I know just enough to get in trouble.

I know I should no fill up the computer with codecs and they are needed to play cd and dvd video media.


There are the three I am considering:

PureVideo (nVidia)
ffdshow (shareware)
Nero ultra 8

Which do you perfer and can I install say two of them?

you want to play some DVD movies... get an cyberlink DVD it's free...
there's also an premium version, but you won't need it unless
you're using high deffinition sound such as dts and others....
If you've got an good soundcard (like me x-fi platinum)
you should get premium version.

I use the Kazza Lite Mega Codec Pack, it's got all of the major codecs that you need. I wouldn't both with Power DVD unless you want to play Blu-ray or HD-DVDs with hardware acceleration as why have loads of software on when Windows Media Player or Media Player Classic, that comes with the codec pack, do it anyway

Media Player does it for free. So does VLC.

I have never seen a FREE Cyberlink program(Link me foxhound009). I have PowerDVD.

On a budget check out VLC it will play almost anything including DVD's and its FREE

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Purevideo is also a video acceleration feature, Power DVD and many other players can use it with there own decoder.

Free versions of Cyberlink's Power DVD and WinDVD do not come with the codec to decode surround sound. If you have Vista Premium Windows Media Center has everything you need. If your using XP you will need a full version of PowerDVD or WinDVD to get surround sound from DVD's. Or with the latest version of Windows Media Player you can buy just the codec from Cyberlink or WinDVD for the surround sound and use Media Player.

oh sorry dude it's just a trial.... I've forgotten my came in as a bonus
with DVD writer..... (I overpayed for the writer....)
then I bought the premium.... (alzheimer here)

http://www.download.com/CyberLink- [...] 16432.html

btw. If you guys are serious about watching h.def movies you should really consider paying for the software.... even though for a buck more you could get an new OS....

It comes on sale from time to time. If you are watching allot it is worth the price.

I use Combined Community Codec Pack. You can use what ever player you want to after you install Combined Community Codec Pack and can play anyting there really is not a Codec it does not have atleast i cant find one yet.

http://www.cccp-project.net/

yea CCC is a good one, or the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack. real and quick time alternative are also included in those progs. way better than the normal real and quick time.

I downloaded and installed ffdshow. Seems to be very nice program in that it has a good front end to configure and looks like I can get rid of it if need or disable codecs as need.


THANKS YOU ALL.........................TELL ME THIS, I AM TOTALLY NEW TO DVD's. To be honest I really have had no need for DVD's or owned a player till now!! DONT LAUGH. I just didn't have the urge to rent DVD's or make them.

I am trying to lose my DVD virginity with a computer DVD player. I probably should go buy a commercial DVD player, but I just bought / made this computer for MEDIA, TV card + record playback and so on. Why not use the DVD drive.

HERE IS MY QUESTION....

I tried playing a DVD made by the US Government (FAA), using Windows Media player. It started and than just played the opening intro, than stopped, freezing on the opening title. That was it. I figured out how to get to the menu. There where two "titles", generic labels "title 1" and "title 2". Bottom line I got it to play but had to go through monkey motions to get it going.

WELL Success kind of. I went and rented a DVD ($1 vending machine at grocery store, Charlie Wilson's War), and it did not play at first, just got audio with still freeze frames every 30 seconds or so. This was with ffdshow. I down loaded NVIDIA PureVideo trial. Works perfect. Go figure. Hate to spend $20 may be its worth it to avoid the hassle. Thanks again.

Go try vlc(it does not use codec's as such, they are built right in. keeps a system cleaner then installing tons of codecs that may conflict with one another.)

File -> Open disc -> DVD(this will skip the menus and go right to the movie)

Download from \/
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/