WinDVD
Encyclopedia
WinDVD is a commercial video player
and music player
software
for Microsoft Windows
. It enables the viewing of DVD-Video
movies on the user's PC
. DVD-Video backup
s stored on hard disk (created using software such as DVD Decrypter
) can also be played. The player can also be used to play videos and audio/music files in other formats encoded with different codec
s, for instance DivX
, Xvid
, Windows Media Video
video and MP3
and AAC
audio. Newer versions also support full Blu-ray Disc
and HD DVD
(HD DVD support Removed after WinDVD 9) playback with menus, with CPRM
DRM
support.
Video player (software)
A video player is a kind of media player for playing back digital video data from media such as optical discs , as well as from files of appropriate formats such as MPEG, AVI, RealVideo, and QuickTime....
and music player
Audio player (software)
An audio player is a kind of media player for playing back digital audio, including optical discs such as CDs, SACDs, DVD-Audio, HDCD, audio files and streaming audio....
software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. It enables the viewing of DVD-Video
DVD-Video
DVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD discs, and is currently the dominant consumer video format in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Discs using the DVD-Video specification require a DVD drive and a MPEG-2 decoder...
movies on the user's PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. DVD-Video backup
Backup
In information technology, a backup or the process of backing up is making copies of data which may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form is back up in two words, whereas the noun is backup....
s stored on hard disk (created using software such as DVD Decrypter
DVD Decrypter
DVD Decrypter is a software application for Microsoft Windows that can create backup disk images of the DVD-Video structure of DVDs. It can be used to image any DVD, but controversially it is especially useful for decrypting copy protected movies. The program can also record images to disc...
) can also be played. The player can also be used to play videos and audio/music files in other formats encoded with different codec
Codec
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. The word codec is a portmanteau of "compressor-decompressor" or, more commonly, "coder-decoder"...
s, for instance DivX
DivX
DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
, Xvid
XviD
Xvid is a video codec library following the MPEG-4 standard, specifically MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile . It uses ASP features such as b-frames, global and quarter pixel motion compensation, lumi masking, trellis quantization, and H.263, MPEG and custom quantization matrices.Xvid is a...
, Windows Media Video
Windows Media Video
'Windows Media Video is a video compression format for several proprietary codecs developed by Microsoft. The original video format, known as WMV, was originally designed for Internet streaming applications, as a competitor to RealVideo. The other formats, such as WMV Screen and WMV Image, cater...
video and MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
and AAC
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
audio. Newer versions also support full Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
and HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
(HD DVD support Removed after WinDVD 9) playback with menus, with CPRM
Content Protection for Recordable Media
Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player...
DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
support.
Features and Functions
Special features and functions supported by InterVideo WinDVD version 8.0 during video/movie and audio/music playback.- Supported video formats/codecs: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-TS and MPEG-2 HD (high-definition MPEG-2MPEG-2MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
), DVD-VideoDVD-VideoDVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD discs, and is currently the dominant consumer video format in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Discs using the DVD-Video specification require a DVD drive and a MPEG-2 decoder...
, MiniDVDMiniDVDMiniDVD is a DVD disc having 8 cm in diameter.The 8 cm optical disc format was originally used for music CD singles, hence the commonly used names CD single and miniCD...
, MPEG-4 ASP (like XvidXviDXvid is a video codec library following the MPEG-4 standard, specifically MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile . It uses ASP features such as b-frames, global and quarter pixel motion compensation, lumi masking, trellis quantization, and H.263, MPEG and custom quantization matrices.Xvid is a...
and DivXDivXDivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
, including DivX Pro), H.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
, VC-1VC-1VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
, WMV HDWMV HDWindows Media High Definition Video is the marketing name for high definition videos encoded using Microsoft Windows Media Video 9 codecs...
, DVD-VRDVD-VRThe DVD-VR standard defines a logical format for video recording on DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM style media, including the dual layer versions of these media. As opposed to media recorded with the DVD+VR recording standard, the resulting media are not DVD-Video compliant, and will not play back in...
, DVD+VRDVD+VRThe DVD+VR standard defines a logical format for DVD-Video compliant recording on optical discs. It is intended to be used on DVD+R and DVD+RW media. Most DVD video recorders in the market that support these two types of media also use the DVD+VR format for recording video on them. It is possible...
, 3GPP3GPPThe 3rd Generation Partnership Project is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations, known as the Organizational Partners...
and 3GPP23rd Generation Partnership Project 2The 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 is a collaboration between telecommunications associations to make a globally applicable third generation mobile phone system specification within the scope of the ITU's IMT-2000 project...
, QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
, RealMediaRealMediaRealMedia is a proprietary multimedia container format created by RealNetworks. Its extension is ".rm". It is typically used in conjunction with RealVideo and RealAudio and is used for streaming content over the Internet....
/RealVideoRealVideoRealVideo is a suite of proprietary video compression formats developed by RealNetworks – the specific format changes with the version. It was first released in 1997 and is at version 10. RealVideo is supported on many platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, and several mobile... - Supported audio formats/codecs: WAVWAVWaveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
, MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, AACAdvanced Audio CodingAdvanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
, LPCM, MLP Lossless, Dolby Digital (5.1)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
and Dolby Digital (2.0)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
, Dolby Digital EX, DTS 2.0 and 5.1, DTS Neo:6, DTS 96/24, DTS-ES Discrete, RealMediaRealMediaRealMedia is a proprietary multimedia container format created by RealNetworks. Its extension is ".rm". It is typically used in conjunction with RealVideo and RealAudio and is used for streaming content over the Internet....
/RealAudioRealAudioRealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks and first released in April 1995. It uses a variety of audio codecs, ranging from low-bitrate formats that can be used over dialup modems, to high-fidelity formats for music. It can also be used as a streaming audio format, that is...
Video Playback
- TrimensionDNM - interpolates framesMotion interpolationMotion interpolation is a form of video processing in which intermediate animation frames are generated between existing ones, in an attempt to make animation more fluid.-HDTV:...
to give smooth playback - Smooth Reverse Playback - smooth reverse/rewind playback without dropping frames
- Video Desktop - display subpanel to let the movie play in the background, just like a Windows wallpaper
- Software Video DeinterlacingDeinterlacingDeinterlacing is the process of converting interlaced video, such as common analog television signals or 1080i format HDTV signals, into a non-interlaced form....
- ensures a smoother and clearer video image on progressive displaysProgressive scanProgressive scanning is a way of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence... - Dynamic range compression and SRSSound Retrieval SystemThe Sound Retrieval System is a patented psychoacoustic 3D audio processing technology originally invented by Arnold Klayman in the early 1980s. The Sound Retrieval System (SRS) is a patented psychoacoustic 3D audio processing technology originally invented by Arnold Klayman in the early 1980s....
- offers modes suited to Quiet, Noisy and Normal listening environments - Instant Replay - Jump back to the line you missed, or catch that action sequence again
- "Boss Key" - One click hides the player out of the way from the desktop
- 9X Digital Zoom
- Closed captioningClosed captioningClosed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
support provides closed captioning for the Deaf and hard of hearing - Video Bookmarks enable quick access to a user's favorite movie scenes
- Saved as a file with ".bmk" extension for later use or export for use on another computer
- Resume playback - allows users to play a DVD from the last scene prior to stopping
- Screen snapshots can be captured with a user-defined aspect ratio
- External subtitle support allows playback via AVI, DivX and WMV files
- Supports SRT, SUB, SSA, ASS, PSB, SMI extensions and XSUB (DivXDivXDivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
embedded subtitles) - Allows you to adjust the placement, subtitle color and size of subtitles
- Supports SRT, SUB, SSA, ASS, PSB, SMI extensions and XSUB (DivX
- On-screen display (OSD)On-screen displayAn on-screen display is an image superimposed on a screen picture, commonly used by modern television sets, VCRs, and DVD players to display information such as volume, channel, and time.-History:...
lets users define where video information is located - Color Themes lets users personalize the look of your player to match their mood or their desktop
- Low Frequency Effects (LFE) mixes the LFE channel (bass) with front speaker channels
- Dolby Pro Logic IIx - 2.0 - 5.1 => 7.1 audio-channels expansion technology (upsample anything from 2.0 to 7.1 surround sound)
- Dolby HeadphoneDolby HeadphoneDolby Headphone is a technology developed by Lake Technologies , that later sold marketing rights to Dolby Laboratories Dolby Laboratories, sometimes referred to as Mobile Surround, which creates a virtual surround sound environment in real-time using any set of two channel stereo headphones...
- Virtual surround soundSurround soundSurround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
on 2-channel (stereo) headphonesHeadphonesHeadphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
Music Playback
- Dynamic range compression and SRSSound Retrieval SystemThe Sound Retrieval System is a patented psychoacoustic 3D audio processing technology originally invented by Arnold Klayman in the early 1980s. The Sound Retrieval System (SRS) is a patented psychoacoustic 3D audio processing technology originally invented by Arnold Klayman in the early 1980s....
- offers modes that give better bass tones of your music
General Features
- Playlist playback and creation support - for audio or video files from DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs and CDs
- "Movie Encyclopedia" is a new feature of WinDVD that enables users to access a movie databaseDatabaseA database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
for details on movies, actors and directors, (similar to IMDbInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
). - UPnP Control Point (UPnP-client)Universal Plug and PlayUniversal Plug and Play is a set of networking protocols for primarily residential networks without enterprise class devices that permits networked devices, such as personal computers, printers, Internet gateways, Wi-Fi access points and mobile devices to seamlessly discover each other's presence...
- Play videos from any UPnP AV MediaServer device in your home network - UPnP UPnP AV MediaServer (UPnP-server)Universal Plug and PlayUniversal Plug and Play is a set of networking protocols for primarily residential networks without enterprise class devices that permits networked devices, such as personal computers, printers, Internet gateways, Wi-Fi access points and mobile devices to seamlessly discover each other's presence...
- allows other UPnP Control Point devices in your home network to stream audio/video files from WinDVD