Last but not least, you need an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive that supports Ultra HD Blu-ray movie playback. Unless you just bought a brand-spankin’ new high-end PC, you won’t have any of that.īeyond the computer, you’ll need a display that supports 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) resolution, HDMI 2.0a, and HDCP 2.2. The GPU driver must support AACS 2.0 as well. Only the very latest PCs-we’re talking Kaby Lake and a limited number of Skylake systems- are capable because the computer must support both AACS 2.0 (Advanced Access Content System) and SGX (Software Guard eXtentions) copy protection. More on that sobering news regarding hardware and the playback of Hollywood’s latest and greatest 2160p, HDR epics. PowerDVD 17 understands a multitude of video formats. It’s also acquired two interface modes: one for when you’re sitting on your couch with a remote control, 10 feet back from your TV and a second for when you’re sitting at a desk (or with a laptop in your lap). Over the years, it’s morphed into more of a universal audio/video/image player and librarian.

The name should tell you all you need to know about PowerDVD’s origins: It was designed back in the day to play movie CDs and DVDs using PC optical drives. And now, with version 17, I could connect a VR headset and watch brand-new Ultra HD Blu-ray HDR content-if I owned the very select type of hardware that’s required to play back VR and Ultra HD Blu-ray HDR content.

I use it almost exclusively when watching older movies. It handles audio, video (3D and 2D), images (2D and 3D), and even social media, all the while enhancing the looks or sound of just about all of it. When it comes to playing back multimedia on your PC, there is no program with the breadth of features or playback quality that can beat PowerDVD Ultra.

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