Please, Recommend Blu-Ray Player Software

[ruzinsky]

I have tested about half a dozen and the only one that works is AnyMP4, but, it has an important flaw. It requires an internet connection to work. This is a deal breaker because it implies that, if the company goes out of business, the software will stop working.

Other programs that I have tested include Cyberlink PowerDVD and Corel WinDVD. These produce error messages stating that my display environment is unsuitable, apparently due to HDCP. I have two connected display monitors but the only one, that is HDCP incapable, is turned off. The program should detect that it is turned off because I am not going to disconnect and reconnect the display every time that I want to play a Blu-Ray disk. Is AnyMP4 breaking the law?

I couldn't agree to the EULAs of most of the other programs because they stated that an internet connection was required or they were otherwise too sleazy.

In summary, I want a player that

1. Doesn't require an internet connection (except, of course, for registration, purchase or updates at my option).

2. Doesn't stop working because of a non-HDCP compliant display that is turned off. If it has to be illegal, that is fine with me. If the decision makers behind HDCP couldn't take into account that a display is turned off, ... them.

3. Doesn't have a sleazy EULA.

4. Is reasonably priced for lifetime license.

[fairchild]

AnyDVD + MPC-HC/MPC-BE + Lav Filters + MadVR + Reclock works fine if you don't care about menu's. Aside from that, not sure about your HDCP issues. If PowerDVD and WinDVD is not working right with one of your displays, then that was what I was going to suggest as an alternative. (Total Media Theatre from Arcsoft is another commercial player)

[Sakura-chan]

All you need is AnyDVD HD with any player you like, WinDVD, PowerDVD, whatever. As stated on SlySoft's site:

Allows you to watch movies over a digital display connection, without HDCP-compliant graphics card and without HDCP-compliant display. No need to buy an expensive monitor. Sweet!


Don't know about the reasonable priced. Now it has a 20% discount, 95 EUR for lifetime. Maybe a bit steep? I live in a shitty country with a fake currency so nothing is reasonable for me :P. But given how AnyDVD works and that it seems to be updated frequently, maybe it's a good deal. Or maybe there are other options, you should look around.

[ruzinsky]

AnyDVD + MPC-HC/MPC-BE + Lav Filters + MadVR + Reclock works fine if you don't care about menu's. Aside from that, not sure about your HDCP issues. If PowerDVD and WinDVD is not working right with one of your displays, then that was what I was going to suggest as an alternative. (Total Media Theatre from Arcsoft is another commercial player)

My HDCP problem has been solved. I discovered that I could use a setting within Windows 7 to, in effect, disconnect the noncompliant monitor.

However, now I have a new problem. Almost every player that I have ever tested, EXCEPT Windows Media Center, has insufficient maximum audio volume. To test the players, I use recorded TV, WTV files, or MPEG files converted from WTV. At maximum volume, the players (EXCEPT Windows Media Center) are not as loud as the original TV shows as they originally played on my TV (which is the display device connected to my computer). Of the players I have tested, MPC-HC and MPC-BE are absolutely the worst! They are much less loud than Windows Media Player which, in turn, is much less loud than Windows Media Center. How do you tolerate that? Make the tests and tell me I am wrong.

[turbojet]

Some loudness solutions in this thread http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=168148

[fairchild]

I rarely have loudness issues and usually have to lower the volume. On my soundbar which I send bitstream AC3 and DTS, it is usually at around 35 and it's absolutely loud enough. (it goes up to 50 volume) When I'm going through my headphones and having LAV downmix to stereo with Normalize matrix, it really depends on the movie. Some rare time that I need to up the volume dramatically, I just use the compressor in Reclock and it does the trick.

[ruzinsky]

Update: I bought AnyDVD. It allows Windows 7 Media Center (Maybe, Windows Codec Pack, which I also have, is necessary) to read M2TS files. Thus, it seems that my loudness problem is solved.

On a slightly different matter, does anyone know how to make Windows Media Center the default player for movie DVDs so that when you right click the DVD drive icon and select "Play," Windows Media Center (NOT Windows Media Player) plays the disk? It's like a file association but not. As it is, I have to go into Windows Media Center's menu system to play a movie DVD. Strangely enough, the menu system is the only thing that I don't like about Windows Media Center.

[ruzinsky]

I rarely have loudness issues and usually have to lower the volume. On my soundbar which I send bitstream AC3 and DTS, it is usually at around 35 and it's absolutely loud enough. (it goes up to 50 volume) When I'm going through my headphones and having LAV downmix to stereo with Normalize matrix, it really depends on the movie. Some rare time that I need to up the volume dramatically, I just use the compressor in Reclock and it does the trick.

Are you talking about your TV's "soundbar"? Is your audio signal through an HDMI cable between your graphics card and TV? In any case, all else equal, do you find that Windows Media Player is louder than MPC and Windows Media Center is louder than Windows Media Player?

With AnyDVD HD, what is the general procedure for bypassing a Blu-Ray disk's menu? On one movie Blu-Ray, Cosmopolis, AnyDVD selected the wrong files to play. So, I looked for the largest M2TS file, played that and found that the entire movie was in that file. On another movie Blu-Ray, Side Effects, I tried the same thing but the M2TS file was missing audio (but fortunately AnyDVD automatically selected the correct files). What does one do when AnyDVD selects the wrong files and audio is missing from M2TS files?

[fairchild]

Are you talking about your TV's "soundbar"? Is your audio signal through an HDMI cable between your graphics card and TV? In any case, all else equal, do you find that Windows Media Player is louder than MPC and Windows Media Center is louder than Windows Media Player?

With AnyDVD HD, what is the general procedure for bypassing a Blu-Ray disk's menu? On one movie Blu-Ray, Cosmopolis, AnyDVD selected the wrong files to play. So, I looked for the largest M2TS file, played that and found that the entire movie was in that file. On another movie Blu-Ray, Side Effects, I tried the same thing but the M2TS file was missing audio (but fortunately AnyDVD automatically selected the correct files). What does one do when AnyDVD selects the wrong files and audio is missing from M2TS files?

Yes and yes, soundbar and use HDMI.

I don't know about your question with loudness since I only use MPC-HC and MPC-BE to watch all my blu-rays since I enjoy using the highest quality filters. (MadVR, Reclock, LavFilters, etc..)

Never had any problems with either MPC version not recognizing the correct movie file (and I have over 100 blu-rays) aside from my The Big Bang Theory discs which it just picks out the largest running time file which is not always the first episode. For movies, MPC always picks the correct movie file since it will choose the longest movie file on the discs. The down-side is no menu's but that's not a big deal for the most part.

AnyDVD doesn't select anything, it just decrypts the disc so that all compatible blu-ray players can then play the movies.

[Sparktank]

It's generally better to use the playlists rather than the m2ts files, if you're going to browse the disc/folder structure.

Some discs will have special features, like Inception, where the movie cuts at some point to change to a behind-the-scenes featurette.
The playlist will load the multiple m2ts files to playback seamlessly in the media players.

You can even use the index.bdmv/MovieObject.bdmv files to load the main movie.
In MPC, you can navigate through the various titles that the bdmv files loads.
Some movies will also repeat the main movie several times as well.
Why? No idea. French overlays, sometimes. Exception of a commentary, perhaps.
Without spending hours investigating why some movies do that, the first one it plays is usually the safest.

Also, m2ts files don't carry chapter information. If chapters are important.

[ruzinsky]

Yes and yes, soundbar and use HDMI.

I don't know about your question with loudness since I only use MPC-HC and MPC-BE to watch all my blu-rays since I enjoy using the highest quality filters. (MadVR, Reclock, LavFilters, etc..)


But, you should, at least once, try playing Blu-Ray on Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center (with AnyDVD HD and Windows 7 Codec Pack).


Never had any problems with either MPC version not recognizing the correct movie file (and I have over 100 blu-rays) aside from my The Big Bang Theory discs which it just picks out the largest running time file which is not always the first episode. For movies, MPC always picks the correct movie file since it will choose the longest movie file on the discs. The down-side is no menu's but that's not a big deal for the most part.

I can't recommend that you watch the Cosmopolis just to ruin your perfect record because it is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. That is, unless, you enjoy listening to overly verbose, intellectually pretentious, dumb dialog.

AnyDVD doesn't select anything, it just decrypts the disc so that all compatible blu-ray players can then play the movies.

Then MPC-BE, MPC-HC and Windows Media Player all play the same wrong files on Cosmopolis.

[ruzinsky]

It's generally better to use the playlists rather than the m2ts files, if you're going to browse the disc/folder structure.

Some discs will have special features, like Inception, where the movie cuts at some point to change to a behind-the-scenes featurette.
The playlist will load the multiple m2ts files to playback seamlessly in the media players.

You can even use the index.bdmv/MovieObject.bdmv files to load the main movie.
In MPC, you can navigate through the various titles that the bdmv files loads.
Some movies will also repeat the main movie several times as well.
Why? No idea. French overlays, sometimes. Exception of a commentary, perhaps.
Without spending hours investigating why some movies do that, the first one it plays is usually the safest.

Also, m2ts files don't carry chapter information. If chapters are important.

Is it well known amongst forum members that Windows Media Player + Windows 7 Codec Pack + AnyDVD HD will play Blu-Ray? Also, Windows Media Center + ... plays M2TS and BDMV files but not the disk in the conventional sense. I ask because I don't see much discussion about it. Windows 7 Codec Pack is free.

[Sparktank]

I think for "conventional" sense (ie. full menu support), you need a DirectShow filter.
You can check out this thread for more information.
directshow Bluray disc navigator filter base on libbluray (cb2000 on doom9) (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=164314)

Also an older thread here with the same questions about BD playback in MPC (etc).
Play Blu-rays (off the disc) in, say, MPC-HC? (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=167973)

But the disc will need to be decrypted before playback on PC.

For free BD decrypting, there's some really old solutions but have not had much update or progress since then.
"BDfree" was popular for awhile but I'm having trouble accessing their website.
www.bd-free.com
Link may or may not work. Not working for me.

DVDFab's "Passkey Lite" is a free solution for free BD decrypting.
But it's limited. So it may not work on all blu-ray movies.
For complete support, you'll have to buy full Passkey.

Free DVDfab Passkey Lite (http://www.dvdfab.com/passkey-lite.htm?vid=avangate&aid=675)
Compared with registered version, this free Passkey Lite has its own limitation on dealing with certain protections on some DVD/Blu-ray movies. In other words, Passkey Lite cannot help you backup movies with certain protections, but, you can still freely watch them.