You gotta be kidding me!!!

[Theynine]

Bought a new gaming laptop, bought it with a blu-ray player in it, it came with POWERDVD as software to run the thing. After trying to watch about 20 different titles, I discover the thing suffers terribly from choppy audio and video. So I try upgrading the POWERDVD, and after spending an additional X dollars, same problems. Video/audio chop. So I was thinking I had a bad player and was prepared to send it in, but decided to try some different software first. So I try Arcsofts blu-ray software on a 15 day free trial and the thing works GREAT. Later in the day I was talking to a friend who suggested I try WINDVD PRO as well. And I said, " sure'. I then proceed to visit the Corel site to try out WINDVD PRO and I notice it says that the free trial version has the blu-ray de-activated. Say what???? WINDVD PRO without blu ray is just WINDVD. I dont want to try WINDVD, I want the PRO. I want to see if the program even works with my player. Not sure why they would deactivate the main reason I would buy the thing, unless they are trying to hide something????? So I figured I would propose this question to customer service. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!! First off, there is no place to ask the question, you need to own the software before they will talk to you. You need to have a serial number before they will even communicate with you through email. Talk about personal service to the customer, pfffft!. I own a Corel 3D software, so I suppose I could have used its serial number to sneak in the back door, but its the principle of the thing! Then I decide to try the forums and YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, they want my soundboard name, they want to know which drive windows is loaded on, and if I dont know it, they say " GO LOAD THIS OTHER FREEWARE AND IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR MOTHERBOARD IS CALLED"! Huh? Im jumping through all these hoops for what exactly, JUST TO JOIN A MESSAGE BOARD FORUM??? Just so I can rant about the terrible way this company is running its operation? LOL, I DONT NEED THE AGGRAVATION! No Corel, you wont be selling me anything at all, your too annoying.

[skier-hughes]

I'm afraid that Corel very very rarely visit the forums, it is run by enthusiasts who use the programmes on a daily basis and may have come across the rpoblems others users seek an answer to.
Ranting here has no effect whatsoever, part from alienating other users.
Your first port of call should have been to the seller of the laptop, they have sold you a machine which does not work as you expected, this would have saved you your additional expense and aggro, getting them to sort it out for you. I'd suggest you still follow this course of action.
It may be that they install other software, but it should be them that sort the problem for you, I can't see anyone here being able to help.
As for the filling ion of your pc details etc, it helps when aswering questions to know what we are dealing with, just run through posts and the most popular answer is, what are your pc specs

[Theynine]

I'm afraid that Corel very very rarely visit the forums, it is run by enthusiasts who use the programmes on a daily basis and may have come across the rpoblems others users seek an answer to.

Then it appears they are wasting a valuable form of feedback which they could be using to address possible issues with their customer base.

Ranting here has no effect whatsoever, part from alienating other users.

Sorry Skier, was'nt trying to 'alienate' you. Did'nt come here to make any WINDVD fans sad by complaining about Corels customer service. Was just relating a tale of woe to anybody who cared to listen. If my rant is of no value to anyone, so be it, but it certainly made me feel better

Your first port of call should have been to the seller of the laptop, they have sold you a machine which does not work as you expected, this would have saved you your additional expense and aggro, getting them to sort it out for you. I'd suggest you still follow this course of action.
It may be that they install other software, but it should be them that sort the problem for you, I can't see anyone here being able to help.

My first 'port of call' on this pleasure cruise was indeed to my vendor (XoticPC) who merely told me that codecs aint all they are cracked up to be and yada yada yada, all smoke, they had no good answers. These are the same guys who knew less about how an IEEE port functions than I did, epic fail on their behalf. Be this as it may, they sold me a machine that functions as it should, but they loaded it with blu-ray software which does not, and they dont seem prepared to do anything about it. So being on my own, I seek my own solution, and here I am, attempting to do so but being tossed obstacles in my way to impede my progress. But seeing that Arcsoft has allowed me to try their entire software package on a trial basis, not some half baked partial version, and that the thing actually works, Im not going to go gambling 60 bucks trying WINDVD PRO just to find out it doesnt.

I can't see anyone here being able to help.

Which is a sad truth I have already figured out. But Corel needs to know what a nuisance it is trying to do business with them. If as you have suggested they dont bother to read their own forums, then I guess this will be of no assistance to them. This reminds me of a poor mans Microsoft help department, no actual customer service reps available, just a bunch of folks sitting around trying to figure things out on their own. Thanks for responding anyway, at least somebody is out there.

[Beaves]

I can tell you from personal experience that Windvd 2010 pro is hands down the best dvd playing software around. i to had problems with powerdvd crap and i took the plunge and installed windvd 2010 pro and it cured all the problems. now there are some company's that give windvd pro away for doing certain offers and some times those offers are les money then the actual software you could try that ally.

[Rob717]

Bought a new gaming laptop, bought it with a blu-ray player in it, it came with POWERDVD as software to run the thing. After trying to watch about 20 different titles, I discover the thing suffers terribly from choppy audio and video. So I try upgrading the POWERDVD, and after spending an additional X dollars, same problems. Video/audio chop. So I was thinking I had a bad player and was prepared to send it in, but decided to try some different software first. So I try Arcsofts blu-ray software on a 15 day free trial and the thing works GREAT. Later in the day I was talking to a friend who suggested I try WINDVD PRO as well. And I said, " sure'. I then proceed to visit the Corel site to try out WINDVD PRO and I notice it says that the free trial version has the blu-ray de-activated. Say what???? WINDVD PRO without blu ray is just WINDVD. I dont want to try WINDVD, I want the PRO. I want to see if the program even works with my player. Not sure why they would deactivate the main reason I would buy the thing, unless they are trying to hide something????? So I figured I would propose this question to customer service. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!! First off, there is no place to ask the question, you need to own the software before they will talk to you. You need to have a serial number before they will even communicate with you through email. Talk about personal service to the customer, pfffft!. I own a Corel 3D software, so I suppose I could have used its serial number to sneak in the back door, but its the principle of the thing! Then I decide to try the forums and YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, they want my soundboard name, they want to know which drive windows is loaded on, and if I dont know it, they say " GO LOAD THIS OTHER FREEWARE AND IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR MOTHERBOARD IS CALLED"! Huh? Im jumping through all these hoops for what exactly, JUST TO JOIN A MESSAGE BOARD FORUM??? Just so I can rant about the terrible way this company is running its operation? LOL, I DONT NEED THE AGGRAVATION! No Corel, you wont be selling me anything at all, your too annoying.

You have got to be kidding me:

If you go to Corel.com the sales line number is posted just about everywhere you can look, you can also ask questions on their online customer service chat (note that it is not Chat Tech Support) Also you have to an account with Corel.com, No SN needed to create one and then you can call the tech support. Try reading what it says

"Technical support of your existing, installed product is offered at $15 per incident. Or buy online and save! If there is a known or validated defect with your Corel product, the fee may be reimbursed at a later time by the support consultant. For more information, visit Corel Global Support Policy."

No where does it say if you call in to ask about a pre-sales question will you be charged, also when you do call its states its for how to.

In regards to Blu-ray not being activated in the trial, from what I understand is that there are royalty fees that would need to apply, Blu-ray is owned and licensed by Sony. So to be able to play BD movies you have to pay a fee to Sony, that is why there is no BD Freeware player.

How the other companies do it I don't know.

When you join the forums, you don't have to enter all the information that is listed, I see lots of users on the forums that have it all blank.

Nice rant though, seems to me that you are just a little lazy and need to take the time to look and read what is in front of you instead of just taking a glance and then whining about it in a forum that is hosted and maintained by the fans of the software that you cant find information for.

here is a link that might help you with all that whine you have

http://tinyurl.com/33gtqpr

WinDVD Pro 2010 works fine for me