Convincing overall package. Brilliant image, crisp sound at halfway modern hardware

PowerDVD has lifted its Media dog in version 12 in a new era, version 14 adds new tricks (4K, cloud, Smartphone Control etc.)
acknowledges the increased functionality in an elegant GUI and optimized under the hood.

Neither the Windows Media Player, VLC still pour Blu-ray, DVD, video file, streaming, DLNA, Social media, playlists so in a clear and easy to use application.
At each point we will also support any more necessary at initial setup via guided procedure, the default settings are easily accessible.

Has significantly improved the performance of CyberLink. In my fairly elderly PC (Intel 2600K, Nvidia GTX 570) came under Windows 8.1 nothing for bucking.
With Blu-ray 3D CPU utilization fluctuated even with software decoding by only 5% and never came in there tips about 20%.
But more impressive is the quality of reproduction.
The image of the video is crisp, detailed than in said other players, especially in high-scale and there is easy to control image optimization functions,
their side-by-side comparison with the original presentation is very convenient.

Even more you can tell the difference in sound. PowerDVD tickle out of the available material more bass, more space, and resolution.
Practical is the adjustment that all other Windows sounds are suppressed during video playback.

The soft buttons have been added to angle control and snapshot, so saves you some click to the menu.
Unfortunately, the snapshot function with Blu-rays is disabled still what now even with TotalMedia Theatre is however so.

Nothing to complain about there in support variety of video formats.
No video of my grown over many years hodgepodge of formats and sub-formats (MPG, MPEG, MP4, VOB, MTS, WMV, MOV etc.) of numerous Actioncams, Phones refused PowerDVD.
Only in the older film trailer Alexander in WMV-HD, there were problems with black screens, in sum VLC had more difficulties.

A particular problem there was with me in the constellation World War Z Blu-ray 3D as in 2D via software decoding.
Here the picture jumps from time to time back and forth. With hardware decoding or World War Z as native 2D version of this effect does not occur.

Conclusion. Whether one PowerDVD 14 Ultra requires or would afford, everyone must decide for themselves.
I've been using it like since there is a jack of all trades on the amount of time media technology, many individual programs makes unnecessary and when playing sets a qualitative exclamation.
The Version 14 is stable, tidy and for me under Windows 8.1 less buggy than any other program that I use.
By the by, is the biggest disadvantage of the still high price.