There was/is a rather long thread over in AVS Forum on this DVD and its playback. A few folks from Microsoft participated and actually were both interested and helpful. Microsoft claims they've learned from this experience and hope that future releases will be smoother.
It is possible to use WMP9 to play these DVDs but it isn't easy. The issue is entirely related to Digital Rights Management and the method used by the DVD publisher. Some folks had luck allowing the Interactual Player to fetch the DRM license the first time, then using WMP9 to validate and play the DVD in HD.
The thread is fairly old but some searching should find it. IIRC it was in the HTPC section.
Shady,
I haven't been to the AVS Forum for the particular DVD, but thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can find the thread.
To be more specific about my installation issues with the WMV HD version of "T2"; so that other's on this forum are better informed than I was when I purchased the movie:
1. There is no pre-purchase warning on the DVD that you will have to install and use the movie distributor's software dvd player. Amazon's website (where I purchased it) had no warning either.
2. The InterActual dvd software didn't install easily and after it did install required me to get an update, which, in my particular case, was made nearly impossible because I don't have IE6 as my default browser. As soon as the IA player finished the initial install it said I needed an update to watch the movie; proceeded to open my default browser (Opera 7.23) and took me to a website to download the update. The website wouldn't download the update unless I made IE6 my default browser. Might as well ask me to dump MC10 in favor of WMP - ain't gona happen Bill. Anyway, I never installed the update and I still got the IA player to work.
3. Like alot of other software, InterActual's dvd player becomes your default dvd player, thank you NOT very much!
4. I already mentioned my dislike about being asked for any form of personal information. I won't even get into that.
5. I tried copying the files off the dvd and playing them in WMP9, but I wasn't successful. As Shady pointed out, it isn't easy.
6. I did get the DRM license OK - eventually, and I did play the movie, but I fully expect that if Microsoft is to succeed in this area, they had better make it as easy to play a feature film as they did to play "Coral Sea Adventure" (which isn't a mainstream Hollywood production).
In the meantime, my advice about this version of the movie is to skip it, and beware of any other Hollywood movies released on WMV HD. It seems to me that any WMV HD movie should be designed to simply insert in your XP PC's dvd drive and play. You shouldn't even have to be connected to the Internet. Any DRM mombo jumbo should take place between WMP9 and the encrypted data files on the DVD.