Copying and Duplication DVD Software

DVD Decoders, Software DVD Decoders, Hardware DVD Decoders

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DVD decoders are necessary part of DVD playback on a PC or television.


When you install a DVD player into your PC, the installation is a bit more complicated than installing a CD-ROM -- at least if you want to watch DVD videos on your computer. There's one extra step, and it involves installing a DVD decoder.

DVD movies are recorded in MPEG-2, a technology used to compress the video. The MPEG-2 format must be decoded to allow the computer to display the contents. A DVD decoder essentially takes the MPEG-2 movie from the disc and allows you to display it on a monitor or TV. There are two types of DVD decoders. The type you should use depends on your system.

Software DVD Decoders

Software DVD decoders are programs that run on your computer to display the DVD video. Software decoders rely on your computer's CPU to do the processing.

On faster machines, use a software decoder instead of a hardware decoder. They generally cost less, and most DVD drives come with a software DVD decoder. Give it a try first. Chances are, the software decoder will work fine.

If your processor is a 500-MHz Pentium II or faster, you can use a software decoder. Pentium III, Pentium 4, and Athlon chips have more than enough power to handle the software DVD decoder processing.

Hardware DVD Decoders

Hardware DVD decoders usually come in the form of a card that you install in your PCI slot. Processing occurs on the card, instead of on your CPU.

Hardware DVD decoders are best used by older PCs. If you have a PC with a 500-MHz Pentium II processor or slower, you'll almost always get better video playback if you use a hardware decoder. (The minimum requirements for a hardware decoder are a 133-MHz Pentium processor and 16MB of RAM.)

DVD playback takes up a lot of CPU cycles. Today's CPU's are up to the task, but expect choppy playback if you're doing things on your computer while you're watching a DVD. If you really need to use your computer at the same time, consider a hardware decoder.

You may consider a hardware DVD decoder if you want to output to a TV. Check if your graphics card has TV output. If it doesn't, you probably should go with a hardware decoder or get a graphics card that has TV output.

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