CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra 14 Review

very good
key review info
application features
  • Media player
  • (6 more, see all...)

CyberLink PowerDVD is a complex media player that features support for DVDs and Blu-ray discs, in addition to common video, audio and photo files. It offers support for remote control when enjoying movies in cinema mode, along with other useful options and configuration settings.

License type

The trial edition can be tested for 30 days and it comes with multiple restrictions. For instance, it does not support USB synchronization and Home Media Server, or the playback of HECV / H.265 / Blu-ray 3D content along with CPRM / DTCP-IP protected content. In order to lift all limitations, users may purchase the full package of Cyberlink PowerDVD 14 Ultra for $73.73 / €58.82 (excluding VAT).

Setup

The installation procedure takes a while to finish, but it does not sport unfamiliar options. Once finished, the tool pops up a welcoming screen with quick links for setting up a media library, redeeming the Cyberlink cloud service, and viewing video tutorials. The media library can be populated with movies and photographs that can be quickly located whenever they are needed. The cloud service allows Cyberlink users to take advantage of 10GB space available online (free for 1 year) for uploading media, so that it can be easily accessed from all supported devices.

In addition to the program's components, Cyberlink offers to download and install third-party apps that it doesn't really need to work properly, but they are built into the installer with the purpose of generating revenue. These modules can be excluded, however, provided that users don't rush through the wizard stages.

Approachable interface and importing options

The software utility sports a clean and intuitive interface, represented by the main window that shows all available options, an icon created in the system tray at startup for quick access, along with Windows Explorer shell integration for playing selected movies with Cyberlink.

Play movies directly from BD and DVD discs
Play movies directly from BD and DVD discs

When it comes to the types of media it is capable of reading, the tool supports BD/DVD movies which can be immediately played from discs. Alternatively, users can take their time to organize a library filled with movies, videos, photos and music, which can be regularly accessed afterward to swiftly detect favorite content. It is only necessary to specify folders for movies, photos and music separately, in order to automatically scan their contents for the library.

Media library features

The program can automatically download title covers from MoovieLive, save the playback position on exit and resume it at startup, load new movies as soon as PowerDVD is started, as well as access movie reviews, share comments and collect favorite videos. The media library is accompanied by a search function and filters for displaying only the 10 most recently played movies and those that weren't watched yet.

Home Media (DLNA) is a feature that permits users to allow other home media PCs or other kinds of devices to play their media content on the current PowerDVD. It can stream its library contents to the remote devices too (all or just a select few).

Media player with familiar controls
Media player with familiar controls

If the monitor supports 3D and it is currently playing a 2D movie, it is possible to adjust the 3D scene depth to reduce eye straining. The eye view can be swapped to left or right eye image first, the format of the 3D playback source can be set from automatic detection to side-by-side, over/under or 2D format, while the 3D display can be picked from the list.

Other sources for playing media

Instead of the media library, users can resort to the traditional method of playing media, by exploring folders on the local, network, optical and removable locations. The Cyberlink Cloud makes it possible to automatically upload photos and videos to an online, safe location in just a few simple steps (supports drag-and-drop), and share it with other people. It is only necessary to sign up for an account online (free for the first year).

Media player controls and settings

When playing movies, users can pause, resume or stop the playback, select the preferred audio and subtitle language, adjust the volume level, zoom in and out, enable 3D mode where this is possible, enter full screen mode, add bookmarks, jump to specific chapters, change the aspect ratio, make the frame stay on top of other windows, capture the screen and save it to an image file, as well as manage lists with movie collections, marks and watched with PowerDVD before syncing the database with Moovielive. Playlists can be put together too.

The UI language can be changed from English into something else, since the program supports several options in this regard. It can be asked to automatically run at Windows startup and play the next video when the current one ends, check for software updates, prompt before the playback resumes, and set file associations. Few keyboard and mouse shortcuts are supported and they can be remapped for a better grip of the media player while watching movies.

Cinema mode with remote control

Going to the cinema to fully enjoy a motion picture and amazing surround sound is ideal. For this purpose, PowerDVD integrates a special feature that allows users to enter cinema mode in order to watch movies from a distance while giving them remote control. This is facilitated via PowerDVD Remote designed for Android and iOS devices.


The Good

Cyberlink PowerDVD is cross-platform. When entering cinema mode to view movies, it is possible to remotely control playback by using Cyberlink tools specially designed for iOS and Android devices.

It worked smoothly on Windows 8.1 Pro during our evaluation, without causing the operating system to hang, crash or pop up error messages. Help documentation and video tutorials are available.

The interface looks professional, and at the same time, it is pretty intuitive to work with.

The app supports DVDs, Blu-ray discs, DTS-HD 7.1 channel surround sound, DLNA, support for subtitles, GPU-accelerated conversion of 2D movies into 3D, together with a media library for quickly identifying audio, video and music files, among others.

The Bad

Apart from the fact that the registered edition seems a bit expensive, the installer is filled with adware components that no user appreciates.

The Truth

Taking everything into account, Cyberlink PowerDVD seems to have everything it needs for playing and controlling media files. However, the fact that it is ad-supported makes it just a bit less desirable. 

user interface 4
features 5
ease of use 3
pricing / value 3


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 

CyberLink PowerDVD (10 Images)

The welcome screen of PowerDVDPlay movies directly from BD and DVD discsAdd movies to the libraryCustomize media library settingsCustomize home media settings to allow access to remote devices
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