This is what I provide with all my DVD duplications:
THIS DVD IS BEST VIEWED IN YOUR HOME DVD PLAYER
To play this on your Macintosh computer, simply insert the DVD and it will automatically launch the DVD player and play the DVD.
For Windows PCs, make sure you have a DVD drive. Look for the DVD symbol on the front of the drive. Then place the DVD in the drive.
Install a free media player program (e.g., VLC). You can also use Windows Media Player, which comes installed on most PCs and is simple for beginner users, but requires extra software to play DVDs and many other video formats.
If you are using Windows Media Player, upgrade to the latest version. Go to the help menu to find a link to the latest upgrade, currently version 11.
Install an MPEG 2 codec. This is the file you need for Windows Media Player to know how to interpret the files on the DVD.
Download a free MPEG 2 codec. While there are several versions, including Stinkycodec that are purportedly functional and free, many people find they don't work.
there is no way my corporate clients will deal with loading software on their windows machines so they can watch a dvd studio pro (or idvd) burned dvd on their windows desktop/laptop.
that said, the idea of asking them to watch on a dvd player or mac might be a wise suggestion.
anyone else have success (or no success) playing dvd studio pro (or idvd) content on window machines?
anyone else have success (or no success) playing dvd studio pro (or idvd) content on window machines?
Once burned, it'll work the same as any commercial movie DVD, except that copy protection and region codes can't be applied to DVDs created in a SuperDrive or other burner.
there is no way my corporate clients will deal with loading software on their windows machines so they can watch a dvd studio pro (or idvd) burned dvd on their windows desktop/laptop.< </div>
There are literally hundreds of DVD players apps that PC users might have on their machines and only two of them come with a standard Windows install, AFAIK, Windows MEdia Player and something like "Power DVD" but-honestly-I've never installed Windows.
Some older players, both hardware and software, may not play DVDs authored on the latest software tools regardless of whether it originated on a PC or a Macintosh. And there are subtle and unpredictable media issues; some DVDs just don't play on anything for any discoverable reason.
Rob, it's a rather surprising to some fact that you've got better gear than most Fortune 100 company employees have. Imagine the IT nightmare of replacing 100,000 computers, migrating software and content files, reattaching to servers etc. IT departments put that stuff off as long as possible, abetted by finance departments.
The issue becomes: do you deliver an inferior product or ask them to bite the bullet and get their act together-- never an easy decision.
The window media player has serious issues playing commercial DVDs, much less any DVD recordable content.
The issue isn't DVD SP or iDVD generated content; it's the limitations of default Windows installs, which do not necessarily provide a standalone DVD player.
I've tested this workflow repeatedly with PCs. If the PCs have a dedicated player, it works. If they do not, then it doesn't matter what platform created the DVD; it just won't play reliably. And as I've said, that's also true of commercial DVDs or DVD-Rs authored by a PC app.