Stopping Windows Media Player and using Quicktime - how?

[Globalti]

Got a new Sony Vaio and I'm trying to get it to play a DVD. It came with Windows Media Player but every time I tried to play a DVD I got the message "Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because a compatible DVD decoder is not installed on your computer I find this surprising and don't want to download some relatively unknown software, which is recomended to fix this problem. In addition all my videos are Quicktime files.

So I have downloaded Quicktime and deselected Windows Media Player as the default player for every kind of media then selected Quicktime. However the laptop is still insiting on trying to open DVDs with WMP, with the same result.

How do I get the laptop to use Quicktime as default player for everything? (It works fine now for videos.)

 

[Carwash]

Can QuickTime even decode DVDs? I suggest that you use VLC instead - much better for DVDs.

You can set it as the default DVD player by right-clicking your DVD drive in 'My Computer' and going 'Properties'. Under the 'AutoPlay' tab, select 'DVD Movie' from the dropdown menu and pick an action or program to run when you put a DVD in the drive.

 

[yenrod]

Codecs, codecs, codecs...pain in the bloody arse ! they are !!!!!!!!!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

out of interest, does linux have an issue with dvds?

 

[Carwash]

Codecs, codecs, codecs...pain in the bloody arse ! they are !!!!!!!!!

VLC

out of interest, does linux have an issue with dvds?

From a legal standpoint? I doubt it now, but there are probably those who still argue that playing DVDs on Linux violates the DMCA/EUCD. But then, strictly Free distros still won't play MP3s out-of-the-box due to licensing restrictions...

From a practical standpoint? No, not at all after DeCSS and all that hooplah. In fact, I seem to recall that MPlayer, VLC, Xine, etc don't even use DeCSS any more, in favour of something newer and more robust the name of which escapes me.

Update: It's 'libdvdcss'.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

so there's only really one mainstream os that plays dvds without making a fuss then…

 

[Carwash]

so there's only really one mainstream os that plays dvds without making a fuss then…

That has not been my experience, no.

(I assume your comment refers to a certain OS that didn't even support playback of DVDs until its 3rd public release...

 

[yorkshiregoth]

Another vote for VLC player (mac version of course)

 

[alecstilleyedye]

better late than never…

when i meant fuss, i meant anything other than putting the dvd in the drive and waiting for the dvd player to play it automatically…

 

[Carwash]

better late than never…

when i meant fuss, i meant anything other than putting the dvd in the drive and waiting for the dvd player to play it automatically…

So now you think that Windows can't do autrorun? If only! Imagine the suffering that could have prevented!

Personally, when I put a disc in a drive, the only thing I expect to happen automatically is for it to be mounted on the filesystem. Anything else is uncalled for.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i'm just teasing, i hate anything autoplaying too, unless the kids are watching a dvd in the car.

 

[Carwash]

i'm just teasing

I know. Me too.

With Ab so quiet, we have to make our own entertainment.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i'm declaring a new acronym; NAPOAM (not a problem on a mac).

it could save me a lot of gloating

 

[Carwash]

i'm declaring a new acronym; NAPOAM (not a problem on a mac).

it could save me a lot of gloating

Oh good, another smug Mac user.

How about 'TOTCL' (Trivial On The Command-Line), or 'OLOP' (One Line Of Perl)?

 

[yenrod]

i'm just teasing, i hate anything autoplaying too, unless the kids are watching a dvd in the car.

You power jobby you !

i'm declaring a new acronym; NAPOAM (not a problem on a mac).

it could save me a lot of gloating

Their is not much that does go wrong with macs - as I ALWAYS find out when I visit a friend: hardly ever shuts up about it & how great they are !