How can I play encrypted DVD movies?

Question

My machine can't play encrypted DVDs on a fresh install. How do I add this capability? Another useful bit of information would be what programs are best for playing DVDs, once I'm able to do so. See the similar question here. Will I be able to play DVD movies from any region?

Solution 1

To Enable Playback:

1. Install libdvdread4:

   sudo apt install libdvd-pkg
   

   Note: You may have to enable multiverse to install this package.

2. Then install libdvdcss:

   1. Ubuntu 20.04 onward See this answer instead.

   2. Ubuntu 15.10 to 19.10

       sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg
      

      Then follow the instructions to let it download and compile.

   3. Ubuntu 12.04 to 15.04

       sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh
      

   (More about libdvdcss here.)

Best Players:

According to the Ubuntu Wiki, Kaffeine, MPlayer, xine, Totem-xine, VLC, and Ogle will play DVDs with libdvdread and libdvdcss installed.

I use both Totem and VLC to play DVDs. It's useful to have both installed, because sometimes one will have a playback quirk that the other will not.

Regions:

I believe playback will work in any region.

Solution 2

Commercial DVDs are copy protected to ensure that you aren't able to backup your legally acquired movies, but instead have to buy new ones if they break. You also aren't allowed to enjoy them in just any manner you please; you may only watch them on certain devices with pre-installed decryption keys. Unless those devices are too old, of course; Then you have to buy new ones.

To get around this, install libdvdcss.

From help.ubuntu.com:

Installing libdvdcss

---

Legal Warning: Check with your local laws to make sure usage of libdvdcss2 would be legal in your area. *[Unless you live in Somalia or some other place with no rule of law, it's not legal]

Ubuntu 10.04 (i386, amd64), 10.10 and 11.04 (i386, amd64)

[edit: This method has been used successfully in 11.10 and 12.04 as well]

Works for old releases that are no longer supported if you have repositories on Cd/Dvd or somewhere. So, anything from 9.04 onwards. The latest LTS, 10.04, and the radically different 11.04 also work this way.

Install the libdvdread4 package (no need to add third party repositories) via Synaptic or command line:

sudo apt-get install libdvdread4

Then open a terminal window and execute:

sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

Rebooting may be necessary.

After this, VLC will automatically use it. Some programs may need recompilation.

If after doing all this, you still get messages about not being able to play DVDs, check that the DVD drive has a region set (see below).

Solution 3

Ubuntu 20.10 and later

In Ubuntu 20.10 and later DVD-Video playing library - installer (libdvd-pkg) can be quickly and easily installed from the default Ubuntu repositories. Open the terminal and type:

sudo apt install libdvd-pkg libdvdnav4 libdvdread8  
sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg

Ubuntu 20.04

In Ubuntu 20.04 DVD-Video playing library - installer (libdvd-pkg) can be quickly and easily installed from the default Ubuntu repositories. Open the terminal and type:

sudo apt install libdvd-pkg libdvdnav4 libdvdread7  
sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg

Ubuntu 16.04-19.10

In Ubuntu 16.04-19.10 DVD-Video playing library - installer (libdvd-pkg) can be quickly and easily installed from the default Ubuntu repositories. Open the terminal and type:

sudo apt install libdvd-pkg libdvdnav4 libdvdread4  
sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg # to allow DVD playback

This package provides libraries (including libdvdcss2) that are needed for playing video DVDs with a media player (such as VLC, SMplayer, Totem, etc.). It automates the process of downloading source files, compiling them, and installing the binary packages.

Solution 4

You can add the medibuntu repository. It will add some other niceties like the ability to play some windows-only codecs.

You can find a how-to here : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

Please note that installing this packages can be illegal in some jurisdictions. You can always buy Power DVD from canonical web store, if your concerned about it.

Solution 5

I used AcidRip DVD Ripper and all my problems with playing DVD are gone.

View more solutions

Comments

[Serrano Pereira]

Not all players support DVD Menus yet. One player that does support this is Totem, and I believe VLC can also handle the DVD menus. MPlayer for one does not support menus (yet).

[Steve Jessop]

Thanks for pointing that out. I made a mistake saying I used MPlayer; I actually use Totem. Don't know how I got them mixed up. I corrected that in my answer.

[therobyouknow]

I tried the commands in this answer but could only get some DVDs to play. City of God doesn't play in VLC on Ubuntu but does on same machine booted into Windows, with VLC. superuser.com/questions/199963/…

[desgua]

Could you provide more details what is the problem using libdvdcss instead of Fluendo?

[papukaija]

Sorry for the delay but I had major issues with internet. The Ubuntu Community Documentation [1] states: "Legal Warning: Check with your local laws to make sure usage of libdvdcss2 would be legal in your area." For example, VLC's website [2] says that using libcss is legal in France but "In the USA, you should check out the US Copyright Office decision [3] that allows circumvention in some cases." [1]: help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/PlayingDVDs [2]: videolan.org/legal.html [3]: copyright.gov/1201

[Developer]

I'm not talking about backups of DVDs. I'm talking about when I insert the disk its self! Is there a legal way to do this?

[Gaurav Mukherjee]

@rocket101 Nope.

[Developer]

Mac and windows can play it just fine. Are they using illegal code?

[Gaurav Mukherjee]

@Rocket101 On Windows, yes, unless you are using commercial software like PowerDVD or TMT. On Mac I'm not sure.

[Sanam Patel]

+1 love this answer. Pretty sure this is also legal in North Korea, too. Also not yet illegal to do aboard the Int'l Space Station. No lawyers there yet.

[Joseph]

Apple is in bed with the content industry. I'm fairly certain they (and probably Windows as well) have licenses with the concerning parties. For example, Apple enforces regioning at the hardware level and probably does so in exchange for the ability to play DVDs legally. I imagine Windows has a similar scheme. Consider writing your representatives to repeal / revise the DMCA to legalize such obviously ethical uses.

[Hibou57]

I can't find Power DVD on the store. Is it gone? — edit — there is Fluendo DVD Player however.

[Barney Woodrow]

I get an error saying that the package is not located!

[Steve Jessop]

@TheEpicstarlord, I'd try the answer below which seems to be up to date for 16.04.

[Steve Jessop]

Let me know if it works. I'll update my answer to say it's out of date.

[Barney Woodrow]

@mac9416 I'm 14.04

[Steve Jessop]

@TheEpicstarlord make sure the universe section of your main Ubuntu repositories are enabled.

[K7AAY]

Medibuntu no longer exists

[Lexible]

This did not work for me running 18.10 and VLC 3.0.4.

[Lexible]

This did not work for me running 18.10 and VLC 3.0.4.

[Steve Jessop]

@Lexible I’ve been on Windows for a while. Let me know if you come up with a fix, and I’ll update the answer.

[Lexible]

@MichaelCrenshaw Will do: It's a brand new DVD (released this year)... I suspect there's some codec/DRM shenanigans obstructing my view. :)

[Geoffrey Wheeler]

For Ubuntu 20.04 libdvdread4 is not available. Apparently it has been replaced by libdvdread7

[Pierre ALBARÈDE]

For Ubuntu 20.10 dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg end with http error 404, The program wants to download http://download.videolan.org/pub/libdvdcss//libdvdcss-.tar.b‌​z2 that does not exist on the server.

[Pierre ALBARÈDE]

This worked for me: download download.videolan.org/libdvdcss/1.4.3 (check the shasum) read and follow the instructions to make and install.