PowerDVD version 12 Ultra is here, and it brings with it increased
3D support and improved playback controls. At the same time, it changes its
game a bit by offering tools for organizing and managing all of your media
across devices. Now you can use your desktop PC as a server for all of your
content, and with PowerDVD Mobile, you can browse and play that content from
anywhere.
PowerDVD's bread and butter has always been its movie playback
capabilities, and with version 12 that hasn't changed. The program can still
play DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and an impressive number of video file formats quite
well. Some new additions, however, include playlists, the ability to zoom in on
video, and 2D-to-3D conversion for Blu-ray discs. At this point, the conversion
feature is pretty much a novelty, but that doesn't change the fact that it
works considerably well. It even lets you adjust the depth of the graphics in
case you want to see how eye-popping the 3D can get.
Beyond typical movie playback, PowerDVD 12 comes with dramatically
improved syncing and streaming. Now it can act as a hub for all of your media
content--videos, photos, and music--and can sync across your various PCs and
Android devices via USB. Setting up your devices to stream over the network can
get confusing, but once you figure it out, PowerDVD's DLNA keeps it working
like a charm. It even lets you push media content from PowerDVD out to selected
devices. This means that from your desktop, you can push a video out to play on
your Android tablet and vice versa.
PowerDVD 12 also lets you view, share, and download photos from
your Facebook and Flickr albums--something I haven't seen in any other
multimedia programs. And finally, it comes with built-in access to the 7digital
Music Store, which confirms my belief that CyberLink is making a run to
incorporate an iTunes for Windows and Android into its software.
At this point, it seems like CyberLink PowerDVD is quickly
outgrowing its name. Sure, DVD playback has been and still is its main gig, but
the program is obviously creeping into other territories with its integrated
social media features, streaming and syncing, and its partnership with the
7digital Music Store. Whether it's true or not, I'm all for extra features
without the extra cost, and that's exactly what this iteration of PowerDVD
offers up.
If you're looking for a premium, all-in-one media player for
Windows, I highly recommend checking out PowerDVD 12 Ultra. It may not be as
easy to set up as iTunes, but it has some power features that make it
worthwhile.
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