How to Connect a DVD Player to a Computer

Introduction

If you have a DVD player to watch movies and a video capture card on your computer, you should be able to connect the two and watch movies on your computer. You might have to resolve complicated hardware and software issues to be able to watch movies on your monitor, though.

By: eHow Computers Editor

Length: 1:53

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Challenging

Tips & Warnings:

Buy a DVD-ROM drive that comes with a decoder card to save money and have a high likelihood of being able to watch movies, unless your computer already has all the necessary hardware and software to connect and run a DVD player. Consumer video-capture cards cost between $200 and $1,000.
Hardware MPEG decoders are far superior to software MPEG decoders. You may also need to be able to decode Dolby Digital audio.
For software MPEG decoding, you'll need at least a 350-MHz Pentium II or a G4 Macintosh. For hardware MPEG decoding, you'll need at least a 133-MHz Pentium or a G3 Macintosh.
Your computer must support Macrovision to play copy-protected DVDs.
Make sure your computer meets the system requirements of any card or other hardware you buy.
CD and DVD content is copyrighted material and illegal to share with others without permission of the copyright holder.

Step1

If you don't already have one, buy a video capture card with a built-in MPEG-2 DVD decoder and motion compensation. Look for a card with S-video or better video inputs. Match the best outputs on your DVD player.

Step2

Find a video card with audio inputs if possible. Otherwise, buy a sound card with stereo input jacks (not standard).

Step3

Consider external video-capture devices such as the Iomega Buz, which includes a SCSI card, composite and S-video in and out jacks, stereo audio in and out jacks, and full-screen playback.

Step4

Install the necessary hardware and software for the video capture device you chose.

Step5

Plug the DVD player into an outlet near your computer, but keep it as far away as possible to eliminate any chance of feedback on your monitor.

Step6

Connect cables to the left and right (color-coded red) audio RCA jacks on the back of the DVD player. Connect the other ends of the cables to line-in jacks on your sound card or external video-capture device.

Step7

Connect the DVD player to your video capture card or external device using the best technology common to both: progressive-scan component video, interlaced component video, S-video or composite video.

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on 11/22/2005 There is a device, X10 makes one, that lets you broadcast the DVD signal from your computer to you TV. This is much easier than all the fuss with the wires, and it's safer too. No wires to trip over.