HD200 and Blu-Ray playback?

[appelm]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Blu-ray uses UDF (2.5?) file system, Windows doesn't ship with a driver for that (at least not XP, not sure about Vista), so you need to install a driver to be able to access the drive directly.

ok that was it! I followed the instructions and installed the driver.. now I can browse the Blu-Ray drive and add it as an import folder in Sage. Thanks.. btw, I'm running on XP and this is a Liteon drive that comes with PowerDVD software. I installed the software but it doesn't seem to come with a UDF 2.5 driver.

Perhaps its just this particular disk (the one and only disk I happened to order), but when I play it (either from the ripped folder on the HD or now from the bluray drive import folder), it just plays the dvd movie navigation background movie .. which is beautifully hidef with sound ("I like to move it move it") and quite entertaining and but only for a few minutes.

When you say movies with seamless branching may cause problems, I'm wondering if that is what's going on or not. The main movie seems to be in the 0003.m2ts which is about 20gb. I can navigate to that file in Sage and it plays the whole movie fine with audio. I believe that means its not a branching or audio track problem, right?

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by appelm

When you say movies with seamless branching may cause problems, I'm wondering if that is what's going on or not. The main movie seems to be in the 0003.m2ts which is about 20gb. I can navigate to that file in Sage and it plays the whole movie fine with audio. I believe that means its not a branching or audio track problem, right?

This should be right BUT the default playlist may include forced promos, trailers etc and then the movie, so the main playlist may have multiple m2ts streams even if the movie itself occupies only one. I'm not sure how/if Sage even looks at the playlists though.

In all honesty, most of my movies had been muxed to hard drive before this Sage update, so I've only tried playing a few from the drive - POTC 3 was one, Shooter another - both played fine. The Man Who Fell to Earth gave me issues but I think that was the LPCM audio track.

[HelenWeathers]

Well, I was wrong about seamless branching. I just tried Close Encounters which has 25-30 m2ts files to make up the movie, depending on the cut you want to watch. It plays perfectly in Sage from my shared BD Drive. Defaults to AC3 Spanish, but the True HD track can be selected and works even on my TV.

So, It's something other than seamless branching.

[cncb]

Originally Posted by cncb

I am considering getting a Blu-ray drive but don't want to spend even more on AnyDVD. Has anyone tried using DVDFab? It sounds like it will work but will this result in a folder structure that I need? Thanks.

Could someone try this for me? The Blu-ray backup part is freeware.

[PLUCKYHD]

Any body know how to get blueray structure reconizes for streaming from windows home server I installed the 2.5 but I am guessing that is only hd-dvd as I still can't read a blueray in the drive.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by cncb

Could someone try this for me? The Blu-ray backup part is freeware.

Well, you owe me one. I hate putting software on my PC that I'm unsure of. However, I downloaded it and put it through it's paces.

DVDFab HD does do a full disc backup. The backup can be used just like the backup from any dvd hd software. BDInfo reads the backup. TSMuxer works with the backup as well. eac3to works too.

That's it. Period. End of story.

The disc itself is not unlocked with DVDFab. You can't browse and play directly from the disc. BDInfo can't read from the disc. TSMuxer can't mux directly from the disc. When set up as shared, Sage can't access the drive to play directly from the disc.

DVDFab seems to be fine for copying (and then postprocessing the copy if needed).

According to the license agreement, DVDFab decryptor is free for 30 days. Then you have to buy DVDFab HD.

Hope this helps. I've uninstalled DVDFab HD from my PC.

EDIT: By the way, the movie I tried it on was Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. The 3D was incredible.

[cncb]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

Well, you owe me one. I hate putting software on my PC that I'm unsure of. However, I downloaded it and put it through it's paces.

Thanks very much for trying this. I am new to this so I don't totally understand the outcome of your testing. If you use it to do a disc backup of a commercial BD, will it create the appropriate BDMV folder such that the HD200 can play it? Thanks again.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by cncb

Thanks very much for trying this. I am new to this so I don't totally understand the outcome of your testing. If you use it to do a disc backup of a commercial BD, will it create the appropriate BDMV folder such that the HD200 can play it? Thanks again.

Yes!

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by appelm

ok that was it! I followed the instructions and installed the driver.. now I can browse the Blu-Ray drive and add it as an import folder in Sage. Thanks.. btw, I'm running on XP and this is a Liteon drive that comes with PowerDVD software. I installed the software but it doesn't seem to come with a UDF 2.5 driver.

Perhaps its just this particular disk (the one and only disk I happened to order), but when I play it (either from the ripped folder on the HD or now from the bluray drive import folder), it just plays the dvd movie navigation background movie .. which is beautifully hidef with sound ("I like to move it move it") and quite entertaining and but only for a few minutes.

When you say movies with seamless branching may cause problems, I'm wondering if that is what's going on or not. The main movie seems to be in the 0003.m2ts which is about 20gb. I can navigate to that file in Sage and it plays the whole movie fine with audio. I believe that means its not a branching or audio track problem, right?

I wished this worked for me I am running whs and I can't get it to reconize the blueray in the drive. I am able to rip with anydvd but can't get the streaming from the drive to work. I installed the 2.5udf from toshiba but no difference.

[appelm]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

I wished this worked for me I am running whs and I can't get it to reconize the blueray in the drive. I am able to rip with anydvd but can't get the streaming from the drive to work. I installed the 2.5udf from toshiba but no difference.

Perhaps the driver is XP specific.. did you check the Toshiba website for a WHS version? also, dumb question but did you reboot after installing?

[toony]

Man this update is really nice. I finally got around to trying it. I ripped The Shining and dirrected sage to the folder. I have not touched it with tsmuxer, just as is and it played beautifully. I know I have to though for branched movies.

BTW if you like The Shining this is a wonderful remaster.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by toony

Man this update is really nice. I finally got around to trying it. I ripped The Shining and dirrected sage to the folder. I have not touched it with tsmuxer, just as is and it played beautifully. I know I have to though for branched movies.

BTW if you like The Shining this is a wonderful remaster.

toony, I played Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind from my shared Blu-ray drive on the HD-200 and the seamless branching wasn't an issue. (Did I say yet that I love SageTV?).

I have The Shining too, and it is beautifully done.

[johnnytyler]

Alright, I'm starting to get really excited about the new developments. I was so disappointed that I almost bought the popcorn hour. I'm glad I didn't. I was wondering how are you guys managing the HD audio streams? Are you just using the AC3 and DTS or are you able to play the HD audio?

[toony]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

toony, I played Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind from my shared Blu-ray drive on the HD-200 and the seamless branching wasn't an issue. (Did I say yet that I love SageTV?).

I have The Shining too, and it is beautifully done.

I love Sage too

I so want to get Close Encounters... I assume there is more than one version to watch if there is branching... do you know which one it defaulted to?

I am seriously starting to think about keeping the entire bluray discs ripped and not using tsremuxer, looks like we are getting close to having full bluray support.
I know I am getting ahead of myself here, but for the better movies I think I m going to keep them as they come.

[toony]

Originally Posted by johnnytyler

Alright, I'm starting to get really excited about the new developments. I was so disappointed that I almost bought the popcorn hour. I'm glad I didn't. I was wondering how are you guys managing the HD audio streams? Are you just using the AC3 and DTS or are you able to play the HD audio?

Usually when I have been ripping my blurays I have at the minimum downconverted the DTS HD to DTS, in some cases I had to go to AC3 but not to often. Because the audio must run through a reciever mine does not support the DTS.

However this time when I watched The Shining without doing a thing to it the audio played just fine in DTS 5.1, so to tell the truth I have no idea how this happened. Now you got me curious.... Dam you I was settling in for the night!

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by johnnytyler

Alright, I'm starting to get really excited about the new developments. I was so disappointed that I almost bought the popcorn hour. I'm glad I didn't. I was wondering how are you guys managing the HD audio streams? Are you just using the AC3 and DTS or are you able to play the HD audio?

The HD200 will extract the AC3 or DTS core from the "HD" audio streams so there's no need to convert (if your SSP supports DTS). So far, it doesn't do anything beyond that, but Jeff has mentioned that they're looking at adding decoding of TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, so in theory you'd be able to get decoded HD audio over HDMI at some point in the future.

[toony]

Originally Posted by stanger89

The HD200 will extract the AC3 or DTS core from the "HD" audio streams so there's no need to convert (if your SSP supports DTS). So far, it doesn't do anything beyond that, but Jeff has mentioned that they're looking at adding decoding of TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, so in theory you'd be able to get decoded HD audio over HDMI at some point in the future.

Well that answers my question.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by appelm

Perhaps the driver is XP specific.. did you check the Toshiba website for a WHS version? also, dumb question but did you reboot after installing?

Not a dumb question but dumb me I never restart my WHS will try that tonight stupid stupid

Thanks

[johnnytyler]

Originally Posted by Narflex

One way we'll definitely be supporting the HD audio formats is by converting them to the non-HD versions and passing that through. So if you have DTS-HD; it'll pass through DTS and if you have TrueHD it'll pass through AC3. So it would end up being 5.1 channels instead of 7.1 channels.

As stanger mentioned; we're also looking into decoding the HD audio formats and then sending them out as LPCM; but we're still 'looking into it' we're not committing to that one yet.

I REALLY, REALLY hope, that Andy and co will decode HD audio format to LPCM so that we can get the full benefit of HD audio. Even if they can't do it, they can release another HD extender with 1.3a HDMI capabilities and get the libraries to passthrough these formats (like the popcorn hour).

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by johnnytyler

I REALLY, REALLY hope, that Andy and co will decode HD audio format to LPCM so that we can get the full benefit of HD audio. Even if they can't do it, they can release another HD extender with 1.3a HDMI capabilities and get the libraries to passthrough these formats (like the popcorn hour).

I will second this request native bitstreaming is not important but lpcm passthrough at the least is. The sound of true hd formats is too good to not implement