Microsoft Acknowledges Numerous Issues With Windows 10’s DVD Player App, Offers Workarounds
Remember that $15 Windows DVD Player app Microsoft's been peddling in the Windows Store? The notion that Microsoft is charging $15 for basic DVD playback software that doesn't even support Blu-ray discs is a slap in the face in and of itself, but to add insult to injury, the app is riddled with bugs.
That's the bad news. And the good news? We suppose that would be the fact that Microsoft has acknowledged there are numerous issues with the app and is "actively working to fix" them all, though as of right now, your best bet is to try some workarounds. Microsoft provided five of them.
That's the bad news. And the good news? We suppose that would be the fact that Microsoft has acknowledged there are numerous issues with the app and is "actively working to fix" them all, though as of right now, your best bet is to try some workarounds. Microsoft provided five of them.
- The video is stuttering or failing to play:
Many people can fix this issue by installing the latest graphics drivers (AMD, Intel, Nvidia). We are continuing to investigate and fix other causes of this problem. - When changing from one DVD to another, Windows DVD Player will not play the new DVD:
This can be fixed by closing and re-opening the Windows DVD Player app. - Windows DVD Player does not detect that a disk was inserted:
This can be fixed by closing Windows DVD Player, inserting the DVD into your DVD drive, and then re-opening the Windows DVD Player app. - Inserting a DVD opens the Windows Store:
If inserting a DVD opens the Windows Store, rather than launching the DVD player, you may need to update your program defaults. To do so:- Open the Start menu, search for “DVD” and select the result labeled “Autoplay” under Settings.
- You should see four DVD entries in the AutoPlay Control Panel, including “DVD movie”, “Enhanced DVD movie”, and “DVD-Audio.” Set the default for each of these items to “Play DVD (Windows DVD Player)” under the drop down menu for each entry.
- The Windows DVD Player app should now automatically launch when a disc is inserted.
- Windows DVD Player will not play audio using Dolby Digital Plus 5.1:
Some users may see this fixed by getting the latest from Windows Update. We are continuing to look at other cases where that may not be sufficient.
Microsoft acknowledged a sixth issue -- playing a DVD to a second screen using HDMI sometimes fails -- though there's no known workaround for it at this time.
If you haven't already purchased the Windows DVD Player app but need DVD playback, there are several alternatives out there. One of the most popular is VLC. It works with Windows XP SP2, can be configured to play Blu-ray discs (it takes a bit of legwork), and it's free.