Plain Old DVD Decoder (Codec) Freeware or Opensource Windows XP(64)

[big_green_jelly_bean]

What is the best free option for playing back DVD's. I have copies of PowerDVD for around (DVD players or Videocard copies)... but I think their like version 3.0!

I want something good, that can and will allow me to play back my DVD's... any recommendations?

[Vitos]

Media Player Classic or VLC.

[big_green_jelly_bean]

Media Player Classic or VLC.
Well Ill try VLC, Media Player Classic looks kinda crazy, lots of different files listed and no clear descriptions of what to use...

[setarip_old]

Regardless of the version number, if PowerDVD plays your DVDs properly, why not continue to use it?

[big_green_jelly_bean]

Regardless of the version number, if PowerDVD plays your DVDs properly, why not continue to use it?

I prefer to use non-commercial software. I am a contributor to a opensource application, and like to support other opensource applications...

The ones listed are ok... they need a kickstart, I hope some people step up and come up with a application that is competitive.

Anyways, thanks
Mike

[setarip_old]

1) Have you tried using Windows Media Player (v.9 or newer)?

2) What in particular "needs a kickstart" in VLC?

[communist]

Media Player Classic looks kinda crazy, lots of different files listed and no clear descriptions of what to use...
Huh?! :eek:
Insert DVD. Open MPC. Click File -> Open DVD.

[big_green_jelly_bean]

Huh?! :eek:
Insert DVD. Open MPC. Click File -> Open DVD.

In regards to the winmedia application:

Im more intimidated by the download options... there is a modified version, and then there is the normal version... and then like 20 other things on the OSDN site, and NONE of them have descriptions...

VLC is simply ugly, the actual interface. It simply could be considered one of the worst interface designs I have ever seen. Though allot of open source applications suffer from this disease. Some of the best programmers I know just dont have a clue on how to develop a application interface. For example, the VLC individuals should start by adding the registry key to the autostart on DVD/Media menu.

Windows Media Player 9 and 10 doesnt come with a DVD codex. Microsoft in all there wisdom decided that it was the job of the DVD players and Video Card Manufacturers, to supply the codec. This is probably due to the licensing for DVD playback.

I love winamp, but it is too stupid to playback DVD's... even if you have a codex...

[mod]

"Open disc" doesn't need any particular ability imo..

VLC is simply ugly, the actual interface. It simply could be considered one of the worst interface designs I have ever seen. Though allot of open source applications suffer from this disease. Some of the best programmers I know just dont have a clue on how to develop a application interface. For example, the VLC individuals should start by adding the registry key to the autostart on DVD/Media menu.
Yes, it's terrible to have a free, good, working application that doesn't offer a cool "64MB video_memory_needed" interface, especially when you watch a movie in fullscreen. Really terrible.

[communist]

MPC - this is one good version to start with:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/guliverkli/mpc2kxp6490.zip?download

[big_green_jelly_bean]

"Open disc" doesn't need any particular ability imo..


Yes, it's terrible to have a free, good, working application that doesn't offer a cool "64MB video_memory_needed" interface, especially when you watch a movie in fullscreen. Really terrible.

Not a large interface, just a easy to use one... The drive selection for instance, doesnt show the drives with DVD's in them, nor does it say the name of the drive...

It doesnt Record were movies started and stopped.

Its just a question of a UI, not features or functionality... It seems to work GREAT... but its hard to use everything...

Its like the Old MS Office... there was so many GREAT features, but new users would get lost triing to find things.

It doesnt have to have skins or any of that silly stuff... But it should register itself in the Registry as an application to start up DVD's. When you put in a DVD, windows pops up a screan, asking you what you want to do with this disk... This program isnt even in this...

I can help with UI design, it is something I do for a living... Making powerfull programs powerfull to users.

If I was the developer, I would keep all the logic behind the sceens, then start with a form. Add Play Stop Start Skip Reverse etc... Add a textbox for the display... Maybe two, one for title and one for file path...

Then add OPEN button. The button would open a single window. You can select a DVD, or CD and the open disk button becomes enabled... Now the File window pops open... and people can then go into the files of the DVD/CD/HD and select individual VOB, CD files, MP3's, etc... When someone selects these files the Open Disk changes to Open Directory or Open Files...

Then after someone selects the file/Disk/HD, etc... have an advanced options button. I would put the basic per file type options on the open page below all of the information in the above section. There are a few objects that come with the DLL visual languages, and even more options if you choose to go to .NET!

Add a top menu bar. File, Options, and Help are all sections you want. Add a few others..

You did the hardest part, which is the logic behind the UI.

The UI, just takes some knowledge and some basic ideas.

For example... take this true example:

Manufacturers of small planes had a control panel that was very well designed and thought out... Eventually technology improved and they needed to add more controls. The had a problem in that they decided developing a new cockpit would be too expensive. They added a Toggle Switch and when the toggle switch was on, the switches would do one thing, and when the toggle switch was off, they would do something else... They decided to release these planes... and after a few years they found that many people where dieing do to "Pilot Error"... Well when they investigated the issue further they discovered that the UI for the plain was inherently bad in that the pilots when under stress wouldnt know what the toggle was set too.

Take another realworld example of a bad UI... This one hits home everyday...

Remember the first time you sat in front of an IBM extended keyboard. You pushed a Caps Loc, Num Lock, Etc button and you found it a nice option... Eventually however you found yourself typing a password, well what does the light mean... is Caps lock On or is it off.

Another Example
Create a Button on an application that says [START], and when they push it, the text changes to [STOP]... Well does this button mean its STARTED when it Says [START] or do you have to push the button to start it.

There are litterally hundreds of examples of bad UI design. Almost every toolset provided in the visual language's can be misleading...

Another common mistake is when people have windows that open other windows that open even more windows, that open even more windows... eventually you get lost in Window HELL!

Using Checkboxes can be just as bad as the Capslock problem when applied wrongly.

Multiselect controls are hard because people often dont know they can Shift or CTRL click items.

My biggest issue was with the large number of tabs on the open window. Most of the functions can be unified, and then a tab window below can provide more functions.

[foxyshadis]

It doesnt have to have skins or any of that silly stuff... But it should register itself in the Registry as an application to start up DVD's. When you put in a DVD, windows pops up a screan, asking you what you want to do with this disk... This program isnt even in this...
It does, now. Maybe it's a recent addition, I don't know.

Otherwise I agree with most of your sentiments (and disagree with the idea that it's okay to be frustrating and hard to use if it's free and somehow working), but this isn't really the place.

[big_green_jelly_bean]

It does, now. Maybe it's a recent addition, I don't know.

Otherwise I agree with most of your sentiments (and disagree with the idea that it's okay to be frustrating and hard to use if it's free and somehow working), but this isn't really the place.

Im sorry, thats not what I ment... its not ok, but it does work... and I am not going to step up and fix it (well not at this point)... Skins are kinda cool when done right... but its allot of work, and really most people just want to play the movie.

I dont know why there isnt a free Codec available so that you can play DVD's on any media player you choose. I also wish I could use WinAmp for my DVD's... Maybe there is an addon... but there is no Codex available... so I cant even play DVD's in Microsoft Media Player... I hate Microsoft Media Player... I love my winamp, even though its owned by the devils brother.

[mod]

Skins are kinda cool when done right... but its allot of work, and really most people just want to play the movie.
I agree with you on this. Imo a lot of people isn't interested in the interface, if the program works. So the developers of some applications don't spend their (precious :) ) time just to make the tool more "nice" (also if imo vlc basic interface is good, I like it).
Think about mplayer, a simple drag and drop of file on a link is enough to play the file or the disc, and this is what a lot of users want.

[big_green_jelly_bean]

I agree with you on this. Imo a lot of people isn't interested in the interface, if the program works. So the developers of some applications don't spend their (precious :) ) time just to make the tool more "nice" (also if imo vlc basic interface is good, I like it).
Think about mplayer, a simple drag and drop of file on a link is enough to play the file or the disc, and this is what a lot of users want.

If I was going to improve this device... Simply combine the 5 opens into one nice open window, that handles all of the types of files.

[KoD]

I dont know why there isnt a free Codec available
There are, but like everything that involves mpeg, they're not really free since it's covered by patents on algorithms used during decoding.

You could simply install ffdshow, enable the mpeg2 decoder and set it to libmpeg, check the "Enable DVD playback" when you select mpeg2 decoding by libmpeg and then on the audio decoder configuration enable AC3, DTS, MP2 and LPCM. That should cover the formats used on DVD Video and should work on any directshow player on WinXP that uses the dvd navigator interface already provided by Microsoft with the OS.