watching dvd...windows media centre or powerdvd?

Soldato
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Just setting up my HTPC today and on inserting a dvd to test I was given the option of using Media centre or some other prog. Im not certain why I got media centre anyway!

will it make any difference as what application I use to watch dvd on my plasma?
 
Soldato
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With media center you get the whole tv/radio/music/video/pictures/dvd experience with one remote. Far better than PowerDVD - although MCE wouldn't play DVDs without it.
 
Soldato
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csmager said:
With media center you get the whole tv/radio/music/video/pictures/dvd experience with one remote. Far better than PowerDVD - although MCE wouldn't play DVDs without it.


sorry to be thick, what do you mean by the last statement?
 
Soldato
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Microsoft can't bundle DVD codecs with Windows Media Player/Media Center. They'd end up in even more anti-trust mess if Windows could play DVDs out of the box.

You need some other program to add the MPEG-2 codecs to let you watch DVDs/Freeview etc - e.g. PowerDVD.
 
Soldato
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csmager said:
Microsoft can't bundle DVD codecs with Windows Media Player/Media Center. They'd end up in even more anti-trust mess if Windows could play DVDs out of the box.

You need some other program to add the MPEG-2 codecs to let you watch DVDs/Freeview etc - e.g. PowerDVD.

got it! cheers
 
Soldato
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seems silly (imo) to bundle "media player app" and not support a very common format - but the description /explanation is correct

to be honest I have a shuttle htpc which has MCE installed without the extra disc and power dvd installed which works well for me on a 26" LG HDTV
 
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