HandBrake and MakeMKV my library had converted and moved to its new external HD home. In this age of digital downloads the idea of “regions” seems so last century.