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What Software Player?

E

Electron003

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Greetings,

Just built a new puter after 10 years (haven't got it yet) and I'd like some recommendations on the software player people use??

My old puter used PowerDVD 7, But I don't know where the disc is (came with one of my DVD drives).

Searching seems to show PowerDVD 17 is mentioned here a lot. Not sure of other brands, but I'm okay with this if it works with Anydvd.

Also, this is a Cyberlink product, which doesn't have very good reviews for support - even lots of people posting about not getting codes and stuff after paying and they can't get their money back - and the real problems of even contacting Cyberlink. Any personal experience you could share.

Always appreciated :)
 
That depends on the type of playback you want and do. Do you do full disc backups of just main movie

Do you care about fully functioning menu's or are simple ones effort effect is it might take some time then to correctly do things.

Do you use Blu-ray or DVD.

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Mostly I use it to watch any (backed up) video I may have, also to find the title number of various TV show episodes from DVDs and use it as a general purpose player. I have not made the move to bluray, but I would like the ability to play bluray. I need to get a bluray drive first.

Fully functioning menus would be nice, as I mod some stuff like TR Vs DCut etc. Mostly, I just want to update my player (PD V7 is only stereo) and get something 64bit. Not sure PD17 is 64bit.

Anyway, all my software is really old (still on XP until I get my new machine) so it's time to look at upgrading. Would like to dodge Cinavia as best I can and I believe anydvd as some type of function - but not sure what that is. Thanks
 
PowerDVD is just fine.

Good free Players for all except Blurays are:

VLC (not the WinT Store app)
Kodi (Store or normal)
Foobar (Audio only)

Hope this helps.
 
If you want full menu support there's really only 2 options. That's PowerDVD and windvd, with PowerDVD being the better option. Arcsoft stopped tmt a few years ago. 64 bit is irrelevant. Neither of them are and 32 bit software runs just fine on 32bit software.

As to cinavia, AnyDVD can tackle that bi-fold. Option 1 is the by default enabled setting to 'prevent software player from detecting cinavia'. That setting prevent the software player (PowerDVD in this case from DETECTING the signal, it does not effectively remove it).

Option 2 works in combination with CloneBD and does remove it, but at a cost to the audio.

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Thanks for the insights.

Looks like PowerDVD it is.

Ch3vrOn - I knew AnyDVD somehow worked without removing cinavia, but your comment makes it that much clearer. As for removal, I read that re-encoding it to AC3 makes the audio "wobble" Can you further explain this? Is the AC3 reencode a 5.1 / 7.1 signal or stereo?

"Arcsoft stopped tmt a few years ago." This was a shame.

Blank - Already use VLC and Kodi (don't run Kodi on my pc - just HTPC). I'm really looking at replacing my PDV7 with something more modern - PowerDVD 17 sounds like it fits the bill.

Appreciated :)
 
It 'wobbles' indeed. Some like to call it a speedup/slowdown type effect. It affects background audio and some fine it more annoying than others. The only way to really know if it bothers you is to do it. The result would keep channel layout upto 5.1. NO HD audio layout possible (like 7.1 and above), due to the fact that a free / open source audio encoder doesn't exist.

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Thanks Ch3vrOn, that helps a lot. That will be my next project after setting up the new machine (what a job ;) ) Time to get into an optical drive that does bluray (and cloneBD). I notice you have numerous ODrives in your sig - none of them are available here. Any recommendations? M-Disc looks interesting for storage.
 
Try the LG bh16ns55, could possibly be named what... Too. I can't recommend any others as it's been years since I used different ones. These are 'recycled' from my previous right. You don't need m-disc unless you plan on living 1000years. That technology is still very new, hasn't proven itself yet and the discs are $$$$$

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Only a few stores still carry the LG bh16ns55. I've been surprised at how few internal models are actually avabilable. Either Asus or LG and very few Smasung / Silverstone slimline models. One store has nothing but Asus! Almost tempted to buy a spare one - test it that it works, then put it in the cupboard. Makes you wonder how much longer they are going to make optical drives. Surely there much be a large market with all the dvds/ BD's that are sold, but the few models around makes you think other wise. The main ones that come uo are the Asus BC-12D2HT and ASUS BW-16D1HT PRO. It's not clear what the difference is for $70 difference. The 2nd one is faster, but can't believe that is the cost difference. Thanks
 
Asus drives have always been overpriced, and the BD drives are just re-badged models made by other manufactures.
Asus are terrible at bringing out new firmwares so stick with the original manufacture.

The Asus BC-12D2HT is only a combo drive so Blu-ray playback but not a Blu-ray writer, and I think the BW-16D1HT Pro is a re-badged LG BH16NS40

I'd say the reason you only see those Asus ones in store is because no one buys them so they get left on the shelf. Just go online and order an LG or Pioneer drive. Newegg have loads
 
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Thanks Adbear. I'll keep and eye out for an LG. I thought the Asus BC-12D2HT was a writer as well. Thanks for pointing that out. Would have been fatal in not getting a writer :(
 
I'll throw another option out there *IF* you DON'T care about menus and that's JRiver MC. I've been using it for years and it supports everything I throw at it, including playing blu-ray (in combination with AnyDVD removing the protection) however it does not support blu-ray menus. The thing I like about MC is that it uses LAV filters and madVR for insanely high quality playback. Personally I rip my library to MKV (including 3D MKV thank you CloneBD!) and add them to my MC library. Boom, done. My own private high quality movie service. LOL MC is NOT free but it has a very active development. I personally use PowerDVD 17 and MC on my HTPC. Just something to consider.
 
Free PotPlayer + madVR is another option... no menus though.
Excellent video quality and customizable.
madVR is a high quality video renderer (GPU assisted) so not for older GPUs.
 
Ch3vr0n said:
There's no such thing as a Blu-ray DVD or such a player. It's either a Blu-ray disc or a DVD.
Click to expand...
I know you have a built-in urge to comment on everything, but take it from me: the spammers won't even read it ;)
 
I had a feeling it was one of those. Deleted a 2.5yr old necro product spam post myself. Shhhh

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