Trouble playing DVDs on notebook computer. Need assistance please.

The machine is a Gateway running Windows XP. I would never run XP or
a notebook; this is my mom's

I put DVDs into the DVD-ROM drive and close the door. I try to run the
DVD using media player, and a message pops up saying, "Cannot play
this DVD because a compatible decoder is not installed on your
computer."

Shouldn't the drive know how to play DVDs without any external
software? What does this mean and how can I get it to work?

Thanks,
Dos-Man

--------------------------------------
Author of Emu Browser
the program launcher that thinks it's a web browser
http://www.nonags.org/members/phillipsassano/

"dos-man 64" <ChairShot@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ab5ba508-13d7-4735-8137-5b3824cee8db@a35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> The machine is a Gateway running Windows XP. I would never run XP or
> a notebook; this is my mom's
>
> I put DVDs into the DVD-ROM drive and close the door. I try to run the
> DVD using media player, and a message pops up saying, "Cannot play
> this DVD because a compatible decoder is not installed on your
> computer."
>
> Shouldn't the drive know how to play DVDs without any external
> software? What does this mean and how can I get it to work?
>



for licensing reasons windows won't play dvds until you install dvd playing
software.
easiest thing to do is use vlc player - http://www.videolan.org/vlc



--
Gareth.

That fly... is your magic wand.
http://www.last.fm/user/dsbmusic/

"the dog from that film you saw" <dsb@removethisportionbtinternet.com> wrote
in message news:5tdh2eF1d3m4bU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> "dos-man 64" <ChairShot@mail.com> wrote in message
> news:ab5ba508-13d7-4735-8137-5b3824cee8db@a35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>> The machine is a Gateway running Windows XP. I would never run XP or
>> a notebook; this is my mom's
>>
>> I put DVDs into the DVD-ROM drive and close the door. I try to run the
>> DVD using media player, and a message pops up saying, "Cannot play
>> this DVD because a compatible decoder is not installed on your
>> computer."
>>
>> Shouldn't the drive know how to play DVDs without any external
>> software? What does this mean and how can I get it to work?
>>
> for licensing reasons windows won't play dvds until you install dvd
> playing software.
> easiest thing to do is use vlc player - http://www.videolan.org/vlc

It comes as a rude surprise that Windows isn't ready to play a DVD. I recall
the feeling and sympathize. I fumbled around quite a bit at first before
solving the problem, satisfactory to me.

I'm not familiar with the Linux decoder suggested by the dog... I took a
quick look and it seems technically complicated, like many of the Linux
programs for Windows. If you can wrap your brain around it, I imagine it
works fine. I side-stepped those complications and hit upon a solution by
pure luck, otherwise I could still be groping around in the dark! I use the
Cyberlink decoder which came for free along with PowerDVD when I purchased
an internal LG DVD burner.

This may be a useful link:
Plug-ins for Windows Media Player
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...r/plugins.aspx

Partway down that list it mentions Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...D-627E6ADE9FCB
which tells you what decoder(s) you may already have installed.

On Dec 25, 7:54 pm, "PapaBear" <PaPaB...@thebears.x2x> wrote:
> "the dog from that film you saw" <d...@removethisportionbtinternet.com> wrote
> in messagenews:5tdh2eF1d3m4bU1@mid.individual.net...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "dos-man 64" <ChairS...@mail.com> wrote in message
> >news:ab5ba508-13d7-4735-8137-5b3824cee8db@a35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> >> The machine is a Gateway running Windows XP. I would never run XP or
> >> a notebook; this is my mom's
>
> >> I put DVDs into the DVD-ROM drive and close the door. I try to run the
> >> DVD using media player, and a message pops up saying, "Cannot play
> >> this DVD because a compatible decoder is not installed on your
> >> computer."
>
> >> Shouldn't the drive know how to play DVDs without any external
> >> software? What does this mean and how can I get it to work?
>
> > for licensing reasons windows won't play dvds until you install dvd
> > playing software.
> > easiest thing to do is use vlc player -http://www.videolan.org/vlc
>
> It comes as a rude surprise that Windows isn't ready to play a DVD. I recall
> the feeling and sympathize. I fumbled around quite a bit at first before
> solving the problem, satisfactory to me.

That is somewhat shocking. That's why I never bothered to put a DVD
drive
into my PC. I'm quite happy using my PS2. Also got a DVD recorder as
well.


>
> I'm not familiar with the Linux decoder suggested by the dog... I took a
> quick look and it seems technically complicated, like many of the Linux
> programs for Windows. If you can wrap your brain around it, I imagine it
> works fine. I side-stepped those complications and hit upon a solution by
> pure luck, otherwise I could still be groping around in the dark! I use the
> Cyberlink decoder which came for free along with PowerDVD when I purchased
> an internal LG DVD burner.
>
> This may be a useful link:
> Plug-ins for Windows Media Playerhttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/plugins.aspx
>
> Partway down that list it mentions Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...d=DE1491AC-0AB...
> which tells you what decoder(s) you may already have installed.

I'm just going to tell her it ain't happening. She has a DVD player (a
real one I might add), she can just use
that. I'm done with this. Thanks for your help nonetheless.

dos-man

"PapaBear" <PaPaBeAr@thebears.x2x> wrote in message
news:yDhcj.32616$JD.10319@newssvr21.news.prodigy.n et...


> I'm not familiar with the Linux decoder suggested by the dog... I took a
> quick look and it seems technically complicated, like many of the Linux
> programs for Windows.


it's as simple as simple can be - you run the program, drag the file, it
plays.


--
Gareth.

That fly... is your magic wand.
http://www.last.fm/user/dsbmusic/

"the dog from that film you saw" <dsb@removethisportionbtinternet.com> wrote
in message news:5ten85F1dcup1U1@mid.individual.net...
>
> "PapaBear" <PaPaBeAr@thebears.x2x> wrote in message
> news:yDhcj.32616$JD.10319@newssvr21.news.prodigy.n et...
>
>> I'm not familiar with the Linux decoder suggested by the dog... I took a
>> quick look and it seems technically complicated, like many of the Linux
>> programs for Windows.
>
> it's as simple as simple can be - you run the program, drag the file, it
> plays.

Most things look a lot easier after you've already done it once...
You're probably right that it works OK, but it takes some persistence to get
started and over the newbie learning curve hump. I took a quick look at
their website, tried to read some descriptive info, and it hung my IE6
browser. Apparently it was making a long download of some kind, which I
didn't request. I waited a minute or two. I had to kill the iexplore.exe
process with CAD to escape. I tried again a couple of times and the same
thing happened, so I tossed in the towel. Maybe someone who really needs it
would persist and figure it out. I was only looking quickly out of
curiosity.

On Dec 26, 4:36 pm, "PapaBear" <PaPaB...@thebears.x2x> wrote:
> "the dog from that film you saw" <d...@removethisportionbtinternet.com> wrote
> in messagenews:5ten85F1dcup1U1@mid.individual.net...
>
>
>
> > "PapaBear" <PaPaB...@thebears.x2x> wrote in message
> >news:yDhcj.32616$JD.10319@newssvr21.news.prodigy. net...
>
> >> I'm not familiar with the Linux decoder suggested by the dog... I took a
> >> quick look and it seems technically complicated, like many of the Linux
> >> programs for Windows.
>
> > it's as simple as simple can be - you run the program, drag the file, it
> > plays.
>
> Most things look a lot easier after you've already done it once...
> You're probably right that it works OK, but it takes some persistence to get
> started and over the newbie learning curve hump. I took a quick look at
> their website, tried to read some descriptive info, and it hung my IE6
> browser. Apparently it was making a long download of some kind, which I
> didn't request. I waited a minute or two. I had to kill the iexplore.exe
> process with CAD to escape. I tried again a couple of times and the same
> thing happened, so I tossed in the towel. Maybe someone who really needs it
> would persist and figure it out. I was only looking quickly out of
> curiosity.

Like most Linux programs it's about 40 megs. Probably installs about
100,000
different files on the system, too

I got it to work though. Choose File, Open File, Disc Tab > DVD radio
button, then click OK.
Works.

Thanks Dog!

Dos-man