Automatically play DVD'S

[dan6540]

Hi I would like to know how to get the vlc player to automatically play dvd's on insertion of disc, I would like this to happen on Windows 2000 and Windows xp

Thank you

[Arite]

If you re-install VideoLAN with (when it asks you what components you want to select) "Context Menus" selected then that should mean that a DVD-Video "play using VideoLAN VLC media player" option should become available. I'm not entirely sure whether it affects DVD-Video playback menu (may just be files), however it is a strong possibility.

Then open up "My Computer", right-click on the DVD drive that you want to set the auto-playback for, and select "Properties". Go to the "Autoplay" tab and, from the drop-down box, select "DVD movie". Make sure the "Select an action to perform:" option is selected, and scroll down to select "Play DVD movie using VideoLAN VLC media player". Then click "OK" (or "Apply", then "OK").

Then, hopefully, the next time you insert a DVD-Video VLC should automatically execute and start playback of it.

Cheers, Arite.

[ThomasAn]

These instructions are for winXP ... is there a way to do this on win2k ?

[Arite]

I have never really used Windows 2000, however if there is an AutoPlay feature in Windows 2000 it should be possible. What happens when you insert a DVD-Video into your drive? If it comes up with a "What do you want Windows to do?" option, and VLC is in the list, then you should be able click on it and tick "Always do the selected action", and then it should automatically do that action next time you insert a DVD-Video.

Cheers, Arite.

[ThomasAn]

Thanks for the response Arite !
The problem arises in that win2k does not have an "autoplay" tab within the drive properties. So I suspect the solution might be more involved.

Windows 2000 does have autoplay though. I used to have a DVD player software that came with my older ATI card. Any DVD would automatically bring up the ATI player. I do not have that player any longer and I would like to have VLC perform the duty. However, if a disc is inserted and left alone to autoplay I get this error:

DVD Player
There is no Windows 2000 compatible DVD decoder installed on this system. A DVD decoder device or decoder software is required to play movies (a DVD drive alone is not sufficient).

If this computer could play DVD Videos before Windows 2000 was installed then your DVD decoder is not compatible with Windows 2000. You may be able to fix this problem by downloading new decoder software from your computer manufacturer. Please visit http://www.hardware-update.com using your Internet browser.

Both the ATI DVD player and PowerDVD are capable to properly use the win2k autoplay. So, that software must be doing something special during install that VLC didn't ?

Now, I can play a DVD ... only if I manually right-click on the drive itself and select "Play with VLC media player". So, even though the autoplay message above complains about a decoder, I doubt this has anything to do with "decoders".

[Arite]

OK, I think I have found the registry entries which allow VLC to playback a DVD upon insert.

Here is the NSIS code for writing the entries for "PlayDVDMovieUponArrival" (thanks to funman for originally posting the link to the code):
http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/browser/tr ... si.in#L390

I browsed the registry (Start >> Run... >> regedit), and found the entries - here is an export of the VLCPlayDVDMovieUponArrival section:

Code: Select all

Key Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\Handlers\VLCPlayDVDMovieOnArrival Class Name: <NO CLASS> Last Write Time: 01/10/2007 - 17:56 Value 0 Name: Action Type: REG_SZ Data: Play DVD movie Value 1 Name: DefaultIcon Type: REG_SZ Data: "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe",0 Value 2 Name: InvokeProgID Type: REG_SZ Data: VLC.DVDMovie Value 3 Name: InvokeVerb Type: REG_SZ Data: play Value 4 Name: Provider Type: REG_SZ Data: VideoLAN VLC media player

You could try navigating through your registry (just don't go editing anything) to see if those values were written for Windows 2000, and if so whether the "AutoplayHandlers\Handlers\" actually contains other relevant autoplay functions (such as the ones for PowerDVD etc.). If so, then it would suggest that that it is in the correct section of the registry .

Arite.

[ThomasAn]

Thank you for digging so much further Arite. I appreciate your efforts, although I will not hold you responsible if you gave up (especially since win2k is not your OS)

Following your advice I went to the particular registry section and looked at the entries one-for-one.
The "VLCPlayDVDMovieOnArrival" is indeed present and all its parameters are correct. So we can cross this out as a culprit.

The error message also occurs if I were to double-click the DVD drive icon (so, autoplay and double click invoke the same error). Given this information I run "Regmon" to see what is going on. Here is a snipet of the first 50 registry calls being made exactly after a double-click event:

[Arite]

It appears that "dvdplay.exe" may not be being found. The location of it should be in "C:\WINDOWS\system32". It is probably there (I have it - running it opens WMP for me), but if it isn't then it could explain part of the issue. The role of dvdplay.exe is to automatically play a DVD if a supporting MPEG decoder is installed.

Arite.

[ThomasAn]

DVDplay.exe is present on my system in C:\WINNT\System32

When I double-click this executable I get the error message again:

....There is no Windows 2000 compatible DVD decoder installed on this system. A DVD decoder device or decoder software is required to play movies (a DVD drive alone is not sufficient)...

Is it possible that VLC should be updating the execution options in the registry key:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\dvdplay.exe

[Arite]

Yes, I meant C:\WINNT\system32 (XP is WINDOWS instead of WINNT).

Is it possible that VLC should be updating the execution options in the registry key:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\dvdplay.exe

It is possible - might be worth a try, what is the contents of the dvdplay.exe regitry entry/entries?

Arite.

[ThomasAn]

That is the thing. There is no such key, or it is empty.
Possibly the previous DVD player software cleaned up after themselves erasing the key. Maybe each application is responsible to add its own values there ?

[Arite]

I think that is was WinDVD and PowerDVD are supposed to do - they override the default dvdplay function with their own. You could try reinstalling PowerDVD (if you have it available), and perhaps that would make the autoplay function for DVDs work again.

Arite.

[ThomasAn]

ok, the culprit is not in this key:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\dvdplay.exe

I installed another freeware player (Advanced DVD player 2.2.5) and autoplay works perfect.

The key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\dvdplay.exe
... is still empty ... so it wasn't it.

I am now convinced that VLC neglects to do something during install.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Probably: patches are welcome.

[ThomasAn]

Probably: patches are welcome.

The problem is, I do not know what to do or where to look for, to pinpoint what is missing (or what is it that Advanced DVD is doing differently)

Any suggestions ?

[ThomasAn]

When comparing registry calls I see with AdvancedDVD the first time its path appears is on this key:
HKCR\CLSID\{9BC1B781-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39}\InprocServer32\(Default) SUCCESS C:\Program Files\AdvancedDVDPlayer\setup\DVDVideo.ax

When Advanced DVD is uninstalled (and VLC reinstalled) then:
HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{FCC152B7-F372-11D0-8E00-00C04FD7C08B}\InprocServer32 NOTFOUND

Actually, there is no VLC path appearing anywhere in the registry calls sequence (calls made during double-click of the DVD drive icon)

Looking in the registry, the following keys are remnants from the AdvancedDVD installation:

Code: Select all

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9BC1B780-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39} (Default) REG_SZ Fraunhofer Audio Decoder HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9BC1B780-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39}\InprocServer32 (Default) REG_SZ C:\Program Files\AdvancedDVDPlayer\setup\DVDAudio.ax ThreadingModel REG_SZ Both ------- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9BC1B781-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39} (Default) REG_SZ Fraunhofer Video Decoder HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9BC1B780-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39}\InprocServer32 (Default) REG_SZ C:\Program Files\AdvancedDVDPlayer\setup\DVDVideo.ax ThreadingModel REG_SZ Both ------- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9BC1B784-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39} (Default) REG_SZ Fraunhofer Mpg2 Property Page HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{9BC1B780-85E3-11D2-98D0-0080C84E9C39}\InprocServer32 (Default) REG_SZ C:\Program Files\AdvancedDVDPlayer\setup\DVDVideo.ax ThreadingModel REG_SZ Both

Another thing to note is that even after uninstalling AdvancedDVD and reinstalling VLC, then Filemon reports that: 1:36:48 PM dvdplay.exe:2392 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\AdvancedDVDPlayer\setup\DVDVideo.ax PATH NOT FOUND Attributes: Error

[Arite]

Since DVDPlay.exe requires a hardware-based MPEG decoder (see here), then that would explain why there are problems when no DVD Player software such as AdvancedDVDPlayer and PowerDVD are installed.

When AdvancedDVDPlayer is installed I presume it runs the DVD-Video through the DirectShow filters "DVDAudio.ax" (presumably means DVD-Video audio, not DVD-Audio) and "DVDVideo.ax" instead of though the default route of DVDPlay.exe.

If it can be seen how AdvancedDVDPlayer does that through the registry, then perhaps something similar for VLC could done which would work, as "PlayDVDMovieOnArrival" keys do not seem to work with Windows 2000.

Arite.

[deba5er]

To fix autoplay for DVDs under Windows 2000 you need to change this registry entry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DVD\shell\play\command
From:
(Default) REG_EXPAND_SZ = c:\winnt\system32\dvdplay.exe /play %1
To:
(Default) REG_EXPAND_SZ = c:\program files\videolan\vlc\vlc.exe %1

Works fine for me!

[ThomasAn]

deba5er, Thank you for the tip