FREE Software DVD Player Supports All Formats!

[neo2vcd]

Looking around for a software DVD player to solve format incompatibility problems, I found one ... and it's FREE! It's the "Hero" DVD player from Herosoft of China. Until recently, one could download this DVD player from their website:
http://www.herosoft.com/down/down_file/dvd2.1.zip .
That ZIP had files as recent as 12/2001. I now find that it is missing (or renamed).
[UPDATE: for the working link to dvd2.1.zip, see the "UPDATE" post, below!]

However, there are quite a few files available from the Herosoft download page:
http://www.herosoft.com/download/down_hero.htm .

One of them has an English text file that clearly identifies it as the Hero DVD player, but the latest file in that ZIP is 7/2001 (probably an earlier release). It is available as:
http://www.herosoft.com/download/down_file/DVDEMO.zip .

Here's a clip of their English version README file:

Dear user, Thanks for using Hero VCD 2000.
Support playing VCD, CVD, DVD,SVCD,DVCD, and CD, MP3 formats file.

Does anyone read Chinese and would like to check out this site, and these files, and report back? I'm sure many here would like to get the most recent version of this free DVD player that plays all the formats.

[suriyan]

Thanks neo2vcd
This one works perfectly for my home made xVCD's, Interprets vcd 2.0 menus !!
Thanks a lot !!

[Paradebh]

Where the dvd2.1.zip file?? I can't download it. Send to my email please. para@bol.com.br

[suriyan]

Paradebh,
As neovcd has said the latest file is the DVDDEMO.zip file. Download it and install. That is what I did.

[neo2vcd]

UPDATE!

While trying to figure out the list of files on the above Chinese language download page, I came across a couple of translator websites (gotta love the Internet)! Not great translations, mind you, but enough to figure which were programs and which were patches or drivers.

Also, while poking around, I located that "missing" dvd2.1.zip file. Either they moved it or my link somehow became corrupted. Anyway, here's the file in it's actual location:
http://www.herosoft.com/download/down_file/dvd2.1.zip

Now, from the translated page, I found another file that claims to be (more?) XP compatible. Here's the translation (not pretty, but workable) and file:

Compatible , entire WINDOW XP operating system, improves the DVD reads rot plate capacity, this more DVD CD driver, like the NEC the DVD CD driver. Improve cut capacity audio flows, revise to be no voice DVD compact disk to broadcast situation.

http://www.herosoft.com/download/down_file/hero_XP.zip
I have not DL'ed this file yet, so I cannot say if it is the latest version of the Hero DVD player. But it is in my DL queue and I'll find out soon. Until then, DL and use the dvd2.1.zip file (as I have).

For those who like to explore, here is the link to their DL subdirectory (makes reading filenames allot easier than the old mouse-over-then-status-bar viewing):
http://www.herosoft.com/download/down_file/

[T-Bird]

no warez

[neo2vcd]

Absolutely correct! This is an original product given away by the original company.

[MITSUI_1]

Some interesting utilities in that directory.

DAT2MPG works pretty nicely as a VCD to MPG converter.

Also interesting is an AVIMAKE file, but I can't seem to get it to work.

Nice link to the free software player, though.

[suriyan]

Anybody got the hero_xp player to work. I couldnt get it to install.

[Odos]

Anybody got the hero_xp player to work. I couldnt get it to install.

I think the XP player is actually a patch. I could not get it to install untill I loaded in the 2.1 player first then installed the XP version over the top. It installed and worked fine then.

[jarry]

Help!
Looking to save $50 rediculous price for WinDVD and PowerDVD.
I tried all the above links and none of them worked. The download would never start. Also, couldn't connect to the main site address. Anyone know if they've moved around some more? Anybody know where the current download is?