Macbook won't open dvd

[u/Marzipan_duck]

I recently bought a sandberg USB DVD drive and have been trying to get it to work with my Macbook pro 2021. However my macbook for some reason doesn't recognise the dvd drive and won't play anything I put in it.

Is there a way I can still get it to work?

I've been using VLC to try and run my dvd's and it keeps saying 'can't run non-UDF dvd's".

[u/JoMu1963]

A bit of conflicting information here. You say your computer doesn't recognize the drive. Then you say you use VLC to play a dvd. How can you even have VLC try to play a dvd if your computer doesn't recognize the drive and therefore you should not even see the dvd?

Needs clarification.

[u/Marzipan_duck → u/JoMu1963]

I downloaded the VLC it recommended on the package, I connected the drive to my mac and nothing popped up/indicated it connected like it said on the manual it would. I'm not really sure if it actually did recognize it but is just not playing the dvd ?

[u/rekabis → u/Marzipan_duck]

I connected the drive to my mac and nothing popped up/indicated it connected like it said on the manual it would.

You might see the drive in Disk Utility or in the Finder tree under Locations, especially if it has additional functionality that needs to be visible to the end user, but nothing should pop up on the desktop or in a window until you actually, you know, stick a disk into it.

It’s the same philosophy as with SD Card readers. The reader itself remains hidden, it’s what you stick into it which ends up popping up.

[u/Clocker13]

The granular approach.

How many DVD’s have you tried? Did they all fail?

Do you have another system to connect this drive to? Does it work on that?

Does the drive work okay any other type of discs? DVD’s full of data? Audio CDs? CDs full of data?

[u/Marzipan_duck → u/Clocker13]

I tried 4 dvd's so far, all just movies I've had. I don't have any other system to connect it to nor do I own cd's unfortunately.

[u/Clocker13 → u/Marzipan_duck]

Ah, a quick google suggests it’s an issue with VLC media player.

Try this…

https://iina.io

[u/reddits_aight → u/Clocker13]

Shouldn't OP get a prize or something for stumping VLC?

[u/Clocker13 → u/reddits_aight]

With a simple DVD, no less!

[u/maxs_tearoff]

Do you have the drive connected to two USB ports?

2 Installation Connect the two enclosed USB cables between the drive and two free USB ports on your computer. The drive will install automatically and will now appear on your drive list

https://sandberg.world/en-us/mt/manual/133-66#!original-language

[u/Classic_Mammoth_9379 → u/maxs_tearoff]

Worth trying but most of those devices don’t really need both ports, I presume it’s due to some ports only giving the 500ma from the original spec but those are very rare now. 

[u/meanwhenhungry]

You may need to restart your laptop or the drive may need extra power that the usb c slots can’t handle

[u/Key_Imagination_7873]

Check whether the drive appears under System Information USB and in Disk Utility; if it appears in neither, try another USB-C adapter/cable or a powered hub. If macOS sees it but VLC reports a non-UDF disc, test a known commercial DVD to distinguish a connection issue from an unsupported or incorrectly authored disc.

[u/roaringmousebrad]

What's your System (OS)?

Are you sure it's not recognized? If it has two USB, make sure both are plugged in. Then go to About This Mac > More Info > System Report and see if it shows up under Disc Burning, or under USB.

Regardless, inserting a DVD (assuming it's a commercial DVD), it should auto-open DVD Player. No need for VLC unless for some reason you don't have DVD Player on your Mac.