A grievance against Cyberlink

So, many, many moons ago, I purchased an LG Blu-Ray drive for my HTPC. It's been working perfectly ever since I installed it. Along with the drive was a copy of Cyberlink's PowerDVD 9. This would be the software that I would need to watch Blu-Ray movies on my HTPC. For the first month or so, this worked swimmingly (albeit, outside my preferred Windows 7 Media Center interface) and without issue.

Then came that dreadful day when I wanted to re-watch my Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Blu-Ray collection. For some reason, I received a message stating that an update was required. How odd it was that a disk that worked 12 months ago, did not work now and required an update. The problem was, it took me two hours for find the hidden "Update" window which was behind the main upgrade (at cost) window.

This has been the same MO from the beginning. Every couple of months, a new "update" would be required in order to play a Blu-Ray disc that ran perfectly well just a bit earlier.

So here I am today and I'm running into the same situation, except this time, they actually require that I upgrade from PowerDVD9 to PowerDVD10 (they're actually requesting that I upgrade to 15 for $40) and there is no hidden "Update" window. Instead, you have to actually click the "Upgrade" button in order to find the "Free Update" link.

The link does update me to PowerDVD 10, but even so, my disc is not working. It seems that once upgraded to PowerDVD 10, there are even more updates that need to be applied and if you click the "Upgrade" button and then the "Free Update" link, you still don't get the update required to play the Blu-Ray disc that worked a month or so ago.

Continuing my escapades, I've found that my latest update has install PowerDVD 12 over my PowerDVD 10 install, but holy crap, my disc seems to be running! An hour after starting the post, don't you think they could have created an update path that didn't require so many steps?

I know they want me to buy their latest and greatest and after much searching and time spent, I'm able to use the software I purchased to watch the movies I purchased. My complaint comes when the movies I watched previously do not work and the "required update" is not easily available.

I realize they are a company attempting to make a profit, but they shouldn't be doing it with people who have already purchased their product.

I understand the needs for updates, but if a Blu-Ray disc works once, it should work forever. If the software company says an "update" is needed, that update should be obvious and freely available and not hidden behind unnecessary "at cost" upgrades!

-Wolf sends
 

ezskills

Honorable
Jul 13, 2013
7
0
10,520
I understand what your going through Centurylink have gotten so sneaky after a while they will lower your Internet speed without telling you and not give you what your paying for and jack your bill up. But anyways the link below is a player that will play all movies Blu-Ray included for free.

http://www.leawo.org/blu-ray-player/

http://www.aunplayer.com/download/