PowerDVD 9 Deluxe

Playing DVDs through your computer when you’ve got a perfectly good TV in your living room might sound like madness. However, your PC probably has a few advantages over your TV-and-DVD-player combo, such as significantly more impressive graphical hardware. It might also have advanced features, like a Blu-ray player.

If you’ve got a PC you want to play movies on, you’ll need a decent software player and PowerDVD 9 isn’t going to disappoint. Perhaps its nattiest feature is the TrueTheatre mode, which will use your PC’s graphics hardware to enhance movies on the fly, making them sharper, brighter and better coloured – and it really works. You can also organise your collection, with great-looking Apple-inspired database tools for flicking through disks and organising your ratings, both off and online.

If you’re watching DVDs on a laptop while on the move, the software will conserve battery life by lifting some of the pressure off your main processor. Or, if you’re at home, piping the film to a large screen, you’ll find the software integrates well with Windows Media Center.

This Deluxe version we’ve reviewed is mid-range – upgrade to Ultra (£79.99) if you’re an HD nut or downgrade to standard (£39.99) if you’re only looking for a basic player.

Want to discuss this review of PowerDVD 9 Deluxe?
Voice your opinions about this and other products on our Readers Recommend forum