Free DVD Playback Software

[richard]

I'm in the process of rebuilding an old laptop of mine and I'm needing to find a free DVD player for it. Any ideas :?: I'd rather not install any "dubious" codec packs as I'm might be needing to use the machine for work purposes ocaasionally.

[pcprofessor]

why not take the plunge and install ubuntu linux. It has all the software that you could want.

Or failing that, email me your address and I'll send you a copy of cyberlink PowerDVD. I have a few copies left over from installing various DVD players. Incidentally you shouldn't need codecs to play DVD's just avi, divx, xvid type files.

[richard]

I use linux on several of my machines already and have a laptop running it. What I am trying to do with this laptop is to use either free or open source software running on windowsw to show people wat alternatives are out there.

[mark]

So is the XP Codec Pack not a good one??

http://www.xpcodecpack.com/

[richard]

So is the XP Codec Pack not a good one??

http://www.xpcodecpack.com/

I've used this in the past but it does not like this particular laptop for some reason as it gets just over half way through the install and then crashes the laptop.

[mac_shinobi]

no no no VLC Media player ( has all the inbuilt codecs required ) which arent many and has sooo many features.

www.videolan.org/vlc/

Apparently the wmp classic can play dvds but never really tested it ( and still prefer vlc myself )

There is also ffdshow ( which you can find via a google search or on sourceforge.net ) The first being the easier to help you find it obvoiusly.

With regards to codecs etc, its a bad idea to install the codec packs as thats a shot gun approach since you dont know what the file(s) are encoded in.

If you are insistent on installing codecs ( then at least use gspot :

http://www.headbands.com/gspot/download.html

with mini faq here :

http://www.headbands.com/gspot/minifaq.html

To identify what codec(s) that file requires and then get the relevant ones.

That is what I would suggest

[ZeroHour]

VLC ROCKS
Okay dvd playback, bit tweak but its what I use for everything else

[mac_shinobi]

You can even get skins for vlc ( which are really good imho ).

[TimH]

I'm in the process of rebuilding an old laptop of mine and I'm needing to find a free DVD player for it. Any ideas :?: I'd rather not install any "dubious" codec packs as I'm might be needing to use the machine for work purposes ocaasionally.

Look for "Media Player Classic", it's simple but may do what you want (and doesn't rely on dubious external CODECs).