This is the output for two tryouts, one with mplayer, the other with gnome-mplayer: mplayer -v -mouse-movements dvdnav:// MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.7 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team CPU vendor name: GenuineIntel max cpuid level: 6 CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz (Family: 15, Model: 6, Stepping: 5) extended cpuid-level: 8 extended cache-info: 134242368 Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes Testing OS support for SSE... yes. Tests of OS support for SSE passed. CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNowExt: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1 SSSE3: 0 Compiled with runtime CPU detection. get_path('codecs.conf') -> '/home/myusername/.mplayer/codecs.conf' Reading optional codecs config file /home/myusername/.mplayer/codecs.conf: No such file or directory Reading optional codecs config file /etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: No such file or directory Using built-in default codecs.conf. init_freetype Using MMX (with tiny bit MMX2) Optimized OnScreenDisplay get_path('fonts') -> '/home/myusername/.mplayer/fonts' Configuration: --prefix=/usr --confdir=/etc/mplayer --enable-xvmc --enable-menu --enable-radio --enable-radio-capture --disable-arts --language=all --disable-dvdread-internal --disable-libdvdcss-internal --disable-libmpeg2-internal --disable-ffmpeg_a --target=i586-linux --enable-runtime-cpudetection --enable-debug --enable-joystick --disable-gui CommandLine: '-v' '-mouse-movements' 'dvdnav://' Using nanosleep() timing get_path('input.conf') -> '/home/myusername/.mplayer/input.conf' Reading optional input config file /home/myusername/.mplayer/input.conf: No such file or directory Parsing input config file /etc/mplayer/input.conf Input config file /etc/mplayer/input.conf parsed: 92 binds Setting up LIRC support... mplayer: could not connect to socket mplayer: No such file or directory Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control. get_path('.conf') -> '/home/myusername/.mplayer/.conf' Playing dvdnav://. get_path('sub/') -> '/home/myusername/.mplayer/sub/' libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 4.2.0 libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.13 for DVD access libdvdread: Can't stat /dev/dvd No such file or directory libdvdread: Could not open /dev/dvd libdvdnav: vm: failed to open/read the DVD Couldn't open DVD device: /dev/dvd (No such file or directory) No stream found to handle url dvdnav:// vo: x11 uninit called but X11 not initialized.. Exiting... (End of file) gnome-mplayer -v /dev/dvd GNOME MPlayer v1.0.8 gmtk v1.0.8 GTK 3.8.2 GLIB 2.37.1 GDA Enabled GMLIB-Message: Running with GIO support GMLIB-Message: Using audio device: Default GMLIB-Message: after init: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=0.00 player=dead media=unknown uri= GMLIB-Message: failed to get mode: Error when getting information for file '/dev/dvd': No such file or directory GMLIB-Message: opening /dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: stat_result = -1 GMLIB-Message: is block false GMLIB-Message: is character false GMLIB-Message: is reg false GMLIB-Message: is dir false GMLIB-Message: playlist false GMLIB-Message: embedded in window id 0x0 GMLIB-Message: playlist detection = false GMLIB-Message: adding file:///dev/dvd to playlist (cancel = false) GMLIB-Message: Using match: type='signal',interface='com.gnome.mplayer' GMLIB-Message: Using match: type='signal',interface='org.gnome.SettingsDaemon' GMLIB-Message: Using match: type='signal',interface='org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys' GMLIB-Message: Proxy connections and Command connected GMLIB-Message: Using match: type='signal',interface='org.mpris.MediaPlayer2' GMLIB-Message: Using match: type='signal',interface='org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player' GMLIB-Message: Proxy connections and Command connected ret = 1 GMLIB-Message: playing - file:///dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: is playlist false GMLIB-Message: old: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=1.00 player=dead media=unknown uri=file:///dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: new: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=1.00 player=running media=unknown uri=file:///dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: setting up mplayer GMLIB-Message: mplayer -channels 6 -af-add export=/tmp/mplayer-af_exporttevfoi:512 -quiet -slave -noidle -noconsolecontrols -nostop-xscreensaver -identify -volume 100 -softvol -msglevel all=5 -osdlevel 0 -delay 0 -subdelay 0 -subpos 0 -sub-fuzziness 0 -wid 0x2c00020 -brightness 0 -contrast 0 -hue 0 -saturation 0 -alang Zuni,zun -slang Zuni,zun -nomsgcolor -nomsgmodule -nokeepaspect -ass -embeddedfonts -ass-font-scale 1 -ass-color ffffff00 /dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: launched: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=1.00 player=running media=unknown uri=file:///dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.7 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team GMLIB-Message: ERROR: mplayer: could not connect to socket GMLIB-Message: ERROR: mplayer: No such file or directory GMLIB-Message: ERROR: Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control. GMLIB-Message: GMLIB-Message: Playing /dev/dvd. GMLIB-Message: ERROR: File not found: '/dev/dvd' GMLIB-Message: ERROR: Failed to open /dev/dvd. GMLIB-Message: GMLIB-Message: completed: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=1.00 player=dead media=unknown uri=file:///dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: finished: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=1.00 player=dead media=unknown uri=file:///dev/dvd GMLIB-Message: in media state change with state = unknown dontplaynext = 0 GMLIB-Message: trying to enable screensaver GMLIB-Message: trying to enable screensaver GMLIB-Message: completed: position=0.000 length=0.000 start_time=0.000 run_time=0.000 volume=1.00 player=dead media=unknown uri=file:///dev/dvd