Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because there is a problem with digital copy protection between your DVD drive, decoder, and video card. Try installing an updated driver for your video card.

All of you can forget changing your equipment, updating your drivers, adding updated codecs, using new or updated video decoders and any other solutions.  I went through several weeks of trying to find a solution to this problem.  I did all of the items I just mentioned.

I finally found out that the DVD manufacturers have adopted new anti-piracy codes.  They weren't satisfied with the DRM codes they were building into the disks.  Now the newer disks check to see what you are using to view the DVD.  If you are using a standard player attached to your TV, the disk plays just fine.  If you are using a DVD player attached to your computer, none of the DVD decoders will work.  Windows Media Player and Real Player cannot be used to view a DVD.  The program will start but it won't play the disk.

So, until someone corrects the problem so that we consumers can watch DVDs on our computers, this is another pleasure we will be forced to forego.  My new disks will not work on my computer.  My older disks still play just fine.  There are DRM removal tools, but they will generally cost you.  I don't know if they would work on this type of disk.

The only solution I can see is to put something in the computer system that will allow it to simulate a regular player.  I seriously doubt that Microsoft will do anything of this nature, even though it reduces Windows Media Player usefulness.

If someone comes up with an alternate solution, I'm all ears.  Otherwise, good luck!

Well, I'll have to eat my words.  After that rather lengthy submittal, I was looking for any other solutions.   And lo and behold, one appeared.  It's a program called AnyDVD HD made by SlySoft.com.  You can get the details at their web site.  But basically, AnyDVD operates in the background.  Once the program is installed, it activates when you start up Windows Media Player, RealPlayer or any other Video program.  Unfortunately, it is somewhat expensive.  It costs $63 for a one year subscription, $79 for a two year subscription and up.  The company has been around since 2003.  But, if there is one company on the market, there may be others.  SlySoft does give you a 21 day trial period.

This cured my problems with the "Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because there is a problem with digital copy protection between your DVD drive, decoder, and video card. Try installing an updated driver for your video card ." error message**.**   I haven't made up my mind about purchasing it yet.  I'm not sure if the cost is worth being able to watch DVDs on my computer.

I apologize if my previous posting caused any confusion.****

I just got this message for the first time, running XP and WMP 11.

It's the first time I've tried to play a DVD.

I suspect that the newest edition of WMP is designed to require some third party decoder (for $10  to $100).

This makes perfect sense for a free program, but it still makes me sort of angry. Why bother to make the thing if it isn't going to work?

If you don't want to pay the extra money (and a subscription plan is the worst deal I've heard of), VideoLAN will play your DVDs for free.

Yes, I have just had this problem too (since the auto-update to WMP10 or maybe 11,  I didn't  notice).

WMP10 has decided it isn't going to play commercial DVDs any more.

Not on a connected DVD player but from the  D and E drives of  the PC (one a CD burner and DVD reader and one a CD/DVD burner).

At first, it wouldn't play the video off my own home movies either.

Working through Microsoft's fixes (install a DVD decoder from a third party) didn't work (although my home movies played OK). Trawling the Internet, I tried some codec fixes. No luck there except a dwindling HDD size!

OK, already committed after spending money on the decoder that was recommended for my system (Win XP) only to find that according to the Microsoft DVD decoder facility, it isn't suitable - DOH!

Bought a DVD player program (again, as recommended by Microsoft). Did that fix it? NO.

Microsoft's only other suggestions were to either remove the DVD and reinsert it (yes, I had already done that quite a few times) or to make sure the disc was clean. Rocket science stuff there.

All firmware updated so I rolled back to  WMP9 (which played them fine the day before).

Nope. Obviously WMP10 deposited something that causes it to refuse to play commercial DVDs any more.

Back to WMP10 again - problem still there.

Thanks heaps Microsoft.

With money getting in short supply, I've bitten the bullet and given up on WMP.

WMP Classic plays them fine, by the way so, rather than pay out for recommended stuff that won't work, just play the DVDs in that (or a decent alternative like VLC, of course).

I have to admit, the DVD player program I bought is much better than WMP ever was but how annoying to have something taken away AND have it still not working after following their instructions and paying for third party programs.

Don't know if it works on systems above XP (does work with WinMe) but DVD43 is rather good - and free and, rather nice, allows WMP10 to play my DVDs fine. Just sits in the tray and removes the protection so the things play as they should do.

Shame we have to resort to this but Microsoft isn't helping.

AnyDVD threw all sorts of spanners in the works and certainly doesn't like co-existing with Nero6 so I deleted it.