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PowerDVD 11: 'Play any media format, from any source'

CyberLink has released the latest version of its do-everything media player,  PowerDVD 11 , which the company now boasts will "play any media format, from any source." This starts with support for playing all the main video formats, now including MKV (H.264), FLV (H.264), WTV, 3GP and 3G2 files. The program can also play your music files, though, and this version adds support for playing photos in slideshows, too.

If the content isn't on your hard drive, then  PowerDVD 11 adds new support for streaming files from DLNA servers. It's able to access files on Apple and Android devices, and enhanced social media tools mean you're able to able to access YouTube videos, Facebook and Flickr images, all from within the program.

The TrueTheater 3D technology introduced in  PowerDVD 10 has been enhanced, so it now does an even better job of converting your video files, regular 2D DVD and Blu-ray movies into 3D versions. And there's new support for images here, too, so you're able to import and display native 3D images, as well as applying a 3D effect to your own photos, and create 3D slideshows from your favourites.

Elsewhere, you get support for playing recorded 3D TV Blu-ray discs. PowerDVD 11 can make use of Intel/ AMD/ NVIDIA MVC DXVA video decoding support to reduce its CPU utilisation. And new HDMI 1.4, DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD support ensures this is the best-sounding PowerDVD ever.

Of course controlling all this from the keyboard can become complicated, and probably isn't the best way to enjoy your favorite movies. So it's good to see that CyberLink has provided an alternative, in a couple of new apps that allow you to control PowerDVD remotely via your  iPhone , iPad or  Android device.

As with previous editions, PowerDVD 11 comes in three editions: Standard, Deluxe and Ultra. Ultra contains everything we've mentioned here, and more; Deluxe essentially drops Blu-ray and AVCREC/ AVCHD support; while Standard also omits the 3D features, DLNA support and iPhone/ Android remote control app (although this is available as an add-on).

And also as previously, all the editions are on the expensive side, unfortunately, with prices starting at $49.95.  CyberLink PowerDVD 11 is packed with some impressive features, though, and if they appeal to you then take the trial version for a spin -- it's  available now .

Get more applications news like this at  Software Crew . Just because something says it supports MKV, FLV, AVI, WMV etc it doesn't mean it can play them all. As containers those file types essentially box-up the audio and or video inside them, the most simple being an AVI which, as it's full name suggests, is an inter-leave of audio and video but those components within the file could have been created and combined in a mass of different ways by way of what codec was used, compression etc. I personally used to use PowerDVD back in the day that I actually watched DVDs on my PC (something I haven't done since circa 2008) but since then have used the CCCP (combined community codec pack) to provide all my playback video needs as well as provide some non-playback tools that allow me to customise in tiny detail all the settings of the playback app (media player classic) to ensure my files play flawlessly. If I had a dollar for every time an app (authoring or playback) that I've used in the last 15 years has said supports all AVI formats and it then turned out not to, I'd be a rich man (well I'd have about $20, but that doesn't corrolate to the pain such apps have caused me in business and pleasure hence my broad use of the 'If I had a dollar' analogy).