Watch A DVD Movie With Windows Media Player By Installing A DVD Codec

Did you know that you can't just watch a DVD movie using Windows Media Player because it does not come with the extra software that allows DVD playback. If you have ever tried to watch a DVD movie with Windows Media Player, without first installing the necessary codec's, errors will occur.

Here are two common error messages that can occur when you have not installed a DVD decoder before playing a DVD movie.
Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because there is a problem with digital copy protection between your DVD drive, decoder, and video card. Try installing an updated driver for your video card.

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 colour quality settings.

When people are trying to fix this problem they often end up at the Microsoft website where there are left with a choice of decoders that are priced around $14.95.

This sounds like a reasonable price, however you can also download a free Windows XP codec pack that will do the same job. http://www.free-codecs.com/XP_Codec_Pack_download.htm When you have download it, install it, and then Bob's your uncle! (your done).

This XP Codec pack will not only install the DVD codec's you need, but it will also install extra audio codec's for playback of DVD movies.

Same problem occurs in some versions of Windows Vista which is unbelievable. They really should have included these codec's with this operating system. Windows Vista Home premium and Ultimate do have the codecs you need to play a dvd in Windows Media player, however the others do not. Here is the Vista Codec Pack http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Vista_Codec_Package.htm