How to Fix Windows Media Player Not Playing DVD the Most Efficiently?

Windows Media Player 11 on Windows Vista (Home Premium/Ultimate) and Windows 7 includes DVD decoders (MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital AC-3) to support DVD playback natively. Yet Microsoft has removed the built-in support for DVD playback since Windows 8 due to licensing costs.
Windows Media Player on Windows 8 and 8.1 doesn’t allow playing DVDs by default. Users can buy the Windows 8 Media Center Pack or Windows 8 Pro Pack to enable that playback feature.
As for Windows 10 and 11, users can purchase the Windows DVD Player app from Microsoft Store or choose an alternative media player to watch the DVD movies.

In short, if you’re using Windows 8/8.1/10/11, you need additional software to play DVDs on the computer.

Related Posts: Free DVD Players for Windows 10/11 | How to Play a DVD in Windows 8/8.1

If you are working on Windows Vista (Home Premium and Ultimate only) or Windows 7 (Home Premium, Ultimate, or Enterprise), you can play a DVD with Windows Media Player as below:

Step 1. Insert a DVD into the DVD drive of your computer.

Step 2. Open the Windows Media Player app.

Step 3. Go to Library on the left side and select the DVD to play.

Generally, Windows Media Player will start playing the DVD movie once you insert it. But you may still fail to play certain DVDs due to encryptions or other factors. Don’t worry. The following article will walk you through effective fixes to the error of Windows Media Player not playing DVD.

Get the most efficient solution to enable smooth DVD playback on your Windows PC or many other devices:

As mentioned above, Windows Media Player won’t play DVDs natively in Windows 11/10/8.1/8. Besides, other factors can result in playback failure, as well. Here are some of the frequent errors and the corresponding solutions.

1. The DVD is protected by region code

Error message: Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because there is a problem with digital copy protection between your DVD drive, decoder, and video card. Try installing an updated driver for your video card.

You can update the drivers for your video card as suggested or upgrade the DVD decoder. Yet, the most effective method is to remove the copy protection with a professional DVD ripper like WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro.

2. Your PC lacks the necessary DVD codec

Error message 1: Windows Media Player cannot play the DVD because a compatible DVD decoder is not installed on your computer.

Error message 2: Windows Media Player requires a DVD decoder to play DVD media. Go online to learn how to obtain and install a DVD decoder. Once installed verify that you can play the DVD in Windows Media Player.

In this case, you may click on the link to obtain and install a DVD decoder to solve the Windows Media Player won’t play DVD problem. Alternatively, you can download the required DVD codec manually.

Check how to solve “compatible DVD decoder is not installed” Windows Media Player error here >

3. The Windows display settings are improper

Error message: Windows Media Player cannot play DVD video. You might need to adjust your Windows display settings. Open display settings in Control Panel, and then try lowering your screen resolution and color quality settings.

Just follow the suggestions given by your system. If it doesn’t work, you can convert the DVD to digital copies to play on Windows Media Player without any hassle.

Also Read: Does Ripping a DVD Damage It? How to Copy DVDs Properly?

4. The DVD itself is damaged

DVD discs can easily get damaged by accident. If the scratch is not so serious, there are still possibilities to fix it. See how to >

Apart from common methods to fix DVD won’t play on Windows Media Player, you can try the dedicated Windows DVD ripping software – WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro. It can rip DVDs to WMP-supported video formats to be free from DVD codec and region limitations, and even save more space for movie collections.

With advanced decoding technology, this software can rip any homemade or commercial DVDs encrypted by region code, CSS, RCE, Disney X-Project DRM, etc. It provides over 300 output presets, including WMV, MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, WAV, and more. Beyond that, it allows you to convert DVDs directly to computers, phones, tablets, TVs, and other devices for handy payback or backup. Give the easy yet powerful DVD ripping software a try!

Now, please free downloadfree download DVD Ripper Pro on your PC and follow the steps to convert your DVD to be compatible with Windows Media Player.

Another way to solve the Windows 10 Media Player won’t play DVD issue is to use a third-party DVD player, like VLC, 5KPlayer, Kodi, MPC-BE, and so forth.

1. VLC Media Player

→ See how to play DVD in VLC

Official website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
VLC is one of the most reputable media players around the world. It can play audio/video files and DVDs on Windows computers and convert any file type for hassle-free audio and video playback. Meanwhile, it offers a considerable amount of customizability to improve your visual experience. The interface is user-friendly and intuitive.

2. 5KPlayer

Official website: https://www.5kplayer.com/
This player app enables you to watch DVDs and online radio stations in an easy way. It features support for video playback in 2K and 4K resolution on aging computers. It also provides a wide selection of music filters, a video library, and a high-bitrate video & music downloader.

3. Kodi

→ See how to watch DVD movies in Kodi

Official website: https://kodi.tv/
Kodi is a free and open-source media player application for multiple platforms. It can play almost every kind of media you can find, including music, movies, photos, DVDs, games, and other files from the internet. It features a 10-foot user interface with televisions and remote controls, making it easy to watch movies on home theater devices.

4. MPC-BE

Official website: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/mpcbe/9PD88QB3BGKN?
MPC-BE, short for Media Player Classic – Black Edition, is an excellent audio and video player for Windows. It supports various media files, such as DVDs, Blu-rays, and ISO images. It provides many features to enhance the user experience. For instance, DVDs can be recognized as soon as you insert them.

Above, we have walked through how to play DVD on Windows Media Player and how to fix Windows Media Player not playing DVD issues. To sum up, Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 don’t support DVD playback by default. You can install the necessary DVD codec or use additional media players. Yet, in this way, you can only watch DVD movies on your PC. For free playback, upload, or backup purposes, digitizing DVDs might be the best solution. Get WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro to enjoy your DVDs without any restrictions instantly!