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| Registered: March 29, 2007 | Reputation:  |  Posts: 2,749 |
| | Posted: | | | | I am thinking about getting a Blu-ray player for my PC and was wondering what suggestions you guys have for a reasonably price drive? I would like it to be a recognizable brand if possible. From what I have read most don't come with software to play BRDs. What would be your suggestions for the software? If there are some that come with the software, which ones would they be? Thanks in advance for your help with this. | | | | Marty - Registered July 10, 2004, User since 2002. |
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| Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 4,596 |
| | Posted: | | | | I have the LG External 12xSuper Multi Blue Lightscribe Blu-Ray Rewriter BE12LU30 that I purchased from Amazon.com a few months back for $179.99. It's USB 2.0 and eSATA. I use the eSATA connection and get great performance. It comes with PowerDVD 9. | | | | My WebGenDVD online Collection |
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| Registered: May 19, 2007 | | Reputation: |  Posts: 6,730 |
| | Posted: | | | | As internal Player: LiteOn iHOS 104 (ROM only!)In the retail version it comes with PowerDVD8, which is somewhat outdated so the bulk-version will suffice.
If you need a drive as DVD-burner too: Samsung SH-B123L
Blu-Ray burner: LG BH10LS
All come at decent prices (at least in Germany). I own the LiteOn and the Samsung and both are very good.
As software it depends on what you want:
With Windows Media-Center integration:
PowerDVD 11
TotalMedia Theatre 5
Here TotalMedia is the better choice, it costs a bit more, but has less problems with slower PCs. I just recently changed from PowerDVD to TotalMedia, because PowerDVD had severe problems with new Blu-Rays (e.g. StarWars) on my HTPC.
Currently the best "deal" is probably Nero 11 Platinum. It costs about € 80,- and brings the whole Nero bundle. Sadly this has no Media-Center integration yet. | | | It all seems so stupid, it makes me want to give up!
But why should I give up, when it all seems so stupid?
Registrant since 05/22/2003 | | | | Last edited: by Lewis_Prothero |
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| Registered: September 29, 2008 | Reputation:  | | Posts: 2,550 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quote:
Here TotalMedia is the better choice, it costs a bit more, but has less problems with slower PCs. I just recently changed from PowerDVD to TotalMedia, because PowerDVD had severe problems with new Blu-Rays (e.g. StarWars) on my HTPC. I'm thinking of switching to a different software because of PowerDVD's problems also. I recently took them up on their 50% off PowerDVD 11 offer. When I put Star Wars in (the reason I upgraded in the first place, because version 9 couldn't play SW) I was told it wouldn't play on my 1-year-old computer because I didn't have an "HDMI output". What?? Well, I got that money refunded and am back to no-Star Wars-playing version 9. I have a widescreen LCD monitor that plays other BD's just fine. Do you like TotalMedia? Is it a good choice/value? What version do you have? | | | My one wish for the DVD Profiler online database: Ban or remove the disc-level profiles of TV season sets. It completely screws up/inflates the CLT.
FACT: Imdb is WRONG 70% of the time! Misspelled cast, incomplete cast, wrong cast/crew roles. So for those who want DVD Profiler to be "as perfect as Imdb", good luck with that.
Stop adding UNIT crew! They're invalid credits. Stop it! | | | | Last edited: by huskersports |
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| Registered: May 19, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 6,730 |
| | Posted: | | | | I like it very much. If you're taking into a consideration a change you have a 15 days trial before having to purchase it. You can download the trial here | | | It all seems so stupid, it makes me want to give up!
But why should I give up, when it all seems so stupid?
Registrant since 05/22/2003 |
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| Registered: December 10, 2007 | Reputation:  | | Posts: 3,004 |
| | Posted: | | | | You can get WinDVD 2010 quite cheaply. |
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| Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 4,596 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting Ace_of_Sevens: Quote:
You can get WinDVD 2010 quite cheaply. I never liked WinDVD. That program as well as Nero were always memory hogs, at least on my Acer Laptop. | | | | My WebGenDVD online Collection |
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| Registered: March 29, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,749 |
| | Posted: | | | | I want to thank you guys for your responses, this is really good stuff.  | | | | Marty - Registered July 10, 2004, User since 2002. |
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| Registered: September 29, 2008 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,550 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting Ace_of_Sevens: Quote:
You can get WinDVD 2010 quite cheaply. Will the Star Wars Blu's play on this? That's my main concern. If those will play, then everything else should too. | | | My one wish for the DVD Profiler online database: Ban or remove the disc-level profiles of TV season sets. It completely screws up/inflates the CLT.
FACT: Imdb is WRONG 70% of the time! Misspelled cast, incomplete cast, wrong cast/crew roles. So for those who want DVD Profiler to be "as perfect as Imdb", good luck with that.
Stop adding UNIT crew! They're invalid credits. Stop it! |
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| Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 4,596 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting huskersports: Quote:
Quote:
Here TotalMedia is the better choice, it costs a bit more, but has less problems with slower PCs. I just recently changed from PowerDVD to TotalMedia, because PowerDVD had severe problems with new Blu-Rays (e.g. StarWars) on my HTPC.
I'm thinking of switching to a different software because of PowerDVD's problems also. I recently took them up on their 50% off PowerDVD 11 offer. When I put Star Wars in (the reason I upgraded in the first place, because version 9 couldn't play SW) I was told it wouldn't play on my 1-year-old computer because I didn't have an "HDMI output". What?? Well, I got that money refunded and am back to no-Star Wars-playing version 9. I have a widescreen LCD monitor that plays other BD's just fine. Do you like TotalMedia? Is it a good choice/value? What version do you have? I'm confused as to why your Star Wars Blu-rays won't play with PowerDVD 9  . I have PowerDVD 9 and all of the Star Wars Blu-ray discs play just fine on my Acer Aspire 8730 laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit. Perhaps it's your PC. If either your PC's graphics card or monitor isn't HDCP compliant then you won't be able to play Blu-rays on it. | | | | My WebGenDVD online Collection |
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| Registered: March 14, 2007 | | Reputation: |  Posts: 4,680 |
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| Registered: December 10, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 3,004 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting huskersports: Quote:
Will the Star Wars Blu's play on this? That's my main concern. If those will play, then everything else should too. I just tested. It works fine. |
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| Registered: March 31, 2007 | | Reputation: |  Posts: 2,798 |
| | Posted: | | | | I just got an External Slim Blu-ray Disc Combo ASUA SBC-06D1S-U and one some of the movies on Blu-ray i got this messeds.
The menu for this BD-J content does not support the use of a mouse.
what to do. Get a new External blue-ray player with remote control. ? |
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| Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 4,596 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting ruben.: Quote:
I just got an External Slim Blu-ray Disc Combo ASUA SBC-06D1S-U and one some of the movies on Blu-ray i got this messeds.
The menu for this BD-J content does not support the use of a mouse.
what to do. Get a new External blue-ray player with remote control. ? It's not a problem with your Blu-ray Drive, it's the software you're using to play the Blu-rays. I believe your drive came bundled with PowerDVD which does not support Java Menus. You get that message because the menus on the Blu-ray you're playing are encoded in Java. | | | | My WebGenDVD online Collection |
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| Registered: June 12, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,665 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting Bad Father: Quote:
It's not a problem with your Blu-ray Drive, it's the software you're using to play the Blu-rays. I believe your drive came bundled with PowerDVD which does not support Java Menus. You get that message because the menus on the Blu-ray you're playing are encoded in Java. My Toshiba laptop which has a custom version of WinDVD throws similar messages about Blu-ray, presumably for the same reason. I can use the keyboard to control the on-screen (BD) menus (arrow keys, Enter, etc.). The mouse still works for the WinDVD controls. | | | | Bad movie? You're soaking in it! |
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| Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 4,596 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting tweeter: Quote:
Quoting Bad Father:
Quote:
It's not a problem with your Blu-ray Drive, it's the software you're using to play the Blu-rays. I believe your drive came bundled with PowerDVD which does not support Java Menus. You get that message because the menus on the Blu-ray you're playing are encoded in Java.
My Toshiba laptop which has a custom version of WinDVD throws similar messages about Blu-ray, presumably for the same reason.
I can use the keyboard to control the on-screen (BD) menus (arrow keys, Enter, etc.). The mouse still works for the WinDVD controls. WinDVD Pro is supposed to support the use of the mouse on Blu-rays with BD-J menus through Mouse Simulation. I believe there is a setting in WinDVD setup for this feature. | | | | My WebGenDVD online Collection |
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