Blue-ray player for PC..what else do i need?

[imaheadcase]

I got about 15 blue-ray movies I got as a promotion, I was considering getting a blu-ray player for PC now that they are around $150 mark. Couple of questions though..

1. Does "freeware" apps play blu-ray fine, such as media player classic, VLC, etc? Or do i need to purchase somethign like powerDvD for that?

2. I have a dell 2407WFP-HC 24inch, so that should play them fine via DVI at 1920x1200 correct in 1080p?

3. Do PC dvd blu-ray players up-convert standard DVDs? I would think so since most standalone ones do..but never really saw that part in product descriptions..

Sound is not very important to me, 2.1 setup so dvd is "ok" for me since its on PC and use headphones.

Any advantages/disadvantages you can think of with getting a blu-ray player for PC currently?


thanks!

 

[BoboKatt]

I would surmise that if you get a BR player for your PC, you would probably go with something like the LG GGC-H20L etc. If you purchase that, it comes with a stripped down version of PowerDVD. That software alone is all you need, especially since the "stripped" version affects only your sound. It only outputs 2.0 or something like that and you need to actually get the full version (purchase it) to get the full audio. However, as you stated since you don't care about more than 2.0, you are all set.

Your monitor, DVI out etc, is perfect. Yes set your resolution to the 1920x1200 and you are all set. I have the same setup, 27" monitor, running an 8800GTX DVI to HDMI (my PC monitor actually only has a HDMI port). It works great. Make sure you video drivers are updated yada yada.

Again the only disadvantage I would state for a PC version of an HD/Blue Ray player vs. a standalone is the audio output/quality. Currently, to the best of my knowledge I don't think there is any real way of getting TrueHD or DTS-MA from titles that have that out of a computer and say to a receiver, if that?s what you want. The best you will get over say, your optical out or coaxial out (from your onboard audio or dedicated audio card) is 5.1.

Maybe also the fact you need your computer running all the time, maybe need to set up a some sort of remote as it sucks to have to get up and pause or fast forward etc. Then again if you are watching these movies at your desk and your keyboard is right there, no need.

 

[imaheadcase]

Do you know if it will upconvert standard DVD? I don't have but maybe 30 i bought over the years, but be nice to use.

 

[tomt4535]

The drive itself wont, but there is software that will do it. FFDshow is one I know of.

 

[imaheadcase]

Ok thanks, that one you mentioned though is around the $200 mark at newegg, would the cheaper Lite-on be better..It got good reviews, I got me a trusty BenQ 1640 for DVD writing/reading, so thought that might be good for just playback.

LITE-ON Black 12X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Blu-ray DVD-ROM Drive Model DH-4O1S-08 - Retail
$139.99
3 Business Day Shipping $7.59
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106225 is the one im talking about

 

[tomt4535]

The GGC-H20L reads both Blu-ray disks and HD DVDs. If you dont need it to read HD DVDs, then get the cheaper blu-ray only one.

 

[imaheadcase]

Ahh ok was wondering if that was a major diffrence. I think I will order this today and pick a few blue-ray movies from amazon. Thanks for help.

 

[corkyg]

1. I don't know of any freeware that will do it (yet!) AFIK, you need WinDVD or PowerDVD updated.

2. That should be OK.

3. So far, both Blu-ray and HD-DVD player manufacturers have included the ability for their units to playback standard DVDs, this is expected to continue. This means your current DVD library is playable on either a Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD player. Also, when you play a standard DVD in either a Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD player, you can view it at standard DVD resolution or have the player upscale the DVD playback signal to match 720p/1080i and, in some cases, 1080p mode that will be a better match for viewing on an HDTV.

With respect to standard CDs, most Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD players will play standard CDs/CD-R/RW discs. However, there are some exceptions to this, most notably on first generation models from Sony and Pioneer, as well as the Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo player from LG. If you desire CD compatibility, make sure you read the specs or features brochure of the unit you are considering to confirm this.

Personally, I would have both players installed.

 

[imaheadcase]

I ordered it, went ahead and bought my favorite 2 movies while at it..Cast Away and Gattaca Thanks for help all!

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: BoboKatt
I would surmise that if you get a BR player for your PC, you would probably go with something like the LG GGC-H20L etc. If you purchase that, it comes with a stripped down version of PowerDVD. That software alone is all you need, especially since the "stripped" version affects only your sound. It only outputs 2.0 or something like that and you need to actually get the full version (purchase it) to get the full audio. However, as you stated since you don't care about more than 2.0, you are all set.

Your monitor, DVI out etc, is perfect. Yes set your resolution to the 1920x1200 and you are all set. I have the same setup, 27" monitor, running an 8800GTX DVI to HDMI (my PC monitor actually only has a HDMI port). It works great. Make sure you video drivers are updated yada yada.

Again the only disadvantage I would state for a PC version of an HD/Blue Ray player vs. a standalone is the audio output/quality. Currently, to the best of my knowledge I don't think there is any real way of getting TrueHD or DTS-MA from titles that have that out of a computer and say to a receiver, if that?s what you want. The best you will get over say, your optical out or coaxial out (from your onboard audio or dedicated audio card) is 5.1.

Maybe also the fact you need your computer running all the time, maybe need to set up a some sort of remote as it sucks to have to get up and pause or fast forward etc. Then again if you are watching these movies at your desk and your keyboard is right there, no need.

not true anymore. thanks to asus, you can now decode that through your computer and output it through hdmi and analog. it won't be cheap however.

 

[BoboKatt]

Aye that new review from AT has really excited me. I am now actually thinking of working on my HTPC again and wait for this card. The fact I could not get trueHD and DTS-MA bitstreaming at all before... through my computer no matter what I did, completely took the whole "HD" excitement out of me. Now I have something new to look forward to. Can't wait.

 

[imaheadcase]

Update..
Ok got me that lite-on drive..the lite-on 401S I mentioned before..here is a slight "annoyance"..im not sure the cause of it.

Movies "stutter" and "skip" while playing when you first try a movie, the latest firmware and powerDvD does not fix it, how to fix it is totally cold boot the system. Change region on it to make it work again... Its not a huge deal for me, but I can see lots of people returning this drive thinking its messed up.

What I don't get is, that its random..like today I tried playing Cast Away, it started to stutter, so i cold-boot pc and changed region again and works fine again..but after i reset PC for another reason It would not play again, had to do another cold boot. Sounds like a firmware issue?