Ubuntu: Enable DVD Playback

Contributor Icon Contributed by shamanstears Date Icon January 27, 2008  
Tag Icon Tagged: Linux

I enjoy watching movies, so getting DVD playback on my Ubuntu install was a definite priority. Nothing sadder than putting a DVD into your drive and having your system be unable to play the disc. Here’s how to enjoy your DVD movies on your Ubuntu system:


1. Open a terminal window.

2. Execute the following terminal command to install the necessary packages (make sure to approve any prompts):sudo apt-get install totem-xine libxine1-ffmpeg libdvdread3

3. Execute the following terminal command:sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh

After you have executed the above terminal commands, insert a DVD into your drive. Totem will open and the movie will begin playing.

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  • This works Great thanks
  • Mohamed Sherif
    I am sorry, but this did not work for me. I am using Ubuntu 7.10. Totem keeps telling me "Are you trying to open a coded DVD without libdvdcss?" although that I have them installed.

    This is the output from Totem when ran in terminal:

    libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 1.1.7 from http://xine.sf.net
    libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.9 for DVD access
    libdvdread: Attempting to use device /dev/scd0 mounted on /media/cdrom0 for CSS authentication
    libdvdnav: Can't read name block. Probably not a DVD-ROM device.
    libdvdnav: Unable to find map file '/home/molpsychist/.dvdnav/.map'
    libdvdnav: DVD disk reports itself with Region mask 0x00fe0000. Regions: 1

    libdvdread: Attempting to retrieve all CSS keys
    libdvdread: This can take a _long_ time, please be patient

    libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.VOB at 0x00000124
    libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
    libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.VOB at 0x0000146d
    libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
    libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB at 0x00001632
    libdvdread: Error cracking CSS key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB (0x00001632)!!
    libdvdread: Elapsed time 1
    libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_02_0.VOB at 0x00206f1c
    libdvdread: Error cracking CSS key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_02_0.VOB (0x00206f1c)
    libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
    libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_02_1.VOB at 0x00206f20
    libdvdread: Error cracking CSS key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_02_1.VOB (0x00206f20)!!
    libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
    libdvdread: Found 2 VTS's
    libdvdread: Elapsed time 1
    AFD changed from -2 to -1

    Can you help me with that? Thank you!
  • Thats good man
    i was breaking my head to do that
    to make it play back
  • Jeans
    Works great! But I had to remove the totem-gstreamer in the Synaptic Pakage Manager to get it working without conflict.

    Thanks!
  • jeff
    how do you uninstall this
    ?????
  • Raven
    those commands dont work any more.
    you need to change the libdvdread3 to libdvdread4 in both lines and it works great. DVD plays now with no problems.
  • sig
    No this method does not work either...only reason it works for you cause you have other lib files. but on fresh installs of ubuntu and kubuntu and linuxmint following this information will not read a dvd or detect a dvd in playback
  • k.c
    thank you Raven, just a digit at the end of a string but it meant everything (3 to 4), running jaunty on acer aspire 5920 laptop
  • You might find that running the following is also needed:

    sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
  • sig
    as with all the other sites giving this information. it is now outdated and theses steps will not work on installing kubuntu 9.04 or later or linuxmint 7 or later as well.
  • johnnyseeds
    THIS DOESNT WORK! YOU CANNOT DOWNLOAD ANY PROGRAMS FOR LINUX OR INSTALL THEM.
  • laz1904
    Thank you shamanstears for this post and Raven for posting the libdvdread4 change. That did the trick...I struggled for a couple days trying libdvdread3 reading older posts. I had all the Gstreamer plug-ins with the exception of fluendo checked off in Add/Remove programs prior to cutting and pasting the command line above with along with the correction...not sure if that helped but I am officially up and running in Ubuntu Juanty with an old Dell P4 1.8Ghz,...everything works..wireless drivers, printer and now dvd. I may never go back to MSFT. Thanks again.
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