Playing DVDs on Vista

My new PC with Vista Business edition will not play DVD's on Media Player as
I was told it would do. I get an error message saying no encoder installed.
The help search said go to options and enable encoder. It still doesn't play.
Do I need some kind of encoder?

"dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A36E6DE1-3721-4D84-9FD6-59DC2ACE4972@microsoft.com...
> My new PC with Vista Business edition will not play DVD's on Media Player
> as
> I was told it would do. I get an error message saying no encoder
> installed.
> The help search said go to options and enable encoder. It still doesn't
> play.
> Do I need some kind of encoder?


As best as I remember, only Ultimate comes with a DVD decoder. You would
need to install DVD playback software.

"Seth" wrote:

> "dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A36E6DE1-3721-4D84-9FD6-59DC2ACE4972@microsoft.com...
> > My new PC with Vista Business edition will not play DVD's on Media Player
> > as
> > I was told it would do. I get an error message saying no encoder
> > installed.
> > The help search said go to options and enable encoder. It still doesn't
> > play.
> > Do I need some kind of encoder?
>
>
> As best as I remember, only Ultimate comes with a DVD decoder. You would
> need to install DVD playback software.
>
>

"Seth" wrote:

> "dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A36E6DE1-3721-4D84-9FD6-59DC2ACE4972@microsoft.com...
> > My new PC with Vista Business edition will not play DVD's on Media Player
> > as
> > I was told it would do. I get an error message saying no encoder
> > installed.
> > The help search said go to options and enable encoder. It still doesn't
> > play.
> > Do I need some kind of encoder?
>
>
> As best as I remember, only Ultimate comes with a DVD decoder. You would
> need to install DVD playback software.
>
> Thank you Seth. I talked to a friend of mine today and he said his laptop with Vista won't play DVDs either. He suggests Sonic Cine Player - which you can order online. Thery're in Houston TX.

Windows Media Player on Vista Home Premium plays DVDs.

"dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3F558006-8216-465D-86CB-2DEAE3B4375D@microsoft.com...
>
>
> "Seth" wrote:
>
>> "dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:A36E6DE1-3721-4D84-9FD6-59DC2ACE4972@microsoft.com...
>> > My new PC with Vista Business edition will not play DVD's on Media
>> > Player
>> > as
>> > I was told it would do. I get an error message saying no encoder
>> > installed.
>> > The help search said go to options and enable encoder. It still doesn't
>> > play.
>> > Do I need some kind of encoder?
>>
>>
>> As best as I remember, only Ultimate comes with a DVD decoder. You would
>> need to install DVD playback software.
>>
>>

"David" <dgprozzoLEAVE@bellsouthOUT.net> wrote in message
news:ua4LJc9YIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Windows Media Player on Vista Home Premium plays DVDs.

Good to know. I haven't played with any of the "home" flavors as of yet.


> "dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:3F558006-8216-465D-86CB-2DEAE3B4375D@microsoft.com...
>>
>>
>> "Seth" wrote:
>>
>>> "dougt53" <dougt53@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:A36E6DE1-3721-4D84-9FD6-59DC2ACE4972@microsoft.com...
>>> > My new PC with Vista Business edition will not play DVD's on Media
>>> > Player
>>> > as
>>> > I was told it would do. I get an error message saying no encoder
>>> > installed.
>>> > The help search said go to options and enable encoder. It still
>>> > doesn't
>>> > play.
>>> > Do I need some kind of encoder?
>>>
>>>
>>> As best as I remember, only Ultimate comes with a DVD decoder. You
>>> would
>>> need to install DVD playback software.
>>>
>>>

I have Ultimate, but Media Center pick the DVDs. My PC has 2 DVD (E,F)burners and a DVD ROM (G); all internal. When I have 3 audio CDs and open Media center, it allows me to pick which CD to play. When I have 3 DVDs, I can only play the DVD from drive E. When I have a DVD in drives F and G, I can only play from F. When I have a DVD in E and F, I can only play from E. Even when switch the DVDs from F to E and E to F, the Media Center still plays from drive E; meaning the DVD being burned or manufactured has nothing to deal with this. The same if I have a DVD in E and G, it plays only from E. When I have a DVD only in drive G, of course I can play from drive G; which proves that all of the DVD drives works fine. The Center only has the option of "Play DVD" instead of allowing me to pick like it does when it comes to audio CDs. To get around this without ejecting the DVDs, I had to change the drive letters with the Computer Manager. When I changed drive E to Z, F to Y, and G to X, I can play the DVD from X without physically changing the bays of the PC. The Media Player allows me to pick which drive to play the DVD without changing anything. So is there anyway I can pick which DVD to play without removing the DVDs or changing the drives' letters with Media Center?