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If you have a CD-ROM drive or a
DVD drive, you can turn your computer into a multimedia
entertainment center. You can watch movies, play games,
and listen to music on your computer.
DVDs: The basics
Digital Video Discs, or DVDs, look like
the compact discs you play in your stereo or the CD-ROMs
you use on your computer, but they have as much as 23
times more memory. DVDs can store full-length movies,
layering crystalline images, rich colors, and
high-quality sound, and still have enough memory to
record the movie's dialogue in up to eight languages, or
provide hearing-impaired captions or other useful
commentary. DVDs can also contain computer games laden
with special effects and 3-D graphics to make playing
more realistic and absorbing. You can also find
innovative multimedia software programs and reference
works increasingly available on DVDs.
Because DVD information is
stored in a specialized format, you need a decoder to
display it. Windows 98 works with Toshiba, Quadrant, and
Luxenor decoders. These decoders are already installed
in a variety of new computers. You can also buy add-on
decoders. You also need a DVD-ROM drive. Windows 98
supports all DVD-ROM drives.
CDs: Games, tunes, and other software
If you have a CD-ROM
drive, you can use CDs and CD-ROMS to play games, load
software, or use a variety of software and multimedia
applications. You can also listen to audio CDs while you
work on something else. Want to know how to get your CD
player to turn on as soon as you put the CD in the
drive? See Making a CD play automatically
to learn how.
Deluxe CD Player
If you like playing audio CDs on your computer,
you might want to check out the Deluxe CD Player
software that comes with Microsoft Plus! 98. Microsoft
Plus! 98 is a software package you can buy that works
with Windows 98 to make it run even faster, and provides
several options for fun.
If you are connected to the
Internet while playing your CD, Deluxe CD Player can
instantly identify the artist and title of the CD you're
playing, and all the track titles, and can connect you
to several Web sites about that album or the artist.
Microsoft Windows Media Player
When you're surfing the Web, you'll come
across sites that contain audio and video files. They
might be song excerpts, music videos, news clips, or
even a full-length movie. Media Player enables you to
enjoy them.
When you click a multimedia file
on a page, Media Player automatically opens. It also
works on any multimedia file on your computer - for
example, an audio attachment in an e-mail message
someone sends you, or multimedia content you've
downloaded from the Internet.
For more information about
Windows Media Player, visit the Windows Media Player Web
site.
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Windows 98 Home
