Ubuntu Tips: 11 - DVD playback

By installing libdvdcss a free software library for unscrambling DVDs encrypted with the CSS you can watch your library of films on you Ubuntu computer

Author: Matthew Wittering | Published: 28th February 2010

Most commercial DVDs are encrypted with CSS (the Content Scrambling System), which attempts to restrict the software that can play a DVD. By installing libdvdcss a free software library for unscrambling DVDs encrypted with the CSS you can watch your library of films on your Ubuntu computer. This is true for all other Linux distributions. Ubuntu is my preferred variant.

Step 1 - Installation

To install the libdvdread4 package via the command line enter the following.

sudo apt-get install libdvdread4

Finally execute the following command.

sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

Now you can enjoy your DVD collection on your Ubuntu computer in your favourite video player.

Links

  1. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/PlayingDVDs

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence

A brief introduction

Matthew WitteringI am a graduate of Lougborough University where I read Computing and Management BSc (Hons) earning a 2:1 classification.

Currently I am working in the Product Team as a Junior Product Manager at Ask Jeeves UK. Continue