is there any PQ improvement from using powerdvd 6.5 to 7.1? Or using WinDVD HD? Is there any other software?
Also, what options do you guys have set under powerdvd to get the best picture/audio?
I seem to have to turn up brightness on my display when using powerdvd...otherwise it gets too dark and crushes the blacks.
Im using 6.5 at the moment.

thanks

Yes there is a PQ improvement. I will only watch HDDVDs in PowerDVD 6.5 (don't want to pay for 7.1), because WinDVD is downscalling the movies on my laptop (possibly because of no HDCP card), yet PowerDVD does not.

Examples of this effect can be clearly seen below:

Grand Prix intro in WinDVD
http://homepages.xnet.co.nz/~david2k/Intro_WinPDVD%20copy.jpg

Grand Prix intro in PowerDVD
http://homepages.xnet.co.nz/~david2k/Intro_PDVD%20copy.jpg

Grand Prix intermission in WinDVD
http://homepages.xnet.co.nz/~david2k/Intermission_WinDVD%20copy.jpg

Grand Prix intermission PowerDVD
http://homepages.xnet.co.nz/~david2k/Intermission_PDVD%20copy.jpg

View them at 100% and you'll notice some serious jaggies on the WinDVD files. Also note the WinDVD files are darker - i'm running both apps at their factory settings with no video accelleration, however you can probably compensate for this within the players adjustments.

PDVD 6.5 real buggy and some times don't work correctly or at all with certain HD DVDs.
PDVD 7.1 works well for me. With a few exceptions for some menu's and navigation. All these gotta's can be done using other access methods such as when KB don't work, use mouse and/or visa versa.

I notice with all HD DVD's I have to set my Sony to the default standard setting rather then my custom Pro settings that I have set for SD DVDs. Thats about all that was needed for me.

Also it seems that when using component I get more detail in the shadows but looses some sharpness compared to digital connections with DVI or HDMI.

Didn't try WinDVD.

thanks for your replies
i just tried powerDVD 7.1 and well, the PQ was a LOT better than 6.5...its almost as if 6.5 was not outputting at 1080p. Everything is a lot sharper, colors are more vibrant and a lot more clear.
I wish i would have taken some screen shots of 6.5 to show you how it looks when compared to 7.1...

Interesting. in that case i may have to investigate PDVD7.1 some time in the future.

I can't get WinDVD to work, it brings up a black box, and in under a second it changes colours and dissapears when I try to play an HD-DVD!

any ideas?

I use PowerDVD Ultra for Blu-ray and it works fine!

I'm interested to know how the PQ compares to say an HD-A1?

I'm interested to know how the PQ compares to say an HD-A1?

The software players out there right now produces mediocre PQ. To be blunt they

are all a piece of crap. It doesn't do HD DVD title justice. Hardware based player is

still the best option. I'm still waiting for a HD DVD based software player from

TheaterTek.

Its still too early to use these for serious playback solution.

What about DolbyTrueHD and DTS Master...cann you enjoy this with PowerDVD 7.1 and need my soundcard 5.1 component?

thx

Grand Prix intro in PowerDVD
http://homepages.xnet.co.nz/~david2k/Intro_PDVD%20copy.jpg

How can you make screenshots in PowerDVD? The snapshot function is disabled, and print screen doesn't work on video overlays?

How can you make screenshots in PowerDVD? The snapshot function is disabled, and print screen doesn't work on video overlays?
If you use PowerDVD 6.5 instead of 7.1, you can disable hardware acceleration completely (the easiest way to do this is to open up a video file in Windows Media Player and then run PowerDVD, which will force PowerDVD to play the HD DVD in software rather than on the overlay), and just use a screen capture program (since PowerDVD craftily disables the PrintScreen button). In PowerDVD 6.5, it will play. In PowerDVD 7.1, it will refuse. Either way, it's not really worth it, as the image is being downscaled quite severely - something which should be obvious if you use a high definition test pattern disc.

The software players out there right now produces mediocre PQ. To be blunt they

are all a piece of crap. It doesn't do HD DVD title justice. Hardware based player is

still the best option. I'm still waiting for a HD DVD based software player from

TheaterTek.

Its still too early to use these for serious playback solution.

Given their track record a Theatertek player would be my ideal solution too, although from the absence of comment re. HD-DVD on the TT site I think we might be waiting some time for this one. I am slightly puzzled in a noobish kind of way though as to why a PC software solution should be inferior - after all, isn't the HD-A1 effectively a linux HTPC? In which case, can't we say that the capability of the HTPC to display PQ comparable to an HD-A1 is here right now (my dual core PC is more powerful than an A1) but PowerDVD is actually just crap right now?

yeh i believe he is saying that the current software to play hd-dvd titles on the PC is not up to par w/ the hardware players....but i have to disagree about the PQ being crap..the PQ w/ PowerDVD 7.1 is very very good and sharp (although i don't have a hardware player to compare it to). I posted a picture i took w/ my camera (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9552964&&#post9552964) using pdvd7.1...though its a lil blurry and color is not as accurate as in person, but u'll get the idea.
But anyway, i just saw fearless for the 2nd time using 7.1 and was surprised as how much better it looked than 6.5. Now, it could be that 7.1 works better w/ the hardware i have on my PC. My specs are e6600 @ 3.5, 8800gts, 2GB Ram...and w/ hardware acceleration clicked in 7.1 im at about 23% cpu at peak usage.
Note: I had to set AA/AF to application pref or off for pdvd7.1 to work or it would only show the top left of the movie.

How can you make screenshots in PowerDVD? The snapshot function is disabled, and print screen doesn't work on video overlays?

I use a third party tool to screen dump the video overlay information.

If you use PowerDVD 6.5 instead of 7.1, you can disable hardware acceleration completely

Hmm that didn't work for me with HDDVD titles so i had to go with a third party tool.

after all, isn't the HD-A1 effectively a linux HTPC? In which case, can't we say that the capability of the HTPC to display PQ comparable to an HD-A1 is here right now

The A1/A2/E1 all have dedicated hardware decoders. The HTPC like aspect of them is for the added features (secondary video decoding, HDi etc).

I use a third party tool to screen dump the video overlay information.

Which program do you use? I've tried several and none of them seem to work.

I use a third party tool to screen dump the video overlay information.

Could you please give the name of this tool?