DVD/Video software for Vista

[Tabula Rasa]

Hello again everyone. New OS, Lost of questions 😀

Up untill now I used Nero Showtime as a DVD/avi player and it was perfect for me. But now after switching to Vista and getting rid of Nero in general (and Showtime specifically - works crap with Vista) I'm looking for a decent DVD/Video playback software.

Any recomindations of apps that would run well with Vista and wont be to "Heavy".
Freewere is an advantage 🙂

 

[Khayman]

Media Player 🙂

i use it for just about all media. works fine 🙂

 

[IDLE]

you can try VLC...but i have used the media player w/o any problems so far.

 

[vertigo]

media player classic, the best freeware player available, make sure you install ffdshow as well. VLC is the second best, but "heavier" than media player classic.

 

[NetRyder]

WMP11 works nicely for most video types with ffdshow installed.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

Thanks for the tips everyone, last question on that subject:
Is there any way to play a DVD folder (from the HD for example) in WMP?

 

[vertigo]

Is there any way to play a DVD folder (from the HD for example) in WMP?

so long as an appropriate program stream splitter, dvd navigator, MPEG2 decoder and ac3/dts decoders are installed, all you would need to do is open the video_ts.ifo to play the dvd

 

[Tabula Rasa]

so long as an appropriate program stream splitter, dvd navigator, MPEG2 decoder and ac3/dts decoders are installed, all you would need to do is open the video_ts.ifo to play the dvd

Sorry I'm being difficult, but I want to understand and not just monkey this through.
In short, what is a stram splitter and dvd navigator?
I do have ffdshow installed, but for all I know it only acts as a MPEG/ac3 decoder.

 

[Smoke286]

I'm using Media Player Classic on my desktop and Media Player on my laptop, both work fine

 

[vertigo]

what is a stram splitter

a piece of software that can separate a container (in this case an mpeg program stream) into video, audio, subtitle etc streams in order to be decoded or read, and subsequently rendered

dvd navigator?

basically allows menu navigation. all required filters are registered during installation of most commercial software players, eg powerdvd and windvd, and should allow playback in wmp.

but the reason i suggested media player classic or VLC is because they are free, open source, tried and tested, versatile, lightweight and include all splitters, decoders etc for dvd playback. ffdshow takes care of (just about) everything else if you choose media player classic, while VLC has libavcodec already, and needs nothing.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

Great 🙂
I tried dvd playback using the copy of Media Player classic that comes with quick time alternative and it works like a charm 😀

Thanks for all the info vertigo, rep is comming your way once I can give it to you again.