Free way to play DVDs in Windows 10

[eager to learn]

I have the most recent VLC Media Player installed on W10.

I inserted the DVD into the player and I can choose Media, Disc and place a dot in the circle next to DVD but it only plays the feature film trailer (15 seconds).

I see Feature listed but when I click on it nothing happens.

I have the W10 Media App installed but it prompts me to play DVDs from a library.

Is there a way to play a commercial DVD with either VLC Media Player or Windows Media Player without installing other software?

Thanks.

[ProWo]

Change your DVD Region in Windows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlXK6PTvgZY

[DB83]

VLC ignores Region Codes so the above is not relevant.


If the latest version works like the older ones then the issue is more to do with the way the disk was authored than the software.


So try this. Right-click on VLC screen >> Playback >> DVD Menu and go from there.

[eager to learn]

I did that but it only plays the 15 seconds trailer and the word Feature start appears on screen but if I press Tab, Return, space bar the cursor never moves to Feature start so the commercially bought DVD won't play the film. Any other thoughts? Thanks.

[DB83]

Ok.


I am not on Win10 yet I have not read similar issues. I also appreciate that an actual trailer will typically be longer than 15 seconds. Something just does not add upright now.


What disk is this ? And is this a dvd and not a blu-ray ?

[usually_quiet]

I did that but it only plays the 15 seconds trailer and the word Feature start appears on screen but if I press Tab, Return, space bar the cursor never moves to Feature start so the commercially bought DVD won't play the film. Any other thoughts? Thanks.

Perhaps something is wrong with the DVD. If you have not done so recently, try playing the problem DVD with a hardware DVD or Blu-ray player just to make sure that it plays normally.

[eager to learn]

This is a regular (not Blu-Ray) commercially bought DVD. It's not the DVD but W10. In XP and 7 you just inserted this DVD and Windows Media Player in auto play just started playing it. Now there must be some kind of adjustments the end user needs to make in W10. I appreciate the link posted here but watching that video they said you can only change the region 5 times and I'm not comfortably changing regions having no experience with that. What other issues might then be caused? Thanks.

[davexnet]

This is a regular (not Blu-Ray) commercially bought DVD. It's not the DVD but W10. In XP and 7 you just inserted this DVD and Windows Media Player in auto play just started playing it. Now there must be some kind of adjustments the end user needs to make in W10. I appreciate the link posted here but watching that video they said you can only change the region 5 times and I'm not comfortably changing regions having no experience with that. What other issues might then be caused? Thanks.

Not enough information.
You have not yet stated whether the region of the disk is different to your players current setting.

Even if it is, VLC should still play it

[usually_quiet]

This is a regular (not Blu-Ray) commercially bought DVD. It's not the DVD but W10. In XP and 7 you just inserted this DVD and Windows Media Player in auto play just started playing it. Now there must be some kind of adjustments the end user needs to make in W10. I appreciate the link posted here but watching that video they said you can only change the region 5 times and I'm not comfortably changing regions having no experience with that. What other issues might then be caused? Thanks.

You probably can't make changes to Windows 10 that will allow either Windows Media Player or VLC to play your DVD. I think you will need to install other DVD player software to play your DVD and it might need to be paid, licensed software.

The Windows 10 version of Windows Media Player can't play DVDs because Microsoft intentionally removed that feature. The DVD player feature is not as popular as it was in the past and removing it reduced the cost of a copy of Windows 10 by eliminating the need to pay licensing fees for the patented technologies associated with DVD playback.

US companies must pay licensing fees to comply with US patent laws if they want to produce DVD player software but licensed software is more likely to play DVDs with any type of copy protection used commercially.

VLC is unlicensed software which means that DVD playback in VLC was reversed engineered. That approach is perfectly legal in France since France has different patent laws for software than the USA. However, since VLC is reverse engineered it may not include the ability to properly handle some forms of copy protection.

[eager to learn]

VLC opens the disk and plays the 15 second trailer and then a screen opens to FEATURE - but how does one PLAY FEATURE?

I tried reaching that "feature on the screen" by pressing the Tab, Return, space bar... how have YOU reached a feature like that?

You need to explain what you mean by "the region of the disk is different to your players current setting"

Thanks.

<snip>

You have not yet stated whether the region of the disk is different to your players current setting.

Even if it is, VLC should still play it[/QUOTE]

[davexnet]

VLC opens the disk and plays the 15 second trailer and then a screen opens to FEATURE - but how does one PLAY FEATURE?

I tried reaching that "feature on the screen" by pressing the Tab, Return, space bar... how have YOU reached a feature like that?

You need to explain what you mean by "the region of the disk is different to your players current setting"

Thanks.

<snip>

You have not yet stated whether the region of the disk is different to your players current setting.

Even if it is, VLC should still play it

[/QUOTE]

Can't you select the item you want with the mouse ?

[DB83]

You were also asked to provide the name of this dvd. Useful also if you were to provide a link from where it was acquired.


I have a blu-ray that when played in a software player goes to a screen which is not part of the actual film and refuses to go further directly in that software. I have NEVER come across a dvd that has similar features.


And, again, NO trailer runs for 15 secs. But you might confuse a studio logo or even a copyright statement with an actual trailer.

[eager to learn]

No. If i place the cursor over the Feature and click nothing happens.

Can't you select the item you want with the mouse ?[/QUOTE]

[koberulz]

Show us a screenshot of what you're seeing.

[davexnet]

you can try "no disk menus" and it should start the disk from the main movie.

[koberulz]

Only if the disc is authored with the main movie marked as such. Sometimes you get a random bonus feature or something.

[lingyi]

Well that was interesting!

I haven't played a disc directly on my PC in years, always rip and play the .iso or .mkv.

Tried two discs (one was I believe is Region 2) with an new install of VLC, X64. Both went to the menu and I was able to start the movie by clicking on the menu link. However, when I tried both discs in Potplayer, after a few seconds of the start of the disc, my main monitor went black. It could be that the disc was just loading, but I didn't bother to wait as it was smooth with VLC. So, at least VLC worked correctly and there's no issue with my Win 10 install. Ripped .iso(s) play fine with both players.

As for the issue the OP is experiencing, sometimes the trigger box on the menu is slightly off. This isn't an issue with a standalone player since you use the arrow keys on the remote to navigate, but a mouse click may be outside the trigger area. I've had menus that were severely off, requiring clicking way above or below to work.

@eager to learn. When you click on the menu item does it change color or flash as usual with menu selections? If it doesn't, it may be an indicator that you're not hitting the trigger area for the selection.

[davexnet]

Only if the disc is authored with the main movie marked as such. Sometimes you get a random bonus feature or something.

Then you can choose the title directly from the "playback" menu. Should be obvious from the length which one is the movie

[DB83]

I had a simple thought.


Is this particular disk an 'On Demand' release from Warners etc. ? There was a topic on here quite recently that the majority on PC-based dvd-drives can not play these.

[lingyi]

I had a simple thought.

Just one? Simple thoughts are ALL I have!

Okay, okay, I also have stupid thoughts, but I try to keep from posting them here!

Edit: Just to be clear, in case sometime takes it the wrong way. I'm not calling you out on your post. It's actually a good possible cause of the problem.

[usually_quiet]

I was thinking the problem might be caused by a small, difficult to see scratch or some form of ARccOS copy protection that VLC isn't able to deal with.