Windows RT and DVDs

[Robert Tappin]

Afternoon everyone,

I'm trying to get some hard info on a little project I'm working on.
I have an Asus VivoTab that has Windows RT loaded on it and I am trying to find out a sure fire way to play DVDs. I already have an LG GP60 external optical drive that works with this tablet, I can put a DVD in and view the files but not play the disc.
What I am trying to find is a Media playing app that works with Windows RT. I am currently still looking through the windows store to see if I can find anything, but I would much rather hear from someone who has had hands on experience doing/trying the same thing.

Thanks in advance

 

[anon(7900571)]

Hey welcome to wpcentral forums :smile:
Sadly as of now , windows rt does not support DVD playback
You can find more info here :- DVD playback options for Windows - Microsoft Windows Help

 

[anon(7900571)]

But soon it might be able to play when vlc completes the app for windows rt. as of now vlc media player is available in store only for desktop windows 8.

 

[Robert Tappin]

That"s what I was fearing. I am curious though if any of the media player apps currently available in the app store are able to do it for Windows RT, the app store absolutely sucks in function and design. I've email a few of the app publishers and I'll post what they say when I get a reply.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Hey welcome to wpcentral forums :smile:
Sadly as of now , windows rt does not support DVD playback
You can find more info here :- DVD playback options for Windows - Microsoft Windows Help

This is not fully true!!

I added PowerDVD to my Surface RT, and now DVD's are hit and miss. I can not access DVD play via the app, however if you go in via explorer and click the files from the DVD I have got some files to play.

As I said playback is hit and miss as some play some don't.

 

[Robert Tappin]

This is what I figured, Microsoft's shoddy attempt at making people have to a full windows 8 tablet rather than just RT. GreyWolf do you get any DVD menu access with powerDVD or do you have to play play the individual video chunks? Also curious, the dvds that u can't get to play what are you getting for an error?

 

[Greywolf1967]

This is what I figured, Microsoft's shoddy attempt at making people have to a full windows 8 tablet rather than just RT. GreyWolf do you get any DVD menu access with powerDVD or do you have to play play the individual video chunks? Also curious, the dvds that u can't get to play what are you getting for an error?

No menu access. I have to play the video in chunks.

Of the DVD's the message that pop's up is a video format error not supported.

The other thing I noticed with my LG DVD RW is on right click there is no support to format. Unlike the sd card which is fully supported

I didn't try to send a file to a disk, but I was able to copy pictures from a burned disk.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Basic proof that some DVD's can play on the RT.

If someone can build an app that puts support in for Format and Write much like you can do with an SD card, that would be awesome. Plus I know VLC for RT is still being worked on.

 

[Robert Tappin]

Well I haven't gotten anything back from any of the app developers but I did get a reply back from VLC:
> I've heard in a few places that you guys are currently working on a
> version of your media player that will run on a Windows RT tablet, I
> just have a couple questions about it.
>
> First off, are you going to have DVD playback supported? (I already
> have an Asus TF600TL and a LG USB DVD drive that work fine together)

Definitely not in the first version, because VLC needs block-level access to DVDs, which is not granted by the WinRT sandbox.

> Second, the only article I've come across about you guys making it to
> work with Windows RT is from sometime in November or December, are you
> getting close to releasing a beta version yet?

VLC for Windows 8/8.1 is already available for Intel-based tablets. For ARM-based tablets as well as Windows Phone, we are working on it and it's on a good way.

Best regards,

Felix

--
VideoLAN
Felix Paul K?hne
Developer of VLC's ports to OS X and iOS VideoLAN - VLC: Official site - Free multimedia solutions for all OS!
Blog: feepk@videolan | News about VLC on Mac OS X and iOS
Twitter: @feepk

So there we have it. DVD menu access is going to be blocked either way with Windows RT even when VLC releases for Win RT.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Well that is not good news. So that also means anyone who may have wanted to write an app for burning of CD's and DVD's will be locked out also.

However any codec that comes with VLC may allow for playing of DVD's via TS files. So no Menu, no subtitles.

I hope someone finds a work around.