Sony VAIO PCG-GR215SP and playing DVDs

I have replaced old laptop with a used Sony VAIO PCG-GR215SP laptop for
which I have no OS or support discs. I then installed my legit Windows XP
SP2 and added all the available drivers and applications from the Sony
support site.

At present Windows Media player 11 is saying that I do not have a suitable
codec For those familiar with this Vaio model was it able to [play DVDs as
originally supplied?

I do not want to download a flaky free codec or spend money on one if there
was a codec in the original Sony or Sony supplied software.

Beemer

On Jan 29, 12:21 pm, "Beemer" <Bee...@nowhere.com> wrote:
> I have replaced old laptop with a used Sony VAIO PCG-GR215SP laptop for
> which I have no OS or support discs. I then installed my legit Windows XP
> SP2 and added all the available drivers and applications from the Sony
> support site.
>
> At present Windows Media player 11 is saying that I do not have a suitable
> codec For those familiar with this Vaio model was it able to [play DVDs as
> originally supplied?
>

If it had a dvd player, it would have had dvd playing software, which
is your current hang up.



> I do not want to download a flaky free codec or spend money on one if there
> was a codec in the original Sony or Sony supplied software.
>
> Beemer

How about a flaky free program?

www.videolan.org

Which will play dvds, and the current release fixed a lot of it's
previous flakiness (some flakiness remains).

Other than that, powerdvd is a good dvd player, but you have to spend
money on it.

paulmd@efn.org wrote:
>
> On Jan 29, 12:21 pm, "Beemer" <Bee...@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> I have replaced old laptop with a used Sony VAIO PCG-GR215SP laptop for
>> which I have no OS or support discs. I then installed my legit Windows XP
>> SP2 and added all the available drivers and applications from the Sony
>> support site.
>>
>> At present Windows Media player 11 is saying that I do not have a suitable
>> codec For those familiar with this Vaio model was it able to [play DVDs as
>> originally supplied?
>>
>
> If it had a dvd player, it would have had dvd playing software, which
> is your current hang up.
>
>
>
>> I do not want to download a flaky free codec or spend money on one if there
>> was a codec in the original Sony or Sony supplied software.
>>
>> Beemer
>
> How about a flaky free program?
>
> www.videolan.org
>
> Which will play dvds, and the current release fixed a lot of it's
> previous flakiness (some flakiness remains).
>
> Other than that, powerdvd is a good dvd player, but you have to spend
> money on it.

Just to add a bit to what you've said. You can also purchase just the
DVD codecs which will permit Windows Media Player to play your DVDs for
about $15.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...spx#DVDDecoder

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:21:55 GMT, "Beemer"
<Beemer@nowhere.com> wrote:

>I have replaced old laptop with a used Sony VAIO PCG-GR215SP laptop for
>which I have no OS or support discs. I then installed my legit Windows XP
>SP2 and added all the available drivers and applications from the Sony
>support site.
>
>At present Windows Media player 11 is saying that I do not have a suitable
>codec For those familiar with this Vaio model was it able to [play DVDs as
>originally supplied?
>

The codecs you need depend on what codecs were used to
compress any particular video you're trying to play. IOW,
we can't know for sure what you need, but if DVD was one of
the things then get a DVD player software installed.



>I do not want to download a flaky free codec or spend money on one if there
>was a codec in the original Sony or Sony supplied software.

We'd need to know more exactly what you are trying to do, to
know what all the codecs are you might need, but lack at
present. There is no reason to believe all the codecs you'd
find online are "flaky" free ones, there are plenty that
work fine too, but it just depends on which/what it is.

<paulmd@efn.org> wrote in message
news:1170104342.681613.110540@p10g2000cwp.googlegr oups.com...
|
|
| On Jan 29, 12:21 pm, "Beemer" <Bee...@nowhere.com> wrote:
| > I have replaced old laptop with a used Sony VAIO PCG-GR215SP laptop for
| > which I have no OS or support discs. I then installed my legit Windows
XP
| > SP2 and added all the available drivers and applications from the Sony
| > support site.
| >
| > At present Windows Media player 11 is saying that I do not have a
suitable
| > codec For those familiar with this Vaio model was it able to [play DVDs
as
| > originally supplied?
| >
|
| If it had a dvd player, it would have had dvd playing software, which
| is your current hang up.
|
|
|
| > I do not want to download a flaky free codec or spend money on one if
there
| > was a codec in the original Sony or Sony supplied software.
| >
| > Beemer
|
| How about a flaky free program?
|
| www.videolan.org
|
| Which will play dvds, and the current release fixed a lot of it's
| previous flakiness (some flakiness remains).
|
| Other than that, powerdvd is a good dvd player, but you have to spend
| money on it.
|
The label on the laptop says it comes with Adobe Premiere LE which I know is
a video editing program but I don't think it is a DVD player

Beemer