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  1. Member
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    Either free or $$. I have a win7 pro 32 bit. (intel I3-1600 processor). and am getting a blu ray drive for it.
    I output my computer to my tv (16x9 hd flat screen) I just want to be able to play a blu ray disk borrowed from the library occasionaly. Why not get a stand alone?. No Room. I would have to set it on the floor in front of the tv... I also would like to take an occasional screencap. (easy to do with the "printscreen/paste and save with paint program" procedure.) Which you can't do with a stand alone. I would probly only watch a BR a few times a year. Just because some things are "only" released on BRD. NOT dvd.
    I have heard that vlc which I have (2.2.4.0) will do this with some tweeking. I like vlc for it's video adjustments etc.) But I am not adverse to buying a program assuming that I don't have to be connected to the internet to play disks and it will keep working in the future. Some programs are bad like that. The Government should have made computer makers to play all forms of redily available mass produced media naitively in the first place.
    Thanks. MES.
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    I thought dvdfab had to be connected to the internet?. Also heard it is never updated
    Also read some bad reviews on power dvd. It quits working after a while and updating it creates more problems.
    I did find a site with some suggestions. Any ideas on these?
    http://www.bluraycopys.com/resource/free-blu-ray-player-software-review.html

    MES.
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    i think it's only for product activation - https://www.dvdfab.cn/media-player.htm?trackID=headmenu2
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  4. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    If you can get a copy of it, ArcSoft's TMT (total media theatre) v3 or v5 is probably the best one. But is no longer sold and doesn't work in Win10.

    Scott
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    Originally Posted by pygar77 View Post
    I thought dvdfab had to be connected to the internet?. Also heard it is never updated
    Also read some bad reviews on power dvd. It quits working after a while and updating it creates more problems.
    I did find a site with some suggestions. Any ideas on these?
    http://www.bluraycopys.com/resource/free-blu-ray-player-software-review.html

    MES.
    There are only 2 paid licensed software Blu-ray players still being developed: Cyberlink PowerDVD (Pro or Ultra) and Corel WinDVD. They don't allow making screenshots from commercial discs and playing out of region discs because it would violate their license from the Blu-ray Disc Association.

    DVDFab Media Player is unlicensed paid software. Leawo Blu-ray Player is a unlicensed free software that plays commercial Blu-ray discs (maybe not all) but is probably not capable of menu navigation. Both of these unlicensed products allow making screenshots from commercial discs and playing out of region discs
    Ignore list: hello_hello, tried, TechLord, Snoopy329
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  6. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Any software Blu-ray player (and a stand-alone for that matter) is only as good as updates when new encryption comes in.

    I actually use quite an old version of Power0dvd ultra and it still works for me. Of course any software developer will want you to upgrade since it helps the revenue stream and pay for their licences.

    When I went down the blu ray route I made certain that all my hardware was suffice including ram and the graphics system. Cyberlink used to have a test program to make sure your system was up to the mark.
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    I prefer using licensed software for disc playback and have used PowerDVD Ultra for about 7 years. Cyberlink issues updates for about 3 years for each version. Older versions of PowerDVD may suggest upgrading to the latest version to play newly released movies. Sometimes the disc will still play if the user ignores that advice, but not always. The software does phone home sometimes.

    The free system evaluation program is "Cyberlink Blu-ray Advisor". The download page is here: https://www.cyberlink.com/prog/bd-support/diagnosis.do
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 12th May 2019 at 11:30.
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  8. Member jgg's Avatar
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    I bought a license for Power DVD V17 Ultra via an online auction site in Feb 2018, and it's worked fine ever since.

    Every now and then I get a message that a component needs to be updated. I click OK, and - so far - haven't had any problems.

    I'm running it on Win 7 Pro x64, but I guess - I'm not sure - it works on 32-bit machines.

    Besides your CPU and RAM, you also have to make sure your graphics adapter, whether installed as a card or onboard, can handle blurays. I had a relatively good Matrox graphics card, but it couldn't play blurays, even though the player (an external USB 2.0 Buffalo BRXL PC6U2) and my other software were all OK.

    As an example, you might look at this.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/CyberLink-PowerDVD-Ultra-18-LIFETIME-LICENSE-DOWNLOAD-PC-Soft...cAAOSwotZc1WxH

    By the way, I am not endorsing this seller, the website, or the software. I simply went on the site and found the ad. I cannot and do not verify the legality of the software for sale mentioned in the ad, nor am I recommending that the OP purchase it. I'm simply bringing it to the OP's attention in response to the question.
    Last edited by jgg; 12th May 2019 at 14:38. Reason: Added info on bluray player
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  9. Every now and then I get a message that a component needs to be updated. I click OK, and - so far - haven't had any problems.
    To be fair, this experience is over 5 years old but I had the following happen with PowerDVD:

    All Blu-rays were region A, commercially bought.
    PowerDVD version: Not sure, but probably not newer than 2010.
    I was watching a Blu-Ray from 2008. Everything was fine.
    Then I decided to watch a Blu Ray from 2012.
    I put the Blu-ray in and it said it needed an update. Fine. I figured it was some sort of encryption/key/whatever update.
    It sits there and spins and spins and finally says it can't be update.
    OK... bummer.. so I go back to the 2008 Blu Ray that was JUST playing and: No dice. It refused to play it or any other commercially available Blu ray I owned.

    I had to actually uninstall (and go into the registry and physically delete entries) to watch Blu rays I legally owned.

    I wrote to Cyberlink saying I completely understand that they can't support discs forever but I didn't think that by trying to play a newer disc my ability to play back Blu Rays should be completely killed.

    I just got a canned response "The latest version provides new features support, blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda".
    At the time I could not get Power DVD for under 50€ (legally) so i just bought a new stand alone Blu ray player for 30€ that has been working fine ever since.

    I am pretty sure that disabling playback for content you legally own and that was able to be played back legally is not legal in most countries...


    As I said, a very old and very odd situation and maybe new software is different but it put me off software players.
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    Both hardware and software Blu-ray players may need an update to deal with new DRM strategies and in both cases, manufacturers may stop providing them after some point. A bad update can also brick a hardware player, but it's unlikely to be easily fixed by the average consumer.

    The only Blu-ray movie that I was initially unable to play with PowerDVD also failed to play using a hardware Blu-ray player. Both playback options needed an update to cope with a new form of DRM used for that movie, but none was available. I had to resort to using a free trial copy of DVD Fab Passkey along with PowerDVD to watch the movie.
    Ignore list: hello_hello, tried, TechLord, Snoopy329
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    Sounds like a lot of info. I may try lewoo and see how that goes. FYI you can make a screen shot of "anything" Hitting "print screen" on your keyboard with win7 will take a shot of what you see on the monitor at the same resolution that you have your computer set to. Then open paint. Cllick "paste" and you will see the shot in your work area, Click file, and save as... so you can save it to whatever folder and what ever name and in whatever format. I usually just choose jpeg. Simple realy once you get used to it.
    I might try dvd fab if all else fails. I just find it rediculous that a stand alone player will play old and new disks and you can't do the same thing with a computer based player. It is like the blu ray people are shooting themselves in the foot. Personaly, I would only get a br movie if it was not available in any other format. which does happen aka agent carter season2) Thanks, mes.
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    Originally Posted by pygar77 View Post
    FYI you can make a screen shot of "anything".
    If one attempts to take a screenshot using your method when using recent versions of PowerDVD to play a copy-protected disc, one will only capture a black area where the movie should be displayed unless DVDFab Passkey for Blu-ray, AnyDVD HD, or a similar decrypter is running in the background. PowerDVD uses a protected path when playing a copy-protected disc to prevent anyone from copying the movie by capturing the screen.

    Originally Posted by pygar77 View Post
    I just find it rediculous that a stand alone player will play old and new disks and you can't do the same thing with a computer based player.
    I have experienced a situation where a newly released Blu-ray movie wouldn't play on a stand-alone player which was only about 4 years older than the movie. The player suggested a firmware update to solve the problem. Unfortunately, at that point, LG was no longer updating that model on a frequent basis, if at all.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 16th May 2019 at 03:02.
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  13. I get that at some point the player won't play a "new" disc and that a new discs requires a software update.

    I personally find it disgusting but by the same token I understand that they have to force us to update.

    My beef with Cyberlink was the update caused it to not play ANY of my Blu rays, even ones I was able to play just fine. The patch/update basically killed the player. That is not OK IMHO.

    Luckily I have yet to come across a Blu ray that won't play in any of my players .....
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  14. Member DB83's Avatar
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    What I have discovered that one gets the 'update' message in PowerDvd. Yet ignoring that prompt., closing the player (or even not) and restarting the playback often works.
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    Originally Posted by dvd3500 View Post
    My beef with Cyberlink was the update caused it to not play ANY of my Blu rays, even ones I was able to play just fine. The patch/update basically killed the player. That is not OK IMHO.
    Deliberately sabotaging a customer's software would make no sense from a business standpoint, so it was probably not an effort on Cyberlink's part to render your software unusable.

    However, there is always the possibility of human error. Did it ever occur to you that the update file you downloaded might have been bad? Perhaps the person who added the update to the website linked to the wrong file by mistake?
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  16. Member jgg's Avatar
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    Hi again,

    If it's of any relevance, I recently bought an official "Crimes of Grindelwald" bluray, and it plays fine on my Power DVD. It asked for an update when I first put the disk in, I clicked OK, and everything was good.

    Your mileage may vary.
    Lenovo ThinkStation P520, Xeon W2135; Win10Pro x64, 64Gb RAM; RadeonPro WX7100W; NEC PA301W, NEC PA272W, and Eizo MX270W.
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    It sounds like powerdvd is completely out. Too much trouble. As far as stand alone players go. We should complain to our congress and senate representatives that they need to make a law that your player can not be made obsolete by new encryptions.
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  18. Originally Posted by pygar77 View Post
    make a law that your player can not be made obsolete by new encryptions.
    Impossible law to enforce. If a Blu Ray player manufacturer goes out of business their players will not be updated to play new disks. It is long practice with Blu Ray media companies to routinely update with "new encryptions" with new releases. If your player hasn't been updated to play the most recent Disney or Sony releases your disk my play poorly or not at all.

    Congress has much less control over international manufacturers and multinational media companies than you might think.
    They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.
    --Benjamin Franklin
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