Why do I get "DVD Overlay" errors when playing DVDs with  RealPlayer (RealTimes)?

To avoid "DVD Overlay" errors when playing DVDs, you can close extra programs running on your computer, lower video resolution, update your video card drivers, ensure that RealPlayer is the only DVD player on your computer, and check that your DVD shares the same region code as the RealPlayer.

Solution 1: Close background programs.

If you are running other programs at the same time as RealPlayer, these may interfere with your player's performance. See Close programs running in the background in Windows for instructions.

Solution 2: Lower video resolution.

Lowering your computer's video resolution can reduce the amount of work it must do to play the DVD:

1. Right-click on your computer desktop.

2. Windows 7/8: Select Screen resolution. Windows XP: Select Properties, and then click the Settings tab.

3. Move the Screen resolution (or Screen area) slider to the left a notch so the numbers get smaller.

4. For Color quality (or Colors), select a smaller number from the drop-down list.

5. Click OK.

Solution 3: Update your video card drivers.

To update your video card drivers, you will need to check with the manufacturer of your video card to ensure that you have the latest drivers available. They will have instructions for how to check this and how to obtain new drivers.

Solution 4: Ensure that there is only one DVD player on your computer.

Having multiple DVD players can cause problems. Even if they appear to work well separately, at times one player may inhibit the operation of menus or other features in the other player. To see how many DVD players are installed on your computer:

1. On the taskbar, click the Start button.

2. Select Control Panel (or Settings, then Control Panel).

3. Choose Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features in Windows 7/8).

4. Remove any additional DVD playing software you may have installed.

Solution 5: Check that the DVD can be played in your region.

In general, DVDs will play only on DVD drives that use the same region country codes. For example, if you live in the United States or Canada, you are in Region 1. You can play Region 1 DVDs only on a DVD drive that is set for Region 1. If you try to play Region 2 titles on a Region 1 DVD drive, you will receive the DVD Overlay message. To avoid this, make sure that the DVD and your DVD player are both coded for the same region. Check the DVD case for more information. You can usually find the region code number printed over a small globe icon on the back of the case. Please see Region errors when playing DVDs with RealTimes/RealPlayer for more information.