Well I just tried in Ubuntu 10.10 beta2 to play a DVD that should be NTFS since
I am in USA and bought it here. I think the default player is Mplayer and I
got the error after trying to install a plugin: No package...DVD Sub Pic
Decoder. So I'm starting my research, too:

silverwav.wordpress.com/.../lucid-10-04-all-the-stuff-people-forge\
t-to-tell-you-flash-codecs-medibuntu-packages-fixes/

http://www.techknology-blog.com/?p=3882

Hummm, I finally got a picture showing, but no sound. Dragon Player that
worked for me in Mint could see the DVD.

Ah, found them I hope under Applications>Ubuntu Software Center>System>Ubuntu
Restricted Extras....Installed

Humm, now no picture, but I get that error regarding codec. So I try to add
the Debian repository for this mentioned in the links. Of course, Synaptic
complained about unverified sources. I did a search for libdvdcss and added
them and other updates.

I had also forgotten to install restricted extras when I reinstalled Ubuntu the
other day.

OK guys, now this is weird, after installing the extras, some hours later I had
turned my pc off and then on later in the day. When I turned it on the graphics
settings had changed, the resolution went small. I install latest nvidia drivers
from the hardware drivers, under admin, this morning when I turn the pc on the
display was back to low res, I now find when I change res the screen goes black
for about ten seconds and when I just came back to my pc after making breakfast
the screen was black for ten seconds after turning it back on at the monitor.

It has nothing to do with adding the extras. That is just a coincidence. It
has to do with turning off your PC. Upon reboot it is not using the old
graphics card driver and is reverting to a vesa driver. I am not sure why
this is happening. It likely has something to do with the boot process.

The blacking out likely has to do with two things. The first is when you
change drivers and the second is likely just a delay while the monitor warms
up. Is it CRT or LCD?

I didn't think it had something to do with the extras, however, installing
extras and any other dependencies may have done this.

Anyway, I still cannot playback either american DVD. Can I send anyone here a
printscreen of what I get if they think it may help me?

DVDs come with regions so it may have something to do with that. Also US
uses NTSC and UK uses PAL. US DVDs play fine for me, however I have never
tried to play a UK DVD on my computer to see if it would work (your reverse
situation).

I tried with a region 2 pal disc, same issue.

This is the kind of image I get.

forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=56287

Upon reading people are saying this worked

"I was having the exact same problem as the OP. I have windows XP and a region 1
DVD drive; VLC media player would play region 1 DVDs fine, but not region 2
(video output was as in the OP).

I was using version 0.9.8a of the VLC media player. I unistalled that and
installed version 0.8.6i of the VLC media player - and now all DVDs I've tried
have played fine (region 1, region 2, all-regions PAL; all legal DVDs), no
adjustments needed, and no changing my drive region!

Ubuntu 10.10 beta2 is under developemnt,
to be released in october 2010
so you should be talking to the expert developers somewhere else.

I you just want it to work then install
ubuntu10.04 and restricted extras.

To continue from the previous...

It worked after a reboot, but I think it was the other updates that needed it,
since when it was shutting down I saw the DVD Icon on the desktop.

Now to see what else has changed...