# Is there any DVD player that can play Windows video files, like .mpgs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2002, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535 "2002-06-23T04:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535/21 "2002-06-24T22:08:35Z")
[http://www.vcdhelp.com/dvdplayers.php](http://www.vcdhelp.com/dvdplayers.php) Most dvd players with play mpeg (vcd) and mpeg 2 (svcd/dvd) format. Some will play mp3s. You won’t find any that play .avis, I don’t believe, but you can convert them with, as mentioned earlier tmpgenc. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535/22 "2002-06-25T01:52:41Z")
Nah, the 37 gigs of (current) free space won’t last. But I just need working room, right? Once I burn my VCD, I don’t need to _keep_ a copy on my computer, right? The processor is 1 gig. I desperately need more RAM, though. And I still have no idea how I’m going to get the video from the recorder to the computer. I look at the video recorder. I look at the tower. I place one next to the other and say “Hmmmm…”. I think I’m going to throw myself at the mercy of whoever assists me at CompuSmart, and hope I get a salesperson who knows something. One would think that a simple cable connecting the two would suffice, non? ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535/23 "2002-06-25T02:35:13Z")
You will need a capture card. They have reviews at [vcdhelp.com](http://vcdhelp.com). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535/24 "2002-06-25T03:19:38Z")
To get the video from your analog camcorder into the computer, you do need a cable. But you also need something to convert the analogue video signal into digital data that the computer can handle. This is called a “capture card”. They’re around $150. More RAM is good. More RAM is _always_ good. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535/25 "2002-06-25T04:34:22Z")
Thank you. As always, if I’d snooped around even further in the link you put above, I would have found it before I asked the question. I did enquire at my local CompuSmart, and I can get an ATI All-In-Wonder card for about $100. I hope it works. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-dvd-player-that-can-play-windows-video-files-like-mpgs/115535.md?page=1)