Play PAL Region 2 DVDs with Your Mac
Apple PowerBook Notebook 12.1" M9007LL/A (1.0-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive)
by Apple Computer
Buy from Amazon
Synopsis: How to play non-Region 1 DVDs using Mac OS 9 or X.
Thumbing through the DVDs at Amazon.co.uk can be tempting. Buying cheap DVDs from Hong Kong can be even more hard to resist. But, before you hand over the cash, there are a few things you need to know.
· The US uses Region 1 formatting for DVDs. The UK uses Region 2. Other countries have other codes.
· Televisions in the US display NTSC video signal. In the UK (and much of the rest of the world), the technology used is PAL.
To follow this tutorial you will need a Mac running OS 9 or X with a DVD drive and an optional video output.
Region Free DVD
Head over to the Mac DVD Resource and browse their offerings in Software Region Utilities and Firmware Patches. Find your OS and optical drive type and grab the gear you need to make your setup play DVDs from the region you want. Be careful to read the instructions and the warnings carefully. You may be voiding your warranty or chance damaging the drive. Make these updates at your own risk.
Buy DVDs
This is the fun part. Amazon.co.uk has a great selection of Region 2 DVDs. There are plenty of other sites on the net with Asian, Indian, and other regional selections. Go crazy. Just make sure that you're buying an official product, not a sleazy bootleg.
Watch DVDs
Your Mac DVD Player will automatically convert the signal, allowing you to watch PAL DVDs. Using the S Video out port, connect your Mac to a TV. The converted NTSC signal will look great!