Question 4k UHD video playback setup on windows 10

[hardcore_gamer29]

ok so i want to setup my pc with windows 10 to run 4k UHD movies through bluray drive . can my configuration run it without any issues?
I9 10900K
corsair 16gbx2 4133mhz
coolermaster mwe gold 850watts
LG 27GN950-B monitor
RTX 3060
Now i want to use cyberlink powerdvd but suggestions are welcome which software to use?
Also, which bluray drive to buy LG,ASUS or any other which can play 4k UHD without any issues i heard some drives do not run uhd it is locked in them
thanks

 

[mnewsham]

Theoretically that should work, but in-practice getting all the DRM working is a pain in the ass.

It's FAR easier to just rip the UHD blurays to MKV and strip the DRM from it. Then it can be played back anywhere without issue.


If you still want to try doing it legitimately, then i'd recommend buying a drive that specifically advertises UHD playback capabilities. (Pioneer BDR-212UBK or LG WH16NS60 for example)

Also, I know a lot of people have problems getting the DRM to work properly if you're using more than 1 display. So i'd recommend using a single display only.

Not sure about software but most people seem to be fine with cyberlink powerdvd.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

Theoretically that should work, but in-practice getting all the DRM working is a pain in the ass.

It's FAR easier to just rip the UHD blurays to MKV and strip the DRM from it. Then it can be played back anywhere without issue.


If you still want to try doing it legitimately, then i'd recommend buying a drive that specifically advertises UHD playback capabilities. (Pioneer BDR-212UBK or LG WH16NS60 for example)

Also, I know a lot of people have problems getting the DRM to work properly if you're using more than 1 display. So i'd recommend using a single display only.

Not sure about software but most people seem to be fine with cyberlink powerdvd.

how do we rip it ? and does it affect quality?

 

[mnewsham]

how do we rip it ? and does it affect quality?

Quality is unaffected as it's literally just extracting the data and putting it into an MKV container.

Generally people use MakeMKV with publicly posted AACS decryption keys, or you can also use libredrive which accesses an optical disc ignoring the drive's firmware locks.

This is technically piracy, but if it's for your own personal use (IE, you're not uploading this online or selling copies to your friends) then it's generally accepted as fine.


None of this would be an issue if the DRM hoops weren't such a pain to deal with. But that's the world we live in currently.


Here is a generic introduction http://libredrive.com/
Google will get you most of the answers to anything beyond this, and a more specialized forum (MakeMKV's forum) would be my suggestion if you need specific help with this stuff.

 

[nakedfrog]

Yep, when I started trying to watch UHD discs on a PC, using MakeMKV to rip them seemed like the best solution I could find.
I followed the advice from MakeMKV forums on getting an LG WH16NS40 and updating the firmware. I have it in a Vantec NST-536S3-BK enclosure (also from tips via that forum).

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

Yep, when I started trying to watch UHD discs on a PC, using MakeMKV to rip them seemed like the best solution I could find.
I followed the advice from MakeMKV forums on getting an LG WH16NS40 and updating the firmware. I have it in a Vantec NST-536S3-BK enclosure (also from tips via that forum).

hello again one more question should really get 4k monitor i guess ripping the bluray from disk will work on 1440p monitor i guess?

 

[nakedfrog]

If this is the primary display on your PC, switching to a 4K display could add other complexities. There should still be at least some increase in visual fidelity watching back on a 1440P display, but naturally you're not going to see the full benefit. Viewing distance is also a factor.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

If this is the primary display on your PC, switching to a 4K display could add other complexities. There should still be at least some increase in visual fidelity watching back on a 1440P display, but naturally you're not going to see the full benefit. Viewing distance is also a factor.

actaully i play fps games too and achieving good frames on 4k will be not easy so thats why i want to settle with 1440p i have for now 1080p so before buying , just needed to confirm if bluray ripped look good or bad?

 

[nakedfrog]

It should still look good, and presumably better than 1080P would, especially if you have HDR. If not, then getting an HDR-capable display may be worthwhile, even at 1440P.

 

[mnewsham]

actaully i play fps games too and achieving good frames on 4k will be not easy so thats why i want to settle with 1440p i have for now 1080p so before buying , just needed to confirm if bluray ripped look good or bad?

It's not going to look bad, it's higher bitrate than a 1080p bluray, so assuming a 1080p bluray upscaled to 1440p or a 4k bluray downscaled to 1440p, the 4k bluray should look better.

It's just not going to look as good as if it were on a native 4k panel.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

It's not going to look bad, it's higher bitrate than a 1080p bluray, so assuming a 1080p bluray upscaled to 1440p or a 4k bluray downscaled to 1440p, the 4k bluray should look better.

It's just not going to look as good as if it were on a native 4k panel.

thanks i also badly want to buy 4k 144hz i have no issues but there is no graphic card exists that can give me atleast 100fps constant at 4k in games like battlefield 4 5 and latest upcoming battlefield 2042 .

 

[aigomorla]

they made blue ray so complicated to watch on a pc, that ironically ripping the disk itself and watching the mkv rip is far easier then getting the proper software with proper licenses.

also on a PC you should be able to watch 4k in any resolution you wish, as windows will downscale it for you though the program you are watching.
Most likely PowerDVD or WinDVD.

If you decide to go though the mkv route, you will need some codecs, and most likely windows media player classic.

When people ask me for display advice, i ask them how long they keep there displays for.
For me its usually several builds, so that means its stays with me.
If it stays with me, i want something really nice, so it doesn't feel aged.

With that concept, i would suggest you spend some money and get a quality IPS panel that has HDR10+ even.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

they made blue ray so complicated to watch on a pc, that ironically ripping the disk itself and watching the mkv rip is far easier then getting the proper software with proper licenses.

also on a PC you should be able to watch 4k in any resolution you wish, as windows will downscale it for you though the program you are watching.
Most likely PowerDVD or WinDVD.

If you decide to go though the mkv route, you will need some codecs, and most likely windows media player classic.

When people ask me for display advice, i ask them how long they keep there displays for.
For me its usually several builds, so that means its stays with me.
If it stays with me, i want something really nice, so it doesn't feel aged.

With that concept, i would suggest you spend some money and get a quality IPS panel that has HDR10+ even.

so all i need to get is bluray drive only? right?

 

[aigomorla]

so all i need to get is bluray drive only? right?

no you need a player software with licesnse.
So powerdvd or windvd.

PowerDVD:

PowerDVD 23 - Der beste Medien-Player für Windows | Cyberlink

PowerDVD ist ein Medien-Player Allrounder für 4K & 8K Filme, DVD, Blu-ray & mehr. Medien einfach teilen & 100GB Cloud-Speicher. Jetzt gratis testen.

www.cyberlink.com

WinDVD:

Support | WinDVD

WinDVD Customer Service can assist you with orders, product registration, and any questions you may have.

www.windvdpro.com

The license for bluray is what makes it so expensive.
Its really dumb if you want to watch a bluray on a PC.

A far cheaper solution believe it or not is just to grab a xbox360 or a PS4 Pro.
Because the cost of the blueray + software will probably almost come out the same as you grabing one of those as a dedicated blue ray player.


The other solution still requires you to have a blue ray player, but rips the bluray using a software like this:

MakeMKV - Make MKV from Blu-ray and DVD

MakeMKV - software to convert blu-ray and dvd to mkv

www.makemkv.com

NOTE: We are talking about blurays YOU OWN, lets not go down the dark web here.

It will in essense rip the BLR disk onto your drive, and then make it a playable file.
Oh its roughly around 70gigs.
Then you can use any free codec... Klite / CCCP / VLC....
And just read the file. The downside to this is the large storage space required.

 

[mnewsham]

Oh its roughly around 70gigs

Highly dependent on the film, i've found the average is closer ~55GB.

Though some extreme examples like LOTR extended are 120GB+ per film.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

no you need a player software with licesnse.
So powerdvd or windvd.

PowerDVD:

PowerDVD 23 - Der beste Medien-Player für Windows | Cyberlink

PowerDVD ist ein Medien-Player Allrounder für 4K & 8K Filme, DVD, Blu-ray & mehr. Medien einfach teilen & 100GB Cloud-Speicher. Jetzt gratis testen.

www.cyberlink.com

WinDVD:

Support | WinDVD

WinDVD Customer Service can assist you with orders, product registration, and any questions you may have.

www.windvdpro.com

The license for bluray is what makes it so expensive.
Its really dumb if you want to watch a bluray on a PC.

A far cheaper solution believe it or not is just to grab a xbox360 or a PS4 Pro.
Because the cost of the blueray + software will probably almost come out the same as you grabing one of those as a dedicated blue ray player.


The other solution still requires you to have a blue ray player, but rips the bluray using a software like this:

MakeMKV - Make MKV from Blu-ray and DVD

MakeMKV - software to convert blu-ray and dvd to mkv

www.makemkv.com

NOTE: We are talking about blurays YOU OWN, lets not go down the dark web here.

It will in essense rip the BLR disk onto your drive, and then make it a playable file.
Oh its roughly around 70gigs.
Then you can use any free codec... Klite / CCCP / VLC....
And just read the file. The downside to this is the large storage space required.

so cyberlink powerdvd will work even if hardware specifications is not met?

 

[aigomorla]

Well i do not have powerdvd.

If i was watching a physical title like that, i would of done so on my xbox or ps.
But im pretty sure your hardware specs listed in OP are within specifications.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

Well i do not have powerdvd.

If i was watching a physical title like that, i would of done so on my xbox or ps.
But im pretty sure your hardware specs listed in OP are within specifications.

well i do not have monitor for now so i guess it wont work on 1080p ? can i just rip it first then watch with powerdvd, is it possible?

 

[aigomorla]

well i do not have monitor for now so i guess it wont work on 1080p ? can i just rip it first then watch with powerdvd, is it possible?

yes it will work for 1080.
It will automatically downscale.

And yes you can rip first and watch with powerdvd later.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

yes it will work for 1080.
It will automatically downscale.

And yes you can rip first and watch with powerdvd later.

and which drive model you would suggest i mean i read many things you need to downgrade firmware else 4k uhd will not spin in the drive

 

[aigomorla]

LG has always been my goto brand after lite-on disappeared from making opticals.
Plextor has always been a good brand too when they made them.

As for best...

1. LG
2. ASUS
3. Pioneer

Avoid chinese name brand ones, and slot load drives like a plague.
Slot load only works on cars for some reason... on PC's they all go nom nom nom on your optical drive after time.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

LG has always been my goto brand after lite-on disappeared from making opticals.
Plextor has always been a good brand too when they made them.

As for best...

1. LG
2. ASUS
3. Pioneer

Avoid chinese name brand ones, and slot load drives like a plague.
Slot load only works on cars for some reason... on PC's they all go nom nom nom on your optical drive after time.

pioneer is out of question as it is too costly which specific model should i get from asus or lg so that it supports 4k uhd disk playback also

 

[aigomorla]

pioneer is out of question as it is too costly which specific model should i get from asus or lg so that it supports 4k uhd disk playback also

your missing what im saying.
Its not the drive that cant play the movies, its the software people either do not know about, or refuse to purchase because they see no reason after spending almost 100 dollars on the drive itself.

As long as you install PowerDVD legally, it will play any 4k Bluray Disk on any PC as long as you have HDCP enabled on your videocard, which 99% do unless your card is a Quadro or FireGL card.

Pioneer makes one of the best optical.
Yes they are expensive, but they are expensive for a reason.
The 3 i ranked are all close to each other.

The difference in price is because one has litescribe, or some other feature like -RW -DL.
Pioneer has a actuator stabilizer that helps prevent a disk wobble.
Sort of neat if you intend to use the optical drive a lot.

 

[hardcore_gamer29]

your missing what im saying.
Its not the drive that cant play the movies, its the software people either do not know about, or refuse to purchase because they see no reason after spending almost 100 dollars on the drive itself.

As long as you install PowerDVD legally, it will play any 4k Bluray Disk on any PC as long as you have HDCP enabled on your videocard, which 99% do unless your card is a Quadro or FireGL card.

Pioneer makes one of the best optical.
Yes they are expensive, but they are expensive for a reason.
The 3 i ranked are all close to each other.

The difference in price is because one has litescribe, or some other feature like -RW -DL.
Pioneer has a actuator stabilizer that helps prevent a disk wobble.
Sort of neat if you intend to use the optical drive a lot.

i can buy bluray drive and legit powerdvd no issues, and i have for now hdcp only not hdcp 2.2, thats why i asked, i guess powerdvd will not directly play 4k uhd from drive as it will not detect all required hardware but i can play in powerdvd after ripping with makemkv right?

 

[aigomorla]

i can buy bluray drive and legit powerdvd no issues, and i have for now hdcp only not hdcp 2.2, thats why i asked, i guess powerdvd will not directly play 4k uhd from drive as it will not detect all required hardware but i can play in powerdvd after ripping with makemkv right?

im not too sure about that.

But lets assume you went though the MakeMKV route discussed above.
Then you would just need proper codecs. We can get rid of the powerdvd app altogether this route.

I also really recommend using media player classic for this part.
There are other solutions like VLC, or Gom player. But MPC is by far my favorite choice.

CCCP Codec here:

CCCP - Combined Community Codec Pack

The CCCP: Combined Community Codec Pack is a codec pack specifically built for playing videos (including mkv).

www.cccp-project.net

K-lite Mega:

Download K-Lite Codec Pack Mega

The K-Lite Mega Codec Pack is a free software bundle for playing all your audio and video files. It contains everything you need. The best solution for solving your playback problems.

codecguide.com

Once u installed the proper codec and ripped the video the file it outputs to is a *.mkv, it should double click and play on media player classic, after you installed one of those two programs i listed above.

And now another worm to your can....
You have a 55gb file... now what?
You can use Handbrake like most of us here with a private digital library to reduce that 55gb to about 10-15gb, and throw it on a NAS, so every computer in your house on the network has access to the file.

And all you would need to do is install said codec on the other machine on network, to play it.
Very cool if you want to watch a movie on a laptop or even a phone/tablet with the help of an app called plex.