# DVD decoder questions (computer) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-decoder-questions-computer/236805 "2004-03-27T22:26:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-decoder-questions-computer/236805/1 "2004-03-27T22:26:16Z")
My computer is just over three years old. It’s a PIII 733MHz, 256Mb RAM, running WinME. It has a DVD drive, which i’ve not used before, but which i would like to use now for a few things. I put a DVD in the drive and opened the Windows DVD Player, but it told me that i needed either a hardware or software decoder in order to play the DVD. I looked in my software box, and there doesn’t seem to be any driver or other DVD software, so i’m wondering what the best course of action is. I put “free dvd decoder” into Google, and got quite a lot of hits, but i was just hoping that someone might be able to: a) let me know if all i have to do is download a decoder b) point me in the direction of a decent (preferably freeware) decoder Any help would be most appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-decoder-questions-computer/236805/2 "2004-03-27T22:47:13Z")
Yes, you need a program like Power DVD. They usually come with the drive but I had the same problem and mine did not bring it. After asking here someone told me sometime the video card disc would have a program and I looked and was lucky enough that my video card had Power DVD. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-decoder-questions-computer/236805/3 "2004-03-27T23:04:47Z")
You may not even need Power DVD. Do you have, or can you upgrade to Windows Media Player 9.0? MP should be able to play your DVD’s. All a decoder is, is DVD player software. Encoding a DVD would be to write in DVD format, just for clarification, but you may have already known that. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-decoder-questions-computer/236805/4 "2004-03-27T23:37:20Z")
Oops. False alarm. After further rooting aroung in my deskdrawers, i’ve come across a CD with PowerDVD on it, which i assume came with the computer when i bought it. I’ve installed it, and everything seems to be working fine. The one i have is not the latest version (according to their website, it’s up to 5.0), but it seems to do everything that i need. I don’t intend to spend much time in front of the computer watching movies, but i did want to take some screen captures for future reference, and PowerDVD allows me to do that. **ParentalAdvisory** : I have Windows Media Player v.9 on my computer, but i couldn’t get it to play the DVD. I’m not sure if there’s something i was doing wrong, or a plug-in of some sort that i was missing, but i guess it doesn’t matter too much now. Thanks for the advice, folks.