stumped

It's come to my attention lately that many people, although believe they are helping, are spreading lies myths and just plain stupid information without checking their facts.


VLC Player
while this program is very useful, it is limited in what it can play. It can only handle media up to 720p before it begins to stutter. Once you step into 1080i/p world, the codecs in it just aren't optimized an efficient enough to handle the bitrate and resolution of the video. So please, before your "recommend" vlc as a video player, make sure you know what you are talking about and make sure you know the nature of the video file being played first.
ALSO, VLC CANNOT AND WILL NOT EVERY PLAY ENCRYPTED MATERIAL! so stop recommending VLC in blu-ray help threads as doing so would violate not only the TOS (discussion of bypassing encryption/copy protection) but also against the law. VLC will not play a blu-ray menu style nor will MPC-HC or CCCP. PERIOD!


blu-ray and Playback
Now first of all, blu-ray. I've seen many people recommending CCCP, K-Lite, Vista Codec Pack, VLC, and Media Player Classic (Home Cinema) for blu-ray. Unless you've procured a .mt2s file (the extension that blu-rays store video, or AVC-HD) then you can't use any codecs, or popular free players for blu-ray playback. You have to use a commercial piece of software. That's how it is, for now though.

But i'f you've procured a re compressed/converted blu-ray rip, then you can use just about any player you want.

TOSlink (optical), Digital COAX, and ATI HDMI Audio
many people seem to be recommending expensive soundcards over onboard when running a digital output. This is simply unneeded as there is no sound processing of a digital signal by anything in the computer. The only processing that is done, is done by your audio receiver. Now, unless you wanted like Dolby Live (converts sound to Dolby Digital on the fly) or the DTS equivalent, then yes, there is processing and converting and you'll need a sound card capable of that. Same goes for the ATI HDMI audio. It's digital and isn't processed by a soundcard, it's just passed through to your audio receiver.

Now, if you're running ANALOG to your audio receiver, then yes get yourself a high end sound card as there is processing and the like. Also with the new blu-ray formats (Dolby True-HD and DTS HD Master Audio, etc) you'll need an expensive soundcard as most out there today cannot see those audio streams.

The ATI audio chip in the 3000 series cards only does Dolby Digital and DTS and LPCM in 5.1 Channels. The ATI 4000 series does 7.1 in the LPCM format also, it can't transfer the new lossless HD streams audio streams.

HDMI, DVI, HDCP and VGA
People are also getting these terms mixed up, what they are and their function.

HDMI:
Stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. Meaning it does Video AND Audio (but in a completely digital format) The size of the cable and the composition does not matter under certain lengths of runs. (usually under 10 feet) Why you ask? Because it's all sent in a digital format which means ones and zeroes. But when you make long runs (usually over 10 feet) it's always better to get higher grade cable for longer runs as you loose less information to interference and resistance in the wires.

DVI:
Stands for Digital Visual Interface and is almost exactly the same as HDMI, except there is no audio component in the cable. You'll most likely be running either stereo RCA cables or a digital cable. It has the exact same picture quality as HDMI and really was HDMI's precursor. DVI also allows HDCP.

VGA:
This is the analog blue D-sub cable most of us are familiar with, having grown up with the old clunky CRT monitors. This is an analog cable and format, meaning the type of cable, iput source, and output source will all effect the picture quality. This has no audio transfer built into it and i also with the advent of blu-rays, the "HDCP Loophole" meaning you can play HDCP content (i'm pretty sure) but positively any blu-ray on any monitor that has a vga port. This cable/connection is also vital when troubleshooting blu-ray playback due to the HDCP Loophole it has.

HDCP:
Stands for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection and is the DRM of digital media transferred through a digital connection. It plagues many people who have blu-ray problems and also plagues people with older hardware that was built before HDCP became a standard on digital connection types (DVI and HDMI). This is not the name of a cable type and will not effect picture quality (well, ok it will. You will either get video or you won't) It is just encryption for Digital Content. Also, all your equipment (TV, source, PU, etc) have to be HDCP compliant for HDCP to work. If one component isn't then the entire setup isn't.

ATi/nVidia Audio through HDMI/DVI Adapter:
Now this can get a bit tricky as when you convert HDMI to DVI you lose audio and when you convert from DVI to HDMI you have no audio as DVI doesn't carry audio. ATi has built a realtek soundcard onto their 3000/4000 series GPUs and with special DVI/HDMI adapters allows the transfer of digital audio though and HDMI cable. But you have to use their special adapter for that to work.

On the nVidia side, they have allowed for SPDIF pass through, connecting a cable to the "SPDIF Out" header of either your motherboard or your soundcard. But as for using specific DVI/HDMI adapters, i cannot comment as i do not own and nVidia card that has this feature.



Recap:
Now what did we learn today?

1. VLC is good, but it isn't optimized for 1080i/p video and won't play blu-ray menu style nor legally
2. HDMI Carries Audio and Video
3. HDCP is encryption and has an Analog Loophole
4. DVI carries Video only, the same Video as HDMI
5. DVI/HDMI cable quality and expense doesn't matter except when making long runs
6. blu-rays cannot be played back by codec packs or other popular free media players (legally or menu style)
7. Digital audio connections, save for the new blu-ray audio formats, do not need expensive soundcards as there is no audio processing by any part of the computer
8. ATi cards and (some) nVidia cards can pass audio through their DVI ports with special HDMI/DVI Adapters

superon

Good info- I was wondering whether or not there was a free player yet for blu-ray... but you could just rip it to your HDD and play it with MPC right?

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stumped

that involves a complicated process and also breaking the law along with , at this point in time, loosing chapter skip and many times audio along with loss of audio formats.

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superon

SO... backing up movies to your HDD is still illegal... damn.

And you can't extract the different audio streams on a blu-ray like you can a DVD? Then combine the one you want to the ripped copy?

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stumped

technically yes and no at the same time. you have to break encryption so that isn't allowed to be discussed on OCN.

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superon

Ah yes, you're right, they got us on the encryption angle.

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TonyL222

So, I just built an HTPC. I have a HIS Radeon HD 4670 video card with a DVI-to-HDMI cable to me receiver. I ran a coax digital sound cable from my mobo to my receiver 'cause I didn't think that the DVI->HDMI cable would carry sound. Is the coax unnecessary? I guess when I get home I can pull it to see if I still get sound.

DuckieHo

You might want to mention the PCM capabilities of each chipset..... some are capable of only 2.1, 5.1, or 7.1.

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sli_shroom

about the vga section...

depending on the hdcp scheme used, the video may be either reduced to 640x480 or may not play at all. if the hdcp flag is not enabled, full resolution playback is possible as vga can support the needed bandwidth (for video only as vga doesnt support audio). if the flag is enabled and the loopback is not present, resolution reduction or failure to play will usually result

the same is true for r/g/y (component) cables as vga is a type of component cable.

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Flatliner

i think you meant, Audio.
EDIT: oh, and in #6 of the recap you also missed the i in audio.


other than that, nice little FAQ or Guide or whatever you want to call it. Rep+

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