Hi all,

Anyone recommend a Linux app that successfully emulates a physical DVD player? I mean one that supports the full menu systems and whatnot and just for ordinary DVDs, fancy BlueRay stuff not necessary. I'm currently in whatever "region" Europe is in, if that's relevant.

THanks, guys,
CC.

VLC from Videolan.org works great.

Have a look here first, just in case it's of use: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_drive

If VLC mentioned above is not the idea you're after, then:

...it would perhaps help if you tell us in what way is this virtual drive supposed to emulate a real unit? I mean, to what end or for what purpose? That might have a bearing on figuring a way of doing what you wish.

If you are thinking of something like mounting a DVD ISO image somewhere and you have no DVD player to put a disc into, then maybe the loop device would be helpful? Try:
and read a little about mounting loop devices if this sounds like it will help. Or, provide more info, as if we maybe know where you're headed, it might be easier to suggest how to get there.

Hi again,

I am checking into the VLC suggestion. Looks promising on the face of it but we shall see.

As for your querie, GG, perhaps I am not using the correct technical terms, so let me describe it in everyday English for the avoidance of terminology traps.

I have my laptop and some commercial OEM DVDs of classic TV serieses. Columbo, actually (giving my age away now).There are about 6 episodes per DVD. Last week I tried to play one of these DVDs using Kafiene which comes with PCLinuxOS. No menu came up, it just started playing episode 1 so I assumed it would just sequencially play all the episodes on the disk. However, after the end of the first episode, Kafeine reported an error, saying it could not continue because the disk was encrypted! Why had it been able to play the first program just fine, then, I thought?

So now I am looking for something that will conjure up a virtual DVD player on screen, complete with virtual buttons for fast forward, skip, eject, pause and so on. I am sure you know what I mean. You will have seen something like this for other apps, perhaps. Nuthin' technical.

THanks,

cc.

Yep, VLC will do what you're asking. Click 'Open Disc' then click 'DVD' and select your DVD drive, and you should be off and running. Make sure the 'No DVD menus' box isn't checked.

If it says the disk is encrypted you may need to install libdvdcss (decryption).

Also, make sure that the disks are in the same region code, otherwise you may need to flash region free firmware to be able to watch them.

P.S. I watch Columbo, it's way better than most of the s*** they put out today. I have all the series on many DVDs, it takes months to watch them all.

Well as usual, I cannot get it to run anything. Plus its the foreign german version again, so although I can just about decypher the major options, the finer settings are a mystery to me. I get this rudimentary little player representation come up on the screen and I have everything set like STephann above says but nothing happens. Both chapters and titles show zero in their respective boxes. And yes, the region of both disks and player are european. What does "wiedergabe" mean?

Oh yeah, TM. I used to watch it like when it first came out in like 1971 I think it was. That was a golden age for America that will never be seen again.
My favorite show is that bit when he says, "Oh, uh, just one more thing..." - brilliant!

Come to think of it, there was a whole slew of these detective shows in the early 70s. I think my second favorite was "Cannon" which was about this great, huge, fat PI who just drove around all day in this ridiculously HUGE automobile (Lincoln Continental Mk IV, I believe it was, "with a hood like an aircraft carrier landing deck"). And all he would do was eat cheeseburgers all day long and arrest people. Classic! Now that's quality programming. Real thought-provoking.

wiedergabe = playback

There's a good chance that you have the 'German' version of the discs, meaning there might not be any English (or Spanish) menus available. http://translate.google.com/# might be your only real solution.

D'oh!!!
Stephann, "playback" is near enough the same as "play" - and it now does! Thanks, buddy! (repped you up for your efforts)

For the avoidance of doubt, BTW, the disks are in English, the player I downloaded was in German. Thanks again, all.

Aha! Good to hear.

VLC is maintained on a french server, but they certainly do distribute an English version. That should help you take the guess work out of using it.

Regards!