CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), today released PowerDVD 18, the latest version of its flagship movie and media player. The new version of PowerDVD includes a slew of new features and content integrations, enabling the playback software to be more than an all-in-one entertainment solution and fulfill a unique function of empowering office workers to bring their favorite video content into the workplace without jeopardizing productivity.

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One of the new relevant features for office workers in PowerDVD 18 is the introduction of the “Mini View” player. This highly demanded feature keeps the video player on top of other windows, ensuring uninterrupted viewing of local or online videos. When coupled with the new YouTube Live integration, alongside the ability to playback nearly any video file type in use by the industry today, the Mini View player allows users to multitask on their PCs while never missing a moment of whatever they’re watching. PowerDVD becomes a critical outlet for office workers with a unique capability to bring their favorite video content into their workdays, such as a YouTube livestream of a SpaceX rocket launch or a 24/7 puppy cam to downloaded movies and television shows stored locally.

PowerDVD 18, with the new Mini-View feature, comes at a time when 13 to 37 percent of Americans watch video while at work, with another 63 percent of people attempting to hide online video from an employer by playing it from a mobile device hidden underneath their table or desk. According to psychologist Dr. Joseph Cilona, watching videos at work can reduce stress and anxiety while also increasing productivity, but there’s a clear stigma attached to viewing any form of entertainment while on the job. Dr. Cilona thinks this stigma is undeserved and outdated, with PowerDVD 18 positioned as a modern outlet for office workers to achieve workplace nirvana.

“Research today shows that short breaks can have mental and health benefits, such as glancing at a favorite live feed of a nature scene or humorous video, and can lead to higher job satisfaction, a more balanced emotional health, and a stronger desire to go above-and-beyond—all of which are key critical factors for an employee to be productive and efficient for their tasks at hand,” said Dr. Cilona. “There’s a litany of benefits that can come with watching video content at work, and PowerDVD 18 enables people to watch it without being disruptive. If someone is settling into a multi-hour session in an Excel spreadsheet, they’re going to find PowerDVD 18 can bring context to their workday that can positively impact their focus, productivity and creativity while mitigating stress.”

CyberLink’s PowerDVD 18, in addition to serving as a new platform for office workers to watch their favorite content at work, is the go-to movie and media player for 4K high dynamic range (HDR), Ultra-HD Blu-ray, virtual reality (VR), 360^o and online streaming content. PowerDVD is the world’s most complete and reliable home entertainment center, providing playback for all types of digital media – from physical movie discs, video files and online streaming to photos and music.

“In today’s digital age, people expect to watch high-definition movies and stream videos with zero hassle, no questions asked. PowerDVD continues to lead the way bringing a premium multimedia experience to users around the world,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “With the introduction of the new Mini-View feature, and the fact that so many people admit to watching video content at work, we wanted to create an option for our users to seamlessly watch their favorite videos in the corner of their computer screen and enable pain-free multitasking. PowerDVD provides the best entertainment solution on the PC, living room and now the office, for any content in the best quality.”

Key Features of PowerDVD 18 include:

• Ultra HD Blu-ray—the world’s first solution to play 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray titles on Windows PCs.
• HDR 10—PowerDVD 18 provides the capability to play HDR 10 videos, which provides better resolution, higher framerate and high dynamic range.
• H.265/HEVC on Windows 10—PowerDVD 18 enables users to watch videos shot using the H.265 codec (common across popular video recording devices like iPhones and GoPros), even though Windows 10 does not natively support.
• Tri-View 360° Viewing Mode—an updated interface that shows every angle at a glance so that you never miss a moment of a 360° video, perfect for watching on a PC.
• Livestreaming—watch live content on YouTube with better picture quality and HDR support, delivering the best viewing experience possible.
• Play & Pin Online Videos—save online videos so they can be watched later, even without an internet connection.
• Mini View—watch video content in a separate mini window that’s always on top of your desktop screen, making on-screen multitasking easier than ever.
• Media Casting—newly added support for Fire TV™, in addition to Roku®, Apple TV® and Chromecast™ enables users to cast video, photo or music files to their TV, even in formats that aren’t natively supported by their streaming device.
• True Full Screen for Blu-ray—when watching a Blu-ray disc on an ultra-widescreen TV (21:9 or 2.35:1 aspect ratio), PowerDVD intelligently adjusts playback so that content fits your screen. No more letterboxing.
• TrueTheater® HDR—upscales standard video to HDR-like quality for better viewing on HDR displays. Combine with a host of other TrueTheater technologies for the ultimate visual and audio quality.
• Power Media Player MR—dive into a world of virtual and mixed reality content with curated online content for the latest Windows MR headsets.

PowerDVD Availability
PowerDVD 18 is available today from the CyberLink online store in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Russian and Portuguese.

PowerDVD Pricing
PowerDVD offers both subscription and perpetual licenses so users can choose a purchase option that best suits their requirements. PowerDVD Live is available in annual and quarterly subscription options. Lifetime licenses are available for three versions of PowerDVD 18.

• PowerDVD Live: US$44.99/12 month or US $14.99/3 month subscription
• PowerDVD 18 Ultra: US$99.95
• PowerDVD 18 Pro: US$79.95
• PowerDVD 18 Standard: US$59.95

To see the differences between each version visit the PowerDVD product page. Upgrades from previous PowerDVD versions are also available starting from $49.95.

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