Advertisement You insert a DVD into your Windows 8 computer – you want to watch a movie. Nothing happens. You try opening Windows Media Player. It can’t play the disk. What’s going on with Windows 8 and DVDs?
And for that matter, discs? You’re not the first person to ask this, and you won’t be the last. The answer, basically, is that Windows 8 cannot play DVDs or Blu-Ray disks out of the box. Because the software technology for playing these disks isn’t free — Microsoft previously paid $2 for every copy of Windows sold, just for the right to use the patented technology needed to play DVDs. Considering the ever-increasing number of devices without optical drives, Microsoft decided it wasn’t worth paying for features many people can’t even use. So what is a movie-loving Windows 8 user to do?
Download PowerDVD 17 for Windows. Cyberlink PowerDVD is a comprehensive video player that upgrades media experience to Blu-Ray, HD and even 3D.
There are basically two options: finding third party software that can play your disks, or paying Microsoft for the privilege. Let’s go over both possibilities. Option A: Install A Different Media Player Windows 8 can’t play DVDs out of the box, but that doesn’t mean third party programs can’t.
We’ve written a lot about VLC should be your media player of choice. The cross-platform tool has a bag full of secret features you can use right now., and this program can easily play any DVD (and unencrypted Blu-Ray disks – there’s experimental support for encrypted Blu-Rays in the works, but that’s an issue for another article entirely). VLC can be a little hard to use, but not for playing DVDs: just click “File” followed by “Open Disc”. In most cases the menu will show up, allowing you to play your DVD however you like. Want more of a lean-back experience? I highly recommend XBMC – so much so that I even wrote.
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The program is designed to make browsing media on your computer easy, but also supports DVDs out of the box. It takes some setting up, but you’ll end up liking it – and the DVD playback is basically automatic. Both of these options are fantastic for DVDs, but somewhat lacking for Blu-Ray. The format, created by Sony, is a tough nut for free software to crack – it’s heavily encrypted, so you may need something commercial for the job.
You’ll need to pay for software, such as. Before you buy anything, though, know that most computers that come with a Blu-Ray drive include some sort of Blu-Ray software. Check your computer for software if it’s new, or check your collection of disks if you upgraded to Windows 8. You’ll probably find something that can play Blu-Ray discs.
Option B: Give Microsoft Your Money Couldn’t get the above solutions to work? Well, you can also pay Microsoft. It’s not as though Redmond simply stopped offering DVD and Blu-Ray support – they just started charging for it, along with their Media Center software. Microsoft briefly offered this software free of charge, but that period is over.
![Sony Sony](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125575892/851679614.jpg)
How much does it cost now? That depends on which version of Windows 8 you currently have: Windows 8 Pro users need to pay considerably less. Here’s what you can expect to pay:. $99.99 if you’re just using Windows 8 (ie, not Windows 8 Pro) – you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro Pack, which comes with Media Center and a bunch of other, unrelated features. Microsoft itself advises people to purchase third-party DVD software instead of doing this. $ 9.99 if you’re already using Windows 8 Pro – you’ll only need to download the Media Center Pack. Upgrading is simple: just open the Control Panel, then click “Add Features to Windows 8”.
You’ll be shown the upgrade available, depending on which version of Windows 8 you’re using. Enterprise users: you cannot download the Media Center Pack. Stick with the free and/or commercial options outlined above. Conclusion Is it annoying that Microsoft stopped supporting DVDs by default? Is it understandable? Considering they were paying for patents customers may or may not even be using, probably.
As a long-time Ubuntu user I grew accustomed to these shortcomings, but it’s a new problem for Windows users – and an especially frustrating one for people who paid for an upgrade only to lose features. What software are you using to play DVDs and Blu-Ray discs on your computer? Fill us all in using the comments below, or just complain bitterly about the change. Whatever you prefer. Explore more about:,.
Embed this Program Add this Program to your website by copying the code below. Preview Preview. Powerful but easy to use editing suite CyberLink PowerDirector claims to be the fastest video editor around and while this is a bold claim, it does have a simplified, streamlined editing workflow which makes creating quality surprisingly easy. There are many templates to choose from which do much of the hard work and the rest is just a case of dragging and dropping footage as you please. It also includes a 3D Theme Designer that allows you to create 3D themes for your videos although some of these do look a bit cheap.
Other than that, CyberLink PowerDirector includes all of the necessary tools to get creative with your videos, from assisting you in with the very first step (capturing video from several different sources) to adding the final touches to your creation via a customizable DVD-style menu. When you're done, CyberLink PowerDirector lets you save your video on your hard drive in different formats, publish it to, share it on or output it to a.
Most recently, CyberLink PowerDirector has been updated with enhanced 3D features and includes new ways to share creations with other Cyberlink users via Cyberlink's DirectorZone plus a few new 3D editing tools to complement to the 3D Theme Designer. If you want more effects, you can also download them from DirectorZone. Drag and drop video timeline interface The interface in CyberLink PowerDirector is divided into four main tabs ( Capture, Edit, Produce and Create Disc), all of them pretty self-explanatory. The layout is that of a standard video editor with raw footage divided from the editing timeline below. The editor in CyberLink PowerDirector includes all the essential video editing tools, with a library window to browse your media collection, a timeline to drag and drop elements and a preview window to check what your creation looks like when you put all the elements together.
The Theme Creator uses a wizard style system to help you create your own theme and is easy to follow although the results can look quite cheap. By Anonymous This editor is good, but could still use some Hot needed improvements!. This editor is good, but could still use some Hot needed impro vements!
This newest version appears to be some good new improvements, after downloading this new trial version, & going thru help/tutorials, I really like the Auto motion tracking option, and selection for instant fixes for video and sound feedback, such as to remove background sound feedback and hissing noises in older videos which worked good, (Hoe Cyberlink keeps improving these video/audio enhancement and blur features) but could still use some addtl (All in one) built in video, and video sound enhancements, so do have to use addtl RAM hogging programs to edit and enhance video and sound.