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[escaflo]

Hi,

Recently I've just setup my Media Center PC and am now trying to setup Media Center to play back blu-ray disc. I got Cyberlink PowerDVD installed but every time I try to play a blu-ray disc, it tells me it is unable to connect to decoder/splitter.

I got AnyDVD HD installed as well. Is there anything I am missing?

Thanks!

[CountryBumkin]

I'll bet the Cyberlink software messed up MC. Did you install MC first, then PowerDVD? If so, maybe unistall everything, then install MC last so Cyberlink doesn't overwrite anything on MC.
But really, why even install PowerDVD? MC can do everything on its own.

[Sandy B Ridge]

But really, why even install PowerDVD? MC can do everything on its own.

You don't get the posh java menus and possibly the extras on the disc with MC.

SBR

[CountryBumkin]

I see. I don't rip the extras/menus/ads anyways. I just want the movie to start when I hit "play".

[Sandy B Ridge]

I see. I don't rip the extras/menus/ads anyways. I just want the movie to start when I hit "play".

Ivy B likes the extras for the girly soppy movies.

I think it'll be a while before an open source bluray navigator filter for the menus is available. Heck, there isn't even a fully functional open source DVD navigator filter out yet, and DVD has been around forever! Hence the problem with madVR and DVDs, the Microsoft one (qDVD.dll) has Macrovision protection inbuilt and so only works right with Microsoft renderers ie. EVR at the moment. I gather from the LAV to-do list that nevcairiel is working on it though, so keep your fingers crossed for an Easter Bunny!

SBR

[CountryBumkin]

I hear ya.
I rip my DVDs to MKV so I can use MadVR for playback. When I have a disk with multiple episodes, I just rip each episode as a separate MKV. MC does a nice job dispalying them under one cover as a series/box-set.
I recognize that on some movies having a menu can be useful (like if you want to choose alternate endings, etc.).
Enjoy.

[audioriver]

Yes, DVD playback is sorely missed in LAV/madVR, hopefully it will be sorted out. BD menu playback is a completely different beast though. I could be wrong, but it might even involve some sort of royalty fee for 100% BD compliance.

[Sandy B Ridge]

Yes, DVD playback is sorely missed in LAV/madVR, hopefully it will be sorted out.

[rant]
What I don't get is why a $15 Unbranded DVD player can do it fine with low power on board chip/code, but the whole open source community of highly talented programmers with hi powered PC processors can't seem to get it done. Especially since the standard is probably published somewhere (is it RedBook? Can't remember).
[/rant]

Edit: Note this is in no way directed at Nevcairiel or madshi, for whom I have the utmost respect. I'm just surprised that no-one in the past few years has produced a fully functioning alternative to qDVD.dll without restrictions. The information on the way the DVD menu structure works and how to decode it etc. must be freely available somewhere......

 BD menu playback is a completely different beast though. I could be wrong, but it might even involve some sort of royalty fee for 100% BD compliance.

yes, I think this is different. C'mon the OpenSource Community!!

SBR

[escaflo]

Hi,

I don't really need the menu and don't really care about installing Cyberlink player. The main reason I installed was I thought Media Center will require it to playback blu-ray.

But even when I uninstall MC and install Cyberlink first it also doesn't work. MC will prompt me that it is unable to connect to the source/splitter.

I tried it with XBMC and XBMC is able to play the disc fine.

What's most people setup for playing back blu-ray dvd on their HTPC with MC?

[Hendrik]

[rant]
What I don't get is why a $15 Unbranded DVD player can do it fine with low power on board chip/code, but the whole open source community of highly talented programmers with hi powered PC processors can't seem to get it done. Especially since the standard is probably published somewhere (is it RedBook? Can't remember).
[/rant]

Its just not worth the effort. DVDs work fine with EVR, and at the time madVR came around, DVDs were already legacy. I barely own any DVDs, Blu-ray is the way forward.

[CountryBumkin]

Hi,

I don't really need the menu and don't really care about installing Cyberlink player. The main reason I installed was I thought Media Center will require it to playback blu-ray.

But even when I uninstall MC and install Cyberlink first it also doesn't work. MC will prompt me that it is unable to connect to the source/splitter.

I tried it with XBMC and XBMC is able to play the disc fine.

What's most people setup for playing back blu-ray dvd on their HTPC with MC?

All you need is MC17 and a copy of AnyDVD HD running in the background (to play a physical disk) or to have ripped the movie while AnyDVD HD was running. Nothing else is needed after that to play the movie. MC will downlaod and install all of the proper filters/splitters/codecs/etc. You do not need any other software on your computer.

My suggestion is to remove all the programs you installed, install the very latest video drivers (go to nVidia, AMD, etc. site, whoever makes you card, to get latest drivers). Then install MC. If you are still having problems, go to MC Help tab and choose to save the Log file.  If this is a dedicated HTPC (no other programs installed) you may even want to reinstall the operating system and start clean.

[audioriver]

Menus and extra features are not crucial of course, but with TV series DVD/BD discs, being able to access the menus is essential - the 'play longer title' approach falls apart. Of course there's the EVR solution, but after being exposed to madVR's features, it's tough.  

[escaflo]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. Actually I did that at first. Just a clean install of MC and trying to play back the blu-ray dvd. I got that message which is why I thought it need the cyberlink dvd player.

Hmm I wonder what I am doing wrong here because all other player work fines like Zoomplayer and XBMC (I've tested them when I realize I can't get MC to play back bluray correctly.)

[JimH]

Is AnyDVD up to date?

You don't need anything other than that and MC17.

[Sandy B Ridge]

...... at the time madVR came around, DVDs were already legacy.

yeah, I just happen to have about a hundred 'legacy' discs!

I barely own any DVDs, Blu-ray is the way forward.

Now you're showing your age, you young pup! Agree that Blu-ray is the way forward and any new discs I buy are Blu-ray. If you say that Blu-ray is the way forward, does that mean you have something up your sleeve? Would be awesome if you did release a full-menu support bluraynav.ax filter!!

SBR

[Hendrik]

Blu-ray Menu support is in development, just not by me.
Also, Java menus are not supported at all yet, which means only 30-40% of all discs work with it right now (and a few of the non-Java discs still fail, as well).

Integrating this into a player is still quite a lot of work, its not simple plug'n'play. Its probably  alot easier to do it in a standalone player without DirectShow in between, too.

Its generally not in any shape to consider it "stable", but if JRiver is interested i could forward the required information/contacts.