Video playback software

[Cat Daddy]

I'm using Power DVD ver 4. Old as methusela but works fine for playback. My computer had a near death experience yesterday when I downloaded the free VLC player to try out. As soon as I popped in a dvd to play the computer went haywire and the blue screen of death popped up.
Scary, so I finally got it back to norm and uninstalled that crap.
I think I need a newer version of software because some dvd's that I have B&P'd for wont play using this old version. Every store bought dvd plays fine.
Considering the latest versions of Power dvd or Win DVD basic versions, I really don't need the deluxe versions with all of the bells and whistles that I wont use. What are you guy's using?

VLC! I occasionally use Mplayer.

[daddyray]

when VLC messes up it can be nasty. ya gotta make sure the version you install is apt for your operating system.

[Cat Daddy]

Too nasty for me for sure. It took quite awhile to get my pc back to norm. I'm not trying it again. I'll try a trial version of the latest Power DVD or something else and see which I like.

[Thulani]

Media Player Classic Home Cinema - this what I use for daily use

FF-Dshow - codecs if need it

[paddington]

Originally Posted by kill_them_all1000

Media Player Classic Home Cinema - this what I use for daily use

FF-Dshow - codecs if need it

this. 100%

has always been better than VLC, imo

[daddyray]

is that PC specific or is it available for Mac?

[paddington]

I'm afraid it is Windows only... pretty sure I remember them building the original "Media Player Classic" using the decompiled and reverse engineered Windows Media Player 6.x and just added all kinds of customizations and codec support... did this when WMP got too bloated.

[Cat Daddy]

I'm confused here. My power dvd plays store bought dvd's and some dvd's that I've aquired in B&P's. Some of the B&P dvd's will not play. I get a message that there is no disc in drive D.
I can't figure out why all of the store bought discs play and some of the B&P's wont. Just started doing this today. Up until now it's been fine. My Windows media player 11 wont play any dvd now. It did before.
I'm thinking the VLC download/uninstall screwed something up. Anyone had this happen before?

[paddington]

VLC screws up people's OS file associations a lot of times these days.. be sure your DVD has a VIDEO_TS folder with your VOBs in the folder, and that you have all the supporting files.

[daddyray]

and some poorly authored DVDs like stuff that was just transferred from a VHS tape to DVD on a dual deck unit can be touchy with some players...
you ought buy more gear

(and thanks for the prompt reply James)

[Thulani]

Originally Posted by Cat Daddy

I'm confused here. My power dvd plays store bought dvd's and some dvd's that I've aquired in B&P's. Some of the B&P dvd's will not play. I get a message that there is no disc in drive D.
I can't figure out why all of the store bought discs play and some of the B&P's wont. Just started doing this today. Up until now it's been fine. My Windows media player 11 wont play any dvd now. It did before.
I'm thinking the VLC download/uninstall screwed something up. Anyone had this happen before?

Have you tried those not working DVD's on other computer? Maybe they got broke or maybe some poor authoring, or poor transfer to DVD.

[Five]

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

comes with MPC

I also have an older version of VLC for occasional use... 0.96a or something like that is considered the best old version before it got screwed up.

[Thulani]

I have VLC and it never screwed my system. But I don't use it because of that ugly interface. Don't know why so many problems.

Another good program is KmPlayer. But it needs better hardware.

[Cat Daddy]

Originally Posted by kill_them_all1000

Have you tried those not working DVD's on other computer? Maybe they got broke or maybe some poor authoring, or poor transfer to DVD.

The bad discs work fine on my computer at work that has Intervideo windvd ver 5 on it. My power dvd Ver 4 just wont play them. Wondering now if I'm missing a certain codec now that was there before the VLC disaster. Then again these may be just bad discs or the vhs transfer as daddyrayoll suggested.
I think the codecs are missing that played them before I ran into trouble with VLC. May download the updated codecs pack from power dvd/Cyberlink.
Time for a shot of Jack and a cold one.