CyberLink PowerDVD 365.24.1922

CyberLink PowerDVD Review: Blu-ray, 4K, 8K and HDR Playback for Windows

CyberLink PowerDVD is a Windows media player for Blu-ray and DVD discs, local video, photo and audio files, and online video sources. PowerDVD 24, the current release, adds 8K and AV1 playback, HDR10 handling and AI-based picture and sound enhancement, and it brings local and cloud-stored media together in one library.

Playback and Format Support

• Disc playback: Licensed Blu-ray and DVD playback with full disc menus, chapters and BD-Live. DVD playback is included in every edition, while Ultra and 365 also add Blu-ray playback and support for DVD and Blu-ray ISO files stored on a hard drive.
• High-resolution video: 4K Ultra HD and 8K playback with HDR10 support. HDR10 file playback requires the October 2018 Windows update, and 8K and 4K TrueTheater require the Fall Creators Update or later.
• Format coverage: MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WebM, HEVC, AVC, VP9 and AV1 video, along with WebP images.
• 360° and VR: Ultra and 365 include playback of 360° and VR video.

Picture and Sound Enhancement

• TrueTheater: Real-time AI processing for picture and sound. Video Super Resolution upscales SD and HD footage toward near 4K, and Frame Interpolation produces smoother motion. Both depend on supported Intel, NVIDIA or AMD hardware.
• Audio: DTS-HD, Dolby Audio and Hi-Res 7.1 surround sound, with TrueTheater Audio Denoise and Voice Isolation.
• Karaoke and audio tools: AI vocal removal from songs in the library or on YouTube, with pitch shift, separate vocal and music volume controls, and audio mixing and export.

Media Library, Casting and Companion Apps

• Media library: Local video, photo and audio files are managed in the same player used for disc playback.
• Casting: Ultra and 365 can cast to Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV and Roku, with AI enhancements available during casting.
• Companion app: The free PowerPlayer app for iOS and Android plays media from a home wireless network or CyberLink Cloud.

Editions, Licensing and Requirements

• Free version: The download requires no payment details. Premium features, including licensed Blu-ray playback, TrueTheater, 8K, AI karaoke, casting and format conversion, are unlocked for the first seven days. After that, the free version continues to play media.
• Standard and Ultra: One-time licenses priced from US$59.99 to US$99.99, depending on edition. Standard covers DVDs and video files on a PC, while Ultra is the full version.
• PowerDVD 365: An annual subscription at US$54.99 per year with the same features as Ultra, ongoing updates and 100GB of CyberLink Cloud storage for as long as the subscription is active.
• Platform: Windows only, with no Mac version. PowerDVD 24 runs on 64-bit editions of Windows 11 and Windows 10. Blu-ray playback requires a Blu-ray drive, internal or USB, because Windows has no built-in Blu-ray or DVD playback.

Target Users

• Home-theater setups: Users with 4K or 8K displays, multichannel audio systems or VR content.
• Blu-ray owners: Users who play Blu-ray discs on a Windows PC need Ultra or 365, which include licensed Blu-ray playback.
• Existing owners: Users of older releases such as PowerDVD 19 or 22 gain AI vocal removal, Video Super Resolution, Frame Interpolation, AV1 playback and updated disc support in PowerDVD 24.