Which Video Decoder Do I Need For Media PLayer 10?

I can't believe how entangled I've become in DVD's, CD's, burning, ripping,
swearing. it's a world almost foreign to me. My question concerns video
decoders for Windows Media Player 10. I've been directed by Dell (assembler
of my machine) to a web page that lists 4; I don't know which to choose.
Listed here
(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder
) are 1) CinPlayer DVD Decoder, 2) DVD XPack for Windows XP, 3) Nvidia DVD
Decoder, and 4) PowerDVD SE for Windows XP



My video card is made by Nvidia but I don't have surround sound; just two
stereo speakers. Didn't think I'd ever need the other two. (Wrong again!)
But I can buy 'em if really necessary.



My questions are:



A) Which of these four should I download and install? It
looks like I have to buy these puppies. damn it. The only reason I have
Media Player 10 on my system is because a window popped up to tell me it was
available and recommended I download it. I thought it was just an upgrade
that would require little maintenance on my part. Little did I know I'd get
wrapped up into buying decoders to go with it. I don't even watch anything
on Player expect software instructions and video clippings occasionally
embedded in the news articles that get clipped by a service I use.

B) What's the optimum number I'd need to cover the most
bases and if more than the one in A above, what should be made default?

NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder - 30 Day Free Trial
http://www.nvidia.com/object/dvd_decoder.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"John Gregory" wrote:

| I can't believe how entangled I've become in DVD's, CD's, burning, ripping,
| swearing. it's a world almost foreign to me. My question concerns video
| decoders for Windows Media Player 10. I've been directed by Dell (assembler
| of my machine) to a web page that lists 4; I don't know which to choose.
| Listed here
| (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder
| ) are 1) CinPlayer DVD Decoder, 2) DVD XPack for Windows XP, 3) Nvidia DVD
| Decoder, and 4) PowerDVD SE for Windows XP
|
|
|
| My video card is made by Nvidia but I don't have surround sound; just two
| stereo speakers. Didn't think I'd ever need the other two. (Wrong again!)
| But I can buy 'em if really necessary.
|
|
|
| My questions are:
|
|
|
| A) Which of these four should I download and install? It
| looks like I have to buy these puppies. damn it. The only reason I have
| Media Player 10 on my system is because a window popped up to tell me it was
| available and recommended I download it. I thought it was just an upgrade
| that would require little maintenance on my part. Little did I know I'd get
| wrapped up into buying decoders to go with it. I don't even watch anything
| on Player expect software instructions and video clippings occasionally
| embedded in the news articles that get clipped by a service I use.
|
| B) What's the optimum number I'd need to cover the most
| bases and if more than the one in A above, what should be made default?

Thanks, Carey. Am I right to assume "things" won't work right unless I
install this driver? I seldom pull up media player by itself other than to
listen to the radio. Am I right in thinking I need the decoder 'cause some
of the news clippings will be video and they won't play without this NVIDIA
decoder?

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch@nospamgmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23ulwEJwDGHA.3984@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder - 30 Day Free Trial
> http://www.nvidia.com/object/dvd_decoder.html
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows - Shell/User
> Microsoft Community Newsgroups
> news://msnews.microsoft.com/
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "John Gregory" wrote:
>
> | I can't believe how entangled I've become in DVD's, CD's, burning,
> ripping,
> | swearing. it's a world almost foreign to me. My question concerns video
> | decoders for Windows Media Player 10. I've been directed by Dell
> (assembler
> | of my machine) to a web page that lists 4; I don't know which to choose.
> | Listed here
> |
> (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder
> | ) are 1) CinPlayer DVD Decoder, 2) DVD XPack for Windows XP, 3) Nvidia
> DVD
> | Decoder, and 4) PowerDVD SE for Windows XP
> |
> |
> |
> | My video card is made by Nvidia but I don't have surround sound; just
> two
> | stereo speakers. Didn't think I'd ever need the other two. (Wrong
> again!)
> | But I can buy 'em if really necessary.
> |
> |
> |
> | My questions are:
> |
> |
> |
> | A) Which of these four should I download and install? It
> | looks like I have to buy these puppies. damn it. The only reason I have
> | Media Player 10 on my system is because a window popped up to tell me it
> was
> | available and recommended I download it. I thought it was just an
> upgrade
> | that would require little maintenance on my part. Little did I know I'd
> get
> | wrapped up into buying decoders to go with it. I don't even watch
> anything
> | on Player expect software instructions and video clippings occasionally
> | embedded in the news articles that get clipped by a service I use.
> |
> | B) What's the optimum number I'd need to cover the most
> | bases and if more than the one in A above, what should be made default?
>

No - the nVidia DVD decoder would *only* be needed for DVD content and not
for any other video content. Unless of course that other video content was
MPEG2. =)

--
(speaking for myself and doing this in my free time)
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Now Playing: "Morning Bell/Amnesiac" by "Radiohead" in WMP10.
--

"John Gregory" <jaygreg90@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:u7ooSt6DGHA.1384@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Thanks, Carey. Am I right to assume "things" won't work right unless I
> install this driver? I seldom pull up media player by itself other than to
> listen to the radio. Am I right in thinking I need the decoder 'cause some
> of the news clippings will be video and they won't play without this
> NVIDIA decoder?
>
> "Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch@nospamgmail.com> wrote in message
> news:%23ulwEJwDGHA.3984@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder - 30 Day Free Trial
>> http://www.nvidia.com/object/dvd_decoder.html
>>
>> --
>> Carey Frisch
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows - Shell/User
>> Microsoft Community Newsgroups
>> news://msnews.microsoft.com/
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> "John Gregory" wrote:
>>
>> | I can't believe how entangled I've become in DVD's, CD's, burning,
>> ripping,
>> | swearing. it's a world almost foreign to me. My question concerns video
>> | decoders for Windows Media Player 10. I've been directed by Dell
>> (assembler
>> | of my machine) to a web page that lists 4; I don't know which to
>> choose.
>> | Listed here
>> |
>> (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder
>> | ) are 1) CinPlayer DVD Decoder, 2) DVD XPack for Windows XP, 3) Nvidia
>> DVD
>> | Decoder, and 4) PowerDVD SE for Windows XP
>> |
>> |
>> |
>> | My video card is made by Nvidia but I don't have surround sound; just
>> two
>> | stereo speakers. Didn't think I'd ever need the other two. (Wrong
>> again!)
>> | But I can buy 'em if really necessary.
>> |
>> |
>> |
>> | My questions are:
>> |
>> |
>> |
>> | A) Which of these four should I download and install? It
>> | looks like I have to buy these puppies. damn it. The only reason I have
>> | Media Player 10 on my system is because a window popped up to tell me
>> it was
>> | available and recommended I download it. I thought it was just an
>> upgrade
>> | that would require little maintenance on my part. Little did I know I'd
>> get
>> | wrapped up into buying decoders to go with it. I don't even watch
>> anything
>> | on Player expect software instructions and video clippings occasionally
>> | embedded in the news articles that get clipped by a service I use.
>> |
>> | B) What's the optimum number I'd need to cover the most
>> | bases and if more than the one in A above, what should be made default?
>>
>
>

No - the nVidia DVD decoder would *only* be needed for DVD content and not
for any other video content. Unless of course that other video content was
MPEG2. =)

--
(speaking for myself and doing this in my free time)
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Now Playing: "Morning Bell/Amnesiac" by "Radiohead" in WMP10.
--

"John Gregory" <jaygreg90@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:u7ooSt6DGHA.1384@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Thanks, Carey. Am I right to assume "things" won't work right unless I
> install this driver? I seldom pull up media player by itself other than to
> listen to the radio. Am I right in thinking I need the decoder 'cause some
> of the news clippings will be video and they won't play without this
> NVIDIA decoder?
>
> "Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch@nospamgmail.com> wrote in message
> news:%23ulwEJwDGHA.3984@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder - 30 Day Free Trial
>> http://www.nvidia.com/object/dvd_decoder.html
>>
>> --
>> Carey Frisch
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows - Shell/User
>> Microsoft Community Newsgroups
>> news://msnews.microsoft.com/
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> "John Gregory" wrote:
>>
>> | I can't believe how entangled I've become in DVD's, CD's, burning,
>> ripping,
>> | swearing. it's a world almost foreign to me. My question concerns video
>> | decoders for Windows Media Player 10. I've been directed by Dell
>> (assembler
>> | of my machine) to a web page that lists 4; I don't know which to
>> choose.
>> | Listed here
>> |
>> (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder
>> | ) are 1) CinPlayer DVD Decoder, 2) DVD XPack for Windows XP, 3) Nvidia
>> DVD
>> | Decoder, and 4) PowerDVD SE for Windows XP
>> |
>> |
>> |
>> | My video card is made by Nvidia but I don't have surround sound; just
>> two
>> | stereo speakers. Didn't think I'd ever need the other two. (Wrong
>> again!)
>> | But I can buy 'em if really necessary.
>> |
>> |
>> |
>> | My questions are:
>> |
>> |
>> |
>> | A) Which of these four should I download and install? It
>> | looks like I have to buy these puppies. damn it. The only reason I have
>> | Media Player 10 on my system is because a window popped up to tell me
>> it was
>> | available and recommended I download it. I thought it was just an
>> upgrade
>> | that would require little maintenance on my part. Little did I know I'd
>> get
>> | wrapped up into buying decoders to go with it. I don't even watch
>> anything
>> | on Player expect software instructions and video clippings occasionally
>> | embedded in the news articles that get clipped by a service I use.
>> |
>> | B) What's the optimum number I'd need to cover the most
>> | bases and if more than the one in A above, what should be made default?
>>
>
>