Blu-Ray Support

[schillrm]

Hi,
I've been running SageTV for almost a year now, and like it. Recently I added an LG blu-ray drive to my HTPC. It came with CyberLink's PowerDVD software which plays blu-rays, but I'm wondering if SageTV has blu-ray support. I would much prefer to stay within the SageTV interface for ALL my media. I've looked around the forums and can't find anything definitive about the topic. Bottom line: How can I watch a blu-ray movie (an original disc, not a ripped copy) from SageTV?

[Fuzzy]

You cannot play Blu-Ray discs directly fron sage. You need either a certified blu-ray player (like CyberLink PowerDVD or ArcSoft TMT3) to play encrypted BluRay's, or AnyDVDHD to remove the encryption. Sage also lacks the menu capabilities anyways.

There are some decent options. Currently, I use AnyDVDHD to remove the encryption, and include the drive as an import folder. This lets the drive show up in my library, and can be read 'unencrypted'. I also use my External BluRay STV to launch the external player (ArcSoft TMT3) to play it. It works well, and is more seemless than would be switching to an actual hardware bluray player.

[Clift]

Originally Posted by schillrm

Hi,
I've been running SageTV for almost a year now, and like it. Recently I added an LG blu-ray drive to my HTPC. It came with CyberLink's PowerDVD software which plays blu-rays, but I'm wondering if SageTV has blu-ray support. I would much prefer to stay within the SageTV interface for ALL my media. I've looked around the forums and can't find anything definitive about the topic. Bottom line: How can I watch a blu-ray movie (an original disc, not a ripped copy) from SageTV?

Using ArcSoft TotalMedia and dynamic menus (in SageMC, but also available for default STV) I created a menu called Blu-ray under the DVD menu. This launched the TMT MCE application. It's an application that was developed and comes as part of TMT in order to hook onto vista media center, but it works great with SageTV. The interface is pretty seemless. Using the back button from the TMT menu sends you back to SageTV if you set up the dynamic menu to minimize SageTV when the external application is running. I also used babgvant's sageTVlauncher to map the "green" button on my MCE remote to launch SageTV, so at any time from within watching a BD I could hit the green button to return to the SageTv home screen.

[Skirge01]

Also, the HD200 can play native Blu-ray folder structures ripped via something like AnyDVDHD, but the regular SageTV client cannot. (Many of us are anxiously awaiting this feature.)

[koan00]

Originally Posted by Clift

Using ArcSoft TotalMedia and dynamic menus (in SageMC, but also available for default STV) I created a menu called Blu-ray under the DVD menu. This launched the TMT MCE application. It's an application that was developed and comes as part of TMT in order to hook onto vista media center, but it works great with SageTV. The interface is pretty seemless. Using the back button from the TMT menu sends you back to SageTV if you set up the dynamic menu to minimize SageTV when the external application is running. I also used babgvant's sageTVlauncher to map the "green" button on my MCE remote to launch SageTV, so at any time from within watching a BD I could hit the green button to return to the SageTv home screen.

That is a good idea. I believe PowerDVD supports the same "MCE mode" (which I plan to use).

[sleonard]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

You cannot play Blu-Ray discs directly fron sage. You need either a certified blu-ray player (like CyberLink PowerDVD or ArcSoft TMT3) to play encrypted BluRay's, or AnyDVDHD to remove the encryption. Sage also lacks the menu capabilities anyways.

There are some decent options. Currently, I use AnyDVDHD to remove the encryption, and include the drive as an import folder. This lets the drive show up in my library, and can be read 'unencrypted'. I also use my External BluRay STV to launch the external player (ArcSoft TMT3) to play it. It works well, and is more seemless than would be switching to an actual hardware bluray player.

I just purchased AnyDVD-HD 2 weeks ago and have two BD drives arriving tonight from Newegg. I plan on doing the same thing but using HD-200's for playback instead of a client PC. It works beautifully with DVD's including the DVD menu and even simultaneous playback of a single DVD at two different HD200's. I am interested to see how this is going to work with BD's.

S

[Fuzzy]

Blu-Ray is far more limited. It will play what it 'thinks' is the main movie (the longest playlist on the disc). It will also only play the standard core DTS audio, and that only if you have a receiver hooked up. (I think it will downmix to stereo analog if you are connected that way.. not sure though).

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

It will also only play the standard core DTS audio, and that only if you have a receiver hooked up. (I think it will downmix to stereo analog if you are connected that way.. not sure though).

I'm pretty sure the extenders can't decode DTS. So, if you want to listen to DTS, you need to use a receiver (or TV, I suppose) that supports DTS.

[sleonard]

Well, I guess that I had better check my TV's to see if they support DTS because all 3 of the HD200's are directly connected to them via HDMI.

S

[Deacon Crusher]

Yep, I'm faced with that too.

I've been lobbying for an upgrade (if possible) to do on the fly decoding/transcoding/downsampling or something of the dts tracks as this is a big shortcoming (and really the last major one.)

I think the only good current solution is a soundbar that does dts decoding.

That way you don't have to get a whole stereo setup and external speakers and you get a nice audio improvement.

i've been shopping around and found 3 that look possible in the 200 to 300 range.

Originally Posted by sleonard

Well, I guess that I had better check my TV's to see if they support DTS because all 3 of the HD200's are directly connected to them via HDMI.

S

[Fuzzy]

It isn't really that much of an issue for rips, as you can just add an AC3 track to them (which the HD200 CAN decode). The problem would only come up with playing directly from disc.

[Deacon Crusher]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

It isn't really that much of an issue for rips, as you can just add an AC3 track to them (which the HD200 CAN decode). The problem would only come up with playing directly from disc.

But really straight from disc is great if the DTS thing is resolved. You put a blu-ray drive in your server and everywhere you have an extender you also have a blu-ray player.

[Fuzzy]

oh, i fully understand the desire, i just think DTS is out for licensing reasons.