Blu-ray Player for my Computer

[BinkerNate]

I have a Gateway SX2802 Desktop, complete witha DVD plater; I want to replace the DVD Player with a Blu-ray player but dont know which is the best one nor which is compatible with this particular desktop. Any suggestions, ideas, etc?

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

The biggest thing you want to make note of is if you have an available SATA port on your motherboard. There is not enough bandwidth available over and IDE channel/cable for blu-ray.

If you want to just read BDs, my recommendation is Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader Model iHOS104-08 (USD $60)

If you want to burn, Newegg.com - LG Black 10X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Disc Combo Model UH10LS20 LightScribe Support - Blu-Ray Drives (USD $77)

At 4x, you can rip a BD-50 disc in about an hour to hour fifteen.

I have this Newegg.com - PLEXTOR Black 6X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM USB External BD Combo Super Multi Drive Model PX-B310U

I picked it up on sale for like $80 because I had a laptop at the time and a sony blu ray drive for my laptop was over $200. It works pretty well for being over USB 2.0.

 

[BinkerNate]

I don't know about the SATA port, that's something maybe for Geek Squad; but yeah, I have no current plans for burning discs. Though, because we rarely burn DVDs on this, since that first option has a DVD feature as well, I wonder if we can burn DVDs with it when a time comes where we might want to burn with the DVD player again.

Is it easy or is it preferred to have a professional install a blu-ray driver on this desktop?

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

If you're comfortable with opening your case, it's as easy as working with four screws and plugging in two cables (one sata, one power)

This is what a sata port looks like:

Even on retail boxes, you have at least two. New retail boxes are coming with sata optical drives now anyways.

There are typically no drivers to install.

 

[Tepid]

Any Reader will only read discs. The first one listed above, will not burn anything.

The second one, ill burn both DVD's and BD's.
Look for the RW (Read/Write) and that will tell you.

The third one is actually not too bad... Plextor is a good Quality name and it's USB so you can use it anywhere as long as the video card can handle Hi-Def, if that is what you would be watching. All modern PC's of the last 2 years should be able to without a problem, going older you will need to test.

 

[Zepher]

Any Reader will only read discs. The first one listed above, will not burn anything.

The second one, ill burn both DVD's and BD's.
Look for the RW (Read/Write) and that will tell you.

The third one is actually not too bad... Plextor is a good Quality name and it's USB so you can use it anywhere as long as the video card can handle Hi-Def, if that is what you would be watching. All modern PC's of the last 2 years should be able to without a problem, going older you will need to test.

Second one Burns CD and DVD's and plays BluRays.

I have a Lite-On reader in one machine and an LG HD-DVD/BluRay/DVD combo drive in my main machine.

Bluray on a PC is nice to have but can be finicky at times.
The 2 mainstream Bluray programs are PowerDVD and Total Media Theater.

I also have a stand alone Panasonic Player that I use most of the time since it almost guaranteed to play without issues.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

BinkerNate,
My suggestion is to leave your DVD drive in place and install the Blu-Ray drive under or over it in an available drive bay. You will have the power plug loose in the case for this drive and then all you will need to do is install the sata cable to the mobo sata header. All easy stuff and the next boot the system will see the drive and then you can install the blu-ray drive provided with the new optical drive.

 

[Zepher]

BinkerNate,
My suggestion is to leave your DVD drive in place and install the Blu-Ray drive under or over it in an available drive bay. You will have the power plug loose in the case for this drive and then all you will need to do is install the sata cable to the mobo sata header. All easy stuff and the next boot the system will see the drive and then you can install the blu-ray drive provided with the new optical drive.

his machine looks like a slim unit with 1 drive bay.

 

[Tepid]

BD-ROM: 10XDVD-ROM: 16XDVD+R: 16XDVD+RW: 8XDVD-R: 16XDVD-RW:

Yeah, my bad,, sorry about that.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Zepher,
You're correct it is a slim line with the optical drive in a vertical array and it doesn't appear to have any optical drive slots free.

 

[Ponmayilal]

If what you need is only a Blu-ray BDROM player then go for Plextor PX-B120U High Speed External USB BDROM drive. Cost less than $100.

 

[thefabe]

If what you need is only a Blu-ray BDROM player then go for Plextor PX-B120U High Speed External USB BDROM drive. Cost less than $100.

View attachment 127847

Plexor is a quality drive but if your going to only have the use of one slot your going to want a writer as well. I own the LG. WH10LS30K with Lghtscribe.
This is is the one, only now you can get it by the 31st with 3d software and 3d glasses $99.99. It's been a solid drive .Newegg.com - LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support - Bulk - Blu-Ray Burners
Another plus is your standard DVD's even look amazingly better.
Fabe

 

[Zepher]

If what you need is only a Blu-ray BDROM player then go for Plextor PX-B120U High Speed External USB BDROM drive. Cost less than $100.

View attachment 127847

Plexor is a quality drive but if your going to only have the use of one slot your going to want a writer as well. I own the LG. WH10LS30K with Lghtscribe.
This is is the one, only now you can get it by the 31st with 3d software and 3d glasses $99.99. It's been a solid drive .Newegg.com - LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support - Bulk - Blu-Ray Burners
Another plus is your standard DVD's even look amazingly better.
Fabe

She posted an external BD Drive from Plextor, so the stock drive can stay in the PC.

 

[pparks1]

I don't presently have a BR player, but don't you have to be concerned about your other components and software supporting HDCP?

 

[FliGi7]

I don't presently have a BR player, but don't you have to be concerned about your other components and software supporting HDCP?

Yes! I was scrolling through this whole thread wondering why that wasn't mentioned. Your graphics card and monitor both need to support HDCP.

I just looked up the OP's system and if it has the Intel X4500 graphics, that supports HDCP. However, the OP will have to check if their monitor is HDCP compliant.

 

[Zepher]

I don't presently have a BR player, but don't you have to be concerned about your other components and software supporting HDCP?

Yes! I was scrolling through this whole thread wondering why that wasn't mentioned. Your graphics card and monitor both need to support HDCP.

I just looked up the OP's system and if it has the Intel X4500 graphics, that supports HDCP. However, the OP will have to check if their monitor is HDCP compliant.

Only if all the connections are Digital. you don't need HDCP with a VGA connection.

 

[FliGi7]

I don't presently have a BR player, but don't you have to be concerned about your other components and software supporting HDCP?

Yes! I was scrolling through this whole thread wondering why that wasn't mentioned. Your graphics card and monitor both need to support HDCP.

I just looked up the OP's system and if it has the Intel X4500 graphics, that supports HDCP. However, the OP will have to check if their monitor is HDCP compliant.

Only if all the connections are Digital. you don't need HDCP with a VGA connection.

True, you don't need HDCP to display over VGA, but you cut the resolution in half by doing so if ICT is enabled.

 

[FliGi7]

To add more to the mix, you'll also need Blu-Ray playback software like AnyDVD, PowerDVD, or something of the like so budget for that (or find a blu-ray player that comes bundled with the software).

 

[Ponmayilal]

AnyDVD is not a blu-ray player.It is a Windows-based driver that works automatically in the background to unprotect encrypted movie DVDs.AnyDVD HD adds the functionality to HD-DVDs and BDs. These can also rip DVDs and BDs besides enabling one to play any region DVDs and BDs. It also defeats the HDCP requirements of your video card and monitor. Effective 01 Jan 2011,lifetime subscription will no longer be available. One has to buy only period-limited subscriptions and keep renewing it. So if you want to buy a lifetime license hurry up.

The blu-ray player software are Cyberlink Power DVD/Media Suite 10 Ultra, Arcsoft Total Media Theater, Corel WinDVD and Nero Video Premium HD/Multimedia suite 10 Platinum HD.

Most retail ( and not OEM) BDROM players bundle Power DVD 9 capable of Blu-ray playback while most BD burners bundle Cyberlink's Bluray suite that includes the BD player plus the burning software among others.

 

[thefabe]

On Newegg it's hit and miss with an OEM if your going to get the software or not, so yea it is also a consideration. I picked up a copy of Power DVD10 Mark II 3D for $53.00 on Amazon.
Plus you need to upgrade the software every now and then for some of the newer BDdvd's
I was lucky and got the software for my drive which also came with automatic firmware update program. Which was nice.
Fabe