Media player says I need a decoder?

Hmm well thank you for the advice.  I looked online on dell's driver and download's site with my service tag and there were no options for any program such as that.  I looked through the couple cd's that I got with the computer and did not see any of them contain any type of anything for a dvd of any nature, where can I come across something like this or even find out what was on here before so I know what to look for? 

Google 'Videolan'  Think you will find you can download a decoder that will work for you.

Here is the link I used to get VLC - http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Hope it is what is needed...

you can try contacting DELL, to request the missing disk:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1

While DELL certainly shipped Intervideo WinDVD a while back (I have it on a WinME system from 2001), most likely, it was either Cyberlink PowerDVD or Sonic CinePlayer.   You might want to check your invoice to see which one was originally included.

On the newest machines, it might be part of your Dell MediaDirect disk (but I'm not sure of this one).

You must install these from a disk [or a purchased download] --- you can NOT simply download a decoder from the DELL support/driver website.   (the DELL website only allows you to update a driver)

[I am not familiar with Matt's suggestion.]

Please note that other DVD-playing programs (windows media player, real player, quicktime player) rely on the DVD decoder that was included in your pre-installed [or subsequently purchased] DVD program... these "shells" cannot play DVD without the underlying decoder.

Matt,

thanks for the link.

looking at the "overview", i see where it says "It doesn't need any external codec or program to work".   So I can see using VideoLan to play DVD's, without having to obtain anything else.

Question:  Do you know:  Will Windows Media Player [which is what the original poster wants to use] be able to play DVD's "through" VideoLan?   Or will Media Player (assuming that to be the preferred player) still require the codec supplied by PowerDVD/Cineplayer??

Thank you all for the help.  I downloaded that program you suggested and I can now play DVD's but through that program only.  That is fine and I appreciate the reccommendation but other member's of my family would probably rather use WMP since its the first thing that pops up when you insert the DVD.  In going through all of my cd's from other computers I did find a PowerDVD disc I believe it was, will that disc from my Dell Desktop work on this Laptop?  Just curious.  I'm probably going to use the Request CD link deal that you suggested as well anyways but if this other disc from my desktop will work that'd be good to know as well.  Thanks again for all your help.

If the Windows version is the same (i.e. XP or Vista) on both your desktop and your laptop, it should install OK. The PowerDVD codecs are compatible with WMP to play DVDs.

Alternatively you can purchase for a few $/£ from

http://www.cyberlink.com/english/products/2004/index.jsp

look in Windows plugins, select PowerDVD SE for your version of Windows.

The reason MS does not include the codecs in WMP by default is that there is a royalty payable.

If you would prefer to use VLC to play DVDs (so others don't get confused ;)) you can change the default behavior when a DVD is recognized by Windows.  Unfortunately, I don't remember what key to press as it is initially reading the disk to get it to pop up with the window asking what you want to do (if one of you knowledgable folks could help us both out on that I'd appreciate it :).

The basics of it, however, are that you put in the disk, press the required key(s) and when the window pops up asking what you want to do with the disk (play in , open, etc) tell it you want it to open in VLC and check the box stating you always want it to perform that way.  Then, the next time someone puts in a DVD it should automatically open VLC instead of WMP.

Personally, I prefer VLC for the better controls it has, however, that is only an opinion and WMP works fine for most people (assuming it has the codec it needs ;)).