What to Do When My PowerDVD Won't Play DVD

In order to provide all kinds of multimedia playback solutions, a variety of media players for computer have bloomed in the past years. Facing such a large amount of media players, what are the factors to be considered before buying? The list should include and is not limited to format compatibility, playing speed, decrypting ability, customization features and so on. Well, for many people PowerDVD is an ideal DVD player. However, sometimes PowerDVD won't play DVD correctly on the computer. For your further references, the solution on how to solve the PowerDVD playback issue will be given in this post. Don't lose your faith and try to figure out the problem.

Part 1: PowerDVD Won't Play DVD? Why?

Why PowerDVD won't play DVD? In the first place, we need to make it clear that what PowerDVD is and what its main features are. PowerDVD developed by Taiwan CyberLink Technology. It is a high-quality audio and video disc playback program which enables your multimedia PC to play high-quality movies or perform karaoke singing. It provides high-resolution MPEG-2 video and exquisite AC-3 surround sound and Video CD playback. It also has an image capture function. The software supports multiple languages, including Chinese. Personal users have a free 30-day trial. Besides, it supports NTSC's 720x480 and PAL 720x576 full resolution video playback. Also, certified Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel decoding modules PowerDVD's Dolby Pro Logic II technology decodes two-channel sources like music CD, MP3, VCD or SVCD into a multi-channel surround sound environment. It supports all disc formats: DVD+VR, DVD-VR, VCD (MPEG-1), SVCD, MiniDVD, music CD, DVD movie, etc.

But why such a powerful DVD player won't play DVD in the correct way? The reasons may fall to the following categories.

1. Incorrect installation. PowerDVD is designed by the third-party program company, instead of the default media player on the computer, therefore, you need to download the install it on your computer by following the instructions. However, sometimes, the installation process was not completed correctly, for example, some important installation tips are lacked, or it has been installed in the wrong directory which may result in the failure of playing DVD discs.

2. The DVD disc drive on your computer has been broken. Apart from PowerDVD itself, another important factor that may have great influence is the disc drive. If the disc drive is broken, then it will not be able to read the DVD disc information correctly.

3. Incompatibility between the DVD disc and the drive. Once you have checked that both the DVD disc and the disc drive on your computer are both in good conditions, and then you need to consider another aspect. That is whether the disc drive supports the DVD disc types after all the DVD disc types vary to a great extent.

Part 2: How to Solve the PowerDVD Playback Issue

Since we have given a summary to the main causes for the failure of playing DVD disc in PowerDVD, actually the list of the causes is to be continued, we need to give out the relevant solutions respectively. By referring to the above reasons, you can take a try on the following steps.

Step 1: Check the DVD discs. From the exterior situation, you can easily find out whether there are some damages or scratches. You can use another media player to play DVD discs. If they can be played in other media players, then the cause for the failure of playing in PowerDVD will be due to other aspects.

Step 2: Install the PowerDVD one more time. Since there will be quite possible that the installation process was wrong, you can try to install PowerDVD again. First of all, you had better close all the running applications and programs on your computer. If it is available, you had better update your system to be the latest. Follow the instructions step by step on your computer. Then try to load the DVD disc on your drive and make another try. If the DVD disc can be played then, then it is due to the PowerDVD's problem. If not, you have to go to further for another check.

Step 3: Check your disc drive. Before confirming the disc drive's problem, you can take a look at the disc drive's information by visiting the manufacturer and if allowed you can download the latest version for your model. You have to mention that, it might be that your disc drive on your computer is CD drive only while the disc you are inserting into is a piece of DVD disc which can't be compatible. In order to solve the problem, you have to buy another DVD disc drive that can support the DVD disc you are planning to play. Another good suggestion for you is that you can prepare an additional external DVD disc drive instead of internal DVD disc drive.

Step 4: Report your problem to PowerDVD support center. You have already paid for the program and without doubts; you can enjoy the support service. You can report the error message or take a shot screen on the page and then submit to PowerDVD support center.

Part 3: Free Alternatives to PowerDVD

In addition to detecting the exact reasons for the failure of playing DVD discs on PowerDVD, you can simply try to play your DVD discs on other DVD players instead. For your good options, you can play the following players respectively.

No. 1 Leawo Blu-ray Player

Leawo Blu-ray Player contains all media playback solutions you need for your leisure entertainment, including Blu-ray, DVD, CD, HD (4K), MPEG, WMV and so on. You can play the DVD discs without any buffering or stuttering issues. With advanced image and audio processing technology, you can also easily obtain the extraordinary movie playback and cinema-like experience. Furthermore, within Leawo Blu-ray Player, you could obtain the personalized settings according to your preference and all the settings could be done automatically. Moreover, compared to PowerDVD, Leawo Blu-ray Player is totally free!

No. 2 GOMPlayer

The second PowerDVD alternative you can take a try is GOMPlayer. This is a free desktop video player which is able to provide you the high video and audio quality as well as supporting multiple video formats. One of the most attractive points of GOMPlayer is that it supports 360 VR videos which will take you to enjoy the AI in the future. For more advanced users, GOMPlayer allows custom configuration, enhancing the video view experience. If you have the very basic requirements in playing DVD discs, then you can try GOMPlayer.

No. 3 5K Player

Additionally, if you prefer to try another advanced 4K video player which is capable of playing 4K videos, Blu-ray and DVD discs, and then you should not miss 5K Player. It is able to offer you the best Hollywood style watching experience at home as well as supporting DVD, Blu-ray and other common videos. It is able to offer 4K video support and allow users to enhance color whole stabilizing videos. While processing with HD videos, it is also very smooth. But form many beginner users, 5K Player will be a bit difficult to be handled with.

No. 4 Elmedia Video Player

Next, if you are planning to play DVD discs on Mac system, then you can take a try on Elmedia Video Player. This wonderful DVD player has the capability to offer you the best video playback solutions, ranging from the common video formats to DVDs and Blu-rays. Besides, you are allowed to play audio track including external subtitle files with the help of Elmedia Video Player. Furthermore, if you would like to edit the M4V or other videos you are playing, this player can meet your needs, then you can rotate, change aspect ratio and flip M4V videos with it. But in comparison with other DVD players, Elmedia Video Player is a bit annoyed to users because it has a lot of ads during the playback.

No. 5 Flip4Mac

Flip4Mac is another DVD player that can be compatible with Mac. It is an excellent choice if you would like to play various DVD discs and various digital formats videos.  Be good at playing DVDs from all regions, Flip4Mac can also be powerful in supporting various digital formats, especially WMA. It will allow you to set the plug-in parameters and you can select your own preferred audio and player features. Furthermore, with the help of Flip4Mac, you are also able to stream other online resources.

Part 4: Conclusion

PowerDVD is undoubtedly wonderful DVD player in comparison with others. Even though sometimes PowerDVD won't play DVD discs correctly on your computer, this issue can also be easily figured by reinstalling the program or checking the disc drive. If you are not familiar with the process, then what you can directly turn to is to try another alternative, like Leawo Blu-ray Player. You can select the most appropriate one depending on your own preferences and needs.