Do I have to pay for Vista Ultimate to play a VOB file?

[invader]

Yes, I'm back here again tryiong to figure out how to play a goddamn VOB file
on my PC. A task that was *simple* with XP is now tremendously complex (if
not downright impossible) with Vista. It must be the DRM crap.

I've given up. Microsoft has won. I have reached the point where I will
actually pay more money in order to view my VOB files. I'm tired of wasting
time on this problem.

I'm currently a Vista Business user. As I understand, Microsoft was too cheap
to bundle the VOB codec with Vista Business and only bundles it with Vista
Ultimate or Vista Home Premium.

Please someone tell me, if I pay Microsoft the extra money to upgrade from
Vista Business to Vista Ultimate, will I be able to play VOB files again? or
do I actually have to downgrade my PC to XP in order to play VOB files?

Yes, Microsoft, you have won and I have lost. You took my money when you
"upgraded" (your word, not mine) my PC from XP to Vista, and now I will have
to pay you even more money to get some of the XP features back.

[Yes, I know I could run Linux instead and I even have a Linux box that plays
all of my videos in all of my formats just fine without constantly
splattering my screen with UAC diarrhea, but call me a sado-masochist, I
still want to run a Windows OS]

Please Microsoft take more of my money (I know you have piles and piles of
money already but you must need even more of mine) and let me use my computer
again.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Vista Business is tailored for business, not surprisingly, so no native DVD
movie palyback facilities.. maybe something like this would work for you..

http://www.powerdvd2007.info/

Yes, I'm back here again tryiong to figure out how to play a goddamn VOB
file
on my PC. A task that was *simple* with XP is now tremendously complex (if
not downright impossible) with Vista. It must be the DRM crap.

I've given up. Microsoft has won. I have reached the point where I will
actually pay more money in order to view my VOB files. I'm tired of
wasting
time on this problem.

I'm currently a Vista Business user. As I understand, Microsoft was too
cheap
to bundle the VOB codec with Vista Business and only bundles it with Vista
Ultimate or Vista Home Premium.

Please someone tell me, if I pay Microsoft the extra money to upgrade from
Vista Business to Vista Ultimate, will I be able to play VOB files again?
or
do I actually have to downgrade my PC to XP in order to play VOB files?

Yes, Microsoft, you have won and I have lost. You took my money when you
"upgraded" (your word, not mine) my PC from XP to Vista, and now I will
have
to pay you even more money to get some of the XP features back.

[Yes, I know I could run Linux instead and I even have a Linux box that
plays
all of my videos in all of my formats just fine without constantly
splattering my screen with UAC diarrhea, but call me a sado-masochist, I
still want to run a Windows OS]

Please Microsoft take more of my money (I know you have piles and piles of
money already but you must need even more of mine) and let me use my
computer
again.

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

 

[Phillip Pi]

Why not use a third party program like Media Player Classic, VideoLAN
Client Media Player, etc.?

Yes, I'm back here again tryiong to figure out how to play a goddamn VOB file
on my PC. A task that was *simple* with XP is now tremendously complex (if
not downright impossible) with Vista. It must be the DRM crap.

I've given up. Microsoft has won. I have reached the point where I will
actually pay more money in order to view my VOB files. I'm tired of wasting
time on this problem.

I'm currently a Vista Business user. As I understand, Microsoft was too cheap
to bundle the VOB codec with Vista Business and only bundles it with Vista
Ultimate or Vista Home Premium.

Please someone tell me, if I pay Microsoft the extra money to upgrade from
Vista Business to Vista Ultimate, will I be able to play VOB files again? or
do I actually have to downgrade my PC to XP in order to play VOB files?

Yes, Microsoft, you have won and I have lost. You took my money when you
"upgraded" (your word, not mine) my PC from XP to Vista, and now I will have
to pay you even more money to get some of the XP features back.

[Yes, I know I could run Linux instead and I even have a Linux box that plays
all of my videos in all of my formats just fine without constantly
splattering my screen with UAC diarrhea, but call me a sado-masochist, I
still want to run a Windows OS]

Please Microsoft take more of my money (I know you have piles and piles of
money already but you must need even more of mine) and let me use my computer
again.

--
Phillip Pi
Senior Software Quality Assurance Analyst
ISP/Symantec Online Services, Consumer Business Unit
Symantec Corporation
www.symantec.com

 

[Justin]

If you want to keep using WMP you can use:

http://www.cyberlink.com/vista_plugin/dvd/enu/pdvdse_index.jsp

http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/cineplayer/vista/overview.html

 

[invader]

Why not use a third party program like Media Player Classic, VideoLAN

Client Media Player, etc.?

I tried WinDVD8 and it plays video but not audio.

I can try these others if there is some reason to suspect they will work with
Vista where all else has failed.

 

[invader]

Vista Business is tailored for business, not surprisingly, so no native DVD

movie palyback facilities.. maybe something like this would work for you..

Like I said, I don't care anymore. I've resolved that my "upgrade"
(Microsoft's word, not mine) from XP to Vista is going to do nothing but cost
me money.

If Vista Ultimate will play VOB files, then yes I will give Microsoft the
money. They have successfully extorted it from me. Like most extortion, it's
far easier to just pay off the thief than it is stand up for what's right and
fight against the corporate thief.

I will heed your suggestion and try powerdvd2007

 

[invader]

If you want to keep using WMP you can use:

http://www.cyberlink.com/vista_plugin/dvd/enu/pdvdse_index.jsp

http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/cineplayer/vista/overview.html

Now here's a man that properly addressed my question! He's identified two
companies that I can pay $15 to and they will make my WMP work!

But, I don't see that either of these companies has a trial. How do I know
that these products will actually work when all else has failed? How do I
know they won't just take my $15 and leave me still looking for a way to play
my VOB files?

 

[Richard Urban]

YOU did not investigate the various flavors of Vista that are available. YOU
made the incorrect choice for what you wish to do. You are the one to
blame - no one else.

 

[invader]

Why not use a third party program like Media Player Classic, VideoLAN

Client Media Player, etc.?

You sir, are a frickin' genius. You beat all the supposed MVPs to the
solution. Maybe you should be called an MMVP or MVVP. I dunno; invent a
title. you deserve it.

"Media Player Classic" works just fine. It succeeds where all the commercial
software fails. It's simple to use. It's not loaded up with useless crap like
WMP. It was a simple one file executable install. It works perfectly. I'm
reassigning all my movie associations to this player.

Problem Solved.

Sorry Microsoft -- I was ready to give you my money. You almost won, but
Phillip Pi ruined it for you and told me how to defeat you. I can play videos
again! Hoorah!

 

[invader]

YOU did not investigate the various flavors of Vista that are available.
YOU

made the incorrect choice for what you wish to do. You are the one to
blame - no one else.

I don't know how to make this any clearer.... I WAS READY TO GIVE MY FRICKIN
MONEY TO MICROSOFT TO UPGRADE TO ULTIMATE. All I wanted to know is whether,
even after Microsoft had extorted my additional money, it would play videos.
Is this a closely guarded secret? This was one of the supposed benefits of
Vista was that I can upgrade from Business to Ultimate, was it not?

Yet no, nobody even seems able to tell me if Ultimate can even play VOB video
files.

One rebel in this group let a secret slip through and recommended an
OpenSource program "Media Player Classic". My problem is solved! Microsoft
has no hold over me. I actually have a program that not only works when WMP
does not, but is actually BETTER and SIMPLER TO USE.

Three cheers for open source!!!!!!! Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah!

Now if there was only an opensource alternative to UAC and WINDOWS UPDATE.

 

[Phillip Pi]

You sir, are a frickin' genius. You beat all the supposed MVPs to the
solution. Maybe you should be called an MMVP or MVVP. I dunno; invent a
title. you deserve it.

"Media Player Classic" works just fine. It succeeds where all the commercial
software fails. It's simple to use. It's not loaded up with useless crap like
WMP. It was a simple one file executable install. It works perfectly. I'm
reassigning all my movie associations to this player.

Problem Solved.

Sorry Microsoft -- I was ready to give you my money. You almost won, but
Phillip Pi ruined it for you and told me how to defeat you. I can play videos
again! Hoorah!

Yep, I didn't like the bloatwares. I also use Linux and opensource
products. VLC is no stranger since I used it in Linux. It exists in
Windows world. Media Player Classic as well. There's also QuickTime
Alternative and RealAlternative players to replace the bloated regular
players. You get the idea.

Oh and I refuse to use Vista until I am forced to like gaming.
--
Phillip Pi
Senior Software Quality Assurance Analyst
ISP/Symantec Online Services, Consumer Business Unit
Symantec Corporation
www.symantec.com

 

[Richard Urban]

I have Vista Ultimate. I can play extracted .vob files. You should be able
to also.

In order to do so I open Media Player. I then browse to where the extracted
files reside. I highlight "all" the files and click open. They play.

If I just double click on a file from within Explorer I am told that there
is no program associated with .vob

This is as I want it. I do not want to permanently associate .vob files with
Media Player.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Frank]

Oh and I refuse to use Vista until I am forced to like gaming.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

OMG, I sure hope they're not forcing you to use (gulp) Symantec products!
Heaven forbid!
Frank

 

[Guest]

Turn UAC off. Doing that does NOT cause other programs to malfunction.

 

[Neil Harley]

I have Vista Ultimate. I can play extracted .vob files. You should be
able to also.

In order to do so I open Media Player. I then browse to where the
extracted files reside. I highlight "all" the files and click open. They
play.

If I just double click on a file from within Explorer I am told that
there is no program associated with .vob

This is as I want it. I do not want to permanently associate .vob files
with Media Player.

Richard.

For some reason I can't get VOB files to play under Ultimate. Neither
Media Player or Media Centre can play them


Maybe it's because I choose to not split my rips (I do this to convert
to MP4 for use on a PSP) but Nero Showtime can play them okay.

Other than re-ripping my DVD collection does have any suggestions?

 

[Ant]

Only at work. I do use one at home too, but with an old version
(2002).

 

[Richard Urban]

I use DVDFab Decrypter and have never had any problems.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Neil Harley]

I use DVDFab Decrypter and have never had any problems.

I just used DVD Shrink and the VOBs play fine. I will have to check the
settings in DVDDecrypter and leave the files split.

 

[Kerry Brown]

I don't know how to make this any clearer.... I WAS READY TO GIVE MY
FRICKIN
MONEY TO MICROSOFT TO UPGRADE TO ULTIMATE. All I wanted to know is
whether,
even after Microsoft had extorted my additional money, it would play
videos.
Is this a closely guarded secret? This was one of the supposed benefits of
Vista was that I can upgrade from Business to Ultimate, was it not?

Yet no, nobody even seems able to tell me if Ultimate can even play VOB
video
files.

One rebel in this group let a secret slip through and recommended an
OpenSource program "Media Player Classic". My problem is solved! Microsoft
has no hold over me. I actually have a program that not only works when
WMP
does not, but is actually BETTER and SIMPLER TO USE.

Three cheers for open source!!!!!!! Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah!

Now if there was only an opensource alternative to UAC and WINDOWS UPDATE.

At the risk of sounding like a linux troll, there is an open source
alternative to UAC and Windows Update. It's called linux. You obviously
don't like Microsoft. Have you tried linux?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Turn UAC off. Doing that does NOT cause other programs to malfunction.

That is *not* correct. Doing so does cause some programs to
malfunction. For example, the installation of Adobe Reader 8 will
fail. And when it fails, it fails mysteriously, without giving you any
information about why it didn't get installed.