Download a DVD Decoder to play DVD Movies on your PC

Ok first off, why you need to use a DVD Decoder
Basically these plugins allow playback of DVD Movies on a Windows based PC. Most commonly used within Windows Media Player for Windows XP and Vista. By default WMP does not contain a Decoder, thus the plugin must be used for DVD playback.

Many people think that Decoders are Decrypters, in a way they are but not in the way you want it to work. A decoder will decrypt a CSS protected DVD but send the signal to the media player for playback. If you are looking for decrypting functionality look for DVD Copying here.

Software that provides DVD Decoding Support in Windows , XP and Windows Vista (Media Player):

Sonic CinePlayer DVD Decoder (Windows Media Player - Vista, XP)
Sonic CinePlayer DVD Decoder Pack is a plugin made exclusively for Windows Media Player the delivers excellent DVD and Video playback capabilities on your Windows PC. CinePlayer DVD playback for Windows is noticeably superior to other DVD decoder and DVD software products, showing full frame rate video with no frame drops in amazing clarity and detail.	OS: Win XP/Vista, Media Player File Size: 1.3MB License: $14.99		Download CinePlayer DVD Decoder

Cyberlink HD 264 Pack - Upgrade to HD Playback on Windows Media Player or PowerDVD
Enhance Windows Media Player (WMP) or Media Center Edition (MCE) by adding playback support for high-definition video Enjoy superb performance with the latest media formats. Leverage the power of your NVIDIA or ATI graphics card with support for hardware acceleration. Work with NTSC or PAL formats Ensure playback compatibility with PowerDVD 6 and 7 Standard, & Windows Media Player.	OS: Win XP/Vista, Media Player File Size: 1.3MB License: $39.95 Save 50% using coupon code QV4NAUF5Z here		Save 50% on watching HD movies with your WMP. Coupon code: [QV4NAUF5Z]

Basic Overview of the Function of a DVD Decoder:

Benefits of a Decoder Plugin over traditional DVD Player Software:

• full-screen video playback controls
• easy-to-navigate DVD chapter listings, and integrated cover art,
• chapter listings, actor and director credits
• watching on the plane, in the dorm, at home, or in the office.

When do you need a software decoder?

If your PC can't playback DVD movies then you need a MPEG-2 decoder. A decoder is just a plugin for Windows Media Player which allows the playback.

DVD discs discs are still a popular option for Movie delivery. For that reason people will still want to watch DVD's on their laptops or PC's. If the DVD is a major movie, meaning 'from Hollywood', then 99% of the time the disc has been encoded and sometimes compressed. In order for this type of DVD to be played on a computer's DVD drive, the data on the DVD must first be decoded; this is done with help of computer software. DVD Movies can encode data in a few different ways. Two audio formats that require a decoder are Dolby Digital which uses their own Dolby Digital decoder and also a decoder is needed for DTS (Digital Theater System). The majority of video is decoded using a MPEG2 decoder.

Reasons there are not any Free DVD Decoders:

Since the video format used on today's DVD is MPEG 2, there are licensing fees that need to be paid since that format is licensed and has patents on it. However many decoders are around $15 which we have listed above. All work well and we recommend you using one with your player. However there is a free DVD player called VLC player which has it's own decoder. The only drawback is that you must use the player interface that it provides which is lacking options compared to more advanced DVD playing aps.