Windows 7 Beta 1 and Blu-Ray

[pmcgarr]

Did they get native Blu-Ray support into Beta 1? I am hoping to use Media Center and my Blu-Ray drive to watch Blu-Ray movies. I'm hoping to maintain the media center experience, so I am trying not to rely on third-party software.

Anybody out there know the answer to this one?

This is my first post at this forum, but I think I'm going to be around for a while. My thanks to whoever put this site together.

Maybe there would be good use for a Media Center forum here?

 

[NormCameron]

Did they get native Blu-Ray support into Beta 1? I am hoping to use Media Center and my Blu-Ray drive to watch Blu-Ray movies. I'm hoping to maintain the media center experience, so I am trying not to rely on third-party software.

Anybody out there know the answer to this one?

This is my first post at this forum, but I think I'm going to be around for a while. My thanks to whoever put this site together.

Maybe there would be good use for a Media Center forum here?

I understand that with ATI cards if you use the native graphics drivers in Windows 7 a Blu-Ray player will play Blu-Ray. The Beta ATI drivers from ATI will not. Don't know about Nvidea. Also I don't think Media Center has, or will ever have Blu-Ray support. X-Box uses HD and despite the rumours hasn't abandoned it. I can't see Microsoft ever supporting the opposition.

Norm

 

[z3r010]

Maybe there would be good use for a Media Center forum here?

Done

 

[ldoodle]

Can anyone give a definitive answer to this? I've seen yes's and no's all over the internet.

If they don't include native BluRay support in Media Center, they have shot themselves in the foot big time, as this would have been the best way to seriously capture this market.

People will move away from Microsoft completely if they don't get their backsides in gear!

I certainly won't be upgrading to Windows 7 if this critical feature is missing (what would be the point!). In my eyes, being the center piece of a home theater requires it to be able to support the latest technologies, not lagging years behind!

 

[Mark]

CODEC Support
Microsoft has been making major efforts to provide better interoperability and thus a better user experience. As such, Windows 7 is going to gain native support for many core CODECs and technologies. This includes the ability to natively write to Blu-Ray discs, play H.264 (MPEG4 Part 10) content, play AAC content, play DivX content, and play XVid content. This support is going to be native making it available to all applications. As such, Windows Media Center will be able to play H.264 content. This native support will provide a much better user experience with media and should open the door for many applications. As a note, though, Microsoft has not yet confirmed if Windows 7 will include native movie playback for Blu-Ray. This requires extra licensing of the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and there have been legal issues in the past between Sun and Microsoft on this component. Pensamentos: November, 2008

 

[pmcgarr]

Thanks for creating a forum for MCE. I'll post questions like this in that forum in the future. I love a forum where moderators actually care.

The reason for my question is that I have an install of Windows 7 Beta 1 and I also have a Blu-Ray drive. I put a movie in the drive an nothing happens. If I click on the drive through Windows Explorer, it opens Windows Media Player, but just says "loading" and never plays. I was thinking I might be missing something, but maybe not.

My experience is that Windows 7 does not natively handle Blu-Ray. I hope it does in the future. If anybody has a different experience, please post.

 

[ldoodle]

As a note, though, Microsoft has not yet confirmed if Windows 7 will include native movie playback for Blu-Ray. This requires extra licensing of the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and there have been legal issues in the past between Sun and Microsoft on this component

So they include the ability to write to a format that can't be played back? Nice one!

Me buying Windows 7 requires extra licensing (on my part), so if the above is true there will be 'spending' issues between me and Micorosoft.

Would people be happy to pay an extra £50+ for software to make their standalone BluRay player do it's job?

Suppose things like this are inevitable though (Betamax vs VHS and HD-DVD vs BluRay). There should only have ever been one HD format to begin with! On that note, if HD-DVD never came about and it was only BluRay, would Microsoft have never supported the HD format? Interesting question!

 

[pmcgarr]

So they include the ability to write to a format that can't be played back? Nice one!

Me buying Windows 7 requires extra licensing (on my part), so if the above is true there will be 'spending' issues between me and Micorosoft.

Would people be happy to pay an extra £50+ for software to make their standalone BluRay player do it's job?

Suppose things like this are inevitable though (Betamax vs VHS and HD-DVD vs BluRay). There should only have ever been one HD format to begin with! On that note, if HD-DVD never came about and it was only BluRay, would Microsoft have never supported the HD format? Interesting question!

I don't think Microsoft would trash the Blu-Ray thing because of the cost of the license. Maybe they would have to reintroduce "Media Center Edition" and charge a bit extra for it. If licensing holds back the ability for Windows 7 to play back Blu-Ray, you can blame Sony...as usual with Sony.

I wish the technology went the way of HD-DVD because that was open source. I've always hated Sony for this reason.

 

[FrAgZoU]

As a note, though, Microsoft has not yet confirmed if Windows 7 will include native movie playback for Blu-Ray. This requires extra licensing of the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and there have been legal issues in the past between Sun and Microsoft on this component

Yup i really hope Microsoft find a way or the extra licensing needed otherwise i will be very too

 

[hdjunkie]

Also I don't think Media Center has, or will ever have Blu-Ray support. X-Box uses HD and despite the rumours hasn't abandoned it. I can't see Microsoft ever supporting the opposition.

Come on, media center will support bluray. It already plays the .mt2s files so I wouldn't be surprised if native playback is included in the final retail version of 7.
What exactly do you mean xbox uses HD?

 

[darkassain]

norm means that thru a addon it has HD-DVD support....
(also he might mean that it has the ability to play hd)

The Xbox 360 supports videos in .wmv-format, as well as high-definition .wmv-videos, H.264, MPEG-4, and PlaysForSure WMV videos. The December 2007 dashboard update added support for the playback of MPEG-4 ASP format videos.[42] The console can also display pictures and perform slideshows of photo collections with various transition effects, and supports audio playback, with music player controls accessible through the Xbox 360 Guide button. Users may play back their own music while playing games or using the dashboard, and can play music with an interactive visual synthesizer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360#Multimedia

but beside the point....
remember blu-ray is encrypted thru ACSS....

it needs to be extra secure so that hollywood doesnt freak out that there "property"
dosent leak out...

i mean it already has DRM included...

but this is different....

if there were to include ACSS and blu-ray support....
it would anti-competitive as there are other software players...

i would see it as downloadable addon (have to pay who knows?)

 

[johngalt]

HD-DVD, perhaps?

 

[NormCameron]

HD-DVD, perhaps?

That's what I meant HD-DVD. It won't natively play blu-ray.

Norm

 

[Emptysoul]

Microsoft would be foolish to continue to support only HD-DVD. The format war is over...Blu-Ray is the winner.

 

[NormCameron]

Microsoft would be foolish to continue to support only HD-DVD. The format war is over...Blu-Ray is the winner.

The lack of support is based on economics, Microsoft would have to pay to include Blu-Ray support, that could be a LOT of money.

Norm

 

[johngalt]

Exactly - the winner comes at a price - licensing rights.

 

[grimreaper]

Microsoft would be foolish to continue to support only HD-DVD. The format war is over...Blu-Ray is the winner.

MS should support HD DVD and Bluray and you can only imagine how huge Windows 7 will become...I mean come on MS!
If there's ever a time to smash the competition in the OS development, this will be jackpot baby- win win situation!
Get with it!

 

[hdjunkie]

Well, none of my blurays are copy protected so it'd be nice if they at least support those.

 

[mSeliga]

Although it doesn't support it, I heard somewhere that a third party program will let you play HD-DVD/Blu ray through Medai Center.

 

[Assassin]

I just tried this with the Win7 beta and the Media Center KB update.
BluRay is not suppported natively and requires another playback program such as Cyberlink PowerDVD 8.