Blu Ray & WinXP

[Ken C]

Can Blu Ray DVD's play on an XP box ? Obviously, I haven't kept up. I'm thinking of turning my XP-based "Test" machine into a HDTV gaming/internet/Blu Ray machine. Basically I want to plug in an HDMI video card (suggestions ?) and a Blu Ray drive. Any recommendations on Blu Ray software players ?

[HelenWeathers]

I've used an XP HTPC to do Blu-ray playback through both Total Media Theater and Power DVD. I've used Sony and LiteOn Blu-ray drives. I've used nVidia 7950s, 8600s and 9600s.

I like Total Media Theater software but PowerDVD works well also.
I had no problems with either drive, but the Sony is older so the LiteOn rips a bit faster.
I had no problems with the nVidia cards but sometimes new drivers were buggy. When you have one that works, save it in case you need to roll back. I've not used ATI cards, but others here have and report that they work well. Probably the same issues with drivers on the ATIs. Adjusting to new technology and all.
You really benefit by having a dual core (or better) cpu (my P4HT worked, but it worked hard).

[Ken C]

Helen,

Can you just pop a Blu Ray in the drive and watch it or do you have to rip it first ?

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by Ken C

Helen,

Can you just pop a Blu Ray in the drive and watch it or do you have to rip it first ?

With Total Media Theater or Power DVD it's pop in and play. The reason I picked TMT over PDVD was that I was able to interface it with SageTV easier at the time. I use custom menus in Sage and have a main menu item "Play Blu-ray Movie".

I believe PDVD is just as easy now, but I'm more comfortable with TMT.

I only mentioned ripping because the read speed of the drive is important for that, and my old Sony was slow.

[Ken C]

Thanks, Helen. The Test machine has an Intel DP965LT mb with a Core2Duo 6400. The intent is to transfer it into a Silverstone LC10 case with a Blu Ray drive and whatever video card (pcie-16) that supports HDMI. Sage will stay on the server feeding the HD200. All will connect to the HDTV. I miss the internet connectivity lost with the HD200. Not sure what affect this will have on the waf, time to go buy some chocolate !!

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Ken C

Basically I want to plug in an HDMI video card (suggestions ?) and a Blu Ray drive. Any recommendations on Blu Ray software players ?

Buy a standalone Blu-ray player is my recommendation. For less than the price of a BD ROM, Video card and software, you can get a really nice standalone, and have none of the issues that go with BD playback on the PC.

Can you just pop a Blu Ray in the drive and watch it or do you have to rip it first ?

Yes, but depending on your luck (or lack there of) you might need AnyDVD HD to make it work.

Also you mention HDMI, that's not required, only DVI with HDCP (a dongle will work) unless you're expecting to bitstream HBR audio (TrueHD/DTS-HD) in which case you'll need an Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 since I think that's the only solution with PAP (Protected Audio Path).

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Buy a standalone Blu-ray player is my recommendation. For less than the price of a BD ROM, Video card and software, you can get a really nice standalone, and have none of the issues that go with BD playback on the PC.

seconded....

[Ken C]

[QUOTE=stanger89;358770]Buy a standalone Blu-ray player is my recommendation. For less than the price of a BD ROM, Video card and software, you can get a really nice standalone, and have none of the issues that go with BD playback on the PC.]


I'm sure you are correct about the standalone. Particularly now with some hitting the $250 price point. I'm trying to put together a machine to restore internet connectivity, maybe some gaming, and Blu Ray. But, cost is always a concern.



[QUOTE=stanger89Also you mention HDMI, that's not required, only DVI with HDCP (a dongle will work) unless you're expecting to bitstream HBR audio (TrueHD/DTS-HD) in which case you'll need an Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 since I think that's the only solution with PAP (Protected Audio Path).[/QUOTE]

HDMI is for connection to the Samsung HDTV. As far as audio is concerned, the Intel mb 5.1 audio is more than adequate for my needs.

Maybe just an internet / gaming machine and a standalone. I already have everything needed to assemble the computer. Ah, decisions, decisions ...

[OldPCGUY]

Originally Posted by Ken C

Can Blu Ray DVD's play on an XP box ? Obviously, I haven't kept up. I'm thinking of turning my XP-based "Test" machine into a HDTV gaming/internet/Blu Ray machine. Basically I want to plug in an HDMI video card (suggestions ?) and a Blu Ray drive. Any recommendations on Blu Ray software players ?

Hi Ken,

I ripped a Blue Ray to my hard drive using Slysoft. Then I played it back using my SAGE HD-200 Extender using latest BETA drivers.

No problems! Great Video and 5.1 Sound.

An HD-200 Extender can be bought for ~$200
A good HDMI/DVI video card could be had for about ~$120 or less.

The extender just plays everything I throw at it. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent optimizing settings for SD, Versus HD versus DVD for my HTPC (before HD-200 was available) It was kind of fun for the first time playing with Graph Edit but totally unnecessary.

I highly highly reccomend getting an HD-200.

With Blue Rays at 50Gbyte per movie I cannot speak so highly. My wife made me return the Blue Ray Drive becuase we compared the Same DVD and Blue Ray and she did not think the improvement was that great for blue ray.

I have a 42 inch Visio and the Movie was letter boxed.

[aflat]

I disagree on the blu-ray player, unless you only have 1 TV. I have 2 TV's, and it was cheaper for me to get a blu-ray drive on my PC, and rip all my movies, especially now that Sage can play the format without converting. Sure I can't watch a movie for about 30 minutes, but I wrote a very simple script that just copies it to my Sage video folder with the movie name, so I can be watching a blu-ray on either TV in 30 minutes. I think I have a 4x blu-ray drive. You can get a 6x for under $100 nowadays, and 8x are like $120-$150.

I could probably also set up Sage to monitor my blu-ray drive, with AnyDVDHD running, and I think it would pick it up, but I haven't even looked at that yet.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by aflat

I could probably also set up Sage to monitor my blu-ray drive, with AnyDVDHD running, and I think it would pick it up, but I haven't even looked at that yet.

It works like a charm and makes a new Blu-ray movie accessable on any of your TVs a few seconds after you put it in the shared BD drive.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by aflat

I disagree on the blu-ray player, unless you only have 1 TV. I have 2 TV's, and it was cheaper for me to get a blu-ray drive on my PC, and rip all my movies, especially now that Sage can play the format without converting. Sure I can't watch a movie for about 30 minutes, but I wrote a very simple script that just copies it to my Sage video folder with the movie name, so I can be watching a blu-ray on either TV in 30 minutes. I think I have a 4x blu-ray drive. You can get a 6x for under $100 nowadays, and 8x are like $120-$150.

I could probably also set up Sage to monitor my blu-ray drive, with AnyDVDHD running, and I think it would pick it up, but I haven't even looked at that yet.

Oh, I'm all for having a BD drive in the system and ripping BDs for 'online' access to them. But for the place/time where you just want to plop a (Netflix) disc in and watch it, IMO a BD player is a better/easier/less frustrating solution to a PC BD player.

[doc]

When I added the Blu ray drive to the import folder XP couldn't read the disks.

I had to install a UDF 2.5 driver which took quite some searching to find.

I have Anydvd HD installed and it will rip disks to the hard drive fine.

Do I really need the UDF driver or should AnyDVD HD sort that for me?

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by doc

When I added the Blu ray drive to the import folder XP couldn't read the disks.

I had to install a UDF 2.5 driver which took quite some searching to find.

I have Anydvd HD installed and it will rip disks to the hard drive fine.

Do I really need the UDF driver or should AnyDVD HD sort that for me?

Well that depends. If you want to be able to view the file system on the disk with windows explorer (or play files directly off the disk with software that doesn't support native bluray playback - ie navigating to the correct .m2ts files and playing with WMP) then the answer is yes. If you just want to use AnyDVDHD and rip the disk to your harddrive to do all your playback/editing/copying/etc then no you do not.

The Bluray filesystem is UDF 2.5 and no driver is included with WinXP by default, hence why you need the driver to be able to see the contents with windows exlorer.

[Suntan]

Originally Posted by OldPCGUY

No problems! Great Video and 5.1 Sound.

Yeah, but the HD200 still doesn't offer a way to get DD TrueHD or DTS HDMA to your receiver (either bitstream or 7.1 PCM), true?

-Suntan

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by Suntan

Yeah, but the HD200 still doesn't offer a way to get DD TrueHD or DTS HDMA to your receiver (either bitstream or 7.1 PCM), true?

-Suntan

correct... the HD200 is also not HDMI 1.3... so if they do anything regarding HD audio with the HD200 they will have to decode to 7.1 LPCM (you need HDMI 1.3 for bitstreaming HD audio... at least that's my recollection...)