Ubuntu cannot play even original DVD's why??

And yes!! this is bug!! a very bad one!!! just try to play a Star Wars DVD on a Fresh Install of Ubuntu and then you can see the bug!!

It won't play on Windows by default. Windows can play it as your system has a DVD decoder installed. A default install of Windows does NOT come with this so it must be installed extra which is exactly the same as Ubuntu. This is in no way a bug.

The decoder is not included just like the other codecs due to the vast array of differing media laws around the world. If the legislation of a users system allows the codecs to be instaled then the metapackage ubuntu-restricted-extras can be installed. Similarly the DVD codec can be installed if allowed (and required, remember some netbooks do NOT have optical drives so including the codec is unecessary here)

The installation of the codecs for various audio formats as well as DVD is well documented so I fail to see why this is such an issue.

     I believe the reason you HAVE to load the codecs is that (any version of) linux is open-source. That means you can get the source codes for all programs, free of charge, which would allow shady folks to modify the programs. It was a legal issue for a while, because modification might mean you could make illegal COPIES of original movies (possibly reselling them, etc.). That's why they aren't installed by default. It isn't a bug - it's an issue of legality, which makes the DVD software writers and the Linux distributers just a little nervous about including it as a feature themselves.

Windows Home Premium and other editions WILL play DVDs by default. Windows 7 also comes with many popular codecs by default so most media plays out of the box. Of course, they can pay for that because they can charge for the operating system.

"Windows Home Premium" doesn't exist. Ubuntu is an opensource OS so only open codecs are included by default. Distros like Mint and Ultimate come with all the closed source stuff if you want it out of the box but the same codecs are available from the repos, why is this so hard. After an install it is extremely common to not hit the updates immediately, you can then install the codecs after using the same system. Simple stuff.

My Windows XP Pro SP0 came with no DVD codecs but were easily installable due to 3rd party software I owned.

Play mp3 and dvd under Ubuntu using Medibuntu

First please install https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats

You need to have extra repositories enabled..

Please first enable the universe and multiverse repository:

Open System → Administration → Software sources → [ Tab Ubuntu software ]

enable "Community-maintained Open Source software ( universe )"
enable "Proprietary drivers for devices ( restricted )"
enable "Software restrictecd by copyright or legal issue ( multiverse )"

Close and confirm the repository reload.

Then open a Terminal from the menu Applications→Accessories→Terminal

Tip: right click with mouse on the terminal title caption and select the item "Always on Top" doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other windows and you will find very easy to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
Something more about using the terminal https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal

Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
(Tip: select the single row to copy then right click into the terminal and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )

and type or better copy and paste:

sudo aptitude install vlc smplayer mplayer

To get better dvd playback and optional packages here the medibuntu available software list http://packages.medibuntu.org/
you need to add the medibuntu http://www.medibuntu.org/ repository to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
( here the medibuntu howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu but see below )

In short please open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type or copy and paste:

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/`lsb_release -cs`.list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list; sudo apt-get -q update; sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring; sudo apt-get -q update

-- give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter

Now to install, type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras libxine1-ffmpeg
sudo aptitude install libdvdread3 libdvdnav4 libdvdcss2 regionset gnome-mplayer
sudo aptitude install non-free-codecs w32codecs
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-pitfdll gstreamer0.10-plugins-good
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

You can also install other Medibuntu repository provided optional software http://packages.medibuntu.org/ :

Hope this helps

> "Windows Home Premium" doesn't exist.

What on Earth are you talking about? Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows 7 Home Premium don't exist? BOTH will play DVDs out of the box. Educate yourself before making such nonsense statements.

Yes, but which one. Yes "Windows Vista Home Premium" exists, as does "Windows 7 Home Premium" but "Windows Home Premium" does NOT exist. Quite simple really, consider myself educated yet you are not.

Playing original DVDs requires a licenced decoder :

- Fluendo has created a Linux DVD player that is licenced and cost money.

- Ms and Apple pay the DVD group few dollars per machine to ship DVD playback.

- openSource DVDCSS library enable to circumvent the encrypted mecanism, which is illegal in some country.

the right Question is : Why doesn't gnome-codec-install propose you a graphical automatic way to install automagically the libDVDCSS ?

the answer might be that ubuntu could get sued if it was too easy ....

I think the correct question is: why does it cost money (theoretically) to play back something I just spent waaaaay too much money to buy the media? But we digress.

DVD playback is free on Ubuntu.....

@Franck : it also cost money on WIndows and MacOSX . that's why W8 does not include a DVD player anymore.

Blame the DVD consortium that felt that people shouldn't enjoy their DVD with simple software.

We already asked Totem devs to guide people for installing libdvdcss but they felt that it's too risky to link to installation instructions which is sad I feel.