Making Windows Media Player Play DVDs

[DeronM]

Does anyone know of any plugins that will make Windows Media Player 11 play DVDs?

[fritzi93]

Look here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder

You need an MPEG2 decoder. Up to certain versions of Vista, MS did not include one due to licensing costs. You can either :

1) Install a hacked codec. Look here:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Dscaler_5

Or here:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/ffdshow

(Only install ffdShow if you have a relatively "clean" system, meaning you don't already have a multitude of codecs. Let ffdShow handle all formats.)

or here:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/GPL_MPEG-1_2_Decoder

Or here:

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/...EG_2_Codec.htm

2) You can also install a payware multimedia player. PowerDVD, for instance, has an excellent MPEG2 codec. PowerDVD is partway down the following page, along with other players:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/video-players

You actually can get away with installing a trial version only. After install, verify it is working. Then try WMP11 and see if it will now play DVDs. You should now be able to uninstall PowerDVD (or whatever) and the codec will remain so long as you retain shared files.

There is one more choice, and that is to ditch WMP and use a freeware player. Media Player Classic is an independent development of WMP6. It has a small footprint and is far more capable than WMP. It has some decoders built in, including MPEG2. Or use VideoLAN, which can play a wide variety of formats with no external codecs needed. If you don't need fancy visuals, that's the way to go. I use both. They're at the link to video players above.

Good luck.

[DeronM]

Looks like I have some choices to make. Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.

[DeronM]

Hmm - Windows Media Player seems to PLAY the sound from all DVDs, but I get no visual.

[fritzi93]

You'll have to tell us what exactly what steps you took. And BTW, did you do a reboot?

At any rate, I haven't used WMP for many years, perhaps someone else can carry on. Versions 10 and 11, as I understand it, have been prone to problems. Gotta go, I'll be back tomorrow.