u7mg0 wrote:thank you all for your helpful suggestions. i am still a novice at this. i don't understand what "mount" entails. if i have VLC i can just click on the iso file? or do i have to use another program to extract the video file then play it? does this create a whole new file or just use the existing ISO? thanks again
I would guess that VLC creates it's own, temporary, virtual drive, mounts the video and then plays it. I wouldn't say it creates a whole new file but it's possible that temporarily you have two versions of the video at the same time, the iso file and the mounted files that VLC plays.
'Mounting' an iso file corresponds to inserting a dvd into a physical drive. Whatever software you use to create the virtual drive, they all do the same thing, which is make your computer think there is a physical drive complete with a drive letter like 'L' or 'Q'. Unmounting the iso file is like removing a dvd from a physical drive. It's just a matter of terminology.
I also use VLC, because, imho, it's the best all around player out there. If you want to be able to double-click an iso file and have it open in VLC you will have to set up the file association when you install VLC.
My personal preference is to not associate any file format with VLC. That way I can use the right-click context menu to select VLC or just double-click a file to open a file in it's normal player. For example, a wmv file normally opens in WMP or a mp4 files opens in Quicktime. What you choose to do will depend on what your workflow is.
Joe