Help some older people with newfangled gizmos??

Factual Questions
1

My parents called earlier with the following problem:

Someone has sent them a DVD. They want to see it, but aren’t going to go buy a DVD player for a one-time use. None of their friends have DVD players, either.

Mom is reasonably adept with the computer, and wants to know if there’s a program she could download from somewhere that would allow them to view the DVD using the CD drive in their computer.
I told her I didn’t have a clue, but would ask 35,000 people for advice.

Can anybody here help them out?
CAN you watch a DVD on the CD drive in a computer?

2

No, sorry.

3

Nope. CDs and DVDs are 2 different animals. DVD players are c-h-e-a-p anymore and she may find that she likes watching DVD movies.

4

Unfortunately not. However, some video places might be able to copy the DVD to a VHS tape for them. Have them ask around.

5

Some video stores may even rent them a DVD player for an evening or two. Have they explored that?

6

DVD players are so cheap these days, maybe they or you will spring for the $50 and buy one.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806319040&skuId=5385692&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03013

Free shipping too!

7

And last but not least, the CD drive in the PC may actually be a DVD/CDROM drive. Most folks don’t pay much attention to the difference - it takes CDs and does useful things with them, so it must be a CDROM drive.

Take a good close look at the drive on the PC. If it was bought in the last couple of years, it may well be a DVD/CDROM - in which case finding software to play a DVD shouldn’t be any trick at all.

Mrot Furd, who really hasn’t got a DVD drive, but whose parent’s do (even though they call it a CDROM drive.)

8

Arrggghh! Somebody shoot me! I’ve gone and done the “apostrophe s” thing for a plural.

I hate that. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

9

they can always buy a dvd player, watch the movie, then return the dvd player

probably more trouble than it’s worth, though