Should my new laptop play blu-ray or have I been ripped off?

[soteman]

Hi all,

I have just this week purchased a new laptop; the asus x70sr from a well known retailer. It is sold with a blu-ray drive and a HD screen, so I assumed it would play blu-ray. However, having gotten it home, and tried Nero Showtime with AnyDVD HD to remove the HDCP problem, all it does it stutter its way through blu-ray discs, and it shows CPU usage at 100% most of the time.

I am just wondering whether I ought to go and ask for a refund, when it won't do what it claims to? The specs are as below; (Cyberlinks Blu-Ray Advisor tool tells me that the processor needs upgrading, as does the graphics card, and that the graphics driver is out of date even though it is the newest one available)

Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo T5550
3GB Ram
Ati Radeon 2400HD graphics card
Windows Vista 32-bit

Cheers,

Adam

[dadkins]

See if the processor is set to Adaptive(throttling).
It may be getting "stuck" and not ramping up to full power when trying to play BDs.

Also, try some other playback software and turn off AnyDVD - it shouldn't be needed.

[LORDs_angellos]

Just because it can play Blu-ray discs doesn't mean it can play them well.

Your processor is pretty low-end if you want to play Blu-ray discs... the Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 is clocked at 1.83 Ghz, and the Core 2 Duo E6300 1.8 GHz is the minimum recommended processor for Blu playback. You're barely getting by right now.

If I were you, I'd return the laptop and get one with a better processor and gfx card. Asus makes good laptops-- just get one that's a a little more decked out.

[Rojas]

Originally Posted by soteman

Hi all,

I have just this week purchased a new laptop; the asus x70sr from a well known retailer. It is sold with a blu-ray drive and a HD screen, so I assumed it would play blu-ray. However, having gotten it home, and tried Nero Showtime with AnyDVD HD to remove the HDCP problem, all it does it stutter its way through blu-ray discs, and it shows CPU usage at 100% most of the time.

I am just wondering whether I ought to go and ask for a refund, when it won't do what it claims to? The specs are as below; (Cyberlinks Blu-Ray Advisor tool tells me that the processor needs upgrading, as does the graphics card, and that the graphics driver is out of date even though it is the newest one available)

Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo T5550
3GB Ram
Ati Radeon 2400HD graphics card
Windows Vista 32-bit

Cheers,

Adam

Go for the refund the system is to slow to run Blu-Ray movies,
As you can see, if the CPU is at 100 percent then forget it.

some movie may play like Mpeg 2 with Dolby digital audio,
but movies encoded with H264 or VC1 with HD Audio will not play.

[ThePhantomOak]

Originally Posted by Rojas

Go for the refund the system is to slow to run Blu-Ray movies,
As you can see, if the CPU is at 100 percent then forget it.

some movie may play like Mpeg 2 with Dolby digital audio,
but movies encoded with H264 or VC1 with HD Audio will not play.

If you just bought it, and running a BD causes the CPU to hit 100% you god ripped off. Try to check what could be using it by going to the task manager, and click show all users (svchost can often take up 100% by itself just by running normal microcrap operations, leaving nothing for what you are trying to do). That could be the problem also.

Either way, you should be able to play BDs with no problem, and if you cant, you should not be throwing your money away on it (unless you want to take the time to burn 50GB worth of info on a disc )

[Augustine864]

I just bought a new laptop myself. It's less than a week old and I can play my blus. So here are my specs if you want to compare:

Dell Studio 1535
Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
4 GB Ram
Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series

They will play with Dell's Studio Direct, which came with the PC but I don't particularly like. Right now I just use the free trial of PowerDVD 8 because I don't know what else to use.

[B1n0ry]

Bought exactly the same laptop.... probably from the same retail store, I have the same problem! tried Power dvd 8, which just freezes when trying to play blu ray discs, everything is okay when playing normal DVD's.
It dont even play with the software that came with the laptop ASUSDVD BD/HD 2CH

[soteman]

Originally Posted by B1n0ry

Bought exactly the same laptop.... probably from the same retail store, I have the same problem! tried Power dvd 8, which just freezes when trying to play blu ray discs, everything is okay when playing normal DVD's.
It dont even play with the software that came with the laptop ASUSDVD BD/HD 2CH

Conclusion: I went back to PC World today with the laptop, and after MANY MANY hours (!) of testing they concluded that the software has a glitch with that laptop and have thus quarantined all ASUS X70Sr laptops until they hear back from ASUS. I would recommend that you return yours also, and if they refuse to give you a refund, as they tried to do with me, tell them to contact Emma from the tech support desk at the Cribbs Causeway store in Bristol as she will be able to explain the fault and inform them about the product quarantine. I hope that helps!

[B1n0ry]

I downloaded a utility from Cyberlink that checks your system to see if its capable of playing the blu-ray disks.... my test returned a message that my cpu & Graphics needs upgrading!! as mentioned in an earlier post, that this is minimal requirements.

I went back to the store to let them know, the 'technician' (... and I use that word lightly!!!!) asked me if I had done a system restore!
to which I replied 'Why.... will that upgrade the CPU? because that seems to be the problem' . I did eventually persuade the guy to try a blu ray disk in his display model, which he did and, no suprise to me, IT DID NOT WORK!!!!
After relaying all this back to the Store manager, they decided to take the model of display until they spoke to ASUS!

At least I managed to get my money back! laid the SOGA legislation on them, about the product 'not being fit for purpose' and I can honestly say that they were very helpful in ensuring that I was satisfied!! which, for this particular chain of shops in unusual. So thanks to all for your input.

[quexos]

Originally Posted by LORDs_angellos

Just because it can play Blu-ray discs doesn't mean it can play them well.

If so then it's a total rip-off. If a machine featuring a Bluray player cannot normally play a Bluray disc then maybe you should pay for it in Monopoly money or something if you get my drift

[ADRiiAN`]

Originally Posted by quexos

If so then it's a total rip-off. If a machine featuring a Bluray player cannot normally play a Bluray disc then maybe you should pay for it in Monopoly money or something if you get my drift

It reads blu-ray though, doesn't it? So it's not a total rip-off. What if a person doesn't use it as a blu-ray MOVIE player but uses blu-ray disks to back-up data? The OP should have researched the HD2400 and see how well it plays Blu ray. I see no blame on the asus or the reseller.

An example: Have you seen the minimum requirements for PC games? Sure, you computer meets the requirements, but doesn't mean it'll play smoothly.

[rob91c]

Also have you tried turning windows vista setting to basic or even classic in the display control panel.

[BluPayne4400]

Just learn something by reading this forum.

[Krudy]

It has GOT to be a software error. Processors these days are so excessively fast that there's really nothing they can't do. In fact, we bottlenecked at processor speed a long way back, probably when the P4 processors came out.

However, the core duo's do allow for better multi-tasking due to its division of the processor.

As for single operations, pretty much any relatively new computer (within the last 3 years) has the processing power for whatever you throw at it.

Course, your video card may suck. That's a different story

[Equalizir]

Originally Posted by LORDs_angellos

Just because it can play Blu-ray discs doesn't mean it can play them well.

Your processor is pretty low-end if you want to play Blu-ray discs... the Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 is clocked at 1.83 Ghz, and the Core 2 Duo E6300 1.8 GHz is the minimum recommended processor for Blu playback. You're barely getting by right now.

If I were you, I'd return the laptop and get one with a better processor and gfx card. Asus makes good laptops-- just get one that's a a little more decked out.

If those r the minimum requirements to play a blu ray disc what r the minimum requirements to just burn blu ray?

[blukibuken]

What you just might want to try before you return the laptop is:

1. Don't use AnyDVDHD, it's a good program but on a laptop I don't think you will need to worry about hdcp unless you're using an external display. + it uses cpu clock cicles.

2. Use a different player then Showtime, i would advise cyberlink powerdvd ultra 8 with all the latest update (i think the last one was 1830 something...)
now what you might want to try is let you're videocard help you're cpu in decoding you're blu's simply enable ati avivo in the powerdvd video setting this should help take the load of decoding off you're cpu

3. if this does not work just take it back and get a refund...

hope this helps!

[Jonnyk]

It sounds like i may have the same problem as adam above, but have not been able to test things yet.


Same laptop I think:
Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo T5550
3GB Ram
Ati Radeon 2400HD graphics card
Windows Vista 32-bit

Except my problem is slightly different. Just bought a blue ray disc, and there is no software on my system that will play it. Can anyone recommend some free softwaree to get it working to see If i have the same problem?

Ive got 24 hours to test this before my 28 day return period is up, so any help you people can give (quickly) would be appreciated!

Just done properties on my computer, and this is whats come up:
says that the T5550 is running at 1.83Ghz. So should be fast enuff right? Need a blue ray player to test.

[Jonnyk]

Well, Ive just been to PC world to raise my concerns with them, and initially they were responsive saying that the machine must have a fault not playing the blue ray discs, go have a look to see if there was any other laptops I wanted in the same price range as they would exchange it for another or give me a refund as it was not fit for purpose.

I had a similar problem getting my blue ray disc working on a Acer laptop (£100 more expensive) and the only laptop the disc would work with was a Sony laptop retailing at a K.

I then asked for a refund, and they were not prepared to give me one saying that you have to purchase software to get blue ray discs to work and tried to flog me a copy of nero for £60.

Im really disgusted by this and I think Im probably gonna write a letter to the head office (Hemel Hempstead - fortunately not too far away from me in the Thames Valley) but want to know if anyone has any suggestions to test the drive with freeware software to makesure its an issue with the machine. So any suggestions for blueray SW would be appreciated.

[Jonnyk]

Well, ive now downloaded a trial version of Cyberlink PowerDVD 8, and the audio on the blue ray disc seems to work fine.

There is no picture however. All I get is green screen. Is this to do with the HCDP protection? How do I get around this?

Some help would be appreciated.

Regards

Jon

[FilmFiend]

Originally Posted by Augustine864

I just bought a new laptop myself. It's less than a week old and I can play my blus. So here are my specs if you want to compare:

Dell Studio 1535
Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
4 GB Ram
Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series

They will play with Dell's Studio Direct, which came with the PC but I don't particularly like. Right now I just use the free trial of PowerDVD 8 because I don't know what else to use.

I just bought the same laptop. I went for the base processor though which is the T5750 running @ 2.0 ghz. I upgraded the screen though to the max resolution which is 1920 x 1200 I think.

How is the laptop? Is it good for blu-ray playback?