Playing a DVD?

[samsc]

I have tried to use the Firewire input to play the DVD through an external DVD player but catalyst only recognized the Blackmagic Decklink capture card as the video input and would not let me use the firewire

if you really really need to use the firewire input-
You need to make sure you have the dvd deck outputting firewire, and plugged in.

Then restart the mac.

there have been reports of firewire inputs only being recognised if they are plugged and operational in at restart time....
there is always the additional possibility that the 'firewire' output on your dvd deck is not dv firewire - but something else- AND thus not recognised.

you will need to make sure you turn on the deinterlace function in catalyst video input.

which decklink capture card do you have?

[Urb]

The capture card is a Blackmagic Decklink plus

What other solutions can you think of?

Do they sell DVD players with SDI Output?

Should I buy some type of scaler and switcher system so I can play multiple sources?

The question about playing a DVD has been asked a few times now.

And I would like to either say the only way it can be done is to transfer the movie to quicktime and upload it to a folder or no problem our system is setup to take DVD, Live Video, and a multitude of other external inputs.

[samsc]

you can get composite to sdi convertors?

or you can get a miglia composite input video card?

you really really cant get access to any movies off a dvd without converting them to a better format for playback.

if you need to switch between different video input sources, companies like extron make a huge range of switches at different price points with different functionality.
these are controllable from rs232 and from catalyst.

[Urb]

Thank You

[emilianomorgia]

I'm using this thing to grab DVDs http://handbrake.m0k.org/ ( off course you can grab dvd if you own the right )

[samsc]

mactheripper works as well.

dont use mpeg4 or mpeg2 to playback movies.

[Gian]

I have the similar issue here all the time... Clients want play a DVD during a Catalyst show or whatever. You have some ways to do it....

If you have a Blackmagic installed... you can use a conversion box from composite to SDI and use the SDI input. like told before here.

You can use either the Component input of your card or even use only the Y cable and that is a Composite input. to do that you also need to your System Preferences, Blackmagic and configure what Input are you using.
I am assuming you have a Blackmagic Decklink Extreme.

another way... easy one, is to buy any cheap capture box, what has a composite input and a Firewire DV output.
Catalyst reconises all those cheap boxes since they are Mac compatible.
I use all the time one PINACLE DV, is really cheap and to play a DVD or insert a DV camera does the job.

Is nece when you play a DVD heve only ONE layer active at the moment, or may be you experience a DELAY.

I also use that to leave a question, I tried before import a DVD to the computer, but playing from the Catalyst, the time of the movie changes from one play to the other... even with only one layer selected.
Is a way what i can tell Catalyst he needs to keep on the real movie time.
I know catalyst skips frames, and slow some movies to do not freeze, that is great feature, but is a way to play a movie and say to stay on the movie timeline or so. Even using a external Timecode source. Thanks

Gian