View Full Version : PowerDVD Ultra (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray)
Have you tried Reclock? If 23.976 is working, why not just use that?
Reclock won't work with it under Vista.
I'd use 24hz but it feels stiff sometimes and I can't help but feel it isn't right.
I dunno...
Davinleeds
04-01-08, 08:36 PM
For my audio, analog out on sound card and I have to set the player, PDVD or ArcSoft TMT to an analog setting, 2, 5.1 etc. If sound card is spdif, player must be same or they(player) usually crash. As long as I remember that, I usually have trouble free playback.
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 02:49 AM
PowerDVD 8.0 is out...
http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/cyberstore/order_1_ENU.html
I bought Ultra.. but the CD-key they provided me doesn't work... WHAT THE HELL?!! :mad:
chillspace
04-02-08, 03:17 AM
If someone has upgraded to PDVDU 8, can they possibly confirm if HDDVD media will playback? They don't specifically mention it in their version comparison but this may be to avoid supporting it officially. Would be nice to know.
If someone has upgraded to PDVDU 8, can they possibly confirm if HDDVD media will playback? They don't specifically mention it in their version comparison but this may be to avoid supporting it officially. Would be nice to know.
It currently doesn't seem to support it, and they never said they would. That article (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13457964#post13457964) linked a few pages back was as wrong as it could be, and (cue Stephen Colbert's voiceover) I CALLED IT!:D
Kidding aside, I don't find any reason whatsoever to trust their claim that PowerDVD Ultra will get HD-DVD support in the future, but that's just my cynical side speaking (and I've been told I'm one-sided).
Kidding aside, I don't find any reason whatsoever to trust their claim that PowerDVD Ultra will get HD-DVD support in the future, but that's just my cynical side speaking (and I've been told I'm one-sided).
Well they just lost my custom.
It says full support for DTS-HD and dolby Truehd etc. Does this mean that it no longer downsamples these audio tracks and deliver the full thing in 192 khz?
Antother stupid question about the true theatre stretch or whatever they call it. Is this scaling of good quality or should I still stick to ffdshow or whatever for the best preprocessing, de interlacing and scaling?
I want to deliver 1920x1080p @ 24 hz from HDMI to my Pioneer plasma that will then rescale and deliver the picture in 1280x720 (or 1366x768 not sure) in 72 hz with filmdetection, pulldown etc if needed.
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 06:07 AM
It says full support for DTS-HD and dolby Truehd etc. Does this mean that it no longer downsamples these audio tracks and deliver the full thing in 192 khz?
Antother stupid question about the true theatre stretch or whatever they call it. Is this scaling of good quality or should I still stick to ffdshow or whatever for the best preprocessing, de interlacing and scaling?
I want to deliver 1920x1080p @ 24 hz from HDMI to my Pioneer plasma that will then rescale and deliver the picture in 1280x720 (or 1366x768 not sure) in 72 hz with filmdetection, pulldown etc if needed.
According to the readme it downsamples ot 48/16.
When I try and activate it says:
Processing online activation... please wait.
Your activation key is incorrect.
Please try again (0x80ab000b).
I find this unbelieveable... has anyone had this before in previous PDVD versions and found a solution? I've emailed tech support.
What's weird is if I change any characters in the legit key (make it deliberately wrong) and try to activate, it leaves out the Processing online activation line.
According to the readme it downsamples ot 48/16.
When I try and activate it says:
Processing online activation... please wait.
Your activation key is incorrect.
Please try again (0x80ab000b).
I find this unbelieveable... has anyone had this before in previous PDVD versions and found a solution? I've emailed tech support.
What's weird is if I change any characters in the legit key (make it deliberately wrong) and try to activate, it leaves out the Processing online activation line.
Exactly the same happened to me. Are they mad at Cyberlink? They got the payment but didn't allow activation???
This is the new time called online-activation, oh no?:eek:
So I have to re-install the 7.3 ultra, oh Cyberlink, why?
Anyone got it working yet? Would be interesting to know if there is a difference in picture / audio quality if there aint i think i wait it out for abit until the first patch is out.
Was hoping the down sampling was sorted out.
Are the activation servers at Cyberlink online? It doesn't seem so.:mad:
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 08:09 AM
Are the activation servers at Cyberlink online? It doesn't seem so.:mad:
Hopefully you are correct and this isn't a permanent thing. I really don't want to resort to using a torrent release when I've paid this much $$ :mad:
Hopefully you are correct and this isn't a permanent thing. I really don't want to resort to using a torrent release when I've paid this much $$ :mad:
No torrents i checked :p
Wont take long though
Hopefully you are correct and this isn't a permanent thing. I really don't want to resort to using a torrent release when I've paid this much $$ :mad:
If the problem persists, you can get a refound from Cyberlink, because till now PowerDVD 8 Ultra is useless, because nobody can use (or activate) it:mad:
Rathbone
04-02-08, 08:29 AM
I would recommend to open a new thread in this forum for PDVD 8.
HT Slider
04-02-08, 08:46 AM
If someone has upgraded to PDVDU 8, can they possibly confirm if HDDVD media will playback? They don't specifically mention it in their version comparison but this may be to avoid supporting it officially. Would be nice to know.
Considering we're talking about Cyberlink here, I guess I'm not too surprised that PDVD 8 doesn't support HD-DVD.
At the same time, it seems like a ludicrous decision to drop HD-DVD already. Anyone with an HTPC is going to be far more interested in HD playback software that supports both HD-DVD and Blue-ray - even if they don't own many HD-DVDs, or even don't own any. One of the things we all like about our HTPCs is the fact that they are flexible and can support multiple formats.
Many of us, myself included, do own a number of HD-DVDs and we need to be able to play them. Even though I keep telling my wife not to, she keeps picking up HD-DVDs on sale - expecting our HTPC will continue to be able to play them back.
One thing for certain, there is absolutely no way we'll be upgrading to PDVD 8 without HD-DVD support. I don't know why Cyberlink wouldn't have simply carried over their existing code for HD-DVD into PDVD 8. It worked well enough and without that, most (if not all) HTPC enthusiasts will be purchasing software that supports both HD-DVD and Blue-ray.
Why would anyone "upgrade" from PowerDVD Ultra 7 to PowerDVD Ultra 8 if it only takes away functionality?
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 08:51 AM
Considering we're talking about Cyberlink here, I guess I'm not too surprised that PDVD 8 doesn't support HD-DVD.
At the same time, it seems like a ludicrous decision to drop HD-DVD already. Anyone with an HTPC is going to be far more interested in HD playback software that supports both HD-DVD and Blue-ray - even if they don't own many HD-DVDs, or even don't own any. One of the things we all like about our HTPCs is the fact that they are flexible and can support multiple formats.
Many of us, myself included, do own a number of HD-DVDs and we need to be able to play them. Even though I keep telling my wife not to, she keeps picking up HD-DVDs on sale - expecting our HTPC will continue to be able to play them back.
One thing for certain, there is absolutely no way we'll be upgrading to PDVD 8 without HD-DVD support. I don't know why Cyberlink wouldn't have simply carried over their existing code for HD-DVD into PDVD 8. It worked well enough and without that, most (if not all) HTPC enthusiasts will be purchasing software that supports both HD-DVD and Blue-ray.
Why would anyone "upgrade" from PowerDVD Ultra 7 to PowerDVD Ultra 8 if it only takes away functionality?
Because we want DTS-HD Master Audio :p... the Cyberlink Demo on the purchase page teases us with the logo in the video :o
The question is... does this release have it or not ;) Or will we have to wait until 8.5.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 08:59 AM
Anyone get activation to work yet?
Anyone get activation to work yet?
Not yet :(
Fingers crossed.
DTS Master Audio is the only reason why i want this release but if it dont have it we will be waiting for 8.5. Other then that i doubt there is any difference in picture quality.
dhy8386
04-02-08, 09:45 AM
I got the same upgrade error. Emailed tech support as well. Guess we will see...
chillspace
04-02-08, 09:54 AM
Not upgrading simply saves me money in the end. Looks like CL lost another customer.
In the meantime, I purchased TotalMedia Theatre which has been been getting better with every release. They are active in their own forums and calling them for help has been pleasant. They have also pledged support for the HDDVD format.
As posted elsewhere, there is currently a 50% promo for all of the products in the eStore. Go to their front page and there is a banner link on the right. Seems to be problems with their email system so if you don't get an email with the activation code, call the number posted in the Arcosoft TMT thread.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 10:00 AM
Not upgrading simply saves me money in the end. Looks like CL lost another customer.
In the meantime, I purchased TotalMedia Theatre which has been been getting better with every release. They are active in their own forums and calling them for help has been pleasant. They have also pledged support for the HDDVD format.
As posted elsewhere, there is currently a 50% promo for all of the products in the eStore. Go to their front page and there is a banner link on the right. Seems to be problems with their email system so if you don't get an email with the activation code, call the number posted in the Arcosoft TMT thread.
Note that TMT doesn't work at all with the G35. Also, it doesn't support many of the discs or ISOs that PDVD supports.
I dislike PDVD (a lot), but TMT is a joke (IMO) by comparison.
Strongly suggest you use their trial before even considering purchasing their software. And let's now keep these discussions in their appropriate threads.
What is so great about PDVD8 when you have a perfectly working version 7?
What is so great about PDVD8 when you have a perfectly working version 7?
Likely very little. The minute possibility of DTS-MA sound working it seems, and more likely very few to no updates to v7.3 in the future forcing people to eventually "upgrade" to 8. :cool:
chillspace
04-02-08, 10:07 AM
What is so great about PDVD8 when you have a perfectly working version 7?
You get the great feature of no HD-DVD playback.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 10:08 AM
What is so great about PDVD8 when you have a perfectly working version 7?
Ideally it fixes the HA issues with things like the G35, and so we can stop switching between 3319a and 3370.
One working version would be nice.
honeybrain
04-02-08, 10:11 AM
Does it support from HD or still ISOs only?
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 10:26 AM
Does it support from HD or still ISOs only?
No one knows yet since it can't be activated, but it most likely doesn't support HDD directories, since that was a requirement pushed by Sony, apparently.
No biggie though, making ISO's from your original BD discs is easy.
Which is faster?
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor: Retail (includes heat sink/cooling fan) for $299.99 from NewEgg
or
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor: Retail (includes heat sink/cooling fan) for $209.99 from NewEgg
Both are 45nm process.
Thanks,
Peter
The only thing to be careful of is memory... each core uses a part of the memory. A 2 core processor with 2 gig of ram has 1 gig for each processor, while a 4 core processor with 2 gig of ram only has 512 MB for each one. These numbers are probably not dead accurate because they don't account for OS memory management, but there's something to it.
One of my machines at the office has a Quad Core. When network rendering animation, even though both machines have 4GB of ram, the Quad core can't handle certain scenes, even though it's "faster".
(The Quad core also is only running a 32bit OS, while the other system is running 64bit, but I only render out using the 32bit renderer, so it SHOULD be a null issue...)
Hope it helps!
That's nonsense. The number of cores doesn't affect your available memory. The issue you're seeing is probably caused by the fact that a 32bit OS can't use 4GB or RAM.
What is so great about PDVD8 when you have a perfectly working version 7?
Likely very little. The minute possibility of DTS-MA sound working it seems, and more likely very few to no updates to v7.3 in the future forcing people to eventually "upgrade" to 8. :cool:
Actually it's not so very little once more 7.1 DTS MA tracks start rolling. While I've been known to be a skeptic of most of the "lossless" hoopla regarding sound quality, a 7.1 DTS MA track only carries a 5.1 "core", so there's no 7.1 from DTS MA tracks with PowerDVD 7.3. 2 extra channels is not a little difference (if the soundtrack is properly mastered of course).
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 11:04 AM
Actually it's not so very little once more 7.1 DTS MA tracks start rolling. While I've been known to be a skeptic of most of the "lossless" hoopla regarding sound quality, a 7.1 DTS MA track only carries a 5.1 "core", so there's no 7.1 from DTS MA tracks with PowerDVD 7.3. 2 extra channels is not a little difference (if the soundtrack is properly mastered of course).
And full HDMI audio support is a big deal.
There's lots in PDVD 8. While it should really be PDVD 7.5 or something, I can't begrudge them getting more license money for this. Assuming it works, and isn't another pre-alpha release.
Now if only it would activate.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 11:14 AM
The only thing to be careful of is memory... each core uses a part of the memory. A 2 core processor with 2 gig of ram has 1 gig for each processor, while a 4 core processor with 2 gig of ram only has 512 MB for each one. These numbers are probably not dead accurate because they don't account for OS memory management, but there's something to it.
One of my machines at the office has a Quad Core. When network rendering animation, even though both machines have 4GB of ram, the Quad core can't handle certain scenes, even though it's "faster".
(The Quad core also is only running a 32bit OS, while the other system is running 64bit, but I only render out using the 32bit renderer, so it SHOULD be a null issue...)
Hope it helps!
I was wondering about that regarding to L2 cache. Both Dual and Quad core CPUs each have total of 6 MB L2 cache. The Dual Core would probably use 3 MB each core while Quad Core would probably use 1.5 MB each core.
I am still undecided to upgrade my HTPC system. Currently I have the following:
Windows MCE 2005
Asus P4C800 Deluxe MB
3 GHz Pentium 4 with HT, FSB 800 MHz
2 GB Corsair RAM
Sapphire AGP HD 3850 (Radeon) with Sapphire's CCC driver
Lite-On Blu-Ray drive
Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra 3730a
AnyDVD HD
Antec 1000 Watts power supply
It has been working perfectly for many Blu-ray movies except Resident Evil:Extinction. RE:E has TrueHD sound, stuttered all the time and CPU usage was at 100%. This system is able to play many other Blu-ray movies perfectly that many others are having problems like Sunshine, 3:10 to Yuma and The Guardian. I am expecting Spiderman 3 today from Netflix. This movie has TrueHD 5.1 like RE:E. If it Spiderman 3 does not stutter, then I will blame on the studio for making RE:E poorly. I don't expect Spiderman 3 to stutter since it was released October 2007 which means it may be Profile 1.0. RE:E is probably Profile 1.1 which probably caused CPU to spike to 100% (along with TrueHD sound).
Anyone know which movies contain Profile 1.1 and TrueHD sound so I can test my HTPC for stuttering? How can you tell which movies contain Profile 1.1?
Note that my HTPC does not have anti-virus, anti-spyware or any other software running in the background (except AnyDVD HD). If others are having problems with their Blu-ray movies, try disable background programs.
Peter
Exactly the same happened to me. Are they mad at Cyberlink? They got the payment but didn't allow activation???
This is the new time called online-activation, oh no?:eek:
So I have to re-install the 7.3 ultra, oh Cyberlink, why?
I am the same symptom, too.:confused:
I am troubled very much.
I cannot send an email to support.
This is terrible!:mad:
And full HDMI audio support is a big deal.
There's lots in PDVD 8. While it should really be PDVD 7.5 or something, I can't begrudge them getting more license money for this. Assuming it works, and isn't another pre-alpha release.
Now if only it would activate.
I don't know if there's any difference at all regarding proper HDMI support. I assume you mean bitstreaming with compatible HDMI 1.3a hardware, but I don't think they even mentioned anything like that.
Also, I'll have to say that besides DTS MA support (which they don't state clearly, by the way), there is indeed little that actually matters. Almost everything else looks more like bloatware to me.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 11:24 AM
I don't know if there's any difference at all regarding proper HDMI support. I assume you mean bitstreaming with compatible HDMI 1.3a hardware, but I don't think they even mentioned anything like that.
Also, I'll have to say that besides DTS MA support (which they don't state clearly, by the way), there is indeed little that actually matters. Almost everything else looks more like bloatware to me.
It's huge. Right now, it's fixed at 5 channel or 7 channel, or whatever you set Windows and Cyberlink to.
With proper support, it would dynamically change the channels to 6 or 8 or 2, depending on the source. Even if it's all LPCM. This means your pre-pro/AVR can properly matrix the material.
Right now, we are forced to lock it at 6 channel, which means we lose 2 channels on 8 channel sources, and 2-channel sources are a mess.
Plus a minor benefit is DD/DTS (non-HD) audio support without converting to LPCM, which doesn't matter a lot, but it allows for more granular control in your pre-pro/AVR.
This is probably the #1 reason for me for upgrading, and the hope that it's at least as good as 3319a + 3370, so I don't have to toggle between the two (3319a for BD without stuttering, 3370 for proper MPEG2-HD single-file support, e.g. from Tivo TTG).
mpgxsvcd
04-02-08, 11:25 AM
Likely very little. The minute possibility of DTS-MA sound working it seems, and more likely very few to no updates to v7.3 in the future forcing people to eventually "upgrade" to 8. :cool:
Has anyone confirmed that PDVD 7 can not decode the DTS MA tracks? How do we know it can only do the DTS core if there are no HDMI 1.3 computer outputs?
Same question goes for PDVD 8! Even if it can decode DTS MA. How are you going to be positive that signal is getting to your receiver?
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 11:31 AM
What is up with product registration???? This is unacceptable, to take our money and not allow use of the product.
And there's no way to contact them without goimg into some e-mail abyss.
I'm really ticked off!!!
Bingo13
04-02-08, 11:36 AM
What is up with product registration???? This is unacceptable, to take our money and not allow use of the product.
And there's no way to contact them without goimg into some e-mail abyss.
I'm really ticked off!!!
They pulled version 8 from being downloaded a few minutes ago until they resolve the activation problems. Our press copies would not activate either. ;)
Anyone who buys powerDVD 8 and has Quad Core could you let me know how it plays back. Am thinking of getting a Quad soon and heard PowerDVD 7 had some problems. Need to know the cpu usage and which cpu it is. Ohh and Quality set to BEST and not Auto if possible.
Thanks
Everybody who paid PowerDVD 8 Ultra cannot use it, because of this nasty non-working online activation.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 11:54 AM
Everybody who paid PowerDVD 8 Ultra cannot use it, because of this nasty non-working online activation.
How does on-line activation work? Does it mean Cyberlink will not provide keys like before and use internet to activate? Every time you start PowerDVD, does it connect to internet to make sure your copy is valid? Is it like Windows on-line activation? So what happens if you re-install PowerDVD, will you have to make telephone call to tell them why you are re-installing like Windows?
Peter
How does on-line activation work? Does it mean Cyberlink will not provide keys like before and use internet to activate? Every time you start PowerDVD, does it connect to internet to make sure your copy is valid? Is it like Windows on-line activation? So what happens if you re-install PowerDVD, will you have to make telephone call to tell them why you are re-installing like Windows?
Peter
Exact. I think Cyberlink verifies the key once after PowerDVD 8 (Ultra) is installed through a Cyberlink internet server data base. No more illegal keygens...
I only want, that my legal copy could do it's job.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 12:12 PM
If they can't even get activation to work, there's not a chance in hell anything else is going to work right.
BD won't work, SD won't work, HA will be totally broken, HDMI won't do anything.
Yay...
They broke it at Step 0. Good job on the testing.
If anyone hires a tester that ever worked for CyberLink, you should be fired.
I was wondering about that regarding to L2 cache. Both Dual and Quad core CPUs each have total of 6 MB L2 cache. The Dual Core would probably use 3 MB each core while Quad Core would probably use 1.5 MB each core.
Actually, what the other poster said indeed does not make much sense. RAM as far as I know is used by any processor that calls it, it doesn't get divided. His problem was probably that the software he's using is not optimized for multicore, in which case clock frequency would be more relevant than number of cores.
About L2, The Core 2 Duos actually share their L2, so it's 6MB for both. Core 2 Quads are pretty much 2 Duos taped together, so they will share 6MB per 2 cores in the case of the upper-class Quads, and in the case of the Q9300, it will be 3MB per pair. This is what AMD hoped their "advantage" would be, because their Phenom quad-cores share their L3 with all cores and each core has a dedicated L2, hence they claim theirs are "true quad-core", but it's not proven to be just more than semantics, because there hasn't been found any real difference in performance due to the L2 cache difference as far as I know.
I am still undecided to upgrade my HTPC system. Currently I have the following:
Windows MCE 2005
Asus P4C800 Deluxe MB
3 GHz Pentium 4 with HT, FSB 800 MHz
2 GB Corsair RAM
Sapphire AGP HD 3850 (Radeon) with Sapphire's CCC driver
Lite-On Blu-Ray drive
Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra 3730a
AnyDVD HD
Antec 1000 Watts power supply
It has been working perfectly for many Blu-ray movies except Resident Evil:Extinction. RE:E has TrueHD sound, stuttered all the time and CPU usage was at 100%. This system is able to play many other Blu-ray movies perfectly that many others are having problems like Sunshine, 3:10 to Yuma and The Guardian. I am expecting Spiderman 3 today from Netflix. This movie has TrueHD 5.1 like RE:E. If it Spiderman 3 does not stutter, then I will blame on the studio for making RE:E poorly. I don't expect Spiderman 3 to stutter since it was released October 2007 which means it may be Profile 1.0. RE:E is probably Profile 1.1 which probably caused CPU to spike to 100% (along with TrueHD sound).
Anyone know which movies contain Profile 1.1 and TrueHD sound so I can test my HTPC for stuttering? How can you tell which movies contain Profile 1.1?
Note that my HTPC does not have anti-virus, anti-spyware or any other software running in the background (except AnyDVD HD). If others are having problems with their Blu-ray movies, try disable background programs.
Peter
Actually, your Pentium 4 is crying for an upgrade, but if you're not having trouble except for RE:E, I'd recommend to wait until Nehalem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehalem_(CPU_architecture)) comes out, supposedly in the second half of the year, though it'll probably be delayed, seeing as how things are going with Yorkfield and Wolfdale (45nm Quad and Duo respectively). It will bring a whole new architecture and the demise of the FSB. Since you'll have to pretty much upgrade your whole system, it's probably a great way to start.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 01:03 PM
Actually, your Pentium 4 is crying for an upgrade, but if you're not having trouble except for RE:E, I'd recommend to wait until Nehalem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehalem_(CPU_architecture)) comes out, supposedly in the second half of the year, though it'll probably be delayed, seeing as how things are going with Yorkfield and Wolfdale (45nm Quad and Duo respectively). It will bring a whole new architecture and the demise of the FSB. Since you'll have to pretty much upgrade your whole system, it's probably a great way to start.
I realized that my P4 is crying for an upgrade but I would have upgrade if I had issues with many Blu-ray movies but I don't (except RE:E). I will keep renting Blu-ray movies with my current HTPC until it becomes serious issue.
Nehalem is very interesting. It has integrated memory controllers supporting DDR3. Cool!!!! 731 million transistors!!!!!!
Peter
I hate beta testing:D
No, what you really hate is to have to pay to be a beta tester....:D
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 03:05 PM
Grrr... This was the response to my support question on PDVD 8 activation:
Dear Mark,
Thank you for contacting CyberLink Online Support.
We understand your concern related with activating PowerDVD 8 software.
In response to your concern, we suggest you to please follow the steps given below:
1. Copy and Paste to activate the CD-Key.
( copy (Ctrl + C) and paste (Ctrl + V) into the first entry box)
2. Disable the software Firewall (Windows or other 3rd party software)
setting for the moment.
Kindly use the below mentioned link to get quick answer to your further reply :-
index.jsp
Please feel free to contact us back for any further clarification or for any assistance related to CyberLink Products.
Thank You and Best Regards
Are they serious? Do they not even realize they have a problem?
I love how your always suppose to disable your firewall. Like their crap is more important than your computer security. And of course it never fixes the problem. Why don't they suggest reformatting your hard drive while they're at it.:eek:
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 04:06 PM
I went home for lunch and found Spiderman 3 (Blu-ray) in my mailbox from Netflix. I played it with TrueHD sound and there was no stuttering with my 3 GHz P4. I watch it for a few minutes of each chapter and it looks great. The CPU usage varied from 50 to 70%. Either Intel secretly put in dual core in my 3 GHz P4 or this CPU simply can handle Blu-ray movies along with ATI 3850 graphics card, 2 GB RAM and PowerDVD Ultra 3730a.
Peter
I went home for lunch and found Spiderman 3 (Blu-ray) in my mailbox from Netflix. I played it with TrueHD sound and there was no stuttering with my 3 GHz P4. I watch it for a few minutes of each chapter and it looks great. The CPU usage varied from 50 to 70%. Either Intel secretly put in dual core in my 3 GHz P4 or this CPU simply can handle Blu-ray movies along with ATI 3850 graphics card, 2 GB RAM and PowerDVD Ultra 3730a.
Peter
You must have hardware acceleration turned on and the ATi HD3850 is doing the work :cool:
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 04:19 PM
You must have hardware acceleration turned on and the ATi HD3850 is doing the work :cool:
Yes it is turned on. What turns me off is like in many of my past posts, Resident Evil:Extinction is the only movie my HTPC hates. :mad:
Peter
Yes it is turned on. What turns me off is like in many of my past posts, Resident Evil:Extinction is the only movie my HTPC hates. :mad:
Peter
I dont think its just you i read alot of people having problems with this disc and powerDVD. Do Arcsoft have trail versions maybe you could download it and test it with that player.
Yes it is turned on. What turns me off is like in many of my past posts, Resident Evil:Extinction is the only movie my HTPC hates. :mad:
Peter
I have the HD3850 and a p4 3.2 as well. When I sign up for my summer rentals from Netflix I'll give RE a try. I haven't played that many movies yet but if this is the only movie then I'm not going to worry about upgrading.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 04:26 PM
I dont think its just you i read alot of people having problems with this disc and powerDVD. Do Arcsoft have trail versions maybe you could download it and test it with that player.
Already tried it. Arcsoft is a P.O.S. Not only I could not play RE:E but other movies as well.
Peter
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 04:28 PM
I have the HD3850 and a p4 3.2 as well. When I sign up for my summer rentals from Netflix I'll give RE a try. I haven't played that many movies yet but if this is the only movie then I'm not going to worry about upgrading.
It's third version (Extinction) of RE that's giving me problems. The first two versions played perfectly.
Thanks,
Peter
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 04:29 PM
Has ANYONE been able to activate PDVD 8? I never say things like this, but I'm about ready to call my lawyer on this one.
They take your money, then give you a product that is non-functional. They aren't admitting to any problem, and they make me take screen shots, disable my firewall, and all sorts of other nonsense. The time they've wasted of mine is way more than the product costs.
This is really insane. And their support is abysmal.
dhy8386
04-02-08, 04:41 PM
No but I am on the phone with tech support and he can not find a record of my purchase this morning (using both my email and order number). I sent him the confirm email from element 5. I am waiting for him to get it and then we will see...
FYI, he said to me (when i said i ordered version 8), "that is not being released until tomorrow. how did you order it?"
dhy8386
04-02-08, 04:55 PM
Oh boy. Your not gonna like this...
He finally admitted to me that this was an error this morning and that Cyberlink took down all links to version 8 because they have decided NOT to allow upgrades from version 7 to version 8 (only full retail purchases). I said this back to him to confirm. He again said, yes, this was an error and is currently being discussed how to handle the people who were allowed to purchase upgrades this morning. He says he needs a screenshot of the error message i am receiving before he can "address" my issue. I am heading home now to do this and I will see what results....
Stay tuned.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 05:01 PM
Oh boy. Your not gonna like this...
He finally admitted to me that this was an error this morning and that Cyberlink took down all links to version 8 because they have decided NOT to allow upgrades from version 7 to version 8 (only full retail purchases). I said this back to him to confirm. He again said, yes, this was an error and is currently being discussed how to handle the people who were allowed to purchase upgrades this morning. He says he needs a screenshot of the error message i am receiving before he can "address" my issue. I am heading home now to do this and I will see what results....
Stay tuned.
Well, I ordered a full product/price anyway. These guys are scum, and the product better be at least as good as what we've got.
And how did you call someone?
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 05:07 PM
Oh... my... god.... these guys are total morons... they just said they can't locate the version of PDVD I'm talking about:
Thank you for contacting CyberLink Online Support.
We understand your concern related with PowerDVD software.
We apologize for the inconvineance and we kindly request you to be patience as we are here to assist you.
In response to your concern, we are unable to find the version of PowerDVD software that you are using. So, kindly provide us the below given information before escalating this case to the concern department.
Please follow the link given below to know how to find the SR-Number:
answerbox.jsp?FID=2615&ProdVerId=0
Also, send us the snapshot of the screen with full desktop where exactly you are entering the CD KEY. We will look at the screen capture, analyze and send you a solution or provide more information.
This is absolutely insane. I need a phone number to their US offices.
Not upgrading simply saves me money in the end. Looks like CL lost another customer.
In the meantime, I purchased TotalMedia Theatre which has been been getting better with every release. They are active in their own forums and calling them for help has been pleasant. They have also pledged support for the HDDVD format.
As posted elsewhere, there is currently a 50% promo for all of the products in the eStore. Go to their front page and there is a banner link on the right. Seems to be problems with their email system so if you don't get an email with the activation code, call the number posted in the Arcosoft TMT thread.
Good enough for me . I'll kiss powerdvd goodbye and get with arcsoft. I've always hated powerdvd anyway even if its "functional" after a fashion.
Can't believe cyberlink want us to pay full retail for an ugrade to lose functionality! Do these idiots live on Mars or something?
dhy8386
04-02-08, 05:46 PM
FYI, CL support number is 888-226-6030
FYII, usually you need a support number for phone support ($30 charge). However, if you choose option 3 (more info) and then choose option 9, you will eventually reach a support rep. When they ask for your number, explain this is a "customer support" issue and not tech support and tell them about the activation problem. They should then help you determine the problem.
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 05:50 PM
If this is Cyberlink's idea of an April Fools joke they've got something coming...
They had better either refund all purchases or make activation work within a day or two... because this is beyond abysmal.
stevetoney
04-02-08, 05:51 PM
Me as well -- no HDDVD support -- no purchase
Well they just lost my custom.
AbMagFab
04-02-08, 06:00 PM
FYI, CL support number is 888-226-6030
FYII, usually you need a support number for phone support ($30 charge). However, if you choose option 3 (more info) and then choose option 9, you will eventually reach a support rep. When they ask for your number, explain this is a "customer support" issue and not tech support and tell them about the activation problem. They should then help you determine the problem.
"I can not talk to you without a TS ID number." Over and over. No getting through them (and they're an India call center anyway, so there's no way they can resolve anything).
They refuse to do anything about this. Their e-mail support doesn't even know they have this product, and no one is willing to do anything about this.
If this doesn't get resolved today, I'm going to dig up my lawyer's phone number and pay $300 to get him to call/send a letter (about a $99 issue - stupid, but I'm disgusted at this point). This is beyond unacceptable.
E5 sales number if you care:
952-646-5022
It's third version (Extinction) of RE that's giving me problems. The first two versions played perfectly.
Thanks,
Peter
Peter, I think the later P4 chips actually had the Socket 775, so maybe you can buy a cheap dual-core for these next months, if you decided to wait for Nehalem. If your mobo can handle overclock well, you can just buy a cheap Pentium Dual-Core and overclock it to about 2.5GHz (a breeze) and you should not have problems. But if you got the older socket 478 you haven't got much of an option I guess.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 06:15 PM
Peter, I think the later P4 chips actually had the Socket 775, so maybe you can buy a cheap dual-core for these next months, if you decided to wait for Nehalem. If your mobo can handle overclock well, you can just buy a cheap Pentium Dual-Core and overclock it to about 2.5GHz (a breeze) and you should not have problems. But if you got the older socket 478 you haven't got much of an option I guess.
I am already S.O.L. :D I have socket 478. Money is not the issue. So far I just don't need to upgrade until future Blu-ray movies starting to give me problems. It does not take a long time to upgrade. One or two days from NewEgg, then a few hours to build and install OS and software and viola it's done.
Thanks,
Peter
I am still undecided to upgrade my HTPC system. Currently I have the following:
Windows MCE 2005
Asus P4C800 Deluxe MB
3 GHz Pentium 4 with HT, FSB 800 MHz
2 GB Corsair RAM
Sapphire AGP HD 3850 (Radeon) with Sapphire's CCC driver
Lite-On Blu-Ray drive
Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra 3730a
AnyDVD HD
Antec 1000 Watts power supply
Peter, I re-rented RE3 to see if anything changed since I last tried it. (In case you don't remember, I'm the guy with the 2400Pro and the AMD 5600+ who gave up on BluRay). With all other specs similar to your's, RE3 no longer stutters.. CPU was 90-100% and stuttered consistently. Now, CPU ranges from 45-80% with the majority in the 58%-65% range. The only differences between the first time I tried and now are:
1) previously I was using the OEM PowerDVD that came with the drive (updated)
2) did not have AnyDVD loaded
3) now running ATI 8.4 drivers
BTW: Switching to the Portugese non TrueHD track drops the CPU usage 20-30%. My opinion is that the implementation of the TrueHD decoder in PowerDVD was not efficient previously. Still not great but much better now.
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 06:25 PM
Okay.. now Cyberlink have removed my CD-key from my CD-key retrieval page.
Has anybody tried the trial version? I just installed it.
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 06:32 PM
Has anybody tried the trial version? I just installed it.
I installed the trial after Ultra wasn't working, just to see the layout etc, but even the TRIAL required me to activate...
I installed the trial after Ultra wasn't working, just to see the layout etc, but even the TRIAL required me to activate...
That's weird my 6.5 key seems to work with this trial, I didn't activate anything. The activation dialog popped up but I just ignored it restarted and it launches.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/freedombikesusa/p8.jpg
XxDeadlyxX
04-02-08, 06:38 PM
Hmm.. why the heck is the DTS-HD MA logo in the trial... makes me think that Cyberlink have just put it there to look nice, but not actually decode it :rolleyes:
Well it played a DVD, my BD archives won't launch as expected... boy they sure killed the golden goose. This thing is no good for archived managed HDM. 6.5 still looks the best out of all the players to date.:D
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 06:52 PM
Peter, I re-rented RE3 to see if anything changed since I last tried it. (In case you don't remember, I'm the guy with the 2400Pro and the AMD 5600+ who gave up on BluRay). With all other specs similar to your's, RE3 no longer stutters.. CPU was 90-100% and stuttered consistently. Now, CPU ranges from 45-80% with the majority in the 58%-65% range. The only differences between the first time I tried and now are:
1) previously I was using the OEM PowerDVD that came with the drive (updated)
2) did not have AnyDVD loaded
3) now running ATI 8.4 drivers
BTW: Switching to the Portugese non TrueHD track drops the CPU usage 20-30%. My opinion is that the implementation of the TrueHD decoder in PowerDVD was not efficient previously. Still not great but much better now.
Thanks for the info.
When I first installed AnyDVD, initially the stuttering seemed to have stopped for RE:E and later I played it again (and again) and the stuttering came back. I don't know what I did to cause stuttering again. I do not have ATI 8.4 drivers. I think I am using a modified version of 8.1 or 8.2 designed for Sapphire AGP ATI HD3850 card. Saphhire web site now shows version 8.3. I will try latest ATI driver. I do not see version 8.4 from ATI web site. Where did you get 8.4?
Peter
Saphhire web site now shows version 8.3. I will try latest ATI driver. I do not see version 8.4 from ATI web site. Where did you get 8.4?
PeterMy mistake. I'm using 8.3
Go back to the previous version.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 08:40 PM
Peter, I re-rented RE3 to see if anything changed since I last tried it. (In case you don't remember, I'm the guy with the 2400Pro and the AMD 5600+ who gave up on BluRay). With all other specs similar to your's, RE3 no longer stutters.. CPU was 90-100% and stuttered consistently. Now, CPU ranges from 45-80% with the majority in the 58%-65% range. The only differences between the first time I tried and now are:
1) previously I was using the OEM PowerDVD that came with the drive (updated)
2) did not have AnyDVD loaded
3) now running ATI 8.4 drivers
BTW: Switching to the Portugese non TrueHD track drops the CPU usage 20-30%. My opinion is that the implementation of the TrueHD decoder in PowerDVD was not efficient previously. Still not great but much better now.
I downloaded Catalyst 8.3 and was not able to install. My video card is Sapphire HD 3850 AGP. When I first bought the card, ATI Catalyst 8.2 did not work so I downloaded Sapphire's custom Catalyst 8.2 for AGP cards and it worked. I think Sapphire is working on customizing 8.3 to work with AGP cards. Their web site has a hot fix for 8.3 but that didn't work either. I sent Sapphire an e-mail about my issue with 8.3.
Anyway, I selected Portuguese DD 5.1 audio and the stuttering was eliminated. The CPU usage went as high as 80%.
Vladd, do you have AGP or PCI-e graphics card? What brand video card? Also, which OS are you using? Vista or XP?
Thanks,
Peter
Go back to the previous version.Why would I do that? The "mistake" was that I said I was using 8.4. I have no issues with 8.3
Anyway, I selected Portuguese DD 5.1 audio and the stuttering was eliminated. The CPU usage went as high as 80%.That's what I figured. That solidifies my theory that it is the decoding of TrueHD that is the issue. Interestingly, it is only a problem on BluRays, not HD DVD.
Vladd, do you have AGP or PCI-e graphics card? What brand video card? Also, which OS are you using? Vista or XP?
Thanks,
PeterI'm running a PCI-E card from Sapphire on Vista x86. I downloaded the drivers direct from ATI though, not the Sapphire website.
Peter Nagy
04-02-08, 09:54 PM
That's what I figured. That solidifies my theory that it is the decoding of TrueHD that is the issue. Interestingly, it is only a problem on BluRays, not HD DVD.
Do you think PowerDVD has some bugs related to decoding TrueHD audio?
I'm running a PCI-E card from Sapphire on Vista x86. I downloaded the drivers direct from ATI though, not the Sapphire website.
I am not surprised that ATI's driver works for PCI-E. Well, I hope Sapphire will resolve AGP driver issue for 8.3.
Thanks,
Peter
arfster
04-02-08, 10:11 PM
ATI 8.4 is on the ATI site, under the name "8.3 hotfix" :-)
Seriously.
This is crazy. How much did they ask for the upgrade, just out of curiosity?
Do you think PowerDVD has some bugs related to decoding TrueHD audio?Probably not so much "bugs" as simply not being very efficient. I think the latest version may be more efficient. Of course, I need to check to see if the decoder has changed at all. Admittedly, I have not done this yet. Free time for such things has been pretty scarce lately.
If I get some time this weekend, I may uninstall Ultra and go back to the OEM to see if it still exhibits the issue, in which case, the TrueHD decoding would not be the problem.
ATI 8.4 is on the ATI site, under the name "8.3 hotfix" :-)
Seriously.
Good to know, thanks.
It seems that some of my Cyberlink Online Customer Support inquiries are 'lost' concerning PowerDVD 8 Ultra upgrade errors activation:mad:
It's an absolute inappropriate behaviour that Cyberlink shows us.
First they offer a PowerDVD 8 Ultra upgrade which can be bought through on-line distribution via element 5 and after a short time the people at Cyberlink tell us that they never thought to sell a PowerDVD 8 Ultra upgrade?
First they offer something, second for that they take our money and third they say sorry, it never was intended to make such an offer???:confused:
What the hell is going on at Cyberlink's head office????
I've send them a new inquiry: I want an easy solution for the customer, or fast money back transfer
XxDeadlyxX
04-03-08, 12:31 AM
It seems that some of my Cyberlink Online Customer Support inquiries are 'lost' concerning PowerDVD 8 Ultra upgrade errors activation:mad:
It's an absolute inappropriate behaviour that Cyberlink shows us.
First they offer a PowerDVD 8 Ultra upgrade which can be bought through on-line distribution via element 5 and after a short time the people at Cyberlink tell us that they never thought to sell a PowerDVD 8 Ultra upgrade?
First they offer something, second for that they take our money and third they say sorry, it never was intended to make such an offer???:confused:
What the hell is going on at Cyberlink's head office????
I've send them a new inquiry: I want an easy solution for the customer, or fast money back transfer
Yeh this is an outrage, Cyberlink had better do something for those who actually bought it straight away to help the company, sofar we've been given a good kick up the rear.
Either make our keys we have activate, or give us new keys or new download links.
I'm not at home atm so I can't test if it activates now.
just received this funny email:
CyberLink Product Owner,
Thank you for purchasing CyberLink product, PowerDVD 8.0. By purchasing from our online store, your product will be automatically registered. Owning a CyberLink product entitles you to the benefits of our exclusive membership program. The link below will take you to our members' zone where you can... bla-bla-bla
Now, it is still impossible to activate (with the given keys to us from element 5) our legal upgrade copy
They're working really fast at Cyberlink. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing:eek:
Peter Nagy
04-03-08, 12:52 AM
Probably not so much "bugs" as simply not being very efficient. I think the latest version may be more efficient. Of course, I need to check to see if the decoder has changed at all. Admittedly, I have not done this yet. Free time for such things has been pretty scarce lately.
If I get some time this weekend, I may uninstall Ultra and go back to the OEM to see if it still exhibits the issue, in which case, the TrueHD decoding would not be the problem.
Don't bother. The OEM played well but it had other serious issues. If I click on Next/Previous Chapter or FF/RW buttons, it freezes. I have watched RE:E using OEM PowerDVD without issues as long as I don't touch these buttons except Pause. Pause button was unaffected.
I finally figured out how to "manually" install CCC 8.3. I found this in another forum:
Windows XP 32bit
A. Install Drivers
1. Get official driver only cat 8.3 here.
2. Run it so that it extracts to where ever you want but when the next screen pops up click cancel.
3. Goto device manager > graphics adapter > update drivers...
a. Click no i'll update and find it myself for the next screens then click install from specific location.
4. Browse to X:\ATI\SUPPORT\8-3_xp32_dd_59746\XP_INF\CX_59746.inf
5. Scroll down a little till you find "ATI Radeon HD 3850" click next and YES.
6. Reboot
B. Install ATI CCC (Optional)
1. Need to install driver first see above.
2. Get official CCC 8.3 only here
3. Run it and install as usual.
4. Reboot
The above instruction is for AGP HD 3850 video cards.
8.3 driver works better with PowerDVD 3730a. The stuttering is significantly less than previous ATI driver but the stuttering is still there. Looks like I am on the right track. Hopefully 8.4 will be even better.
Peter
The official Cyberlink member (support) forum tells at the moment:
We're sorry. The site is unavailable due to maintenance.
myurkus
04-03-08, 01:10 AM
Wow, lots of unfortunate action today. Two quick points:
1) I actually bought the full 7.3 Ultra version just a few days ago (3/28/08) I was initially really upset that even though I read this thread daily, I somehow missed the release date of v8...and that I will still have to pay to upgrade?! However, given the activation issues, it looks like I was perhaps in luck in a way?
2) After my purchase, even with every clean-install/registry-clean advice I could find, I cannot get out of "trial" mode from the old version. (E.g. it still tells me to "Activate" and does not enable h264...) (It accepts my product key though...)
So last night I sent a customer inquiry asking about issue 2) and nicely asking if they could see it in their heart to let me have version 8. However, my inquiry page is now missing (I see I am not alone?!) Does this mean I am SOL on all counts?
I am sorry for those of you that are having problems with v8. As a software engineer who worked through the dot-com era, with their significant head-start on a core technology that is about to become mainstream, I am shocked they are botching this unprecedented opportunity.
Sure, they are currently making money cutting corners on support and quality (while milking their customers for every penny,) but that is pittance compared to the possible billions they could make as the default HD renderer for all home theaters. It saddens me: in a couple years the big guys will come in with a solid product with fair pricing and support. And instead of becoming a truly dominant company, they will disappear, missing an opportunity most of us in the industry can only dream about. In the meantime, progress itself suffers.
Anyway, end-rant...
Since it seems we're on our own. Is there any chance someone has any tips on unlocking the full functionality of my paid version of 7.3? Thanks much!
8.3 driver works better with PowerDVD 3730a. The stuttering is significantly less than previous ATI driver but the stuttering is still there. Looks like I am on the right track. Hopefully 8.4 will be even better.I guess my theory on the audio decoder could be wrong then. It's possible that the HA of the video has improved to the point that there is more CPU available for the audio decoding. Either way, at least it's improving for you.
XxDeadlyxX
04-03-08, 01:29 AM
People who have just bought it now (after it was put back up), can you activate? I still can't.
As far as I'm concerned, my $100 has been stolen unless they can rectify this.
After my purchase, even with every clean-install/registry-clean advice I could find, I cannot get out of "trial" mode from the old version. (E.g. it still tells me to "Activate" and does not enable h264...) (It accepts my product key though...)
So last night I sent a customer inquiry asking about issue 2) and nicely asking if they could see it in their heart to let me have version 8. However, my inquiry page is now missing (I see I am not alone?!) Does this mean I am SOL on all counts?
If you product key is accepted once - you get the full functional ultra (aka deluxe) version. The "Activate" button is misunderstanding, it means you can re-type another product key to get the max. benefit, all features that you already have.
Peter, as a point of comparison, I took advantage of the 50% off coupon on TME. The CPU usage on RE3 averages from 10-37% on my system. Spikes to 41/47% were common and the highest spike was 52%. A significant difference.
Don't bother. The OEM played well but it had other serious issues. If I click on Next/Previous Chapter or FF/RW buttons, it freezes. I have watched RE:E using OEM PowerDVD without issues as long as I don't touch these buttons except Pause. Pause button was unaffected.
[...]
8.3 driver works better with PowerDVD 3730a. The stuttering is significantly less than previous ATI driver but the stuttering is still there. Looks like I am on the right track. Hopefully 8.4 will be even better.
Peter
Peter, the OEM never went higher than 3516b, so the stuttering you're seeing is not because it's OEM. The retail builds previous to 3730 also had this issue with this and other 1.1 movies. They might update the OEM for profile 1.1 compatibility (though that seems unlikely now), so OEM is not the problem itself. It is good to hear that you had an improvement with the ATI drivers. Right now I'm in the process of tricking out a HP slimline for HTPC use, and the only compatible passive card I could find was a Sapphire HD3450. I had a bad experience with the 2400 and 2600 series, so I'll just have to have my fingers crossed. When they worked though, HD acceleration was very good. I'll probably post something about it when I'm done. It's looking good so far. HP service has been great.
I guess my theory on the audio decoder could be wrong then. It's possible that the HA of the video has improved to the point that there is more CPU available for the audio decoding. Either way, at least it's improving for you.
I do think it's the audio. It has been known for a while that this movie will tax midrange CPUs. It's probably partly PowerDVD's fault too, from what you say below:
Peter, as a point of comparison, I took advantage of the 50% off coupon on TME. The CPU usage on RE3 averages from 10-37% on my system. Spikes to 41/47% were common and the highest spike was 52%. A significant difference.
And that is very interesting. I tried that program though, and I'm one of those that would not pay $20 for it. Looks and feels like PowerDVD 3.0 or something like that. But it's interesting nonetheless.
Any news from the activation front???
:rolleyes:
And that is very interesting. I tried that program though, and I'm one of those that would not pay $20 for it. Looks and feels like PowerDVD 3.0 or something like that. But it's interesting nonetheless.
Understood. I wasn't trying to plug it and debated whether or not to even make that post for fear that it would sound like I was. But I figured the information on the comparison was interesting and worth the risk. Neither software is great IMO.
Any news from the activation front???
:rolleyes:
nothing yet
i am also waiting for a response to my ticket
XxDeadlyxX
04-03-08, 05:52 AM
nothing yet
i am also waiting for a response to my ticket
Just tried again to activate, and it WORKS!! Phew...
But.. I can't seem to play any Blu-ray movies from disc... it just says 'Internal Error'... jeezus...
Just tried again to activate, and it WORKS!! Phew...
But.. I can't seem to play any Blu-ray movies from disc... it just says 'Internal Error'... jeezus...
Confirmed. Finally they did it at Cyberlink. My copy is also activated.
No thanks for long waiting.
Understood. I wasn't trying to plug it and debated whether or not to even make that post for fear that it would sound like I was. But I figured the information on the comparison was interesting and worth the risk. Neither software is great IMO.
Oh, don't mind my opinion. I didn't take your post like that. I already knew about the discount, I wasn't implying that you were trying to push it. Sorry for the misunderstanding. It is interesting that PowerDVD consumes so much more of CPU resources. Maybe Arcsoft is not compatible with extra features of profile 1.1, but can somehow play those movies cleanly... I guess it needs to be investigated.
Quick question; anyone get "Across the Universe" to play for me i can't get out of the menu's area using PDVD 3730 and 3730a??
Thanks
Rew
I contacted Cyberlink about TrueHD and DTS-HD since Corel claims WinDVD 9 supports them, here is the response I recieved from their PR contact.
For without down-sampling, it needs to upgrade Audio Chip and have secure audio path.
This will be second half of 2008. It depends on audio chip manufacturer's schedule.
This sounds like bull to me unless she's trying to say they are waiting for HDMI 1.3 video cards. Otherwise I'm not sure what the point of having a secure path is right up until you output the signal via analog. There are a few hardware Blu-ray players that output TrueHD and DTS-HD via analog so it's not a DRM issue.
Ouch! Can't play HD-DVDs with PDVD8 from the XBOX drive!!! Player switches to "file mode" and does nothing. Tried enabling and disabling AnyDVD with no success.
Rathbone
04-03-08, 08:25 AM
This sounds like bull to me unless she's trying to say they are waiting for HDMI 1.3 video cards. Otherwise I'm not sure what the point of having a secure path is right up until you output the signal via analog. There are a few hardware Blu-ray players that output TrueHD and DTS-HD via analog so it's not a DRM issue.
That isn't bull at all. analog out is unprotected and so has to be downsampled to 16/48 according to AACS. I recently talked to Auzentech about the HDMI X-tension and they confirmed that Auzen and CL are working together on the HDMI Extension compatibility with PowerDVD for non-downsampled hd audio via HDMI.
It is possible to put out DTS-HD via analog, but it is 16/48. It it is still an improvement over the DTS core output PowerDVD 7.3 does.
ezrangel
04-03-08, 08:28 AM
Does the trial verson of PDVD 8 work with blu ray discs? If yes, can I upgrade it to full retail by buying just a CD-key?
Tks.
gorthocar
04-03-08, 08:28 AM
Didn't I hear that PDVD8 is Blu-ray only, and they dropped HD DVD? You need to stick with 7.3 Ultra to keep HD DVD playback.
Rathbone
04-03-08, 08:31 AM
Ouch! Can't play HD-DVDs with PDVD8 from the XBOX drive!!! Player switches to "file mode" and does nothing. Tried enabling and disabling AnyDVD with no success.
It has been mentioned several times that PowerDVD 8 doesn't play HD-DVDs!
How is it PQ and AQ wise? Better than 7.3?
Tried on my second HTPC. It definitely does NOT play HD-DVDs so don't uninstall PDVD7 if you need HD-DVD playback.
EDIT:
Colors washed out on my ATI3850 (Cat8.3) but fine on my other HTPC with a 8600gts (174.74beta). First impression is PQ is the same than PDVD7's.
It has been mentioned several times that PowerDVD 8 doesn't play HD-DVDs!
How is it PQ and AQ wise? Better than 7.3?
Why the hell would they drop support for HD DVD already, people are still buying them and new ones are still getting released?
XxDeadlyxX
04-03-08, 08:59 AM
So is anyone else getting the Internal Error problem? No Blu-ray disc will play here.
I can play blu-ray discs just fine.
ezrangel
04-03-08, 09:12 AM
I can play blu-ray discs just fine.
With the trial version?
With the trial version?
No. There isn't a Powerdvd 8 ultra trial. You can only play with the standard Powerdvd 8 trial w/o Blu-ray playing.
rgreenpc
04-03-08, 10:10 AM
Is it me or is there just a ton of fluff in version 8?
I want to watch movies, not remixes of someone elses stuff.. . actually maybe they should get everything working on 7 before they try adding more stuff that will break.
Does the switcher program for 3319a and 3730 work with 3730a? I always get 3730a no matter what. Did I do something wrong?
dhy8386
04-03-08, 10:55 AM
No errors. Blu Ray plays fine. I tried the following:
Harry Potter (Phoenix)
M. Clayton
Superbad
Across the Universe
However, ATU does not work. Same issues. Menus dont work. Cant play the movie.
Ill do more extensive testing tonight.
I am sorry for those of you that are having problems with v8. As a software engineer who worked through the dot-com era, with their significant head-start on a core technology that is about to become mainstream, I am shocked they are botching this unprecedented opportunity.
Sure, they are currently making money cutting corners on support and quality (while milking their customers for every penny,) but that is pittance compared to the possible billions they could make as the default HD renderer for all home theaters. It saddens me: in a couple years the big guys will come in with a solid product with fair pricing and support. And instead of becoming a truly dominant company, they will disappear, missing an opportunity most of us in the industry can only dream about. In the meantime, progress itself suffers.
For this same reason I'll never understand why they didn't offer a much better discount coming off of the OEM version. These guys just don't understand that it's about market penetration right now for them. Right now, no one cares which program comes out on top, and there are very few people in their corner through their lack of caring for the customers and lack of branding as a company that works for you.
For a $30 upgrade, they would have had a lot of the early adopters using Ultra, and they would have been in it for the long haul after they got some solid positive name recognition. Instead, many are looking for alternatives and mostly a way to integrate into media center.
Does the switcher program for 3319a and 3730 work with 3730a? I always get 3730a no matter what. Did I do something wrong?
Mine switches fine with 3319a and 3730a. You prob installed 3730 for both versions. Rem you have to install 3319a 1st then back it up before installing 3730(a). Just rem what ever version is running will be the one replaced with the new install, so just make sure its 3319a running and make the backup before install 3730(a) or you can run/switch to 3730 and have 3319a backedup and just install 3730a over 3730 (that shld work but I always use the other method). I use diff screens/wall paper for each so i can easily tell which one is running.
Mine switches fine with 3319a and 3730a. You prob installed 3730 for both versions. Rem you have to install 3319a 1st then back it up before installing 3730(a). Just rem what ever version is running will be the one replaced with the new install, so just make sure its 3319a running and make the backup before install 3730(a) or you can run/switch to 3730 and have 3319a backedup and just install 3730a over 3730 (that shld work but I always use the other method). I use diff screens/wall paper for each so i can easily tell which one is running.
I installed 3319a then copied the powerdvd folder to my desktop and renamed it. Then I installed 3730a and copied the 3319a folder back into the proper directory. I then copied the switcher .exe into the directory
did I do something wrong?
Peter Nagy
04-03-08, 12:28 PM
Peter, the OEM never went higher than 3516b, so the stuttering you're seeing is not because it's OEM. The retail builds previous to 3730 also had this issue with this and other 1.1 movies. They might update the OEM for profile 1.1 compatibility (though that seems unlikely now), so OEM is not the problem itself. It is good to hear that you had an improvement with the ATI drivers.
Andy,
I am not sure I understand your statement or you understood mine. I just wanted to make this clear so that we are on the same page.
I started with OEM that came with Lite-On Blu-ray drive. The movies played fine until RE:E came along. It was not stuttering but controlling via FF/RW or Next/Prev Chapter buttons was very difficult. I was able to watch RE:E without stuttering as long as I didn't touch these buttons. This prompted me to buy retail 3730a version. 3730a plays flawlessly for every Blu-ray movies I have seen so far except RE:E due to constant stuttering. Updating ATI display drivers helped reduce stuttering. Also setting to foreign language DD 5.1 audio in RE:E completely reduce stuttering. That does not bother me since I am hearing impaired and I always use sub-titles.
I wonder why OEM didn't stutter and retail stuttered. Probably Cyberlink added Profile 1.1 to 3730a and they may have not done it efficiently and cause the CPU to work harder. Hopefully version 8 was done better to reduce CPU load. This time I will not be an early adopter and buy version 8 right now until most people say this version is worth the upgrade. So thanks to people being guienna pigs beta testing verison 8. :D
Bottom line, I will continue to use my existing HTPC until future Blu-ray movies start to cause issues. I simply don't feel like upgrading right now while it continues to play Blu-ray movies quite nicely (except RE:E).
Peter
I installed 3319a then copied the powerdvd folder to my desktop and renamed it. Then I installed 3730a and copied the 3319a folder back into the proper directory. I then copied the switcher .exe into the directory
did I do something wrong?
You need to copy 3319a into the cyberlink dir. Just make a copy and paste after install and then rename copy to PowerDVD3319a for the folder. Then install 3730a. You dont need to copy the new install since its already in the folder. Copy everything from the switcher folder into the cyberlink folder where the folders are for the two versions of PDVD. What the switcher do is swap the 3319a backup with the current running version and make the current version the backup. Process repeated the other way when you use the switcher again. That shld work.
Add: after a switch dont rename PowerDVD3730 to PowerDVD3730a, just leave it as Powerdvd3730.
honeybrain
04-03-08, 12:54 PM
Bluray plays fine
I am legend
IROBOT
meet the robinsons
i will check with all my 85 bluray titles and update here, no hd playback
btw i have everything in HDD ISOs
That isn't bull at all. analog out is unprotected and so has to be downsampled to 16/48 according to AACS. I recently talked to Auzentech about the HDMI X-tension and they confirmed that Auzen and CL are working together on the HDMI Extension compatibility with PowerDVD for non-downsampled hd audio via HDMI.
Interesting, this is the first I've heard of this AACS restriction, do you have a link where I can read more about it?
Emissary
04-03-08, 01:25 PM
Interesting, this is the first I've heard of this AACS restriction, do you have a link where I can read more about it?
If it is an AACS issue (and I did read somewhere else that Cyberlink is taking that position), then AnyDVD should effectively deal with it. The fact that it doesn't either means that Cyberlink is mistakenly downsampling ALL audio regardless of whether it's protected (which is what the article I read indicated), or is being less than honest about it.
mavromatis
04-03-08, 01:30 PM
So what software options do we now have to watch HD DVD's?
So what software options do we now have to watch HD DVD's?
PDVD 7 Ultra, ARCSOFT TMT and Nero plugin.
Andy,
I am not sure I understand your statement or you understood mine. I just wanted to make this clear so that we are on the same page.
I started with OEM that came with Lite-On Blu-ray drive. The movies played fine until RE:E came along. It was not stuttering but controlling via FF/RW or Next/Prev Chapter buttons was very difficult. I was able to watch RE:E without stuttering as long as I didn't touch these buttons. This prompted me to buy retail 3730a version. 3730a plays flawlessly for every Blu-ray movies I have seen so far except RE:E due to constant stuttering. Updating ATI display drivers helped reduce stuttering. Also setting to foreign language DD 5.1 audio in RE:E completely reduce stuttering. That does not bother me since I am hearing impaired and I always use sub-titles.
I wonder why OEM didn't stutter and retail stuttered. Probably Cyberlink added Profile 1.1 to 3730a and they may have not done it efficiently and cause the CPU to work harder. Hopefully version 8 was done better to reduce CPU load. This time I will not be an early adopter and buy version 8 right now until most people say this version is worth the upgrade. So thanks to people being guienna pigs beta testing verison 8. :D
Bottom line, I will continue to use my existing HTPC until future Blu-ray movies start to cause issues. I simply don't feel like upgrading right now while it continues to play Blu-ray movies quite nicely (except RE:E).
Peter
Yeah, I'm sorry, when I said stuttering, I meant the FF/RW and skipping issues. Those are profile-related issues, and I meant to say that those are not because of OEM software, because I had them also with 3516 retail. Sorry for the confusion.
Any issues with 8.0 and 7.3 side by side? Can they be installed concurrently?
honeybrain
04-03-08, 02:01 PM
I installed side by side and working fine
Rathbone
04-03-08, 03:04 PM
PDVD 7 Ultra, ARCSOFT TMT and Nero plugin.
and WinDVD 9
Rathbone
04-03-08, 03:06 PM
Interesting, this is the first I've heard of this AACS restriction, do you have a link where I can read more about it?
Here you go:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/10/08/powerdvd_ultra_audio_downsampling_explained/1
vddobrev
04-03-08, 03:17 PM
Bluray plays fine
I am legend
IROBOT
meet the robinsons
i will check with all my 85 bluray titles and update here, no hd playback
btw i have everything in HDD ISOs
Do you notice any "skipping" or dropped frames in Meet the Robinsons?
Peter Nagy
04-03-08, 03:52 PM
Bluray plays fine
I am legend
IROBOT
meet the robinsons
i will check with all my 85 bluray titles and update here, no hd playback
btw i have everything in HDD ISOs
If you have Resident Evil:Extinction, please test this one. It seems to be the most problematic and talked about (mostly by me) Blu-ray movie as reported by many others. Please check for stuttering and CPU usage with TrueHD audio.
Thanks,
Peter
caskater
04-03-08, 04:40 PM
PDVD 7 Ultra, ARCSOFT TMT and Nero plugin.
Does anyone know if TMT supports bitstream audio? or at the least converts TrueHD/DTS-HD MA to non-downsampled LPCM?
The whole point of "upgrading" to PDVD8 was to get audio bitstream ability. Since they pulled HD DVD that makes the move worthless to me and PDVD7 is just as worthless since it downsamples everything. Yes I could use analog output but I didn't spend a ton of money on a good receiver just to have my sound card do the same work at half the quality level.
Cyberlink you just lost another customer.
what's the version number for the first retail V. 8 release?
stevetoney
04-03-08, 06:12 PM
I'm not aware of any way at the moment to bitstream HD audio codecs from a PC
you need HDMI 1.3 compliant hardware output / protected path thingies in place
no PC based hardware will do this yet..
yep - I've bought several versions of Powerdvd over the years and some of their other products too.
no more.. dropping HDDVD playback is a slap in the face to customers -- many of us have many HDDVD that work just fine -- thank you very much
I am having pretty good luck playing my HDDVD and BLURAY ISO with TMT -- The Vista Media Center plugin for TMT works pretty good too. I using SPDIF out and basically get roughly the same output I get from POWERDVD via SPDIF
I have a ATI 3870 card and can get sound from it, but it basically the same as I get with SPDIF optical - no bitstream
again there is no avialable hardware for this yet that I have seen anywhere
I hope they continue to improve the TMT product -- it is decent and if they keep making it better - I will not miss powerdvd at all
maybe later in 08 we will see a hardware setup for the PC that will bitstream then we can see if a software player will support it too.
Does anyone know if TMT supports bitstream audio? or at the least converts TrueHD/DTS-HD MA to non-downsampled LPCM?
The whole point of "upgrading" to PDVD8 was to get audio bitstream ability. Since they pulled HD DVD that makes the move worthless to me and PDVD7 is just as worthless since it downsamples everything. Yes I could use analog output but I didn't spend a ton of money on a good receiver just to have my sound card do the same work at half the quality level.
Cyberlink you just lost another customer.
caskater
04-03-08, 06:25 PM
There actually is hardware to support this though. I'm currently using the ASUS P5E-VM HDMI which is HDMI 1.3 capable. I use it to pass 8 channel 24/96 audio directly to my receiver in Vista64. Works great so far. Only PDVD downsamples all the lossless audio. While bitstream isn't exactly around yet (PDVD 8 was supposed to bring in that ability) I would be happy with decoded TrueHD/DTS-HD to LPCM at this point so long as it maintains a good quality sample/bitrate and doesn't downsample to SPDIF (640kb, 16/48).
I'm not aware of any way at the moment to bitstream HD audio codecs from a PC
you need HDMI 1.3 compliant hardware output / protected path thingies in place
no PC based hardware will do this yet..
yep - I've bought several versions of Powerdvd over the years and some of their other products too.
no more.. dropping HDDVD playback is a slap in the face to customers -- many of us have many HDDVD that work just fine -- thank you very much
I am having pretty good luck playing my HDDVD and BLURAY ISO with TMT -- The Vista Media Center plugin for TMT works pretty good too. I using SPDIF out and basically get roughly the same output I get from POWERDVD via SPDIF
I have a ATI 3870 card and can get sound from it, but it basically the same as I get with SPDIF optical - no bitstream
again there is no avialable hardware for this yet that I have seen anywhere
I hope they continue to improve the TMT product -- it is decent and if they keep making it better - I will not miss powerdvd at all
maybe later in 08 we will see a hardware setup for the PC that will bitstream then we can see if a software player will support it too.
Davinleeds
04-03-08, 06:34 PM
If you have Resident Evil:Extinction, please test this one. It seems to be the most problematic and talked about (mostly by me) Blu-ray movie as reported by many others. Please check for stuttering and CPU usage with TrueHD audio.
Thanks,
Peter
Been playing it and off disk I did get stuttering and it froze. But right now off ISO, plays sweet. I don't have a specific problematic timestamp to check. Dolby Lossless 2250kbps=Task Mgr 5 to 22 % using TMT
Peter Nagy
04-03-08, 06:59 PM
Been playing it and off disk I did get stuttering and it froze. But right now off ISO, plays sweet. I don't have a specific problematic timestamp to check. Dolby Lossless 2250kbps=Task Mgr 5 to 22 % using TMT
Resident Evil is really EVIL. :D
That's with Power DVD 8?
Peter
Davinleeds
04-03-08, 07:09 PM
ArcSoft Total Media Theatre
Just tried PDVD Ultra 8 and it fixed the problem I was having with version 7. Which was if a blu-ray disc did not have an AC3 (aka DD 5.1) track then PDVD would not remix the audio to DD 5.1 on the S/PDIF. This new version does if you select S/PDIF and AC3 Mixing. I am not happy that I had to pay $60 to get a bug fix.
Now I have a new bug. I wonder what it will cost me to get cyberlink to fix this one and if it will also take 5 or more months.
The new bug is I was playing Rush Hour 3 Blu-Ray which only has a DTS-HD track. I selected S/PDIF and AC3 mixing and my processor/pre-amp showed that I was getting DD 5.1. So I was happy the bug was fixed. But then after pausing and restarting the movie 3 times I had no audio. I exited PDVD and check windows sounds and also no audio. PDVD had killed the audio driver. To get the audio back I had to reboot the PC. Not a very useful product if you have to worry every time you pause that you may have to reboot to get audio back.
Then after watching Rush Hour 3 I tried an HD-DVD movie just to see if that feature had been removed and I found that it had (so now it is $60 for a bug fix, introduction of a new audio bug and a loss of HD-DVD functionality). But even worse than losing support for HD-DVD just trying to play a HD-DVD caused PDVD to kill the audio again. So another reboot to get audio back.
My system is
Vista 64
Asus Striker Extreme
2 XFX 8600 GT
4 Gig
3 gHz Intel Quad Core
PPGPAUL
04-03-08, 07:16 PM
Didn't I hear that PDVD8 is Blu-ray only, and they dropped HD DVD? You need to stick with 7.3 Ultra to keep HD DVD playback.
Key features in PowerDVD 8 include:
-- Support for HD audio and video standards and formats, including AVCHD and Blu-ray Discs.
This is from the Powerdvd v8 Ultra spec page. What exactly does this mean?
I would like to buy a full software package , but I have HD dvd's I want to use.
peter2000
04-03-08, 07:25 PM
No errors. Blu Ray plays fine. I tried the following:
Harry Potter (Phoenix)
M. Clayton
Superbad
Across the Universe
However, ATU does not work. Same issues. Menus dont work. Cant play the movie.
Ill do more extensive testing tonight.
Man I hope all this is worth the $100 u spend. So far all i read is u pay $100 more and getting less features and a lots of headache
chillspace
04-03-08, 07:30 PM
There actually is hardware to support this though. I'm currently using the ASUS P5E-VM HDMI which is HDMI 1.3 capable. I use it to pass 8 channel 24/96 audio directly to my receiver in Vista64. Works great so far. Only PDVD downsamples all the lossless audio. While bitstream isn't exactly around yet (PDVD 8 was supposed to bring in that ability) I would be happy with decoded TrueHD/DTS-HD to LPCM at this point so long as it maintains a good quality sample/bitrate and doesn't downsample to SPDIF (640kb, 16/48).
Unfortunately, your motherboard *is not* HDMI 1.3 capable. It cannot bitstream native HD audio for an external receiver to decode. What you are getting is LPCM, which to some is just as good but there are people that want an unmolested audio stream that is decoded once at the receiver and directly out to the connected speakers.
How do I get PDVD Ultra 8 not to run automatically whenever I put in a disc?
I have gone thru all the menus and I don't see anything that looks like it is set wrong.
I have none of the boxes checked in the file associations page.
In the Vista 64 file associations I do not have any that are mapped to PDVD.
But every time I put in a DVD or a Blu-ray disc, PDVD runs.
AbMagFab
04-03-08, 07:58 PM
Okay, have done some initial testing:
- The spot-check of BD ISO's all work, no stuttering on my G35 at all (MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC tested so fat)
- Spot check of HD MPEG-2's (from my Tivo) all work great (many would change size with 3319a)
- HDMI audio is a bit of a joke, no different than before if you want multi-channel HD audio (still sends 5 channels for 2 channel sources with 3 blank channels, for example)
- Picture quality seems slightly improved actually, a little more detail/depth, and the color seems slightly better
So - If the rest of the ISO's work, then PDVD8 is like the production version of PDVD 7 beta. Everything works like it should have with PDVD 7. Nothing particularly new, but nothing seems broken either.
I'll post after I do more extensive testing.
Davinleeds
04-03-08, 07:58 PM
Should issues with "8" be a new thread?
AbMagFab
04-03-08, 08:03 PM
New Official PDVD 8 Ultra thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13552620#post13552620
Let's move all discussion of that version over there, so we can focus on it?
B Leisle
04-04-08, 07:56 PM
In PowerDVD 7.3, is anyone able to play Enchanted? I finally got it to play by manually navigating to chapter 3, then skipping two chapters back to chapter 1. It would not play when I pressed play in the menu or even selecting chapter 1 or 2 from the title menu. It would just give me a black screen with no sound. I'm using 3516a.0.
Vern Dias
04-04-08, 09:47 PM
Works for me with no problems. Insert disc, skip through ten or so prevues, select play on the menu.
Vern
When it starts, the menu button is blocked, but you can skip to the next chapter, then press menu. However, audio (the DD track) mutes for about a second several times during the movie -- perhaps it's "seamless" branching. Using 3730.
Just a fair warning for those of you thinking of getting PowerDVD 8... it sucks pretty bad. It couldnt play the first blu-ray disc I tried it with correctly. Same disc works fine in PDVD 7.3.
Also, it appears Cyberlink for the first time ever decided to not share their directshow decoders in any apps. After I installed PowerDVD Ultra, I cant use the decoders in Windows Media Player 11, nor anything else.
arfster
04-05-08, 12:31 PM
Also, it appears Cyberlink for the first time ever decided to not share their directshow decoders in any apps. After I installed PowerDVD Ultra, I cant use the decoders in Windows Media Player 11, nor anything else.
That's odd, others have said they can. Will try a demo myself sometime.
I just forced it it's merit value to above normal and now the decoders are being used instead of Nero's (for both mpeg2 and mpeg4). This is the first time ever that any of my machines have preferred to use other decoders over Cyberlink's.
That's odd, others have said they can. Will try a demo myself sometime.
This is the response I got from Cyberlink support. I'm guess they are competent enough not to misunderstand my complaint.
Dear Michael,
Thank you for contacting CyberLink Online Support.
We understand your concern related with the PowerDVD 8 Ultra software.
In regard to your issue we would like to inform you that the decoders of PowerDVD 8 Ultra can be used from within PowerDVD 8 Ultra only and can not be used or shared with other applications such as Windows Media Player.
We regret to inform you that there is no setting or trick to make it work with other applications such
as Windows Media Player.
UFGrayMatter
04-06-08, 02:13 PM
This is the response I got from Cyberlink support. I'm guess they are competent enough not to misunderstand my complaint.
Dear Michael,
Thank you for contacting CyberLink Online Support.
We understand your concern related with the PowerDVD 8 Ultra software.
In regard to your issue we would like to inform you that the decoders of PowerDVD 8 Ultra can be used from within PowerDVD 8 Ultra only and can not be used or shared with other applications such as Windows Media Player.
We regret to inform you that there is no setting or trick to make it work with other applications such
as Windows Media Player.users at SageTV have figured it out
Yeah... I wonder who figured it out?? ;)
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32064
users at SageTV have figured it out
UFGrayMatter
04-06-08, 03:08 PM
Yeah... I wonder who figured it out?? ;)
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32064haha - i didn't look at the name
myurkus
04-06-08, 06:47 PM
Out of curiosity, can you still buy PowerDvd Ultra 7.3? (I did not find a link on their site.)
Wow, if that is the case, then I turned out to be lucky as heck that I bought version 7.3 on 3/28/2008 (I bought a LG combo drive and just bought over a dozen dirt-cheap HD-DVDs.
Quick question: I am doing some calibrating, and I am noticing a lot of blacks. Does the "COLORSPACE" registry setting/NVidia "black crush" problem/solution still apply?
AbMagFab
04-06-08, 08:17 PM
Out of curiosity, can you still buy PowerDvd Ultra 7.3? (I did not find a link on their site.)
Wow, if that is the case, then I turned out to be lucky as heck that I bought version 7.3 on 3/28/2008 (I bought a LG combo drive and just bought over a dozen dirt-cheap HD-DVDs.
Quick question: I am doing some calibrating, and I am noticing a lot of blacks. Does the "COLORSPACE" registry setting/NVidia "black crush" problem/solution still apply?
Your only real solution to the nVidia black crush problem is to downgrade to a much older version of the nVidia drivers (listed earlier in this thread).
Have just installed PDVD 3730a patch on a C2D 2.2GHz XP 8600GT 1920x1440p72 system and the first time I attempted to play anything, it opened a dialogue saying something like: "to improve smoothness of playback on your hardware, PowerDVD can temporarily reduce the resolution of your display and it will be returned when playback ends: Yes or No".
Needless to say, I answered No as I want to be the only one modifying resolutions if necessary. I noticed they didn't say what the resolution would be reduced to.
I'm quite concerned Cyberlink even consider reducing resolution, since I had major issues with forced windowboxing to 1600x900 with 2911<version<3516. When I hacked the registry in an attempt to overcome the windowboxing, I did get an effect which temporarily reduced the desktop resolution until playback stopped, which sounds remarkably similar to what Cyberlink intended to do.
Has Cyberlink been futzing around with scaling and resolution modification without telling us until now?
Maybe it's my imagination, but even with hardware acceleration enabled, VC-1 playback with 3730a seems to suck more CPU cycles than what I remember with much earlier versions. If I'm not mistaken, it could mean Cyberlink have dropped the efficiency of their algorithms or increased the quality at the expense of CPU utilisation and are maybe warning us about this indirectly?
I'm having a problem with special features on blu ray discs.
The main movie plays fine but sd quality video on the featurettes in some discs has very noticeable slowdowns even tho my cpu is at like 10 percent. The video quality seems to fluctuate as well.
rockytt
04-09-08, 09:02 PM
Hoping someone can help with this one - searched a bit and didn't come up with anything.
Movies (HD+BD) play just fine for awhile (from files on my PC, not from the disc), then the picture freezes and the sound starts stuttering. Stop the movie, start it again, find the scene where it froze, watch for awhile (15 minutes or so), then repeat. Getting a little frusterating to say the least and I'm not sure where to look for the problem.
I don't have to reboot, or even shut down PDVD, just stop the movie and start it back up again.
Power DVD - latest version that will play from files - (can't remember the number)
MB - Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H
CPU - AMD 4200+ Dual Core 2.2
4 gb RAM
Vista Enterprise + SP1 and nothing else installed on this machine-
Allin4greeN
04-10-08, 08:54 AM
Can some one please confirm whether or not 7.3.3730 decodes DTS HD or MA without substituting the DTS Core or downsampling?
Thanks!
Al Sherwood
04-10-08, 12:18 PM
For those in the know about anamorphic projection and CH setups...
When using PDVD to playback HD-DVD or Blu-Ray is there a way to send a full screen (1920x1080) image, anamorphically compressed so a horizontal expansion lens such as my Panamorph can do it's magic?
I have a BenQ W9000 and I can select 'letterbox' and use the lens, but I am not sure that I am getting the correct results: all 1920x1080 pixels being used for a 2:35:1 movie...
Thanks
chillspace
04-10-08, 02:20 PM
Can some one please confirm whether or not 7.3.3730 decodes DTS HD or MA without substituting the DTS Core or downsampling?
Thanks!
It does not.
Can some one please confirm whether or not 7.3.3730 decodes DTS HD or MA without substituting the DTS Core or downsampling?
Thanks!
It does not.
DTS-HD MA it does not, but DTS-HD I think it does. James, one of the masterminds at Slysoft reports 7.1 from DTS-HD discs. Have you tested this, by the way, 'cause we were wondering about this over there and some of us including James I guess want to be positively sure. Though I just bought PowerDVD 8, so it'll be practically moot for me.
skibum5000
04-10-08, 11:13 PM
That isn't bull at all. analog out is unprotected and so has to be downsampled to 16/48 according to AACS. I recently talked to Auzentech about the HDMI X-tension and they confirmed that Auzen and CL are working together on the HDMI Extension compatibility with PowerDVD for non-downsampled hd audio via HDMI.
It is possible to put out DTS-HD via analog, but it is 16/48. It it is still an improvement over the DTS core output PowerDVD 7.3 does.
that's crap, AACS doesn't really require it and some other programs don't donwsample.
it's idiotic anyway, seriously who copies and distributes 24bit 96khz movie tracks?
Robert Clark
04-10-08, 11:35 PM
Prompted tonight to update to patch 080102-02
List of Updates:
Supports Blu-ray Disc Profile 1.1.
Improves BD-J compatibility to enhance interactivity with some BD-ROMs.
Anybody try this?
skibum5000
04-11-08, 01:30 AM
Prompted tonight to update to patch 080102-02
List of Updates:
Supports Blu-ray Disc Profile 1.1.
Improves BD-J compatibility to enhance interactivity with some BD-ROMs.
Anybody try this?
i'm baout to give it a go.
interesting to see if it will handle Across the Universe now or not.
skibum5000
04-11-08, 02:31 AM
yeah so the new patch DOES NOT make Across the Universe work yet :eek: but it does make Spiderman 1 stutter like mad for me even if I run AnyDVDHD in the background (the version prior to this latest patch had actualy made stuff stutter slightly less than recent previous versions when not running anydvdhd and made it completel go away when running AnyDVDHD, this new patch makes those stutters worse again without anydvd and much worse, now they are still there even with AnyDVDHD running :eek::eek:).
All I see is four buttons that do nothing, no fixes for titles that I have that didn't work before and now stuff that AnyDVDHD fixed stuttering for me it no longer fixes it and stutters like mad! :mad:
bah! I shoulda backed up my partition before this.
goign to 24Hz mode helps since it gives it more time to process, but still gets stutters during some scenes whereas with previous version it did not at all.
Strayshot
04-11-08, 09:11 AM
wow they offer $5 off 7 user to upgrade to 8?!
are they serious? $5? :eek:
they never even got 7 doing everything yet (like 24 bit, and DTS-MA).
I'll have to double-check my e-mail when I get home, but I got an e-mail a couple of days ago prompting me to upgrade for (I think) $55.
Robert Clark
04-11-08, 10:22 AM
across the universe still did not work. :(
What's this "new" patch build number? Profile 1.1 came one build ago, with 3730. The current one is supposed to be 3730a, and from that "patch 080102-02" it doesn't seem it's too new. Probably you are getting the prompt to update just now because it's just now that you put in a movie that requires it?
skibum5000
04-11-08, 03:09 PM
What's this "new" patch build number? Profile 1.1 came one build ago, with 3730. The current one is supposed to be 3730a, and from that "patch 080102-02" it doesn't seem it's too new. Probably you are getting the prompt to update just now because it's just now that you put in a movie that requires it?
I didn't even have any movie in the drive. I just clicked PowerDVD and it told me a critical patch had been released.
And yet the patch makes all the stuff that ANyDVDHD had prevented stutter for me now stutter and it still doesn't play Across the Universe, it shows the menus and they run but the selections are all unresponsive to keyboard or mouse control and if you hit skip or next it says prohibited!
So yeah it did not one good thing that I can see, but it made stutter way worse for me.
Gotta try to uninstall and go back to 3730. Hope that does not turn into a mess. ALso hope if they do ever get stuff like Across working that the stutter will go back to 3730 levels.
klillevo
04-11-08, 05:47 PM
I have not upgraded since 3319a, which was the last version that can play BD and HDDVD from the harddrive - unless Cyberlink has re-introduced that feature.
As far as I know, there have not yet been any worthwhile patches (for me), but there probably will be one day. Then I am going to have to figure out some virtualization method that allows me to install two separate versions of PowerDVD, and switch between them, as needed.
myurkus
04-12-08, 08:57 PM
Has anyone else downloaded the update for the "PDVDUltra_3730a_Patch_DVD080102-02" that I was prompted to download? Considering it is 100MB and it requires a complete uninstall of my pevious version, and considering that aside from still being stuck with the "black crush" problem on my 8600 GT, I am hesitant to change anything that is currently working perfectly...especially from Cyberlink and the reports of Version 8.
Thanks for the comments so far, but can anyone else comment? Should I stick with my current version?
I don't know the differences between 3730 and 3730a, but 3730 was a significant update, with compatibility for profile 1.1 movies such as 3:10 to Yuma, Resident Evil: Extinction and Sunshine.
Some bugs that 3319a had was improper extracting of the DTS "core" of DTS-HD MA 7.1 tracks for HD-DVD (Pan's Labyrinth being the only one movie I know of that suffered that).
Other than that, I was happily running 3319a and 3730 at the same time, until Slysoft came up with the BD+ fix, then I just updated and ran 3730a without any major problems. Haven't tried Across the Universe though, but I'