Installs and activates without a hitch, very easy to set up... processes video effectively on an i5-4670 and 8GB of mid-speed DDR3 RAM, tested with or without dedicated discrete GPU card, though I have a 8 year-old GPU installed in the PCIe slot to keep the CPU cores available for software that is tuned for CPU usage like some 3D rendering apps I used in the background when not watching media.
PowerDVD does an excellent job at altering color and contrast to keep blooming and crush minimal while enhancing the palette. From Gilligan's Island and Star Trek DS9 DVDs to Star Trek (TOS) Blu-Ray, one can see viable results, though TOS already had a very strong palette from its original 35mm restoration so far less work was done by the application - but a handful of hues could still be discerned by the untrained eye when before/after split screen mode was enabled to compare with. The strong source material only brings out the best in post-procesing, since weak material can only be improved on so much - remastered from source film brings out a larger gamut of hues to begin with, which only makes any post-post processing (if needed) look better. TOS didn't really need it, to be honest. To compare, Gilligan and DS9 DVDs had much more color detail brought from a flat and limited DVD gamut out that make me pine for a digitally remastered blu-ray release. For example, the blue silk hat and gown Mrs Howell had looks like pale fluff on the DVD but thanks to PowerDVD one can actually see the sheen. Mary Ann's white/red gingham dress no longer looks pale red/gray but white and red (and sharper...) I'm awed by their developers' processing finesse. Would love to post photos of paused scenes as examples but that might be a no-no. Still, this feature alone made the purchase worthwhile.
Virtual sharpening/deinterlacing in almost every case works flawlessly, the few times I saw artifacting isn't worth mentioning. Indeed, for Gilligan's Island and Star Trek DS9, I was floored by how much virtual sharpness was added - especially in tightly intricate weaving on costumes - again, the software quality is amazing. From the Skipper's cap insignia to Mary Ann's dress, or plant leaves, the new sharpness adds a LOT - far more than I'd expected. It's not native blu-ray quality (oh, there's a difference!!) but it looks a heck of lot easier on the eyes now. As for TOS blu-ray, sharpening wasn't even done by the software due to the quality of the frames read from the disc. But even with discs, images are compressed so processing will be done.
MPEG compression artifacting removal - again, stellar. Improvements from all media, but how it treated Trek TOS in removing all artifacting floored me over how delicately it removed the grain without ruining detail from the main picture. DVD recordings don't fare as well - again, the better the source means less invasive work has to be done - but improvements are still readily seen and tradeoffs are nil, this software is spectacular at what it does.
Even TV shows recorded on first generation video tape have improvements, but not as much due to limitations of the source material and floodlit conditions.
While upscaling and enhancing are no substitute to going back to the original 35mm films to restore, PowerDVD certainly beat my expectations in delivering a quality experience no set-top player can achieve.
The "smart stretch" takes video to make it look as if it were shot through a concave lens of sorts. It does an impressive job at keeping focused/single human images (in or near-middle) in proportion while stretching/curving the rest of the screen. Only during fast pans or if the screen is loaded with people will a viewer notice anything weird, especially if they're consciously looking around and most won't, but it's much preferable to cropped letterboxing or pillarboxing "zoom" modes that set-top DVD players or TV sets use.
The method used to add frames to make scenes more fluid I've not really used; I've preferred the granular look of 24fps where possible. In testing, it largely does a great job as well - no worse than 120HZ TV sets.
A couple sundry issues, everyone has to have something?:
1. when clicking full screen, the menu doesn't always disappear after moving the mouse pointer off screen.
2. When processing video, does it do so in RAM or in HDD space? (People using SDDs might see shorter drive lifespan)
3. Can Blu-Ray region be changed in the application?
4. Wish a eject button was on the playback menu strip, as opposing to stop back to the main menu to see the eject button
In short, a media PC can do a lot of great things - for disc media or even streaming. The higher quality the source means less processing has to be done, but due to compression issues it is inevitable some processing will be done. The results are always stellar. Highly recommended!
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Customers also viewed these products
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
The New TV Mode — Bring the Movies Home!
Brand new TV Mode means you can enjoy a cinema-quality movie experience from the comfort of your sofa. Immerse yourself in a movie watching experience that's beyond anything you've enjoyed before. Control all the action with PowerDVD Remote, redesigned especially for new TV Mode. Sit back and relax while you browse and control your entertainment using your mobile phone.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
The Best Option to Watch Movies on Your PCPowerDVD has become an essential component to any PC and is the ideal replacement for Windows Media Center, which has been removed from Microsoft Windows 10. In PowerDVD 16 more format support than ever before and ongoing improvements to TrueTheater enhancement technologies mean that it remains the best option for watching movies on your PC. |
Media Casting to Big ScreenWith PowerDVD 16 you can now wirelessly send any media to your big screen through a Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast device. Stream any media you play on PowerDVD even if it’s not natively supported by your casting device. You can even apply PowerDVD's award-winning TrueTheater technologies to anything you stream for enhanced audiovisual quality. |
Enhanced Playback of 4K and High Frame Rate VideoPowerDVD is the only Blu-ray player optimized for playback on Ultra HD 4K screens. Intelligent rendering technology tailors playback performance to your screen, meaning lag-free, smooth playback even on the latest Ultra HD 4K TVs. For high-speed (120/240 fps) video, PowerDVD can automatically adjust to your monitor’s playback capabilities, meaning you can enjoy smooth slow motion video without any extra plugins or setting changes. |
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Better-Than-Original QualityCyberLink's unique TrueTheater enhancements improve the quality of even Blu-ray and HD video, and the difference it makes to watching media on either your big screen TV or PC has to be seen to be believed. Immerse yourself in the richest colors, sharpest images, most detailed picture quality imaginable and be blown away by dynamic, deep surround sound that will put you right in the middle of the action. |
Cinema Quality Audio PlaybackFor a truly immersive movie experience you need exceptional audio. PowerDVD supports master-quality sound technology from the leaders in professional digital audio—Dolby and DTS. Enjoy the acoustic difference of specialized multichannel audio and lossless audio formats such as FLAC and DSD. |
The Most Comprehensive Format SupportPowerDVD supports a huge range of video, audio, and image file formats, meaning that you can play virtually any media. Supporting the latest in video formats and codecs, as well as offering unparalleled audio format support, PowerDVD stands apart when it comes to providing the most all-around entertainment experience for the home theater or PC/laptop. |
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Better Online Entertainment- Download YouTube videos to play offline. - Play videos in fast-forward or slow-mo. - Group your favorite videos as a playlist. - Upscale YouTube content to HD on-the-fly. - Watch YouTube videos with TrueTheater 3D - Supports YouTube’s 'Watch Later'. |
Explore Your World in 360°PowerDVD now supports 360-degree videos. The gateway to virtual reality, 360 video gives you a front row experience without actually being there. What's it like to be an F1 driver, or climb Mt. Everest? Try out the most immersive video viewing experience yet! |
Compare PowerDVD 16 VersionsFrom a full set of premium features to the essential universal player, there’s a PowerDVD for everyone. See which version is right for you. |
Reviews with images
DVD software substantially improves look and sound from old, standard-definition DVDs
I was quite impressed with what this software can do, especially with older movies. For example, I put "A Bridge Too Far" into my computer. The movie is standard definition and certainly appeared so without using any of the PowerDVD features. While I was watching the movie, I experimented with the audio and video enhancements. There's a definite sound difference when the audio is toggled on and off. When on, the movie was more vibrant. What was really impressive, though, was the video. In a scene with subtitles, the text was normally and noticeable pixelated around the letters. With video enhancement on, the blockiness of the letters went away and the font looked much smoother. What was really cool was that I could split the screen down the middle, with standard video on the left and enhanced video on the right. Color and lighting popped noticeably more on the enhanced side, so the result was a marked improvement. I also tested "The Seven Ups" and "Star Trek: Nemesis." Video enhancement in the latter of these, being a more recent DVD release, was not as obviously detectable as it was with the older movies, but there was certainly a difference if you looked closely enough.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2017
Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2016
Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )Verified Purchase
DVD software substantially improves look and sound from old, standard-definition DVDs
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2016
I was quite impressed with what this software can do, especially with older movies. For example, I put "A Bridge Too Far" into my computer. The movie is standard definition and certainly appeared so without using any of the PowerDVD features. While I was watching the movie, I experimented with the audio and video enhancements. There's a definite sound difference when the audio is toggled on and off. When on, the movie was more vibrant. What was really impressive, though, was the video. In a scene with subtitles, the text was normally and noticeable pixelated around the letters. With video enhancement on, the blockiness of the letters went away and the font looked much smoother. What was really cool was that I could split the screen down the middle, with standard video on the left and enhanced video on the right. Color and lighting popped noticeably more on the enhanced side, so the result was a marked improvement. I also tested "The Seven Ups" and "Star Trek: Nemesis." Video enhancement in the latter of these, being a more recent DVD release, was not as obviously detectable as it was with the older movies, but there was certainly a difference if you looked closely enough.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2016
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2016
Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2017
Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Rodrigo Daniel Legorreta Conde
Recomendado
Reviewed in Mexico on April 16, 2017Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
chris
thank you cyberlink for this amazing product. simply if you built your own PC ...
Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2017Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
Rohit Mahlan
Five Stars
Reviewed in India on January 7, 2017Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
Paco
Recomendado
Reviewed in Mexico on December 5, 2016Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
Painfultears
Got my laptops Bluray working in a flash and I can use the iPhone as a remote control.
Reviewed in Canada on November 29, 2016Platform For Display: PC DiscEdition: UltraVerified Purchase
