You were correct to let Auto Updates run before doing anything else. Windows 7 is driver-complete in the installer and via optional Windows Updates when you enable
Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3). This is not XP. You don't even interact with drivers in Win8, which uses advances made in Windows 7.
Only if your wireless or ethernet driver is not provided do you need to supply it to get online to do Updates. Only after all Important and Optional Updates are completed should you import any drivers still missing in Device manager, from the Support Downloads webpage for the model PC or device.
There are other Best Practices
here based on helping with tens of thousands of installs here over the years. I also cannot remember anyone mentioning PDVD before so it may be problematic. Most functions needed are built into Media Center or WMP.