DVD playback - what programs are you using?

[Gibbo]

PowerDVD for DVDs and MPC for everything else.

[ron]

I would say use PowerDVD but you stated about fees, we use K-Lite codec pack, seems to play most DVD's through windows media player since installing this.

[Galway]

I can get DVDs to play through VLC player without any problems but it's hardly the best interface for a teacher to use - it's not very intuitive, but it is free!.

I have installed VLC player on the students machines. Every single student from Y7 to Y11 can manage to use it by using the common sense approach but for some strange unknown reason staff get confused by it.

And im not talking cleaning staff ... or the caretaking staff .... im talking about degree equiped staff. Is it because they dont see windows media player and staight away are out of their comfort zone and rather than enguage brain to think mode decide to call for help ?

Last time this happened I got a student to come to the whiteboard, and 2 clicks later were all watching a DVD ....

[TheLibrarian]

I'm following this up with a query to CyberLink's technical support - if it turns out that CyberLink do consider K-Lite's distribution of their codec illegal I will be most put out.

Suffice to say I will update this thread when I get a response from CyberLink.

Nothing back from Cyberlink yet, I've also e-mailed RadLight and tried to e-mail Monogram but the e-mail address advertised on the website bounced with a 550 unknown user error.

[TheLibrarian]

This is the respose from Cyberlink.

I understand your concern that you would like to use K-Lite CODEC Pack and wants to know CyberLink's view.

I have visited the link sent by you and it is clearly mentioned that in order to use the K-Lite CODEC Pack, you need to first purchase the licensed copy of PowerDVD 10 software then only you would be able to take the advantage of MPEG-4 ASP codecs (Xvid, DivX), multiple MPEG-2 codecs contained in K-Lite codec pack.

I'm not 100% convinced that the support representative understood my question because in the answer he's talking about Xvid and DivX which aren't CyberLink's CODEC's AFAIK.

I've asked for clarification:

Just to make sure I understand the answer completely:
You (CyberLink) are saying that installing K-Lite CODEC pack which contains CyberLink's MPEG-2 CODEC would be illegal *if* there wasn't also a licensed copy of PowerDVD as well?

[mac_shinobi]

This is the respose from Cyberlink.



I'm not 100% convinced that the support representative understood my question because in the answer he's talking about Xvid and DivX which aren't CyberLink's CODEC's AFAIK.

I've asked for clarification:

nope divx / xvid are not related to the dvd mpeg 2 / dvd codec you require to playback of dvds and the codecs included in these codec packs that allow playback of dvds are not legal ( from what I can gather or afaik )

Not sure what codec windows media player classic uses ( or home cinema edition ) reference the legality but I do know that VLC although it can playback dvds does not do so in a legal manner ( plenty of previous posts to verify this )

The legal method / way would be to install included power dvd onto computer and then windows media player will rely on and use the power dvd codec(s) to play back any dvds