Windows 7 Media Center Blu Ray

[metalguy90]

I built my HTPC over the weekend, and all installed very well. No real issues. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate.

However, I noticed that when I attempt to play Blu-Ray disc movies through Windows Media Center (or WMP 12) it tells me that I need to install the required software/codecs. So I tried Cyberlink PowerDVD (because I couldnt find only a codec) and the BD movie plays. However, I noticed that when I play the BD movie through Windows Media Center, it plays with Cyberlink PowerDVD application and not just the codec. When I played DVDs (before the BD era) on a computer, I would only install the nvidia PureVideo codec (I believe it was the best on the market at that time) and play the DVD through Windows Media Center 2005. I did not need to install any other software.

So here are my questions?

Is there a codec only that I can install to play Blu-Ray disc movies through Windows Media Center? I would rather not have to install an entire application to play BD movies and I would like to use Windows Media Center because I like the interface better.

If there is no codec only, what software would you recommend?

I know of the following:

Corel WinDVD

CyberLink PowerDVD

Arcsoft Total Media Theatre

... or any ther BluRay player app that you could recommend. The lighter the application, the better.

[liju]

As far as I know there is no way to natively play BluRay movie discs in 7MC. But if you rip the disc using AnyDVD HD to m2ts files then I think you can play it in 7MC assuming you have the required codecs installed. To playback the movie from discs you will have to use the 3rd party apps. These apps can register into 7MC so that they can be invoked from within 7MC as you said. This is my understanding and I hope someone with more experience in this regard comes along and reply here.

[metalguy90]

As far as I know there is no way to natively play BluRay movie discs in 7MC. But if you rip the disc using AnyDVD HD to m2ts files then I think you can play it in 7MC assuming you have the required codecs installed. To playback the movie from discs you will have to use the 3rd party apps. These apps can register into 7MC so that they can be invoked from within 7MC as you said. This is my understanding and I hope someone with more experience in this regard comes along and reply here.

So far, that is what I am finding, and it's too bad it was designed that way. :(

I think to make things easy, I am going to use CyberLink PowerDVD, but I'll keep experimenting until I find something that works well (hopefully through installing codecs only.)

[HawkMan]

So far, that is what I am finding, and it's too bad it was designed that way. :(

I think to make things easy, I am going to use CyberLink PowerDVD, but I'll keep experimenting until I find something that works well (hopefully through installing codecs only.)

it uses the powerDVD player because windows doesn't have native controls for BD playback yet

[metalguy90]

it uses the powerDVD player because windows doesn't have native controls for BD playback yet

like I said, that's too bad.

I also want to mention that I dont want to go through the ripping method. I want to be able to put in my BD Disc into the drive and play the movie.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Isn't there an addon for PowerDVD or TotalMedia Theatre or WinDVD (lol one of those) that puts it right into Media Center?

[metalguy90]

Isn't there an addon for PowerDVD or TotalMedia Theatre or WinDVD (lol one of those) that puts it right into Media Center?

it used to be like that with DVDs in MCE 2005, but not with Windows 7 MC. That's my exact question.

[metalguy90]

ok.

I think I am going to give up this valiant yet futile search and bite the bullet.

Here are the big 3 software vendors for playing Blu-ray discs directly (since I dont want to go through the process of ripping all the time).

Cyberlink PowerDVD 10

Corel WinDVD 2010

Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre 3 Platinum

I have tried Cyberlink PowerDVD 10 and have found that it crashes on startup too many times (on my HTPC - Win7 and another PC - WinXP). I have heard great things about Arcsoft TMT3.

What I am looking for is a player that will do Blu-ray discs and Digital Sound (THX, DTS, etc.) basically. Can anyone make a recommendation from those 3 or any others?

[Gus.]

Windows 7 already has the codecs required to play BD movies, the problem is BD movies are ENCRYPTED, and Windows doesn't have the DECRYPTER... If you run a real-time decrypter in the background, then you could use any player to play BD movies. The problem here is, I don't know of any free decrypters, as it's probably illegal to distribute one for free, and the paid ones are probably the same price as a full BD player such as PowerDVD etc.

http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvdhd.html

So unless MS decides to provide us with a free decrypter, we will never be able to use just codecs or free players to play BD movies, unless "HDCP-compliant graphics card and HDCP-compliant display" allows playback without a decrypter?