iMac won't play DVD

[SpectreOne3]

So I am pretty new to Mac so maybe its just a setting thing but I've tried a few different DVDs today and nothing happens. They won't play with the included Mac DVD player (it crashes almost immediately) nor in VLC. I'm trying to play the DVD, not rip it or anything else.

I have been able to load data off the drive as I loaded MS Office not too long ago.

I'm using a mid-2011 21.5" iMac, 2.5 GHz i5

 

[DisMyMac]

Did you try "Open Disc..." in VLC?

Are you able to navigate to the .VOB files (inside the VIDEO_TS folder) using Finder?

 

[SpectreOne3]

Did you try "Open Disc..." in VLC?

Are you able to navigate to the .VOB files (inside the VIDEO_TS folder) using Finder?

I can but get no further. Trying to "open" or drag and drop in VLC goes nowhere

 

[DisMyMac]

Try opening the discs in MPEG Streamclip or DVDRemaster. Both programs can extract the tracks without re-encoding or losing quality.

You will lose the DVD menus but can obtain all the videos this way.

 

[SpectreOne3]

So after trying all manner of things I finally called Apple support. While on the phone still was unable to get any DVDs working. The tech placed me on hold so while I'm waiting I tossed in one of the DVDs that wouldn't play and sure enough it fired right up.

The tech asked me to a restart so did and one of the problem DVDs fired right up again.

Weird.