HTPC - Blu Ray playback

timwhit

timwhit

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I'm thinking of building a HTPC for the Westinghouse TX-42F430S I bought tonight.

I'm trying to figure out if I will be able to include a BD-ROM drive in the build or not. The config will be something like this, DVI from computer to HDMI input on TV, toslink cable from computer to non-HDMI switching receiver. I think I have read that with this configuration I won't be able to play back any audio. Is this still true, or are there ways to bypass the DRM issues?
 
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Stereodude

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Of course it can play back audio. I use co-ax SPDIF from my PC for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray audio. Where did you get the idea that it can't?
 
Mercutio

Mercutio

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If you're using ATI cards on Vista, it's either a requirement or at least there doesn't seem to be a way to make it switch to something else and still play back properly. There's no control over it in PowerDVD, either; the "use SPDIF" option goes gray while dealing with HD content.

Even worse, once it switches the playback device, it STAYS switched to HDMI, so you have to go in and dick around with device settings before sound will play back again.

I should check with an nVidia card to see whether or not it still happens.
I know that these things do not happen on WinXP; I really should just switch, but Vista has better font sizing control, which is useful for the 10' interface.
 
timwhit

timwhit

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Does Windows 2003 have any of these problems? I don't really care for XP.

So, it doesn't matter if I go with an ATI or nVidia card if I'm not going run Vista, right?
 
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Stereodude

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Mercutio said:
If you're using ATI cards on Vista, it's either a requirement or at least there doesn't seem to be a way to make it switch to something else and still play back properly. There's no control over it in PowerDVD, either; the "use SPDIF" option goes gray while dealing with HD content.
Click to expand...
You can't change the sound device in Vista like you can in XP? (I've never used it)
 
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Mercutio

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The default device doesn't seem to "stick": On my setup, at least, my choices are to either output sound through HDMI or to not have sound at all.

If I tell Vista to only use Default devices, I get no sound at all.

Everything is OK if I'm
1. Using a DVI input rather than HDMI (which I am doing now, since I have a TV with a DVI port now).

or

2. If I'm running AnyDVD HD.

Now, this may just be a case of driver weirdness between Vista, ATI and my normal sound device, which is an Auzentech card, but every six weeks or so I make another attempt to wrestle it in to working like it's "supposed" to (video via HDMI, audio via Auzentech) before I give up and put things back.
 
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Mercutio

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Er, the above only applies when dealing with HD discs of various sorts. Everything else is just peachy.
 
timwhit

timwhit

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I'm now looking at motherboards and Shuttle barebones systems at Newegg to use for this HTPC system. So, the questions is are there any motherboards that have onboard video that is powerful enough to playback HD content (blu-ray or H.264 1080p) smoothly? Or do I need to look at adding a PCI-E video card?
 
timwhit

timwhit

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Mercutio said:
I've got several Shuttle K45s doing various things, but they don't have 5.25" drive bays.

My HTPC is sitting in an Antec NSK2480 nowadays, but of course that's $100 and doesn't include a motherboard, either.
Click to expand...

My friend has an Antec NSK2480 that he is going to sell me for $40, so I'll probably use that. Now, I just need to convince my girlfriend that this purchase is a good idea and will make our lives better for years to come.
 
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Mercutio

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I built a box for my dad for a retirement gift. He's all happy because I can bring whole series' worth of TV shows over on a thumb drive instead of waiting for me to burn DVDs.

He is not using BluRay, though.
 
timwhit

timwhit

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Based off that article Stereodude linked to the G45 scares me a bit. I'm trying to figure out if thing will actually be able to play HD video back. Has anyone used a G45 board yet?
 
Mercutio

Mercutio

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Mercutio said:
I should check with an nVidia card to see whether or not it still happens.
Click to expand...

... So I checked with a couple nVidia cards: my 8800GTX (...since I just got it back from RMA again) and a cheapie 9600-something. Neither card supports HDMI audio, and now my sound is properly directed to my audio card when playing either HD-DVD or BluRay content.

The down side to that arrangement is that my Auzentech card remixes the Audio from DD TrueSurround into something that it actually supports, but that's a more tolerable arrangement than not having sound at all.
 
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