Why can't I play DVD's?

Question

I just got Cyberlink PowerDVD 6.5 and for some reason when I put any type of DVD format cd's my computer won't even read them. They won't even load up. All that comes up is a little CD next to the mouse and it blinks on and off then goes away and nothing happens after that. I tried trouble shooting and it tells me that I might need a DVD decoder. is that it? Also if so where can I get a free decoder?

Answer 1

Normally, for a situation like this I would try playing the DVD on Media Player AND then on Real Player. You want to confirm that it may be software related. If the Media Player or Real One doesn't play then it might not be the software it might be media related: The DVD disc itself might be to blame.

Did you do the basics? check for scratches, finger prints, smudges? I have seen some real sensitive players that react strangely to this kind of abuse. It might just be a matter of cleanliness. Depending on your technical expertise I would open the PC and just unplug the DVD drive's data cable and connect it to another available connector on the motherboard (but that is truly last resort and I wouldn't advise it unless you know your way around the PC)

But if the software players did play the DVDs without a hitch, then you should opt to the software company's website to see if there is a patch or if a similar occurrence has happened and if there is a remedy for it. Usually software companies have a special section for errors and how to fix it.

I hope this helps somewhat.

Answer 2

Do you have a DVD drive or are you trying to put it in a CD-ROM drive?

If you've got a DVD drive and a DVD player application then you shouldn't have any trouble playing DVD's (unless they are damaged but you should be able to get at least one to play).

PowerDVD can handle the decoding itself so you shouldn't need a decoder card.