Play a CD or DVD in Windows Media Player

In Windows Media Player, you can play audio CDs, data CDs, and data DVDs that contain music or video files (also known as media CDs). You can also play video CDs (VCDs), which are similar to DVDs, although the video quality isn’t as high.

If you have a DVD drive and a compatible DVD decoder installed on your computer, you can use Windows Media Player to play a DVD-Video disc—this is the type of DVD that movies are distributed on. If you encounter an error indicating that you are missing a DVD decoder, select Web Help in the error message dialog box to determine how to obtain a decoder.

To play a CD or DVD

Insert the disc you want to play into the drive.

Typically, the disc will start playing automatically. If it doesn’t play, or if you want to play a disc that is already inserted, open Windows Media Player, and then, in the Player Library, select the disc name in the navigation pane.

If you inserted a DVD, select a DVD title or chapter name.

Note: If you start to play a DVD or VCD in the Player Library, the Player automatically switches to Now Playing mode.

The Blu-ray Disc format is not supported in Windows Media Player. To play a Blu-ray Disc, you need to use a non-Microsoft program that supports Blu-ray playback and a device capable of reading Blu-ray Discs.

If you previously selected Rip CD automatically on the Rip Music tab in the Options dialog box or on the Rip settings menu, a CD will immediately begin ripping after you insert it into the drive.

If you get a message that says that your computer is missing a codec or that you require a DVD decoder, you’re probably trying to play, burn, or sync a file that was compressed by using a codec that Windows or the Player doesn’t include by default. For more information about codecs, see Codecs: frequently asked questions.

How to Play DVD in Windows 10

by Christine Smith • 2021-03-11 15:14:03 • Proven solutions

How do I play a DVD on Windows 10?

Lately, Microsoft announced that there would be No DVD Playback Support for Windows Media Player on Windows 10. The main reason for this change in strategy is licensing fees that Microsoft has to pay to support features such as DVD playback in the operating system. This may let you down if you have some DVD collections and want to watch them in Windows 10. Don’t worry, there are some shortcuts you can resort to. Read on to get more details on how to play DVDs in Windows 10 without any trouble.

Part 1. How to convert and play DVD in Windows 10 easily.

You may get used to playing back your media files with the embedded Windows Media Player, and it’ll be troublesome to switch to other players. But you don’t have many options now since the DVD playback is not available in Windows 10. Luckily, there is an alternative to Windows Media Player which lets you preview and play DVD movies directly, or convert DVD to any formats supported by Windows Media Player like WMV. That is Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) , an all-in-one video converter, which supports 1000+ video and audio formats for conversion, editing, compression, downloading, and others. You can also burn videos to DVD/Blu-ray disc with free menu templates easily.

Wondershare UniConverter — Best DVD Player and Converter for Windows 10

• Convert DVD to MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, and other 1000 formats.
• Convert multiple files to other formats in batch without any quality loss.
• Convert DVD videos to optimized preset for almost all of the devices, like iPhone, iPad, Huawei phone, etc.
• Burn and customize videos to DVD folder, ISO files, DVD, or Blu-ray disc.
• 30X faster conversion speed than common converters with unique APEXTRANS technology.
• Powerful editing tools to customize videos with trimming, cropping, editing subtitles, applying effects, etc.
• Download or record videos from YouTube and other 10,000+ video sharing sites.
• Transfer videos from computer to iPhone, iPad, and other devices directly and vice versa.
• Versatile toolbox: Add video metadata, GIF maker, cast video to TV, image converter, screen recorder, and more.
• Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista, macOS 11 Big Sur, 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6.

2 Solutions on How to Play DVD on Windows 10 Easily with Wondershare UniConverter

Step 1 Load DVD files to Wondershare DVD Player.

Download, install and launch Wondershare DVD player on Windows 10. Connect your DVD to PC and click the button to add your DVD files. Alternatively, you can drag the Video_TS folder directly onto the interface. DVD disc, ISO files, DVD folder, and IFO files are all supported.

Step 2 Play and convert DVD videos Windows 10.

Method 1: Play DVD on Windows 10 directly.

After uploading your DVD, move your mouse to the DVD you want to play and click the Play icon on the video thumbnail, you can play the DVD videos without any trouble.

Method 2: Convert DVD to Windows Media Player compatible formats.

If you want to play your DVD on any device without trouble, you can convert it to MP4 or WMV easily. Click the drop-down menu beside Output Format: option, you’ll find a variety of formats and devices presets. In the Video tab, choose WMV and the related resolution.

Note: Besides converting DVD to a WMV file for playing with Windows Media Player, you can also convert to an AVI file for the PSP, Xbox, and Blackberry; to a MOV file for QuickTime or iTunes; to an FLV file for YouTube; MP4 for iPod, iPhone, iPad; and much more.

Tips: This video converter also provides a hands-on editing feature. You can easily crop the black edges, trim out unwanted part, apply special video effects, add subtitles, etc. Please refer to the How to Trim/Crop/Cut Videos Easily >> for more details.

Step 3 Convert DVD to Windows 10 supported formats.

Hit the Start All button to kick off the DVD conversion for Windows 10 instantly. All the tasks will be done at fast speed and high quality. At the same time, the progress bar will display the percentage and remaining time of the conversion. Bingo! You’ve made it! Now you can playback the converted DVDs in Windows 10 Media Player with no restriction.

Besides a powerful video converter program, Wondershare UniConverter is also a helpful DVD maker for Windows 10. It enables you to burn videos to DVD with easy steps.

Part 2. Other DVD players for Windows 10 as alternatives to Windows Media Player.

You can also try some universal players below (totally free) in order to watch your DVDs in Windows 10.

1. VLC

It’s an open-source, highly-portable free media player, and the most popular among both Windows and Mac users. The subtitle’s presentation is much smoother compared to other players and you can easily seek out favorite scenes with its versatile action buttons. The VLC player is able to playback smoothly a DVD disc, DVD folder, or ISO image files. The only downside is that the changeable skin features do not work on a Mac OS X.

2. MPlayer

MPlayer is also a powerful media player that supports tons of video formats and runs in Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. Compared with VLC, MPlayer features its playback on Blu-Ray DVD, though not all steps are handled by MPlayer itself. It’s also worth mentioning that the installation takes up less space on your hard drive.

In conclusion, if you don’t know how to play DVD movies on Windows 10, you can try the alternatives list above for DVD playback for Windows 10. Or using the better method to convert DVD to other Windows compatible formats with Wondershare UniConverter.

2021 Top 10 Free DVD Players for Windows 10 without Paying $15

«Microsoft excludes Windows Media Center from Windows 10. Accordingly, it lacks a native DVD playback capability. How to play DVDs on Windows 10 now? Please advise some free DVD players for Windows 10. «

The demand for playing physical discs is still there. Since Microsoft doesn’t support Windows Media Center in Windows 10, many users began to wonder «How to watch DVD on Windows 10?»

Frankly, Microsoft suggests downloading a DVD Player in Windows 10, at a price of $15. However, many users complain that the paid one can’t decode DVD sometimes, manifesting issues such as disc drive won’t read DVD or is making noise, region error message when playing a UK DVD, or choppy playback. Is there any functional and free DVD player software compatible with Win10 32bit/64bit? This post is here at your disposal.

Best 10 DVD Players for Windows 10 Overview:

How to Play DVDs on Windows 10 [Full Options]
1. Install plug-ins or add-ons such as CinePlayer DVD Decoder, Advanced Corel DVD Decoders, and K-Lite Codec Pack, in such a way WMP should be able to play DVDs on the latest OS.
2. Convert DVD to WMP supported formats. With a DVD ripper for Win10 ( Windows version or macOS version), you can convert new, encrypted, 1-6 region-coded, burned DVDs to H.264, HEVC, WMV, AVI, MP4, any formats for Windows Media Player 12.
3. The easiest: Try another free DVD player for Windows 10 instead of WMP. Scroll down to find the best software.

Top 10 BEST Free DVD Players for Windows 10 [Review]

Which is the best free DVD player software for Windows 10? Based on user feedback, the following candidates are singled out based on their OS compatibility, media playing capability, interface design, downloads on CNET, Softonic or other third-party software download sites, as well as user reviews. Read the following reviews and find the best software to play DVDs on Win10 for free.

1. 5KPlayer

Average User Rating: ★★★★☆ (based on 493 votes)

5KPlayer is a widely acclaimed free media player capable of playing DVDs on Windows 10 (64 bit & 32 bit), 8.1, 8, 7, etc. Since released, it is quickly adopted by users around the world, always being one of the top 10 downloads of Multimedia for Windows in Softonic.

Best free Windows 10 DVD player — 5KPlayer

With this tool, Windows users can play any regular DVDs and also commercially copy-protected and region code locked DVDs, DVD folders and ISO files with one-button operation without any DVD codec installed on Windows 10. 5KPlayer coming with a modern design enables users to master its features, functions and operation skills in a little while.

Extra features provided by 5KPlayer:

• Play videos music in all popular formats like MP4, AVI, MKV, HEVC, MOV, WMV, MP3, FLAC, AAC, WMA, WAV, etc;
• Free download videos/movies/music from YouTube, and other 1000+ online video sites;
• Stream videos audios for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, etc;
• Convert videos to MP3, AAC, MP4 for free.

«5KPlayer can be the free Windows 10 DVD player which is capable of playing encrypted DVD and DVD of any region without third party help.»

Tips: If you want to play DVD on Windows 10 mobile, iPhone, iPad, Android .

Simply make use of WinX DVD Ripper Platinum to rip your DVD to digital files and save them to computer hard drive. This tool supports both home-made DVDs and copy-protected movie DVDs, workout DVDs and more, and can convert them to high-quality MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV, and other popular formats to fit for computers, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, etc.

Video Tutorial: How to Play DVD on Windows 10 for Free?

2. VLC Media Player

Average User Rating: ★★★★ (based on 451 votes)

Undoubtedly, VLC Media Player is the most famous one among these DVD players for Windows 10. It supports a wide range of Windows operating systems and already has a basic Win10 support. As powerful as 5KPlayer, it is able to play DVD discs, DVD folders as well as ISO files. You can set it to automatically play a DVD when it is inserted by choosing the «Play DVD movie VideoLAN VLC media player» option. However, we also find that VLC ends up with many DVD playback errors on Windows 10/8/7 are posted on the internet

Other features offered by VLC:

• Play videos audios in mainstream file formats on other platforms (Mac OS X, Linux, Unix. );
• In addition to playing DVD, it can also play CD/VCD/SVCD;
• Perform media conversion and streaming.

Best free DVD player for Windows 10 — VLC

3. Windows DVD Player

Average User Rating: ★★★☆ (based on 712 votes)

To play DVDs on Windows 10, why not trying Windows’ official app — Windows DVD Player. It can read any DVD disc that is in DVD-Video format. It’s no problem to play a protected store-purchased DVD or a user-made disc. But the Blu-ray discs are out of luck. If you upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7/8 with Windows Media Center, you can download Windows DVD Player from Windows Store for free. However, it’s not free for those who have got a new PC. They need to buy it in Microsoft Store for $14.99. It offers a 7-day free trial which won’t let you play any DVD, instead, it’s used to check if your system is compatible. According to what users said, they are apparently not satisfied spending $15 for a DVD player that should be simple and free.

The DVD player for Windows 10 will play:

• Commercial and homemade DVDs
• Videos in AVI, MPG, M1V, MP2V, MP3,MPEG, DVR-MS, MPE, WMV, MPV2, WM, MP2, ASFEVC/H.265 (.mkv), H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (.mkv), Matroska Video (.mkv), 4K Video

Windows DVD Player

4. DVD Player — FREE

Average User Rating: ★★★☆ (based on 406 votes)

DVD Player — FREE may be unfamiliar to most of us. Judging from its name, we can guess that it is free DVD playback software. DVD Player — FREE is available to play DVDs and also popular videos on Windows 10. Besides playing DVD discs, it can also open DVD folders and DVD ISO files.

It also enables you to:

• Play VCD, Blu-ray;
• Play video media files like mp4, .wmv, .mkv, .m4v, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .mpeg, .mts, .m2ts, .ts;
• Select desired video tracks, sound tracks, subtitles;
• Select external subtitle

Play DVD on Windows 10 with DVD Player

5. MPC-HC

Average User Rating: ★★★★☆ (based on 32 votes)

MPC-HC (Media Player Classic Home Cinema) is a solution to troubleshoot Windows Video Player not playing DVD error for it provides the ability to play DVDs with menus, chapter navigation, and subtitle. The windows 10 DVD playing freeware is very good at playing old VHS tapes, DVDs and Blu rays. It includes native playback of dozens of formats, with embedded video decoder for x.264, H.264, VC-1 for better playback experience. Unfortunately, MPC-HC 1.7.13 is the final version and there is no update as of July 16, 2017. But you can still download it.

What you may like about MPC-HC:

• Lightweight and free, available for Windows 10 and earlier
• Support a wide range of formats like WMV, AVI, MP4, MOV, QT, MPEG, VOB, SWF, etc., along with GPU decoding.

Windows 10 DVD Player MPC-HC

6. Kodi

Average User Rating: ★★★★ (based on 271,227 votes)

KodiВ® media center (previously XBMCв„ў Media Center) is a free and open-source app that is used to manage your local digital media. You can free download it in the Microsoft Store. The app has been used by millions of users worldwide across systems, including Windows 10. It’s a media center, but it also works as a free media player which will play DVDs, Blu-rays, and audio CDs. It’s also region-free DVD software as you can set the DVD player region free, and also the auto playback, play mode, etc. In addition, you can also play music, radio, and TV shows.

What you may like about Kodi:

• It works on a number of devices including Windows (10), Android, iOS, Mac, Amazon, etc.
• You can install thousands of Kodi add-ons to get access to sports events, shows, movies, etc.

Windows 10 DVD Player Kodi

7. GOM Media Player

Average User Rating: ★★★★ (based on 358 votes)

Another option to play DVD on Windows 10 for free: try the free DVD player software for Windows 10 — GOM Media Player. It has a wide range of embedded codecs, including Vorbis, FLAC, ADPCM, XVID, MP41, MP42, MP43, H263, H264, H265, etc. This allows you to play AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, WMV, audio CD, DVD, Video CD, SVCD, etc. But if you want to play some other 4K content, you need to upgrade to the Plus version at $25.

More features of GOM Media Player:

• It offers VR and 360В° video playback.
• It has an extensive subtitle database.
• It’s able to play damaged and corrupted videos

Windows 10 DVD Player — GOM

8. KMPlayer

Average User Rating: ★★★★ (based on 688 votes)

KMPlayer is another good view player compatible with Windows 7/8/10 or earlier operating systems in 32 bit and 64 bit. It will let you watch DVDs, CD, VCD, and most common media file types in high quality without additional codecs. You can also play Blu-ray discs with it. More than that, the newer versions support high resolutions such as 4K, 8K, 60FPS, and UHD on high-end PCs with smooth playback and high quality.

The Windows 10 DVD player supports:

• Support 3G2, 3GP, AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV, MPEG, MP3, MP4, OGM, RM, TS, WEBM, and WMV, etc.
• Support subtitles in SMI, ASS, SRT, PSB, S2K, SUB, TXT and LRC formats.

Windows 10 DVD Player — KMPlayer

9. PotPlayer

Average User Rating: ★★★★ (based on 349 votes)

PotPlayer is a good alternative as a free Windows 10 DVD player. It supports video, audio, DVDs, and Blu-rays, among other formats. In fact, you can add the OpenCodec plugin to let it play whatever codecs you need. The best part is it applies hardware acceleration using DXVA, CUDA, QuickSync to offer the best playback and minimum CPU usage.

• Full 3D glasses support with various output formats – Side by Side, Top and Bottom, Page Flipping.
• Text subtitles (SMI & SRT), DVD (Vobsub) and Blu-ray subtitles, ASS/SSA animation and SMI Ruby tags, etc. are supported.

Potplayer for DVD playback on Windows 10

10. PowerDVD

Average User Rating: ★★★ (based on 42 votes)

If you really care about the experience of DVD playback on Windows 10, try PowerDVD. This player comes with many advanced features. For example, it offers free option to not only play Blu-ray & DVD, but also support audio, MKV, H.264, 3D, 4K, VR 360Лљ content, YouTube or Vimeo, and videos in most formats and codecs. PowerDVD is updated with Ultra HD 4K, HDR & now 8K as well as audio in Dolby and DTS, so you can enjoy the superior video and audio quality. But it’s hard to pay for a media player with the lowest price of $59.99.

Other best features of the free DVD player for windows 10:

• True full screen for Blu-ray disc playback
• TrueTheater HDR & GPU support for HDR video playback
• It will switch between different region codes (check other region-free DVD players)

DVD player Windows 10 — PowerDVD

Q1. Does Windows 10 have a DVD player?

Windows 10 doesn’t have a default DVD player. If you upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7/8 with Windows Media Center, a free copy of Windows DVD Player will be automatically downloaded through Windows Update. If you have Windows 7 or Windows 8 ‘s Media Center version, but run a Windows 10 clean install, you will not be able to get Windows DVD Player for free. And, new PC users are also out of luck for this freebie. They have to go to Microsoft Store and pay it for $14.99.

Q2. How can I watch DVD on Windows 10?

You can download Windows DVD Player or other Windows 10 compatible DVD players we listed above to play DVD.

Q3. What is the best DVD player for Windows 10?

We have listed the best 10 free DVD players for Windows 10, such as 5KPlayer and VLC. Read the details above and choose one you like.

Q4. Why can’t I play DVDs on Windows 10?

1. You don’t have an option to play DVD. You need to install a DVD player first.
2. Your DVD drive’s driver might be not up to date.

Q5. Why does my DVD not play on Windows Media Player?

Possible reasons include:

1. A compatible DVD decoder isn’t installed on your computer.
2. The disc is dirty or damaged.
3. Some suspicious software is installed and ruins WMP performance.

Final Words

So above are our picks for the top 10 best DVD player for Windows 10 and our answers for the frequetly asked questions about DVD playback on Windows 10. Among these players, 5KPlayer and VLC are the most recommended programs. They are 100% free, clean, and powerful. Both homemade and commercial DVDs can be played on Windows 10 without issues. And, they have many bonus features. Other options are also great. Hope you can find a desired DVD player and get a good experience with Windows 10. Lastly, don’t forget to share your choice or this article with your friends!

Other Useful How-to Guides

How to Easily Play Region 2 DVD in US or Other Countries

US can only play region 1 DVD. Therefore, it may occur that you can’t play a DVD brought from Europe on a US laptop. It’s likely to pop up Wrong Region error message.

Top 4K Blu-ray Player Ranked by Users

Stay here if you wanna know what the users talk about best 4K Blu-ray player standards, like supports of HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, video/DVD upscale, wireless streaming 4K content, etc.

DVD Will Not Play on PC Computer – Why and How to Fix It?

«DVD will not play on PC» arises quite frequently. Insert a DVD into the DVD-ROM, and wait for DVD loading and playing in anticipation. However, to your disappointment, your PC seems unable to play DVD for you.

Top 6 Free Windows 10 Video Converters | Why Are They?

Pick out the best free video converter for Windows 10 64 bit & 32 bit to free convert HD/4K videos according to reviews of 2021 top6 free Windows 10 video converters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Peng

Donna Peng’s fascination with multimedia began at an early age — shortly after she licked the physical disc and then she’s been obsessed ever since. Her decade-long career at Digiarty after the graduation has seen her unmatched expertise in the field of DVD, digital video, software and anything related to home theatre. She is currently fascinated with photography.

Digiarty Software is a leading multimedia software provider, delivering easy-to-use and innovative multimedia solutions to users all over the world.