BR drive or PS3 ?

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by prerich

Not so fast - I presently do that with with 2 HDMI monitors - any one heard of AnyDVD HD? HDCP is made mute with it.

Ah. I don't support programs that intend to kill HD media before we get mass adoption.


fuad

[Rageanitus]

Unless you have a vid card that can do hdmi sound.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Ah. I don't support programs that intend to kill HD media before we get mass adoption.


fuad

It's not killing it - AnyDVD HD got a lot of us HTPC'rs into Blu-ray. It helped the cause. I will continue to support AnyDVD HD until they come out and say it's illlegal. I buy my Bluray's but don't like putting them in the player one by one when my screen is down over my equipment. I prefer using my wireless keyboard and mouse to pull it up off of my harddrive. I'm also building a multi-TB media server just for this purpose. Ask most computer people with bluray and they will tell you that they love AnyDVD HD - we are not all pirates.

[glogrono]

Originally Posted by prerich

Hot dog! You sound like an HTPC'r! What's your rig like?

The Dell machine is actually a desktop, but I do have an htpc. I backup my blu rays on the desktop and then use magic ISO to load the blu ray image in a virtual drive on the HTPC and it works perfect. The HTPC is only a P4 2.8ghz, 1gb ram, ATI HD 3450, 160gb Hard drive x2, Vista Ultimate. Even with those low specs, Blurays look amazing and no stuttering. It's all thanks to the $50 ATI HD 3450. It's specifically made to play HD video.

[glogrono]

Originally Posted by Rageanitus

Unless you have a vid card that can do hdmi sound.

The ATI HD 2600 through the HD 3xxx all can do sound through HDMI. Although only 5.1 sound and you have to use a dvi to HDMI adapter. It's a start though. There are companies working on this right now, such as Auzentech which is making an HDMI add-on card.

[fingersdlp]

I believe currently there are some limitations to the PC solution:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...lossless+audio

Lossess audio is not there yet on the pc. The current version of Power DVD Ultra downsamples all lossless audio. It has been improved with the most recent version but from what I understand still downsamples the audio.

If you want to use HDMI for both audio and video out of the pc you will most likely have to live with 2 channel audio as the cards I am aware of only output 2 channel audio. EDIT: see post above - seems like 5.1 may be possible

I think there is a new Intel G45 chipset that can support hdmi and bitstream of the audio. That is not out yet afaik.

Power DVD Ultra is in my opinion a poor player. It still uses overlay for video output and not the newer VMR9 or the EVO (or whatever it is called) that Vista uses.

Power DVD Ultra claims to be profile 1.1 but I have found several cases where they do not play the PIP content correctly (Sunshine for example).

So until there is better playback software you are at the mercy of Power DVD.

If you want true 1080p24 output you have to make sure your video card can support it. The 1080p24 offerings from NVidia are 23 or 24 and not the 23.976 that is really wanted. The ATI cards are much easier to setup for 1080p24 since they allow powerstrip support and you can dial in the exact timing your display device wants. I heard the most recent drivers from NVidia may allow custom timings again in Vista but I have not verified this.

I have a PS3 and a very nice HTPC that can play blue ray (without skips by the way ). I use the PS3 for all my playback for the above mentioned reasons. YMMV

I have a hope that some day I can get lossless audio and a true profile 2.0 player out of my PC that works properly but it is not there yet.

[rarredoa]

Originally Posted by prerich

A PS3 is not cheaper than a BD Rom drive. If it is - tell me where to get a PS3 for less than $200.00. And a PC will KILL a PS3 in DVD upconversion - No contest there! PS3 upconverts to 1080p 24fps, PC can exceed 1080p at 60fps (and greater). The pc advantages are far too great and the PC's hardware (especially this guy's PC) exceed the capabilities of a PS3. Advantage PC.

I agree with the PC advantage, easier to future proof a PC (although there's no such thing as futurproofing this day in age ) I myself have both PS3 and Media PC, but i prefer the PC because the sound options with a good soundcard are much better than standalone/PS3, night and day! If you don't mind the extra steps to watch movies on your main TV (I have my DLP and my LCD desktop monitor) then go for PC option, but if u want easy operability then go PS3, u can't go wrong with either, better yet get both if u can afford it

[fingersdlp]

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I believe currently there are some limitations to the PC solution:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...lossless+audio

Lossess audio is not there yet on the pc. The current version of Power DVD Ultra downsamples all lossless audio. It has been improved with the most recent version but from what I understand still downsamples the audio.

If you want to use HDMI for both audio and video out of the pc you will most likely have to live with 2 channel audio as the cards I am aware of only output 2 channel audio. EDIT: see post above - seems like 5.1 may be possible

I think there is a new Intel G45 chipset that can support hdmi and bitstream of the audio. That is not out yet afaik.

Power DVD Ultra is in my opinion a poor player. It still uses overlay for video output and not the newer VMR9 or the EVO (or whatever it is called) that Vista uses.

Power DVD Ultra claims to be profile 1.1 but I have found several cases where they do not play the PIP content correctly (Sunshine for example).

So until there is better playback software you are at the mercy of Power DVD.

If you want true 1080p24 output you have to make sure your video card can support it. The 1080p24 offerings from NVidia are 23 or 24 and not the 23.976 that is really wanted. The ATI cards are much easier to setup for 1080p24 since they allow powerstrip support and you can dial in the exact timing your display device wants. I heard the most recent drivers from NVidia may allow custom timings again in Vista but I have not verified this.

I have a PS3 and a very nice HTPC that can play blue ray (without skips by the way ). I use the PS3 for all my playback for the above mentioned reasons. YMMV

I have a hope that some day I can get lossless audio and a true profile 2.0 player out of my PC that works properly but it is not there yet.

I beg to differ. I get lossless sound and Cyberlink has verfied that downmixing is over - via analog outputs. Point two - powerstrip is supported with Nvidia - besides the new Nvidia cards have made Powerstrip obsolete (has been that way for over a year). 1080p at 24 fps - try 60 fps. Recent Nvidia cards allow custom timings in XP also. The PS3 I hear is limited in the sound area - PC's are far more capable. .EVO files are only for HD-DVD , Bluray file extensions are .BDMV or .M2TS and my PC plays them ripped - fine, even Window Media Player 11 can play M2TS.
As far as the audio goes LPCM 5.1 @ 6912Kbps not downsampled at all. I have another friend that has verified 192khz play back as well. I'm an A+ Certified technician and working towrds my DHTI+ certification. I will always prefer a PC to a PS3 any day of the week.
As far as profile 1.1 PIP is concerned - there are standalone players that can't do that yet either - I don't have the movie "Sunshine" not my type of movie. But everything I have is working fine. Brush up a little bit - things are changing exponentially!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

Would you like to see a screen shot or I can just let you see the other post that has the screen shot up already. The box ain't lyin'! When I stated that Dadkins posted his powerdvd info screen - identical to mine. (its in the BD Profiles LG.... Thread) read it and weep.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

Here's Dadkins picture. attached.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Odd, my laptop doesn't skip.

How did you take your screen shot? I'm going to do one for the non-believers also. I have several taken with a lousy digital camera but I want to do a quality one. Did you use SnagIt? If you did I will have mine up sometime tomorrow.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

We must remember this rule - all audio eventually comes back to analog - we hear in logarithms!!! We don't hear 0's and 1's thats why BD players and every other digital sound device has a DAC or Digital to ANALOG converter. That's why the analog outs just work!!!! Now that PDVD Ultra has been uncrippled - the sky is the limit!

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by prerich

How did you take your screen shot? I'm going to do one for the non-believers also. I have several taken with a lousy digital camera but I want to do a quality one. Did you use SnagIt? If you did I will have mine up sometime tomorrow.

Take it? PrtSc key, Gadwin PrintScreen, or SnagIt.
The movie is HW accelerated so *we* get a black screen, but the info gets snagged.

Post it here? ImageShack:
http://imageshack.us/

The image...



Hope this helps!

EDIT: I think fingersdlp is talking about DTS MA...

[prerich]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Take it? PrtSc key, Gadwin PrintScreen, or SnagIt.
The movie is HW accelerated so *we* get a black screen, but the info gets snagged.

Post it here? ImageShack:
http://imageshack.us/

The image...



Hope this helps!

EDIT: I think fingersdlp is talking about DTS MA...

That's 10-4 but PS3 doesnt do DTS MA either. We can at least get uncompressed lossless sound (TrueHD and DTS MA are both compressed-lossless).Uncompressed Lossless - that's all I need. I could care less about extras on BD's, HD-DVD's, or DVDs - give me great sound and a PQ and I'm set. Anyone up for 1440p? I'm not (LOL) my eyesight is bad but my hearing is great!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

And here's mine.

[rarredoa]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

I suppose i should have elaborated with my "sound options" post earlier... but looks like prerich has already explained how you CAN get lossless multichannel PCM on the PC via analog outputs. Another reason why I believe PC audio is better than PS3 is the THX control module that comes with the X-FI series sound cards. This allows pin point accuracy of speaker placement, continuous crossover adjustment, etc, all of which are options that are not readily available with PS3. Most decent receivers will allow for some of these features, but not all. With a good soundcard, you have more options. Which is why it's a MUST that you get an adequate sound card or have multichannel analog outputs on the on-board sound from the motherboard... By the way PRERICH thanks for backing me up!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by rarredoa

I suppose i should have elaborated with my "sound options" post earlier... but looks like prerich has already explained how you CAN get lossless multichannel PCM on the PC via analog outputs. Another reason why I believe PC audio is better than PS3 is the THX control module that comes with the X-FI series sound cards. This allows pin point accuracy of speaker placement, continuous crossover adjustment, etc, all of which are options that are not readily available with PS3. Most decent receivers will allow for some of these features, but not all. With a good soundcard, you have more options. Which is why it's a MUST that you get an adequate sound card or have multichannel analog outputs on the on-board sound from the motherboard... By the way PRERICH thanks for backing me up!

WHatcha say!!! Whatcha' say!!! You know whats happening! And a big you're welcome to you! I say BD should just drop TrueHD, DTS HD and just go for uncompressed, lossless LPCM 7.1 audio all the way - BD50 has more than enough room!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fingersdlp

I disagree on the sound options statement in the previous post. You can not do lossless out of the PC (yet?) but you can out of the PS3 over HDMI. Only DTSMA is not available on the PS3 (yet) but it is also not available for the PC. PS3 has better sound options today.

What do you have your PS3 connected to?

[rarredoa]

Originally Posted by prerich

WHatcha say!!! Whatcha' say!!! You know whats happening! And a big you're welcome to you! I say BD should just drop TrueHD, DTS HD and just go for uncompressed, lossless LPCM 7.1 audio all the way - BD50 has more than enough room!

I agree, LPCM's the way to go, i have a MID-FI sound system, and i gotta say that LPCM really makes my system sound better than most theaters i've been to! I know the small room has a lot to do with the acoustics and sound, but i am very pleased with what i have and how it performs. To have a noticeable improvement in sound, i'd have to spend THOUSANDS $$$ in equipment upgrades, and i just can't afford it... however to touch on the PS3 vs. PC question, i gotta say the video quality via PS3 is still better!... I hate to admit it, but that's what I notice, and as far as PC video hardware, i don't think i can improve on what i've got, but I'm a "SOUND" guy, so if i can play with sound options, i'll choose the route that will give me the most flexibility any day!...