This post shows students and new users steps to play DVDs or watch videos on Ubuntu Linux.
Ubuntu won’t play your encrypted or protected DVDs out of the box – since most DVDs are protected anyway. To play DVDs, you need to have the correct codecs installed.
A codec software allows applications to read a video or audio format. If Ubuntu Linux doesn’t find the right codecs, it won’t play the DVD or the encoded videos.
Specific videos and DVDs are protected. Protected content prevents you from copying or playing them unless you have extra software to protect the copy.
Ubuntu doesn’t have it installed by default.
Some DVDs also have a region code, which tells you which region of the world they are allowed to be played in. If Ubuntu is set up in a different region than the DVD, it may also not play.
One package that will most likely be needed is libdvd. Below, we’ll show you how to install it and other necessary packages to get Ubuntu to play DVDs and other videos.
How to get Ubuntu Linux to play DVD and movie videos
As mentioned above, Ubuntu won’t play your encrypted or protected DVDs – since most are protected anyway. To play DVDs, you need to have the correct codecs installed.
Below is how to get Ubuntu Linux to play DVDs and other movie videos.
First, install libdvd-pkg in Ubuntu. This package is included in the multiverse repository, so you must enable it.
Run the commands below to enable the repository and install libdvd-pkg.
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse sudo apt install libdvd-pkg
When prompted, choose Ok.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┤ Configuring libdvd-pkg ├───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│This package automates the process of launching downloads of the source files for libdvdcss2 from videolan.org,
compiling them, and installing the binary packages (libdvdcss2 libdvdcss-dev). Please run
"sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg" to launch this process for the first time.
<Ok> On the following prompt, choose Yes.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┤ Configuring libdvd-pkg ├───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ If activated, the APT post-invoke hook takes care of future automatic upgrades of libdvdcss2 (which may be triggered │
│ by new versions of libdvd-pkg). When updates are available, the hook will launch the process of downloading the │
│ source, recompiling it, and (if "apt-get check" reports no errors) using "dpkg -i" to install the new versions. │
│ │
│ Alternatively, the process can be launched manually by running "sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg". │
│ │
│ Enable automatic upgrades for libdvdcss2? │
│ │
│ <Yes> <No> │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Sometimes, you may have to install additional tools depending on your version of Ubuntu. Again, run each line, and if it doesn’t install, it’s not compatible with the version of Ubuntu you’re using.
sudo apt install libdvdread7 sudo apt install libdvdread8 sudo apt install libdvdread4 sudo apt install libdvdnav4
To install additional packages and plugins for browsers, run the commands below.
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras
These packages and tools should get you up and running with playing DVDs and videos in Ubuntu.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
- Installing libdvd-pkg in Ubuntu is essential to enable the necessary codecs for playing encrypted or protected DVDs.
- Additional tools like libdvdread7, libdvdread8, libdvdread4, libdvdnav4, and gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad may also be required depending on the Ubuntu version.
- To enhance the media playback experience, consider installing the ubuntu-restricted-extras package and gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly.
- After following these steps, you should be able to enjoy playing DVDs and videos on Ubuntu seamlessly.
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