Vista (without DVD decoder), WMP11 and DVDs

[andrewjameshoward]

I've googled around this for at least a couple of hours. Apologies if the answer was here all along. I have a version of Vista which, unlike Media Centre or Ultimate, does not come with a DVD decoder (Vista Business). I want to play a DVD using WMP11. Yes, I know I could use another player. I also know I could buy a DVD decoder, as recommended by Microsoft. I'd like to understand why I can't get it to work with a freeware solution. I've tried various approaches with ffdshow, which worked perfectly for me on Windows XP. The most recent is to use a package called Vista Codec Pack from Shark 007, which inter alia includes ffdshow, an AC3 filter and an MPEG splitter. I've used all the same settings for ffdshow as worked for me on my XP set-up (though with a lower version of wmp I think).

So am I making some unknown error OR is there some inherent reason why an ffdshow/wmp11/vista combination can't play dvd's. If so, what is it?

[jagabo]

64 bit Windows? 64 bit programs require 64 bit codecs. 32 bit programs require 32 bit codecs.

[andrewjameshoward]

All 32 bit I think - surely it wouldn't let me install anything otherwise? If you think I could have installed a 64 bit codec on a 32 bit machine, how would I check that?

[jagabo]

Right click on Computer and select Properties. If you have 64 bit version of Windows it will say so.

[andrewjameshoward]

I am quite sure I have a 32 bit machine with a 32 bit operating system. Nonetheless I've checked this as you suggested just for my peace of mind. What I meant was, if you think that Vista Business/WMP11/ffdshow CAN play DVD's and that my problem is due to my installing a 64 bit codec on a 32 bit system (which frankly, I would be surprised if it were possible to do), how would I diagnose that?

[jagabo]

You can't install 64 bit codecs on a 32 bit Windows system. You can install both 32 bit and 64 bit codecs and software on a 64 bit Windows system.

You can certainly play MPEG 2 video with WMP and ffdshow. But to play commercial DVDs you need CSS decryption software. Commercial DVD player software will include that. I don't think WMP under XP does.

[jman98]

VLC should work and it's free.

[El Heggunte]

[ e d i t e d ]

[andrewjameshoward]

Thanks for all those suggestions. My replies:

32/64 bit: Now I see what you were getting at. I've never owned a 64 bit machine so I was unaware of that. But as stated, this is a 32 bit machine so that's not the cause.

VLC: I know I can use another player. For example, I can play the DVD with MPC Home Cinema. I'd just like to understand why WMP11 won't work.

CSS: It's not that. This is a home-made DVD with no CSS. I also have a Windows XP Pro machine with WMP11 and ffdshow installed. This happily plays my DVD and will also play a commercial DVD with CSS. So what's the problem with Vista Busines?

Registry: If the registry can be edited to make WMP11 "prefer" Directshow/ffdshow and thus play DVD's, what settings require altering?

[Bjs]

64bit additions of microsoft vista / 7 will try and play video / audio via 32bit applications first, then 64bit ... it's been this way ever since vista first came out.

Ac3filter and Dscaler mpeg filter is all I installed under the vista business on two laptops to get dvd playback to work in wmp ... all's well.

[andrewjameshoward]

BJs: are you saying that you have Vista Business/WMP11 playing DVDs using only Ac3filter and Dscaler mpeg filter (no ffdshow) on these laptops? Are they 32 bit or 64 bit?

[jagabo]

Can you play individual VOB files? Is it just the DVD menu navigation that's not working?

[andrewjameshoward]

All the while I have had an error message saying
"Windows Media Player cannot play DVD video. You might need to adjust your Windows display settings. Open display settings in Control Panel, and then try lowering your screen resolution and color quality settings"
Apparently this is a generic message which WMP11 throws up when it cannot play a DVD for other reasons. Nevertheless, I have tried reducing screen resolution and colour quality to the minimum to make sure.
I uninstalled Shark007, ffdshow and everything else. Then I got an error message saying WMP11 had no encoder. Then I installed AC3filter and Descaler as suggested. This took me back to the original error message about resolution & colour quality.

No, it won't play VOBs either.

[jagabo]

I get the same "cannot play DVD video" message on a Windows XP Pro SP3 computer with WMP 11. I can start WMP6.4 and play individual VOB files (unencrypted) so the appropriate DirectShow VOB reader/splitter (Microsoft's MPG2SPLT.AX), MPEG 2 decoder (ffdshow), and AC3 decoder (ffdshow) are installed (no licensed DVD player software is installed on that computer). I suspect WMP11 simply refuses to play DVDs with Vista Business because that version doesn't include a DVD license.

It looks like that's the case:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/windows-media-player/plug-ins
Notice they are all DVD players, not just MPEG2/AC3 decoders.

[andrewjameshoward]

I have WMP11 on my XP Pro SP3 machine and I have no problem playing DVDs on it. Ffdshow works there. El Heggunte made a commment (which he later deleted) which caused me to look up "Media Foundation" on Wikipedia. This is effectively Microsoft's replacement for Directshow on Vista and later versions of Windows and WMP11 uses it. In Windows XP, WMP11 can be installed to replace the previous WMP. In Vista, WMP11 is built in. So maybe WMP11 for Vista works differently from WMP11 for XP and won't let Directshow substitute for Media Foundation whereas WMP11 for XP will, or doesn't use MF at all?.

But we still have the mystery of Bjs who seems to have got WMP11 to play DVDs on Vista Business.

[jagabo]

Just for kicks, I installed an old version of PowerDVD on the XP Pro SP3 computer. After that WMP11 would play DVDs. No files were added to \Windows\System32 -- so PowerDVD probaby didn't install any system-wide drivers (IFO parser? CSS decrypter?). After uninstalling PowerDVD WMP11 would not play DVDs again. My guess is there's some Registry setting that tells WMP a DVD license is installed.

VLC, of course, had no problem playing DVDs with or without PowerDVD installed.