Best HD DVD/BluRay Playback Software

Pinky · Oct 29, 2008

I don't want to spend an arm/leg for some decent HD DVD/BluRay playback software. Cyberlink 8 and Windvd 9 are both out of my price range. Cyberlink 8 doesn't even offer HD DVD playback!

I have PowerDVD 7.x and have the latest update, but even so I was unable to navigate the menus for the BluRay of 3:10 to Yuma. PowerDVD 7 is getting a tad old and I don't think there's been any updates in a while...

Any ideas/suggestions?

Pinky · Oct 30, 2008

bump?

Firestrider · Oct 30, 2008

I thought Vista didn't even support Blu-Ray drives... well not until SP2.

Pinky · Oct 31, 2008

Firestrider said:
I thought Vista didn't even support Blu-Ray drives... well not until SP2.

SP2? When's that slated? I still haven't upgraded my HTPC to SP1

.

According to this site, they're expanding BluRay capabilities (to include on-demand burning to blank bluray discs):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/oct/25/windows-vista-sp2

Mr.Guvernment · Oct 31, 2008

vista support BR drives, it just cant play it with out 3rd party software.

what they are doing in vista Sp2 is adding NATIVE blu-ray burning support, like burning a BR disk via window explorer, like you can do now to make cd's.

Pinky · Nov 4, 2008

I think I interpretted Firestrider's post to mean that there's currently no BR support at all, but with SP2 it will. When I hear not supported I conclude "doesn't work (at all)", but I see where the confusion happened.

Still haven't found another solution, but the couple BR discs I've played since 3:10 to Yuma have been fine. I don't think we had a playback issue from the actual disc since it happened with 2 BRs of the same movie from netflix.

Pinky · Dec 8, 2008

I found a deal on buy.com for Windvd 9 Plus BluRay for $56 shipped [normally $90-100]. This supports HD DVD and Bluray titles, as well as just about everything else under the sun. After some testing I'll be sure to report back on how it does compared to Nero 7.5/7.6/whatever-the-hell old version I have...

tom10167 · Dec 8, 2008

Take my word for it, don't get it.

Pinky · Dec 9, 2008

tom10167 said:
Take my word for it, don't get it.

Already got it. :shrug:

Have you had bad experiences with version 9? Any tips/tricks? I still haven't tried it, might tonight...

Mr.Guvernment · Dec 9, 2008

Pinky said:
I found a deal on buy.com for Windvd 9 Plus BluRay for $56 shipped [normally $90-100]. This supports HD DVD and Bluray titles, as well as just about everything else under the sun. After some testing I'll be sure to report back on how it does compared to Nero 7.5/7.6/whatever-the-hell old version I have...

some people have said WinDVD is flakey for playing BR disks...

the other solution is PowerDVD.

Pinky · Dec 9, 2008

Mr.Guvernment said:
the other solution is PowerDVD.

... which has no HD DVD support in the newest version (8), which is the one I would have needed. (as I posted prior, I have the last 7.x version and encounter occassional BR playback issues, which has included freezing during playback a few times).

Hopefully WinDVD works fine for me. :santa2:

Mr.Guvernment · Dec 10, 2008

ahh did not see that! sucks they would drop the support.. since some people still own HD..

Pinky · Dec 10, 2008

Mr.Guvernment said:
ahh did not see that! sucks they would drop the support.. since some people still own HD..

Makes no sense to me unless Toshiba is still charging a licensing fee for the decoding of HD DVD through software (codec). Or perhaps Sony paid Cyberlink to drop support, like they paid off so many others in their triumphant run to the top of the HD market...

Mr.Guvernment · Dec 10, 2008

would make sense, i could see toshiba trying to hold on, yet it wont do them any good!

tom10167 · Dec 10, 2008

Pinky said:
Already got it.

Have you had bad experiences with version 9? Any tips/tricks? I still haven't tried it, might tonight...

somehow it works now, I think upgrading to quad core from an old Opteron helped a lot.

It's definitely better at BD than Cyberlink's trash is at DVD. It's not really the worst thing in the world I just had tons and tons of skipping issues. Now, it doesn't matter but I still like Cyberlink better. I might not even have a reason for this anymore.

Let me know how you like it.

Shelnutt2 · Dec 10, 2008

Also vlc has limited support if the movies on your hdd,

http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=51455&start=0

Shiggity · Dec 10, 2008

http://www.afterdawn.com/ is my favorite for these type of questions.

They have a really good section devoted to blu-ray and lots of helpful forum posters.

Wicked Klown · Dec 10, 2008

Alot of people over at AVSforum like TotalMediaTheater.

Pinky · Dec 11, 2008

Thanks Wicked, although the recommendation came a little late that definitely would have been a good option...

Tom, be sure to grab the updates from Corel's website. I know there were a few issues like the one you described that were supposedly resolved with this update...

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Content/1157481830155?pid=1217273655849

no1stunna · Dec 13, 2008

+1 for power dvd

Best HD DVD/BluRay Playback Software

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