LG GSA-4163B Won't Read Certain Commercial DVDs

[Gaz83]

Hi folks,

I'm a new user here and hope someone can give me a hand.

I have recently purchased an LG GSA-4163B DVD ReWriter and I am having a problem with it. It won't read certain DVDs.

For example, I put my Indiana Jones trilogy in the machine and the wee green LED flashes for about 10 seconds, then flashes really fast and loads up the disc.

However, when I'm trying to watch Meet The Fockers, one of two things happens:

1) The wee green LED flashes for about 10-15 seconds then goes off completely, or;

2) The wee green LED flashes for about 2 minutes, locks up the drive and then goes off completely.

On both occassions the drive doesn't read the disc that's inserted into the machine.

I also have the Star Wars Trilogy DVD box set, and the drive will read perfectly The Empire Strikes Back and the bonus DVD - but won't read A New Hope or The Return Of The Jedi.

Now, when I bought the drive, the chap I bought it from explained he had updated the firmware of the drive to A104, and it has also been modified to make it Region Free (it is not limited to five region changes) - but I don't know if this would cause the error.

Seems strange as it reads some DVDs and not others - even stranger when the discs are in the same box set. The discs are in pristine quality and work in all my other DVD players, a Toshiba SD-220 and my PS2 and X-Box.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am in the United Kingdom so my base is Region 2. Cheers.

[Paderborner]

I would try an update on my own with the firmware a104 again.
You don´t know what the guy do exactly with the drive.
Maybe an update failure was his reason to give the drive away ?!
I had try an update with a104 and the system hang during the flashing.
After a reboot everything seems to be fine (Windows and Apps says it´s a104), but too much burn-failures happens. So i do another update with the lg in a pc of a friend of mine.
And now i really got a104, und no failure anymore.
So, get the firmware a104 (the original form the lg webpage) und do another update.
Follow the instructions in the readme file coming with the firmware!
Good luck. PB

[Kenshin]

First flash it yourself using TDB's A104 firmware. http://tdb.rpc1.org (Read the warning messages first on the page.)

Certain drives cannot read certain commercial DVD titles, but I don't have much interest in finding out whether A drive can read all movies or not because I personally don't rip DVD's. Sometimes drive manufacturers release firmware updates just to make the drives recognize and play some DVD titles.

[Crusher1]

Did that fix it? because i am having the same problem.
Same drive, wont read some commercial dvds

[NubianQueen]

Hello, I'm having the same problem with the dvd In My Country, my dvd drive will not read the movie, does anyone have a solution?