SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

[Snowhog]

Okay, I want to know the packages to download/install in order to have Kaffeine open and play DVDs. The basic installation of Kubuntu 7.04 (i386) does not get Kaffeine functional for DVD playback.

I had the same problem with 6.10, and got Kaffeine working after downloading/installing the libdvdcss2, libdvdread3, and w32codecs packages.

In order to get and install libdvdcss2 and w32codecs packages, I added the following two repositories to Adept:

deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ feisty free non-free
deb-src http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ feisty free non-free

Both packages were successfully installed. But, Kaffeine still won't open a DVD. I get the following error:

So, exactly what packages are required in 7.04 in order to have Kaffeine open and play a DVD?

[Snowhog]

HOWTO: Get commercial DVD playback in Kaffeine

SOLVED - This is what I did, in order, to get Kaffeine to open and play DVDs:

HOWTO: Get commercial DVD playback in Kaffeine

[johnsnow44]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Thanks for this. In 5.10 I had to go through some gyrations to get DVD playback. When I recently installed 7.04 on a fresh partition and put in a DVD to play - it played, right from the first try. So I thought that was great, was happy they had that problem fixed out of the box now and didn't try again for a month or so. Tonight, I try and play a DVD and it won't play for anything, not with xine, mplayer, vlc, kaffeine (which is just xine, of course).

I followed your solution here and everything works fine. I'm thinking that the reason the first DVD I tried right after my fresh install might have worked is that it wasn't a commercial, hollywood DVD. It's a independent production (a documentary) and it just happened to be on the top of the pile when I went to grab a DVD to try that particular time. So, there must be some encoding involved there.

Thanks for posting your solution

[Snowhog]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

So, there must be some encoding involved there.

Thanks for posting your solution Grin

First, you are welcome! Glad that my documented solution helped you. As to encoding, you are correct. Commercial DVD's include/use proprietary codecs, and in order to play them in Linux, those codecs need to be installed.

Happy movie watching! 8)

[lingenfr]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Snowhog, good show. Unfortunately, I seem to have one bad DVD. The rest seem to play OK. With some fooling around, I found that there is a libxine1-plugins that seems to get all of the ones you listed with one package install.

[Snowhog]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

libxine1-plugins (this is an empty package that marks for installation the following packages)
libxine1-console
libxine1-ffmpeg
libxine1-gnome
libxine1-kde

True as to this package installing the four above. libxine1-plugins, as stated, is an empty package. It merely contains the names of the packages to pull and install. The proprietary codes in the w32codecs package still have to be installed, as well as the libdvdcss2 package.

Again, glad that you got your DVD playback functioning.

[ilanesh1]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

there is a easier way to watch DVD`s and listen to your CD music, just download and install VLC player from the synaptic, and this will play everything you want to play, from movies to CD`s music and all, no need for other packages and codecs, VLC is the best player for Linux and Windows. with Kaffeine I would have always a black frame around the movie, but VLC you have it full on your screen without the black frames, and also it plays all of my music cd`s from the beginning to the end.

[Jay_Jay]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Apologies for bumping an "old" thread, but I just wanted to say thanks for the guide, Snowhog. I was able to watch my film collection with Kubuntu and Kaffeine: including even the most troublesome of my DVD's that resist playing without a set region code.

there is a easier way to watch DVD`s and listen to your CD music, just download and install VLC player from the synaptic, and this will play everything you want to play, from movies to CD`s music and all, no need for other packages and codecs,

True, but for me VLC's latest Ubuntu version has proven unstable and prone to crash frequently just from using the seeker bar. A big disappointment considering how good the other versions are.

[Snowhog]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Jay_Jay -

Thanks for the thank you. I'm glad that my documentation to getting functional DVD playback in Kaffeine helped you. I know that when I was working through the process, I was frustrated too. But, getting it figured out and realizing success was so exhilerating. I hope others who are trying to get Kaffeine working with DVDs find this thread useful as well.

[kevanf1]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Excellent and easy HOW TO, thank you

Now I just need to get sorted with a decent graphic card in the PC I'm using for Kubuntu 7.04 It's currently running on mobo graphics at about 1mb which ain't too good....

[Snowhog]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Excellent and easy HOW TO, thank you

You are welcome.

[aged hippy]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

.... I hope others who are trying to get Kaffeine working with DVDs find this thread useful as well.

.... very useful indeed, thank you.

2 gallons.

[mrq]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Added the 2 repositories, fetched updates, but no libdvdcss2. It doesn't seem to listed anymore.

[Snowhog]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

This thread had my steps that worked 'at the time.' However, the medibuntu web address has changed. I've updated my post below to point to my HOWTO: Get commercial DVD playback in Kaffeine which has the updated information.

[mrq]

Re: SOLVED - What packages must be installed to play DVD?

Went to your updated post, and everything worked like a charm.

Thanks