PowerDVD

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PowerDVD
PowerDVD Logo
Developer(s) CyberLink
Initial release 1998; 26 years ago (1998)
Stable release 15.0 build 2003 (August 24, 2015; 8 years ago (2015-08-24)[1][2]) [±]
Preview release none [±]
Operating system Windows 10
Windows 8/8.1
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Type media player
License Proprietary commercial software
Website www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd/overview_en_US.html

CyberLink PowerDVD is a media player for Microsoft Windows providing DVD playback, with Blu-ray playback available in higher editions. The current version, PowerDVD 15, is available in three editions: PowerDVD 15 Standard (DVD only), PowerDVD 15 Pro (Blu-ray playback) or PowerDVD 15 Ultra (Blu-ray 3D playback).[3]

PowerDVD is distributed on physical media or by download from the CyberLink website. It is often bundled with a variety of PC systems and peripheral devices (particularly optical drives)[4][5][6] a strategy which has enabled CyberLink to claim it as "the market's #1 media playback product with annual distribution of over 100 million units".[7]

PowerDVD Live was introduced in 2013, as an annual- or quarterly-fee subscription model including cloud storage, similar to Adobe Creative Cloud, under which consumers could ensure they remain on the latest version while paying but would lose the ability to use the software if their subscription lapsed.[7]

PowerDVD was the first Blu-ray 3D software player to achieve certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) under the new Blu-ray 3D standard (Profile 5.0).[8]

Features

  • DVD and Blu-ray disc playback.
  • DTS-HD 7.1 channel surround sound.
  • DLNA
  • Video file playback of formats including mkv, flv, wtv, 3gp and 3g2, and rm, rmvb if RealPlayer is installed.
  • Support for subtitle formats include smi, ass, ssa, psb, srt and sub.
  • 4K UHD[9]
  • Upscaling of DVDs and standard definition video files to HD, including videos from YouTube
  • Support for 3D photos and movies, including Blu-ray 3D.
  • GPU-accelerated conversion of 2D movies into 3D.
  • MoovieLive.com, a CyberLink "web site for collection information and reviews on films played back using the application" that "acts much like CDDB does for CDs, querying the MoovieLive service and downloading any pertinent information on it such as its title, a rating, how many others have watched this movie and so on."[10]
  • MovieMarks, which combines bookmarked movie scenes and review comments which can be shared online via MoovieLive.com.
  • Live Comments, which lets PowerDVD users post opinions and comments to Facebook, Twitter and MoovieLive while a movie is playing.
  • PowerDVD Remote for control of playback in PowerDVD with an iOS or Android device
  • PowerDVD Mobile for streaming playback of content from the PC on an Android or iOS device, and transcoding content to copy to the device.

Limitations

To watch Blu-ray in PowerDVD 11 or above, the user's computer must be HDCP compliant, with an appropriate videocard, cable and monitor; there is no such limitation on version 10 and earlier releases, and so VGA, composite or S-Video interfaces can be used to connect monitor or TV to PC. When installed on laptops, this limitation doesn't apply, but newer Blu-ray protected discs can be played only in more recent versions and most of the time need an Internet connection to do so.

HD DVD support is not available since PowerDVD 9.

Support for Windows XP was dropped in version 15 and Windows Vista was dropped in version 16.

Version history

Version Release date EOL date Latest patch
15 2015-04-14[11] 2015-11-02, build 2211
14 2014-04-08[12] 2015-07-29, build 6623
13 2013-04-02[13] 2015-07-28, build 5423
12 2012-01-31[14] 2015-09-08, build 5612
11 2011-04-18[15] 2015-09-08[16] 2014-02-25, build 5012
10 2010-03-17[17] 2014-02-25[16] 2013-12-11, build 5816
9 2009-03-02[18] 2011-06[16] 2011-05-18, build 4105
8 2008-04-02[19] 2010-04[16] 2010-04-21, build 3228
7 2006-05-04[20] 2009[16] 2008-01-04, build 3613
6 2004-11-08[21] 2007-11-12, build 3430
5 2003-06-18[22] 2007-11-12, build 3430
4.0 XP 2001-11-05[23] 2003-08-22
3.0 2000-11-06[24] 2001-10-15
2.5 1999-12[25] 2000-03-23, v2.55
1 1998[7]

Criticism

CyberLink supports PowerDVD with updates for a limited time after a version is released, which became a problem once Blu-ray Disc support was included with the release of PowerDVD 7 Ultra in December 2009:[26] Blu-ray copy protection requires player software or firmware to be updated periodically to allow playback of newer discs.[27] For CyberLink customers wanting to watch a Blu-ray Disc mastered after the date on which their version of PowerDVD went EOL, this means they might be unable to do so until they have upgraded to a newer release of PowerDVD.[28] Since version 9, the software provides notification if an unplayable disc is inserted: users with a version still in support are prompted by this notification to update to the latest patch, those with a version that is EOL are prompted to upgrade to the current release and on clicking are taken to the CyberLink website to buy a copy of the current version at a discount.

Versions 7 Ultra, 8 and 9 were updated for only 12, 24 and 26 months respectively, and this requirement to buy a new PowerDVD release every other year for continued Blu-ray capability led to many complaints about incompatibility from users of PowerDVD 9 and earlier when Star Wars was first released on Blu-ray.[29] Subsequently, versions 10 and 11 have continued to receive updates for longer than the previous three versions did, and the support notice for the EOL of version 10 directed customers with "PowerDVD 10 Ultra retail version installed" to "download and install an update to PowerDVD 11 Ultra", essentially a free upgrade for customers with the highest-tier version, after 47 months of support for version 10.

DVD Audio support is not available in version 11. Support stopped during version 9, although Cyberlink advertised versions 9 and 10 as being able to play DVD Audio discs. Cyberlink has refused to offer assistance to customers who bought versions 10 and 11 believing they could play back DVD Audio discs using them.[citation needed]

For users with international disks, PowerDVD does not have an option to set preferred languages or disk menus. This causes serious issues with Japanese Blu-ray disks of international titles, as PowerDVD often ignores the Japanese menus in favor of the primary (non-Japanese) menu. There is no fix offered by Cyberlink other than to switch versions to a Japanese one.

Decoders

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cyberlink.com/downloads/support/powerdvd/patches_en_US.html PowerDVD Patches & Support
  2. ↑ http://membership.cyberlink.com/prog/company/press-news-content.do?pid=3811
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Panasonic DVDBurner Bundled With CyberLink's PowerDVD & PowerVCR II | DVD News | Find Articles at BNET[dead link]
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "milestones" defined multiple times with different content
  8. ↑ [1][dead link]
  9. ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032812/review-powerdvd-13-ultra-media-player-is-loaded-with-under-the-hood-improvements.html
  10. ↑ http://www.elitebastards.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=704&Itemid=27&limitstart=2
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ "As the development phase of CyberLink PowerDVD 9 Ultra retail version has now ended, there will be no further Blu-ray Disc compatibility updates for this version. Any Blu-ray Disc titles released after 2011 June may not be compatible with CyberLink PowerDVD 9 Ultra retail version." PowerDVD 9 was released in June 2009.
  29. ↑ PowerDVD Ultra 9 (8, 7, etc.) won't play the Star Wars blu-rays

External links

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