PowerDVD

      PowerDVD
      PowerDVD Logo
      Developer(s) CyberLink
      Initial release 1998; 15 years ago (1998)
      Stable release 13.0.16441 (March 29, 2013; 2 months ago (2013-03-29)[1][2]) [±]
      Preview release none [±]
      Operating system Windows 8
      Windows 7
      Windows Vista
      Windows XP
      Type media player
      License Proprietary commercial software
      Website www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd/overview_en_US.html

      CyberLink PowerDVD is a media player for Microsoft Windows providing DVD playback, with Blu-ray playback available in higher editions. The current version, PowerDVD 13, is available in three editions: PowerDVD 13 Deluxe (DVD only), PowerDVD 13 Pro (Blu-ray playback) or PowerDVD 13 Ultra (Blu-ray 3D playback).[3]

      PowerDVD is distributed on physical media or by download from the Cyberlink website. It is often bundled with a variety of PC systems and peripheral devices (particularly optical drives)[4][5][6] a strategy which has enabled CyberLink to claim it as "the market's #1 media playback product with annual distribution of over 100 million units".[7]

      PowerDVD was the first Blu-ray 3D software player to achieve certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) under the new Blu-ray 3D standard (Profile 5.0).[8]

      Features

      • DVD and BluRay disc playback.
      • DTS-HD 7.1 channel surround sound.
      • Upscaling of DVDs and standard definition video files to HD, including videos from YouTube
      • Support for 3D photos and movies, including Blu-ray 3D.
      • GPU-accelerated conversion of 2D movies into 3D.
      • MoovieLive.com, a CyberLink "web site for collection information and reviews on films played back using the application" that "acts much like CDDB does for CDs, querying the MoovieLive service and downloading any pertinent information on it such as its title, a rating, how many others have watched this movie and so on."[10]
      • MovieMarks, which combines bookmarked movie scenes and review comments which can be shared online via MoovieLive.com.
      • Live Comments, which lets PowerDVD users post opinions and comments to Facebook, Twitter and MoovieLive while a movie is playing.
      • PowerDVD Remote for control of playback in PowerDVD with an iOS or Android device
      • PowerDVD Mobile for streaming playback of content from the PC on an Android or iOS device, and transcoding content to copy to the device.
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      Limitations

      To watch Blu-ray in PowerDVD 11 or above, the user's computer must be HDCP compliant, with an appropriate videocard, cable and monitor; there is no such limitation on version 10 and earlier releases, and VGA, composite or S-Video interfaces can be used to connect monitor or TV to PC. When installed on laptops, this limitation doesn't apply, but newer Blu-ray protected discs can be played only in version 11 and most of the time need an Internet connection to do so.

      HD DVD support is not available since PowerDVD 9.

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      Version history

      Version Release date EOL date Latest patch
      13 2013-04-02[11]
      12 2012-01-31[12] 2013-03-18, build 2625
      11 2011-04-18[13] 2013-03-15, build 3901
      10 2010-03-17[14] 2012-10-15, build 4520
      9 2009-03-02[15] 2011-06[16] 2011-05-08, build 4105
      8 2008-04-02[17] 2010-04[16] 2010-04-21, build 3228
      7 2006-05-04[18] 2009[16] 2008-01-04, build 3613
      6 2004-11-08[19] 2007-11-12, build 3430
      5 2003-06-18[20] 2007-11-12, build 3430
      4.0 XP 2001-11-05[21] 2003-08-22
      3.0 2000-11-06[22] 2001-10-15
      2.5 1999-12[23] 2000-03-23
      1 1998[7]
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      Criticism

      Cyberlink supports PowerDVD for only two years after its release, which means customers wanting to watch a Blu-ray disc mastered after the date their version of PowerDVD went EOL might be unable to do so until they have upgraded;[24] since version 9, the software provides notification when it reaches EOL, and when inserting an unplayable disc. Users are prompted by the software to upgrade, and on clicking are taken to the CyberLink website to buy a copy of the current version at a discount. This requirement to buy the new version every other year for continued Blu-ray capability led to many complaints about incompatibility from users of PowerDVD 9 (and earlier) when Star Wars was released on Blu-ray.[25]

      DVD Audio support is not available in version 11. Support stopped during version 9, although Cyberlink advertised versions 9 and 10 as being able to play DVD Audio discs. Cyberlink has refused to offer assistance to customers who bought versions 10 and 11 believing they could play back DVD Audio discs using them.[citation needed]

      Also, subtitle display has been criticized as being unacceptable in resolution, size and quality.[citation needed]

      For users with international disks, PowerDVD does not have an option to set preferred languages or disk menus. This causes serious issues with Japanese Blu-ray disks of international titles, as PowerDVD often ignores the Japanese menus in favor of the primary (non-Japanese) menu. There is no fix offered by Cyberlink other than to switch versions to a Japanese one.

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      Decoders

      Native Video Decoders

      Native Audio Decoders

      Audio Effects
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      See also

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      References

      1. ^ http://www.cyberlink.com/downloads/support/powerdvd/patches_en_US.html PowerDVD Patches & Support
      2. ^ http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/27748.page PowerDVD 13 - what's new
      3. ^ "Cyberlink PowerDVD comparison page". Cyberlink.com. Retrieved 2013-04-26. 
      4. ^ "Software Bundle | LG GH22LP20 22x "Super-Multi" DVD±RW/RAM | Reviews". CDRLabs.com. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2011-05-23. 
      5. ^ Panasonic DVDBurner Bundled With CyberLink's PowerDVD & PowerVCR II | DVD News | Find Articles at BNET[dead link]
      6. ^ CDRInfo.COM Team (2006-11-28). "PowerDVD HD264 Bundled with High-definition Gigabyte Graphics Card Solution". Cdrinfo.com. Retrieved 2011-05-23. 
      7. ^ a b "CyberLinke's Milestones". Cyberlink. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      8. ^ [1][dead link]
      9. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032812/review-powerdvd-13-ultra-media-player-is-loaded-with-under-the-hood-improvements.html
      10. ^ http://www.elitebastards.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=704&Itemid=27&limitstart=2
      11. ^ "CyberLink Unveils PowerDVD 13: The World’s Most Popular Cross-Platform Multimedia Playback Solution". Cyberlink. 02 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
      12. ^ "CyberLink Unveils PowerDVD 12 Ultra, Extends the World's Leading Blu-Ray & Media Player to the iPhone, iPad and Android Devices". Cyberlink. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      13. ^ "CyberLink Launches PowerDVD 11 – the Universal Player for All Your Media on PC, Device, Home & Social Cloud". Cyberlink. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      14. ^ "CyberLink Launches PowerDVD 10 - The Universal Player to Upgrade All Your Media Experience to HD and 3D". Cyberlink. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      15. ^ "CyberLink Releases PowerDVD 9". Cyberlink. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      16. ^ a b c "PowerDVD Updates". Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      17. ^ "CyberLink Launches PowerDVD 8, Introducing New Ways to Enjoy Movies". Cyberlink. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      18. ^ "CyberLink Launches PowerDVD 7 With High-Definition H.264 Playback and Advanced Features for DVD Enthusiasts". Cyberlink. 4 May 2006. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      19. ^ "CyberLink PowerDVD 6 Delivers the #1 DVD Experience on the PC with Unsurpassed Video and Audio Quality". Cyberlink. 8 November 2004. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      20. ^ "CyberLink PowerDVD 5 Takes a Giant Leap in Advancing DVD Technologies". Cyberlink. 18 June 2003. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      21. ^ "CyberLink Launches New Version of Flagship Software Application: PowerDVD XP 4.0". Cyberlink. 5 November 2001. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      22. ^ "CyberLink Releases PowerDVD 3.0 Perfecting Personalized Home Cinema on the PC". Cyberlink. 6 November 2000. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      23. ^ "CyberLink and eMachines' Strikes a Partnership to Give Consumers an Unbeatable Combo of PowerDVD Playback Software and eTower and eMonster Hardware". Cyberlink. 8 December 1999. Retrieved 04 March 2013. 
      24. ^ "As the development phase of CyberLink PowerDVD 9 Ultra retail version has now ended, there will be no further Blu-ray Disc compatibility updates for this version. Any Blu-ray Disc titles released after 2011 June may not be compatible with CyberLink PowerDVD 9 Ultra retail version." PowerDVD 9 was released in June 2009.
      25. ^ PowerDVD Ultra 9 (8, 7, etc.) won't play the Star Wars blu-rays
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      External links

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      Last modified on 29 April 2013, at 11:46