Review by ASP

This review is for Cyberlink PowerDVD 11 ULTRA. My rating 4.25 out of 5, so far, since I have not tested every aspect.

The playback of DVDs is excellent. I have a Triple-core processor PC with 8GB of RAM and an ATI 512MB DDR3 video card, so the playback is smooth, as well as the forwarding and reverse. The graphical user interface (GUI) lets you control the player. The PowerDVD player opens and begins playing DVD’s automatically when you close your optical drive. Fast-forward and reverse speeds include: 1.2x, 1.5x, 2x (all three with sound), and the remaining without sound, 3x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x. Slow-motion speeds include: 0.5x and 0.75x with sound. Advancing forward frame-by-frame is smooth, but advancing in reverse isn’t smooth. I can’t comment on the Blu-ray or 3D abilities yet since I have not tested them.

The player allows you to capture frames of any scene by using the soft-remote. Specify the location in the preferences. You can also use your smartphone as a remote by installing the PowerDVD remote software on the smartphone and entering the passcode provided in the main window under Devices. You need to download the app for Android or iPhone from the website first. There are some free versions, and other versions for $20. PowerDVD also lets you view your videos and photos contained on your smart-device.

Options allow you to use hardware acceleration if needed, especially if you want to watch 3D or Blu-ray movies. Another option available is the ability to use True Theater Effects for cinematic lighting, but I don’t use it since my monitor gets the lighting right without it. Additional options let you choose speaker configurations and HD audio output for that full audio experience. And lastly, you can add your own voice-over and karaoke too.

The first time you run the software, it will ask for the CD Key to activate on your PC. I did not have any issues with activation. I have not had to deal with customer service either.nI recommend updating any video drivers for your video card if necessary. This software has been running without issue for me. But it all depends on your computer specs and video card, and some people’s experiences may be different. The PowerDVD main window has multiple tabs for Movie, Video, Photo, Music Devices, so you can watch other video clips you have on your hard drive, view your photo galleries, or listen to your music library. The software automatically obtains detailed information about movies, and ratings from online if you are connected, but it seemed pointless and useless to me.

Included in the box is the installation DVD and a 100 page, fully-detailed instruction manual. The installation took less than 5 minutes. For DVD movies and DVD-R discs, this software worksngreat. I haven’t tried 3D or Blu-ray movies yet. I will test it out on my other PC and update my review once I complete the tests.