What is the cheapest (player only) PC drive - Blu-ray Forum

moamoa · 07-13-2007, 12:58 PM

Hello,

I am looking for a drive from my PC. I do not wish to pay a preimum to be able to write BR disks, I only want the simplest player option that would let be play BR movies.

What is my best option for this?

What special PC software, if any, is required to play these disks?

Don Blish · 07-13-2007, 05:12 PM

Few or none lack writing ability....see

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=10579

Most all drives come with either Cyberlink or Intervideo's player

dabl · 07-13-2007, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Blish

Few or none lack writing ability....see

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=10579

Most all drives come with either Cyberlink or Intervideo's player

There's at least one.

see the just released Pioneer BD-ROM BDC-202
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Revi...rticleId=20773

sources:

$276 + ship http://dfwdepot.com/opticstor/index....roducts_id=258

Should start showing up at other well known retailers soon

sholmes555 · 07-15-2007, 08:01 PM

I clicked on the link and it said that the BD-ROM will only read at 5x/2x for single and dual layers respectively. I'm no blu ray buff, but...is that a good amount? Thank you!

Don Blish · 07-16-2007, 08:09 PM

Actually, none of the available drives is better than that now. 2X appears to be about 40 megabits per second. This is much faster, of course, than "DVD 2X".

sholmes555 · 07-17-2007, 05:17 AM

sweet. thanks don. i'll probably be preparing to buy that drive soon. i'm getting a 22" HD LCD. though the thing is, i d/l'd something called the Cyberlink Advisor and it said my graphics card needed upgrading..which i don't think it does...geforce 7900gs...so....:

: i don't wanna spend 200 bucks and have it say "i can't play your blu rays..."

any advice?

snyder9 · 07-20-2007, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sholmes555

sweet. thanks don. i'll probably be preparing to buy that drive soon. i'm getting a 22" HD LCD. though the thing is, i d/l'd something called the Cyberlink Advisor and it said my graphics card needed upgrading..which i don't think it does...geforce 7900gs...so....:

: i don't wanna spend 200 bucks and have it say "i can't play your blu rays..."

any advice?

Yeah, I don't think the 7900gs is HDCP, which you need in order to play bluray content. So you'll probably need to change your graphics card to a HDCP compliant one.

guidosarduche · 07-20-2007, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snyder9

Yeah, I don't think the 7900gs is HDCP, which you need in order to play bluray content. So you'll probably need to change your graphics card to a HDCP compliant one.

It would depend on the manufacturer, just check the specs on the card as HDCP compliance was optional during the 7600-7900+ series.

sholmes555 · 07-22-2007, 06:00 PM

well, when i ran that cyberlink advisor to see if my computer was blu ray ready, it said my vid card needs upgrading..but when i goto their faq question site or whatever, it says:

If you nVidia series graphic card supports PureVideo HD technology, it can support Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD playback.

and my vid card DOES have purevideo HD tech...i even upgraded the drivers for it

does it still have to be hdcp ready? i'm confused

jorg · 07-22-2007, 06:21 PM

no matter what it has to be hdcp : id sugest this graphics card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102700

or this 1 for 50$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102100

sholmes555 · 07-27-2007, 02:41 AM

i had a question on that 50 dollar graphics card you linked....i already have a vid card right now and i MIGHT have two options, which are: use evga's step-up program and get a better card with hdcp compliance and pay the difference (i still qualify for this), or buy that 50 dollar card (which will probably be my difference anyway or around then)...but...i'm not sure if i can have two different cards...i have the pci-e slots for them, but i'm not sure how the computer would react. does anyone know if i could simply buy another vid card in addition to the one i have so i wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of sending it in, waiting for an RMA, etc...? thanks

also...i bought this monitor:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116078

I haven't opened it yet, but it says it doesn't have HDMI...assuming i swap my vid card or buy another one that is HDCP compliant...do i have to buy a new monitor also? thanks

kaliraver · 07-27-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sholmes555

i had a question on that 50 dollar graphics card you linked....i already have a vid card right now and i MIGHT have two options, which are: use evga's step-up program and get a better card with hdcp compliance and pay the difference (i still qualify for this), or buy that 50 dollar card (which will probably be my difference anyway or around then)...but...i'm not sure if i can have two different cards...i have the pci-e slots for them, but i'm not sure how the computer would react. does anyone know if i could simply buy another vid card in addition to the one i have so i wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of sending it in, waiting for an RMA, etc...? thanks

also...i bought this monitor:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116078

I haven't opened it yet, but it says it doesn't have HDMI...assuming i swap my vid card or buy another one that is HDCP compliant...do i have to buy a new monitor also? thanks

There is no need to buy a new video card! All you have to do instead of buying a new video card is buy http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvdhd.html
This program will actually let you use a regular monitor to view any BD movies or HD_DUD. I read a review about it somewhere and it said it was great for that.

kaliraver · 07-27-2007, 03:09 PM

I found this deal on the Pioneer BD-ROM from Fry's electronics for $299 http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/...id=32664&type=

sholmes555 · 07-27-2007, 04:08 PM

wait, what? this anyDVD HD or whatever is software though...you don't need an hdcp or hdmi monitor/card? but what about the quality of the video? i wouldn't want to be compromised at all.

kaliraver · 07-27-2007, 04:13 PM

All the software does is by passes the security signal that is needed for the Blu-Ray movie to play on your screen. There is no compromise on quality. You could use any monitor; VGA, DVI, CRT or even a regular LCD it will work. You should download the trial and check it out and if its good just buy it. It will be cheaper than buying an HDCP monitor and HDCP compliant video card.

dabl · 07-27-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaliraver69

I found this deal on the Pioneer BD-ROM from Fry's electronics for $299 http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/...id=32664&type=

Cool, thanks. J&R Music online also has these though they're out of stock at the moment and somebody mentioned the Opticstor source I had previously mentioned didn't actually have them in stock.

sholmes555 · 07-27-2007, 04:18 PM

wait sorry I think i'm still misunderstanding. the software will bypass the HDCP which i am now understanding is a copyright of sorts...however, one still needs an HDMI compliant screen for HD movies, right or wrong? thanks!

kaliraver · 07-27-2007, 04:36 PM

You could try it with a VGA monitor but I do recommend atleast having a video card that is atleast 256MB in memory and atleast a Dual Core processor with 1 GB atleast of memory.

sholmes555 · 07-27-2007, 04:40 PM

I've got a DVI monitor (see link above) and i meet those computer requirements you just mentioned, but am still unsure about the monitor. it lacks HDMI compliance, and as I've been researching the internet, it appears that HDMI seems to be the replacement for DVI in the near future. However, i still don't know if an HDMI connection is absolutely REQUIRED to play HD/BD movies/games, etc.

kaliraver · 07-27-2007, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sholmes555

I've got a DVI monitor (see link above) and i meet those computer requirements you just mentioned, but am still unsure about the monitor. it lacks HDMI compliance, and as I've been researching the internet, it appears that HDMI seems to be the replacement for DVI in the near future. However, i still don't know if an HDMI connection is absolutely REQUIRED to play HD/BD movies/games, etc.

No it is not, you can use DVI since its also a digital signal and is capable of carrying HD video. The difference between DVI and HDMI is that HDMI can carry both audio & video, while DVI can only carry video. Also HDMI can carry a HDCP signal while DVI cannot.

Specs for HDMI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi

Specs for DVI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvi

07-13-2007, 12:58 PM	#1
moamoa New Member Member since:Jul 2007	What is the cheapest (player only) PC drive Hello, I am looking for a drive from my PC. I do not wish to pay a preimum to be able to write BR disks, I only want the simplest player option that would let be play BR movies. What is my best option for this? What special PC software, if any, is required to play these disks?

07-17-2007, 05:17 AM	#6
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	sweet. thanks don. i'll probably be preparing to buy that drive soon. i'm getting a 22" HD LCD. though the thing is, i d/l'd something called the Cyberlink Advisor and it said my graphics card needed upgrading..which i don't think it does...geforce 7900gs...so....:: i don't wanna spend 200 bucks and have it say "i can't play your blu rays..." any advice?

07-22-2007, 06:21 PM	#10
jorg Power Member Member since:Dec 2006 Location:Ontario, Canada Home Theater Gallery:2	no matter what it has to be hdcp : id sugest this graphics card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102700 or this 1 for 50$ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102100 Last edited by jorg; 07-22-2007 at 06:26 PM.

07-27-2007, 04:18 PM	#17
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	wait sorry I think i'm still misunderstanding. the software will bypass the HDCP which i am now understanding is a copyright of sorts...however, one still needs an HDMI compliant screen for HD movies, right or wrong? thanks! Last edited by sholmes555; 07-27-2007 at 04:22 PM.

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07-13-2007, 05:12 PM	#2
Don Blish Member Member since:Jun 2006 Location:Los Angeles	Few or none lack writing ability....see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=10579 Most all drives come with either Cyberlink or Intervideo's player

07-15-2007, 08:01 PM	#4
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	I clicked on the link and it said that the BD-ROM will only read at 5x/2x for single and dual layers respectively. I'm no blu ray buff, but...is that a good amount? Thank you!

07-16-2007, 08:09 PM	#5
Don Blish Member Member since:Jun 2006 Location:Los Angeles	Actually, none of the available drives is better than that now. 2X appears to be about 40 megabits per second. This is much faster, of course, than "DVD 2X".

07-22-2007, 06:00 PM	#9
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	well, when i ran that cyberlink advisor to see if my computer was blu ray ready, it said my vid card needs upgrading..but when i goto their faq question site or whatever, it says: If you nVidia series graphic card supports PureVideo HD technology, it can support Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD playback. and my vid card DOES have purevideo HD tech...i even upgraded the drivers for it does it still have to be hdcp ready? i'm confused

07-27-2007, 02:41 AM	#11
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	i had a question on that 50 dollar graphics card you linked....i already have a vid card right now and i MIGHT have two options, which are: use evga's step-up program and get a better card with hdcp compliance and pay the difference (i still qualify for this), or buy that 50 dollar card (which will probably be my difference anyway or around then)...but...i'm not sure if i can have two different cards...i have the pci-e slots for them, but i'm not sure how the computer would react. does anyone know if i could simply buy another vid card in addition to the one i have so i wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of sending it in, waiting for an RMA, etc...? thanks also...i bought this monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116078 I haven't opened it yet, but it says it doesn't have HDMI...assuming i swap my vid card or buy another one that is HDCP compliant...do i have to buy a new monitor also? thanks

07-27-2007, 03:09 PM	#13
kaliraver Blu-ray Samurai Member since:May 2007 Location:San Francisco Bay Blu-Ray SteelBooks™: (150+) Blu-ray collection:373 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:285	I found this deal on the Pioneer BD-ROM from Fry's electronics for $299 http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/...id=32664&type=

07-27-2007, 04:08 PM	#14
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	wait, what? this anyDVD HD or whatever is software though...you don't need an hdcp or hdmi monitor/card? but what about the quality of the video? i wouldn't want to be compromised at all.

07-27-2007, 04:13 PM	#15
kaliraver Blu-ray Samurai Member since:May 2007 Location:San Francisco Bay Blu-Ray SteelBooks™: (150+) Blu-ray collection:373 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:285	All the software does is by passes the security signal that is needed for the Blu-Ray movie to play on your screen. There is no compromise on quality. You could use any monitor; VGA, DVI, CRT or even a regular LCD it will work. You should download the trial and check it out and if its good just buy it. It will be cheaper than buying an HDCP monitor and HDCP compliant video card.

07-27-2007, 04:36 PM	#18
kaliraver Blu-ray Samurai Member since:May 2007 Location:San Francisco Bay Blu-Ray SteelBooks™: (150+) Blu-ray collection:373 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:285	You could try it with a VGA monitor but I do recommend atleast having a video card that is atleast 256MB in memory and atleast a Dual Core processor with 1 GB atleast of memory.

07-27-2007, 04:40 PM	#19
sholmes555 Junior Member Member since:Jun 2007	I've got a DVI monitor (see link above) and i meet those computer requirements you just mentioned, but am still unsure about the monitor. it lacks HDMI compliance, and as I've been researching the internet, it appears that HDMI seems to be the replacement for DVI in the near future. However, i still don't know if an HDMI connection is absolutely REQUIRED to play HD/BD movies/games, etc.

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