You can set it to always go to one or the other if you prefer, and you can switch to the one you're not using at any time. PowerDVD's starting splash screen offers just two big option buttons: PC Mode and TV Mode.
PowerDVD's UI is, however, more complicated than that of another important competitor, Microsoft's Movies & TV, which also plays your local video files and offers a movie and TV store-important because it's free and comes with every copy of Windows 10. PowerDVD's interface is more modern than that of its closest competitor, Corel WinDVD ($99.99 at Amazon UK), which looks somewhat stuck in the past. The PowerDVD installer also places a tray icon in the notification area of the taskbar, which pops up to import media when you insert a USB drive. A link from the setup wizard takes you to the cloud storage webpage, where you simply create or sign into an online account. Once you've entered the license key, you'll want to set up your media library and sign up for a cloud storage account.
Note that the basic free version of PowerDVD bundled with new PCs lacks most advanced features mentioned in this review. A full-featured, free 30-day trial version is available for those who don't want to commit before trying.
You can also get the software through a subscription to PowerDVD Live ($44.99 per year), which gets you all features and updates. Standard ($59.95) is just for basic DVD playing. The Pro version lacks UHD 4K Blu-ray, TV Mode, and other features ($79.95).
The full PowerDVD 17 Ultra ($99.95) comes with all features-this is the version reviewed here. There are three levels available for purchase. It's a 32-bit application, but the software also runs on 64-bit PCs. PowerDVD is available for Windows 10 ($99.99 at Amazon UK), 8.1, and 7. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. ( Read our editorial mission.) Furthermore, the highlight of the previous version was TV Mode, which offers media casting to HDTVs, premium audio playback, and an improved PowerDVD Remote app-all of which remain key features in version 17. In addition to its disc-related abilities, PowerDVD can play cloud-based content and work as a home theater server. Those are just the headline features: PowerDVD 17 Ultra offers lots of viewing benefits that can help you get more out of your media collection. It offers the only way to play 4K Blu-ray with HDR discs, and now it even lets you watch VR content on an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset. Indeed, this Ultra edition is a must for high-end home-theater PC enthusiasts. And though discs are increasingly being superseded by streaming media options, the software can still be useful for some media-playing needs. If you've purchased a PC with an optical drive in the past 10 years, chances are good that the PowerDVD utility software came preinstalled on the computer.