Cyberlink PowerDVD 18 Ultra

I’m sure Cyberlink never gets tired of hearing it, but I’ve gotten a bit bored continually calling out PowerDVD as the best of breed when it comes to PC video playback. And yes, that means I’m calling the latest version 18, despite a glitch or two, just that.

If you’re not already a owner and want the best possible looking video playback, PowerDVD 18 is the real deal. With some material, especially older movies, its renderings are noticeably better than the very capable free solutions such as VLC, Media Player Classic - Home Cinema, Quicktime, Windows Media Player, et al.

If you already have PowerDVD 17, then version 18 is not necessarily a must have—unless you want some of its new features (in which case your upgrade will cost $49.95. The upgrade discount applies to PowerDVD 16 users, too;