DVD SOFTWARE

[MrMet]

Can anyone suggest the best dvd software to use for watching movies on my computer. I am running Win XP with a Geforce 3 ti200 card. Used to have WinDVD buy I'm not sure if there might be something better on the market. Thanks in advance.

 

[AndyHui]

Have a look at PowerDVD. It's very good.

Opinion seems evenly split over WinDVD and PowerDVD most of the time though.

 

[grunjee]

I have and use both PowerDVD and WinDVD. I'm pretty evenly split on them too. Both are excellent programs.

One beef I have with WinDVD is it seems to have a problem with 4-channel sound with my Audigy. PowerDVD does not have this problem. So when I use WinDVD I have to switch it to 2-channel audio.

I don't know if this is a general WinDVD problem or just an Audigy driver issue or what.

 

[BCYL]

Or you can just use XP's built-in DVD player... no addition software needed...

 

[Workin']

Originally posted by: BCYL
Or you can just use XP's built-in DVD player... no addition software needed...

Windows XP DOES NOT come with a DVD decoder, you have to buy one separately.

 

[Katana]

PowerDVD is my favorite, it is the only dvd software I know of that has "always on top" which I use almost everytime I watch a dvd.

 

[gtd2000]

Or you can just use XP's built-in DVD player... no addition software needed...

I recently upgraded my Win ME installation to XP and "thought" that XP had included a DVD player in WMP. However last night after a format and fresh install of XP I discovered that you need to load a separate DVD software player.

I use Win DVD and Power DVD - both work very well indeed - however since upgrading to XP I just use the XP player. The weird thing is I had one disk that would not play on any DVD player - but it plays with the WMP DVD player....very strange....


Need to re-load Win & Power DVD again tonight to make sure that the XP player still functions as well as it has been

 

[TheWart]

i like PowerDVD XP.

 

[John]

NVDVD is real nice.

http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=nvdvd

 

[Goi]

If you like to tweak, ZoomPlayer is the one to go. Its extremely customizable, and you can choose the best video and audio filters to go, assuming you have those players. For example, I use ATI Player's video filter together with WinDVD 4's audio filter for best quality(IMHO). However, you don't get the sleak packaging and skin that you get from using PowerDVD/WinDVD.

Otherwise, I'd take PowerDVD XP 4. IMHO its video portion is better than WinDVD, though sound from WinDVD seems more dynamic to me.

 

[MainFramed]

if you have win xp just use windows media player, it will play dvds and it is the built in dvd prog for xp =]

 

[Workin']

Originally posted by: here4amission
if you have win xp just use windows media player, it will play dvds and it is the built in dvd prog for xp =]

OK, one more time - XP DOES NOT include a DVD decoder. If you want to play DVD's using Windows Media Player you either have to install a program like Power/WinDVD or else buy a "DVD PowerPack for XP" that costs $14.99 from many vendors. XP, as it is shipped, will not play DVD's.

 

[idNut]

Originally posted by: John
NVDVD is real nice.

http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=nvdvd

I looked on their site but where do you get it?

 

[gtd2000]

It's on the page

Coming Soon to a PC Near You

 

[ObiDon]

Or you can just use XP's built-in DVD player... no addition software needed...

Somebody always says this! Arrrgh!

It's kind of there but there's no CODEC for it built into WinXP so not really.

 

[Confused]

I love WinDVD 4.

5.1 sound works perfectly (even uses the centre channel for DivX TV programs i've downloaded) and it has excellent TV Out (which is handy cos the 20" TV is right next to computer monitor!

Confused