Any XP drivers for NEC's HR-1100A HD-DVD drive yet?

It's not a driver issue. Much like with DVDs, the drive is just a transport. You have to have hardware and software that can do something with the raw output. As a result, given AACS issues, you won't be able to do anything with a PC-based HD-DVD player until Vista ships in 2007 (late 2006 if you have MSDN or a corporate license). All software HD-DVD players will require Vista in order to work properly (that whole "no unencrypted buses" thing).

Later,
Bill

I'm somewhat surprised it's got a "standard" HD-DVD drive in it.

Of course I'm even more surprised someone would pull the transport out of a $500 player

As Ursa mentioned, the problem is that there's no software available (certainly not TT) to play HD-DVDs, they are a very different structure, and have very different copy protection than DVD.


This has actually be called into question of late. Someone in one of the HD forums posted a slide from a recent event (not sure which) that indicated Software HD-DVD players would be available this summer (I think June was the month listed). That's far before Vista. If true, and if it comes to pass (unlike CableCard), my thoughts on HD-DVD/Blu-ray will probably change considerably.

Holy Cow! If that's not the ultimate early-adopter story I don't know what is. I would never have thought of disemboweling an HD-DVD player to get at the drive, but depending on pricing, it may not be a bad idea.

Following up on what Ursa said, you need HD-DVD player S/W.

I've read in a couple of places now that there may be some standalone players out this year that may not require Vista so until those become available, you' re out of luck.

I'm still waiting until next year before making any new disc purchases.

According to this article, it's windvd hd (must be a new version).
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...09&newsLang=en

Not only is the drive standard, so is the motherboard Toshiba put into the HD-A1. It's simply a Pentium 4 running at 2.5 GHz. And it's got a gig of DDR RAM as well. A friend and I tore one apart and made a video of it:

(unfortunately the forum doesn't yet let me post links, so you'll have to put this directly in your browser's address bar):

geekswithblogs (dot) net (slash) lorint (slash) archive (slash) 2006 (slash) 04 (slash) 21 (slash) 75795 (dot) aspx

I'll tell you it's probably worth the trouble in order to see the page! What a crazy board if links can't be posted.

Anyway, in a 256 meg flash disk in the machine is the firmware, which runs Red Hat Linux. Lots of fun discoveries to be had there!

Nice page Lorint! Did you see the last comments on that page? Get an HD DVD movie and try and image it and see if it plays on your PC!

BTW, here is the link - http://geekswithblogs.net/lorint/arc...21//75795.aspx

It won't, there's no software out yet that understands HD DVD structure/format.

Well if its running Linux as the op system then there has to be some software on the flash disk actually playing the files correct?

This thing is going to be hacked in no time.

yaaaaay!

CHeck out this link - http://geekswithblogs.net/lorint/arc...795.aspx#76247

Looks like folk are able to play HD DVD authored disks with some caveats.

Freaking Cyberlink --- I emailed them back and forth 3 times last month asking when they were going to support HD-DVD playback and all 3 times they said with PowerDVD 7 which they said was coming out in May. Well, looks like they just released PowerDVD 7 so they got the May part right, but I don't see where it lists HD-DVD as a playable disc format in the specs. I wonder if the people responding to my emails even know what HD-DVD is. Jacks.

It will be an add-on shipped later this year (HD DVD and BD in seperate packs)

Considering there are no drives yet, it doesn't make a lot of sense to market it.

Especially when it's a potential source of revenue

Chris, can you comment on the requirement of Vista and/or HDMI/HDCP video cards? Many of us assumed both would be required for HD optical playback, but it's looking like XP will work. Will they be directshow or locked to the player for security reasons?

Further, any word on TheaterTek and/or nVidia (or even Sonic) releasing an HD optical playback solution. I'm really not fond of WinDVD or PowerDVD

ahhhh ---- makes sense. so, I guess "technically" what they told me is true.

http://www.cyberlink.com/english/cs/...ID=CS000329141


I emailed TT and they are basically taking the "wait and see" approach. I really hope they come up with a solution relatively soon, because I love their product. I also am not very fond of WinDVD or PowerDVD.

I don't know anything more than you on the topic (just guesses and theories).

I seem to recall reading that the encryption requirement is triggered by flags on disk and the vendors are not using it to start with (to avoid ticking people off during the rampup).

You're thinking ICT, Image Constraint Token, aka Downressing. That's separate from encryption (it's kind of like Macrovision vs CSS on DVD). I haven't heard one way or another but I assume all discs released so far have AACS (the encryption), considering security was a big part of these new formats.

AACS and it's playback/output requirements are what cause great consternation among HTPC users. For example, I believe AACS does (or at least can) prevent output over an unencrypted digital output (ie DVI without HDCP). This is where the assumption that HDCP video cards would be required comes from. I think the assumption that Vista would be required comes from the requirement for PVP-OPM for CableCard and the guess that HD DVD/Blu-ray would be at least as strict.

Now the one interesting thought that must be considered. With ICT not being set on initial releases, full-resolution analog output is allowed. The question is does that mean analog output from non-HDCP video cards will be allowed (ie VGA/Component). And even if ICT is set, will downressed output be allowed like CE players?

The biggest remaining question though is if WindowsXP is, or can be made secure enough for playback of AACS protected content. Is PVP-OPM required? How will Cyberlink and WinDVD manage playback on Windows XP (which it seems likely since HD DVD/Blu-ray playback from both appears to be scheduled pre-Vista)? Will there be Directshow filters for HD DVD/Blu-ray playback (such that TheaterTek and Zoomplayer et al would be compatible) or will it be locked to the PowerDVD/WinDVD app which may use special direct access to the video card?

My questions at this point are more of how/when will HD DVD/Blu-ray playback be possible on Windows XP, what requirements will there be. That's a better state than I thought we were in recently when the assumption was Windows XP HD DVD/Blu-ray playback was not possible.

Applications like PowerDVD and WinDVD do not use Directshow. Because the application contains processing for the datastream within a single executable, secure processing is a trivial task for these 2 players. Really, the only check that requires being made is a query of the video card to determine the monitors physical connection. The data is never made available to other programs or functions in the PC. Yes, these players provide DS filters with their players in order to comply with MS requirements, but they are not used by the native players supplied.

Unfortunately, DirectShow gives the PC user hooks to all kinds of interfaces that allow access to the raw data, video, audio, etc. This makes DS totally unacceptable for any kind of secured processing. Hopefully, Vista can/will address this.

Without having DS somehow secured, any player that depends on DS will not be able to play HD-DVD or BD. (Without illegal mods, changes, cracks, etc)

Vern

Given.


Can WM-RM protectec content be played via DShow? It seems like there are many players that can play that, but I'm unsure of how exactly.


I pretty much assumed that, but here's hoping someone who makes a good DVD player will make a decent HD DVD player.

Well, I'm sitting here looking at my freshly disassembled XA1. I've tried WinDVD and Cyberlink, latest version, and no go. I think it really is something with Windows because my friend authored a HD-DVD onto a DVD+r (4.5GB version) and Windows read it jut fine using WinDVD. I'll try again tomorrow. I'm not giving up though so I'll post pics tomorrow.

EDIT: PLEASE, please pass on any information y'all find out.

AFAIK, all retail HD DVDs are using AACS, and there's nothing available to the public that can deal with that.

Vern, Chris,-

Any ideas how HD-DVD playback is achieved in the Toshiba laptop?
It is MCE and HDMI is not an issue - that much we know.
But what is the player? Drive?

Diogen.

The slide posted earlier indicated that Cyberlink/Intervideo would be releasing players to OEMs several months ahead of a general retail release, they may well be using an OEM specific player.

InterVideo WinDVD HD will ship on that laptop. One would think a Toshiba drive, or maybe an NEC branded drive like other popular Toshiba products ship with.

So WinDVD will playback HD DVD'S then?

Not the version available to the general public.

So, to summarize:
-InterVideo has a AACS-certified HD-DVD player (good news considering 8mln penalty for having it hacked)
-NV7600 Go (same chip as 7600GS) is in the trusted (by the player) list
-not clear what audio chip is used
Therefore there should be nothing (but politics) in the way to make this work on a regular MCE (may be even WinXP) HTPC with the appropriate audio/video components.
Or am I missing something?

Diogen

IMO:

-NV7600 Go is irrelevant. I doubt the chipset is an issue. From what I understand, it is the bus that is the issue. Maybe that's why it's easier for this to take place on a controlled hardware basis such as a notebook.


According to every Drive Information Tool I've been able to run on my HD-DVD drive, it does not support AACS. I've also read some things that indicate it doesn't support AACS. Is the Software Player on the XA1 somehow accomdating the lack of AACS?