Can't Playback DVD Movies after installing Vista ?

[Neil]

WMP will list the installed DVD codecs in its Help:About:Technical Support
Information menu tool.

If I recall correctly, most vendors require a reinstall of their for-pay
DVD decoders after the OS install/upgrade/etc.

In your particular case, you have an installed DVD decoder that solely
works with MPC. WMP would work in this scenario once a compatible DVD
decoder is installed. =)

In Jocko's case, Premium includes a DVD decoder, so that should have
worked. More information about how exactly that failed would probably be
useful previous to people speculating. =)

-Zach

What about my case? I have Vista Ultimate. I have been using Media Centre
and (occasionally) Media Player to look at my DVDs. Both worked, but I had
a problem with the DVDRW drive; it wouldn't recognise some of my movies.
[I'm certain it has nothing to do with copy protection etc. because not only
would the movie not play, but neither could I browse the filesystem on the
DVD. The drive simply behaved as if it had no media inserted]. I removed
the drive (in order to return it to the retailer) and installed another DVD
ROM drive from my previous machine. The new drive was a new-ish LiteOn SATA
drive; the other is a 10-year-old Hitachi PATA device. Now I can read all
the discs I insert into the drive, but I cannot play any of them (using MP
or MC). Every one of them refuses to play for reasons of copy-protection.
I have managed to play them by installing VLC.

What is the reason for MP & MC stopping playing movies they were previously
happy to let me look at?

Neil

 

[Michael Solomon]

WMP will list the installed DVD codecs in its Help:About:Technical
Support Information menu tool.

If I recall correctly, most vendors require a reinstall of their for-pay
DVD decoders after the OS install/upgrade/etc.

In your particular case, you have an installed DVD decoder that solely
works with MPC. WMP would work in this scenario once a compatible DVD
decoder is installed. =)

In Jocko's case, Premium includes a DVD decoder, so that should have
worked. More information about how exactly that failed would probably be
useful previous to people speculating. =)

-Zach

What about my case? I have Vista Ultimate. I have been using Media
Centre and (occasionally) Media Player to look at my DVDs. Both worked,
but I had a problem with the DVDRW drive; it wouldn't recognise some of my
movies. [I'm certain it has nothing to do with copy protection etc.
because not only would the movie not play, but neither could I browse the
filesystem on the DVD. The drive simply behaved as if it had no media
inserted]. I removed the drive (in order to return it to the retailer)
and installed another DVD ROM drive from my previous machine. The new
drive was a new-ish LiteOn SATA drive; the other is a 10-year-old Hitachi
PATA device. Now I can read all the discs I insert into the drive, but I
cannot play any of them (using MP or MC). Every one of them refuses to
play for reasons of copy-protection. I have managed to play them by
installing VLC.

What is the reason for MP & MC stopping playing movies they were
previously happy to let me look at?

Neil

Are these commercial films or films you copied. If they are copies of
commercial films, the only way to tell if it's a copy protection issue is if
you don't have the same problem with the original disk. If this issue
doesn't effect originals, then the fact you can't see files on the disk
could be an indication of a bad burn or that copy protection disrupted burn
or may be a DRM issue between Vista and the disk.

 

[Neil]

Are these commercial films or films you copied. If they are copies of
commercial films, the only way to tell if it's a copy protection issue is
if you don't have the same problem with the original disk. If this issue
doesn't effect originals, then the fact you can't see files on the disk
could be an indication of a bad burn or that copy protection disrupted
burn or may be a DRM issue between Vista and the disk.

They're original discs and every one of them will not play with MC nor MP
any more. I assume once I get the original drive replaced that they will
play once more.

Neil

 

[Michael Solomon]

They're original discs and every one of them will not play with MC nor MP
any more. I assume once I get the original drive replaced that they will
play once more.

Neil

I would assume so as well.