PowerDVD is an outstanding DVD and Blu-ray player, also boasting media management tools, photo slideshow viewer, music player and support for streaming from local and remote devices. Ideal for those searching for an all-inclusive multimedia software solution not limited by Windows built-in options, PowerDVD provides everything a multimedia enthusiast could want in one convenient package.
PowerDVD features an elegant and user-friendly user interface that feels familiar, yet attractive. Its five tabs on top provide options for Movie (intuned with MovieLive to provide information about movies in theaters as well as those available for disc), Video (with online options such as YouTube feeds and uploads), Photo (connecting to Facebook and Flickr accounts to access photos as well as RAW support for DSLR cameras) and Music.
The program can detect optical discs currently present and import DVDs, photos and music directly into Windows default locations automatically. Furthermore, its Smart Sync feature enables syncing files between PC and portable devices using its WiFi network; additionally it displays folders containing photos or videos with a handy calendar view – an advantage few other programs provide.
Performance of the program may sometimes feel slow when loading or unloading discs or browsing media files for playback. Connecting to local and remote media devices takes some time and can cause sluggish playback when waiting for drives, NAS boxes or other devices to spin up; additionally it spends considerable time downloading information from its online database and showcase, sometimes leading to “Close the program/Wait for the program to respond” dialog boxes and system lag when connected with external media devices.
DVD and Blu-ray playback has seen some enhancements with this latest version, though its basic functionality remains the same. For example, instant seek has been enhanced so it now works more quickly and smoothly when switching scenes during movie watching. Furthermore, this program now supports up to 8K resolution and works with virtual reality headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR virtual reality systems.
Other notable improvements include the capability of playing back DTS-HD 7.1 audio via decoding within the program rather than outputting to an external decoder/receiver, an upgrade which reflects how more of us now own Blu-ray discs or HD DVDs.
PowerDVD can also connect and stream from other devices, including your Smart phone, acting as a remote control for PowerDVD. In addition, there is a powerful search function to locate media content quickly; even searching specific scene locations within movies or television shows. Bookmark and comment scenes easily so they’re easily available again later.