Unless of course, you really want what’s new.
In other words, upgrade from 14, but wait a while if you have 15.
Two full PowerDVD updates seem to be what it takes to accrue enough features to warrant another $50 expenditure in my book. Part of the PowerDVD version comparison chartīeyond that, I’d stick with the every-other-iteration strategy. You might find that media casting to a streaming box is, too but those devices are already so laden with options that I consider that feature that I find it to be one of PowerDVD's less-compelling features. If you're using your PC as a home or dorm-room entertainment center, the latest iteration of PowerDVD’s 10-foot user interface is a super handy. Hey, some reviewers are just never satisfied. More creative video filters, such as those found in Cyberlink’s own ColorDirector, might be fun, too. I’d also like to see PowerDVD support DirectShow, so users can add their own decoders. They're highly addictive effects when applied to older material, and they're the reason I still use WMP for music playback. I have a long-standing request in with Cyberlink for something along the lines of Windows Media Player's SRS TruBass and Wow, which are psychoacoustic enhancements that deliver fuller bass response and a sense of spaciousness. PowerDVD 16 (TV mode shown) interfaces with online services and even lets you “pin” videos for offline viewing.
Speaking of which, a free remote app is available for both Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Beyond that, it’s much like any other interface you use with a remote control. It’s easy to navigate, the functionality is logically laid out, and you can switch back to “PC Mode” anytime you like. You can browse those services without ever opening a browser, and you can even extract the audio, or “pin” a video for offline playback.Ĭyberlink did a nice job updating the full-screen, 10-foot interface. Other major features include playback via DLNA, the ability to decode most surround-sound audio formats (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, but not Dolby Atmos or DTS:X), a 10-foot user interface that can be controlled with a remote, and integrated access to online services such as Vimeo and YouTube. You wouldn’t be far off in thinking of PowerDVD as Windows Media Player on steroids. One of PowerDVD’s greatest strengths is its ability to play or display just about any common video, music, and image files, as well as many of the more esoteric ones (such as APE audio). If $100 is too rich for your budget, you can sign up for a subscription plan that costs $15 every three months or $45 every year. There are a host of differences between these SKUs (see below or the full comparison chart at ), but only Ultra and Pro can handle Blue-ray, and only Ultra handles 3D Blu-ray. This review covers the Ultra version. Note that there are three versions of PowerDVD: the $100 Ultra, the $80 Pro, and the $50 Standard. I use all the players, but when I really want to view movies at the best possible quality, I pull out PowerDVD.
Amazingly so in some cases, such as with older movies and TV shows.
The only other major title that I’m aware of is Corel’s WinDVD 11 (also available as a download from Amazon, for $60).įor those of us who have moved beyond optical media for movie delivery (it remains great archival media), the video and audio enhancements that Cyberlink builds into PowerDVD make movies look and sound a lot better. PowerDVD is one of the only Windows programs that can play Blu-ray discs, including 3D Blu-ray. Those are all great improvements, but why would you need something like PowerDVD when there are plenty of free players out there, such as Windows Media Player/Movies & TV, Media Player Classic - Home Cinema, VLC, and others? Two words: Blu-ray and quality. You can switch back to the regular interface at any time.
PowerDVD’s new 10-foot interface (for use with a remote from that distance), is clean and intuitive. On the audio side of the coin, the news is support for high-resolution DSD (Direct Stream Digital) audio files. The big news this time around is media-casting support, so you can stream audio and video to Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast devices on your network.
The time when Cyberlink releases the latest version of its venerable and powerful software video/multimedia player, PowerDVD ($100 MSRP, available as a download or physical disc at Amazon).