Vista will not Support Blu-ray or HD DVD Playback Out-of-the-Box

[marzetta7]

Wow, why doesn't this suprise me seeing all of the other things cut from Vista...

http://media.engadget.com/2006/08/24...ut-of-the-box/

Vista will not support Blu-ray or HD DVD playback out-of-the-box or on 32-bit processors
Posted Aug 24th 2006 9:21AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs

For all the noise Microsoft made about Vista supporting HD DVD you'd think we'd be able to play those studio-released, HD DVD titles right out of the box right? Not so childrens, at least not in Australia according to c|net. See, Mark O'Shea, a Microsoft OEM systems engineer (not exactly an executive level position, mind you) sez that version 11 of the Windows Media Player shipping with Vista will not support playback for commercial Blu-ray or HD DVD films. By this, we assume he means that WMP11 won't include the ability to decrypt AACS encoded titles. For that you'll have to use third party software like PowerDVD from Cyberlink or Intervideo's WinDVD BD, neither of which is currently available for retail but may (or may not) ship with your BD or HD DVD drive. Then it'll all work, right? Maybe, but if your media rig is pumping video over DVI or HDMI then you'd better be sure your graphics card, driver, and display all support HDCP (not just HDCP ready) if you expect to decrypt that High Definition digital signal. All assuming your CPU or GPU has the muscle to decode the HD compression codecs to begin with. Heads' spinning yet? Sure, so go ahead, lie down for a bit, we'll understand why you put off your next-gen optical PC drive purchase while the DRM gets a bit, say, more consumer friendly.

Update: Oh my. Microsoft just announced that they won't support high definition playback on 32-bit versions of Vista, at all! In other words, unless you've recently upgraded to a Core 2 Duo or similar 64-bit processor, you won't be using that new Blu-ray or HD DVD drive to playback studio films when you upgrade to Vista. If that's your gig then you'd best get saving for a whole new rig, son, cause your old digs won't cut it.

This certainly doesn't help HD DVD's cause...but I'm OK with that!

[ProvenFlipper]

This is why I am trying to wait for more PC to release with BD drives preinstalled. Then there are no issues with compatibility and such.

As soon as Apple makes an announcement of PCs shipping with BD drives, I'll shortly be making a purchase. That is of course if I haven't already bought a new Apple when the Core 2 Duo announcment is made.

[Shadowself]

While I am surprised by this (Microsoft having claimed to be such a strong, adamant supporter of HD DVD), I guess I should not be. Microsoft is jettesoning so many technologies just to get Vista out the door that one more should not be surprising.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by ProvenFlipper

This is why I am trying to wait for more PC to release with BD drives preinstalled. Then there are no issues with compatibility and such.

As soon as Apple makes an announcement of PCs shipping with BD drives, I'll shortly be making a purchase. That is of course if I haven't already bought a new Apple when the Core 2 Duo announcment is made.

I was so hoping that sweet a$$ machine, the Mac Pro with its beautiful Quad Core Xeon designed goodness was going to be coming with a Blu-ray drive. Maybe in 2007?

[Shadowself]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

I was so hoping that sweet a$$ machine, the Mac Pro with its beautiful Quad Core Xeon designed goodness was going to be coming with a Blu-ray drive. Maybe in 2007?

You can always hope it will be announce at Macworld San Francisco in January. It may be a build to order option at first, but my guess is that it is likely to be there. But if it is typical Apple, they will announce in January with shipping starting sometime in February.

I would expect that you could also expect Dell and others to do build to order options for HD DVD or Blu-ray Disk drives in the first half of 2007.

[ProvenFlipper]

Originally Posted by Shadowself

You can always hope it will be announce at Macworld San Francisco in January. It may be a build to order option at first, but my guess is that it is likely to be there. But if it is typical Apple, they will announce in January with shipping starting sometime in February.

I would expect that you could also expect Dell and others to do build to order options for HD DVD or Blu-ray Disk drives in the first half of 2007.

Most likely... I was thinking today however, and the integrated drive will probably be at least a $750 dollar option. At the rate I'm going... I can wait another year to pick up new Mac. Hopefully at the end of '07 they will be shipping Mac Pros with BD drives and I will BTO one, with 2 30" Apple cinema displays. That should be a great graduation present.

[thunderhawk]

It is so that, drm protected HD video won't be displayed under the 32-bit edition of Windows Vista.
There's also a 64-bit version of Vista...
http://www.apcstart.com/site/dwarne/...in-32bit-vista

One can always hope.

[john_1958]

any wonder people are tired with microsoft always upgrading finding out they payed $1000 dollars on pc and not be able to use it.

But Blu-ray players should be just like any other player hooked up to computers thats 32 bit can't see why not

[JTK]

This is why I never have, and never will, upgrade Windows until I have to.

Minimum of six months after it streets before I would even remotely consider it.

I think I got XP a good year after it had been out.

NEVER, EVER buy a new MS OS first crack out of the box! EVER!

[takezo]

Windows does not support DVD playback right out of the box.

If you build your own PC, and install Windows XP pro from scratch, you would know it requires an Mpeg 2 decoder to play back DVDs.

Most Bundled PCs and Laptops from HP, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, Compac, Gateway, etc...
Already come with DVD playback software, which includes a Mpeg 2 decoder.

Fom this knowlege, it's no surprize to me that Windows will not support Blu-Ray nor HD-DVD out of the box (Metaphorically). Out of box means native windows support. But don't worry, Blu-Ray drives will come with Blu-ray playback software, HD-DVD drives will also come with HD-DVD playback software. Pre-bundled PCs with HD-DVD or Blu-Ray will have built in support forthem, can play them right out of the box (physically).

Macs are simpler, if it don't got a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD drive, then It don't support it.

[cndr7]

How can microsoft call their software 'Media Center'? I too have built many pc's using the media center OS. It lacks an mpeg decoder, so I have to install the NVIDIA one, which has to be bought seperate. Microsoft isn't ahead of the curve as much as they like to claim. From the beta version I have of Vista, it seems to try and emulate the Mac's OS.

I do find it strange that there is a lack of software for Blu ray when it comes to playback of hollywood movies on a pc. It just seems they really rushed this format with very little support. Of course I'm sure that will change by next year. The last thing I want this thing to be like is the Beta VCR or DAT, or Mini Disc.