What is a DVD decoder and how do I get a free one?

Asked by rdayton (23) February 8th, 2007

I used to be able to play DVDs easily and I don't recall having to download anything to be able to do that. However, I recently had to erase and reload everything on my computer and now I can't play DVDs (although I have Windows Media Player). When I try to play one I get a message telling me that I cannot play DVDs because I do not have a DVD decoder. So, anyone who knows what that is, why I need it, or where to get it (hopefully for free), that information would be very helpful to me.