Play DVDs on Your Windows PC for Free

[Rasputin]

While most PCs that come with DVD drives include some form of DVD playing software, if you added the DVD drive, you may find your PC unable to play DVDs. This can be remedied with free downloadable and legal software. This article describes one method that works on a Windows PC, however, alternate methods that work on both Windows PCs and other platforms including Macs are available in the Related wikiHows section, below.

Steps

Make sure you have a DVD-Rom or DVD-RW drive. A CD-Rom or CD-RW drive will not play DVD media. Look for the DVDRom symbol on the front of the drive

Install a free media player program. VLC Media player (VLC) plays DVDs and almost all other videos out of the box. You can also use Windows Media Player, which comes installed on most PCs and is simple for beginner users, but requires extra software to play DVDs and many other video formats.
If you are using Windows Media Player, upgrade to the latest version. Go to the help menu to find a link to the latest upgrade, currently version 10.
Install an MPEG 2 codec. This is the file you need for Windows Media Player to know how to interpret the files on the DVD.

Download a free MPEG 2 codec. While there are several versions, including
Stinkycodec that are purportedly functional and free, many people find they don't work. The best solution is to download the free 30 day trial version of Cyberlink PowerDVD (see external links).

Run the Power DVD installation software.

Use Power DVD, a great product, during the free 30 day trial to play your DVDs.

Consider buying the software, which many consider superior to Windows Media Player, at the end of the trial.

Know that even if you uninstall Power DVD at the end of the trial, it will leave the MPEG 2 codec on your PC, and you will still be able to play DVDs on your PC.


Tips

Try comparing Windows Media Player and Power DVD head to head. Some have found that the picture, especially the colors, are superior on Power DVD when displayed on a plasma TV.

Another alternate method to enable DVD playback is to download a package like "K-Lite Codec Pack" which not only adds support for DVDs but also adds support for playing just about any format of media, or A/V file out there.

With VLC, you do not need to download any codecs or anything else. VLC can play basically any audio or video file.

[Rasputin]

Video Downloads Take Off

Video Downloads Take Off
Illustration: Gordon StuderThe Buzz: After years of downloadable videos that were too restricted, too low-res, and far too expensive for what you got, the category may finally be ready for prime time. The sheer number of new, big-time players is staggering. Sometime this year Time Warner plans to offer downloads you can burn to DVD, possibly on the same date as a movie's retail DVD release. Blockbuster's CEO says the rental giant may open its own download service. Microsoft has already launched a video section of its Xbox Live Marketplace, presenting TV shows, standard-definition flicks, and high-def movies for download for about $2 to $6. Even Walmart is getting in on the act, with a strange deal that lets you add on a portable-ready video file for $2 to $4 when you buy a DVD. And of course Apple's still around as well.

Bottom Line: With all these new offerings, it's even possible that one of the providers will be able to trick movie studios into serving up a product with digital rights management restrictions that don't treat users like criminals. Probably not, though.

Ship Now, Fix Later
The Buzz: Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo's Wii. Microsoft's Zune. What do all three have in common? Nope, it's not limited supply and gigantic lines at launch. (Honestly, who actually lined up for a Zune?) No, like many PC games and countless other hardware releases, all three of these heavy hitters required firmware or driver updates right out of the box. Plug it in, turn it on, and get ready to download. With so much pressure on developers to hit a certain launch window, the preferred approach has become "release it now, repair it later." Even so, problems like the PS3's scaling issues on some high-definition TVs still weren't fixed after that product's first three updates.

Bottom Line: Hmm...I'm not sure I made that point as clearly as I could have. Ah, well, I'll just take care of it later. Check back here next week, and I promise I'll have that fixed right up.

[Rasputin]

good to know ... !