Is it possible to play DVD movies in linux? WHen I tried doing it today, it said that there wasn't a plugin available due to legal reasons. Are there different restrictions between windows and linux? I am using Xine and Kaffeine, what defaultly came with SuSE 9.2. Is there a plugin that I can get from somewhere or is a different program that I should use?

Thanks.

Zakir

You may need to compile and install libdvdcss which is for decrypting encrypted dvd's (all commercial dvds).http://freshmeat.net/projects/libdvdcss/, don't forget to do a ldconfig after installing it.
This library is illigal in some countries like USA, and this is why they don't include it in the distros.
For more info read the xine FAQ: http://xinehq.de/index.php/faq#AEN209

Unfortunately, most commercial DVD's are encrypted by something called CSS. To watch these DVD's one has to pay twice: once for the DVD itself and a second time for the decoding software. Since Linux is an open source OS, there are troubles making this code available. Breaking the code is possible, but may be illegal (though I do not think that ever one private codebreaker has been charged on that). If you can live with this spot of bother, you can find instructions on how to install libdvdcss here:

http://packman.links2linux.org/?action=122

You will need to de-install the SuSE version of Xine and use the one from that site (or self-compiled).

Zakirium

To play encrypted DVDs in xine or Kaffeine in SuSE 9.2, you need to delete the versions of xine and its associated programs which come with the original installation disc and install new versions from what is known as the "Packman" site. You also need libdvdcss.

Using YaST, delete SuSE's versions of the following:

kaffeine
kdemultimedia3-video-xine
totem
xine-lib
xine-ui

Go to http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/xine/ download and install libdvdcss.

Go to http://packman.links2linux.org/ and enter xine in the search box. You need xine-lib and xine-ui. Select whichever versions are correct for your architecture. For xine-lib you will also need to download the various additionally needed binary packages (you'll find them listed at the bottom of the xine-lib page).

Install the additionally needed binary packages first, then xine-lib and xine-ui.

(You can download kaffeine as well if you want to use that as an alternative. This program too needs additional binary packages.)

DVDs should then play.

Two other things you may possibly need to do:

1. xine expects to find your DVD drive at /dev/dvd so if DVDs still don't play create a soft link, eg
ln -s /dev/hdc /dev/dvd
but replace /dev/hdc with whatever device your DVD drive is on

2. If DVD playback is jerky you probably haven't got DMA turned on for your DVD drive (you can turn it on in YaST - Hardware, IDE DMA Mode, and turn on DMA for the CD drive).

i think it's only fair i put in my two cents and recommend MPlayer over Xine. one big plus for getting something ont he screen is that to watch a DVD, you need to install ***NOTHING*** other than the base mplayer code. it includes everything like libdvdcss inside it. much nicer. especially as Xine bites...

Thanks for all of the response. I think that I will try to use Mplayer at the moment. It seems like the easiest solution for my needs. Do I need to uninstall xine to use it or can I just install mplayer?

Thanks.

Zakir

Yes, I tend to agree with acid_kewpie - MPlayer is easier to get working "straight out of the box". And I think it produces slightly better colours on screen than xine.

You can get it from the Packman site. You don't need to uninstall xine first - at least I didn't need to when I installed MPlayer.

The only problem is that mplayer does not support DVD menus. You won't have the mainmenu, extra menu, language menu, etc.

Of course NOT. You don't need to uninstall a program(xine) to have another program installed. The problem is that mplayer is not so easy to install . U need to download and install the codecs first, you need to download fonts, skin, enable gui on configuration,unless you use the rpm version, which i do not recommend because if you install it from source, it will be compiled optimized for your system. The truth is that mplayer is the most efficient media player I've seen and can play everything if you download the all-codecs package,(mp3,ogg,wav,wmv,wma,mov) but if you ask me it's easier to install xine than mplayer. Also before you install xine make sure lame and divx is installed.
Finally I've got some movies that play well in Xine and don't play in mplayer, and some that play well in mplayer and don't play in XINE. So Keep them both.

Also make sure that your DVD's DMA is enabled and install the 3D accelation driver of your video card (if available), especially if you have an old PC, because otherwise you'll need a lot of CPU.

Interesting about the "delete the original xine" bit...
I just downloaded and installed (in order, if that has anything to do with it):
libxine1-1.0.1cvs-050503.k6.rpm,
libdvdcss-1.2.8-2.network.i386.rpm, and
xine-ui-0.99.3cvs-050503.i586.rpm
I just let YaST do it's stuff.

My 'test' DVD, which previous caused Xine to throw up a "can't play, because it's encrypted" type message, now plays it just fine. Though so far it's the only DVD I've tested...

This is on SuSE 9.2.

I was informed that for legal reasons, xine's DVD playback ability is deprecated in SuSE. ( I did not know that when I first posted. I don't like SuSE, so I don't use SuSE).
SO, as far as I know, removing SuSE's xine and installing the original xine is the best thing to do.

Search google/linux for ogle..there you'll find all the things you need to watch your dvd's.

I saw this posted in alt.os.linux.suse a while back. Nice looking instructions. I installed MPlayer to get a DVD to play. So far I've watched one DVD (Land of the Lost) but at least I know it can be done.

http://www.saunalahti.fi/~pirisisi/tips/Linux/dvdplay/

The nice thing with MPlayer, it can double as an .avi viewer, quicktime viewer, wmv viewer, and so on...

Well, as I said before, I didn't delete anything, just installed the xinelib from xinehq, along with the UI and also libdvdcss from freshmeat and it worked 1st time.
Having said that, SuSE 9.2 was a bit sluggish on this old box, so I deleted that instead...
I have just installed Slackware 10.1 with fluxbox & some things are a bit quicker. Most others area damned sight quicker
I just stuck my 'test' DVD in and waited for xine to give me the 'can't play' message, when it played!
Groovey stuff.