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5 Posts
Hey everyone,
I wouldn't really say I've got an "HTPC", or if so it's a rather puny one, but I don't have a TV and thus my PC is ised for everything from Internet to TV to gaming to, of course, movies.
I received for Christmas a Blu-Ray drive which was promptly installed, the LG GGW-H20L, and this is my setup:
Screen: Hyundai W240D 24" 1920x1200p
OS: Windows XP Home Edition SP3
Video Card: ATI Radeon Sapphire HD 2600 XT 512Mb
Processor: Pentium 4 3GHz
Motherboard: MSI 945GCM478
RAM: 2Gb
Speakers: simply a Panasonic stereo connected to the PC on auxiliary.
I plan eventually, when I have the resources, to acquire a Full HD projector and a decent surround sound system. For now however, I simply have a few questions:
1. Now I believe that the component in most dire need of an upgrade in my PC is the processor. If so, am I correct in believing that the newest, Intel's Core i7, are the best money can currently buy? And if so, since I would need a new motherboard to go with it, can one safely assume that the most expensive, the Asus Rampage II, is the best?
2. What do I need in order to hear the "HD sound" of PCM, Dolby True HD, DTS Master Audio, DTS High Resolution and DD+, apart from a good set of speakers of course? I looked around a bit and read about a couple of sound cards that decode them (from Auzentech and Asus I believe), but also a few video cards (the ATI 4600 and 4800 HD) and even motherboards... So what gives, how do I get great high definition sound from my PC?
3. My most urgent purchase would be, I believe, and HDMI cable, as my monitor is currently connected by VGA (a DVI cable was given with my screen but somehow it doesn't work, I have no idea if this is the fault of the cable, the screen of the video card). So basically I'm asking if there's really a difference between what HDMI cable you get or if any old 15 bucks purchased from Virgin Megastore will do just fine?
4. Finally (at least for now), I've had some trouble with the playback of a couple of BDs. Let me start from the beginning. My drive was packaged with a CD of Cyberlink's "Hi-Def Suite", including version 7.3 of PowerDVD Ultra. I should also mention that I run Slysoft's AnyDVD HD (not the latest version, version 6.4.2.5). So when PowerDVD was installed and I ran it for the first time it informed me that the program wasn't up to date and asked if I would like it to upgrade, and so I did. Once all was properly installed, I popped in my first Blu-Ray, PowerDVD said it would change the resolution of my screen for "smooth playback" (what bollocks), and then an error message popped up. I tried again, several times, with the same and other discs, for always the same result. After looking up the error code online, I uninstalled the Hi-Def Suite then reinstalled it and this time refused to perform the "upgrade". And surprise, not only did that silly "change your screen resolution" thingg go away, but my Blu-Rays finally played...well, almost. Out of the 6 BDs I've purchased, four of them launched without a glitch, but when I put in the last two, Transformers and Walk The Line, PowerDVD refused to play them, instead informing that I should update the player or some movies won't play! I should also note that AnyDVD wasn't up to date enough to decode those two, but they're BDs from my region anyway... So what should I do in order to play those two movies? Update PowerDVD 7.3 even though the last time I did that not a single movie would play? Upgrade to PowerDVD 8? Update AnyDVD HD? Or is the issue something else entirely?
Thanks a lot for the taking the time to read and answering my questions. I greatly appreciate it.
I wouldn't really say I've got an "HTPC", or if so it's a rather puny one, but I don't have a TV and thus my PC is ised for everything from Internet to TV to gaming to, of course, movies.
I received for Christmas a Blu-Ray drive which was promptly installed, the LG GGW-H20L, and this is my setup:
Screen: Hyundai W240D 24" 1920x1200p
OS: Windows XP Home Edition SP3
Video Card: ATI Radeon Sapphire HD 2600 XT 512Mb
Processor: Pentium 4 3GHz
Motherboard: MSI 945GCM478
RAM: 2Gb
Speakers: simply a Panasonic stereo connected to the PC on auxiliary.
I plan eventually, when I have the resources, to acquire a Full HD projector and a decent surround sound system. For now however, I simply have a few questions:
1. Now I believe that the component in most dire need of an upgrade in my PC is the processor. If so, am I correct in believing that the newest, Intel's Core i7, are the best money can currently buy? And if so, since I would need a new motherboard to go with it, can one safely assume that the most expensive, the Asus Rampage II, is the best?
2. What do I need in order to hear the "HD sound" of PCM, Dolby True HD, DTS Master Audio, DTS High Resolution and DD+, apart from a good set of speakers of course? I looked around a bit and read about a couple of sound cards that decode them (from Auzentech and Asus I believe), but also a few video cards (the ATI 4600 and 4800 HD) and even motherboards... So what gives, how do I get great high definition sound from my PC?
3. My most urgent purchase would be, I believe, and HDMI cable, as my monitor is currently connected by VGA (a DVI cable was given with my screen but somehow it doesn't work, I have no idea if this is the fault of the cable, the screen of the video card). So basically I'm asking if there's really a difference between what HDMI cable you get or if any old 15 bucks purchased from Virgin Megastore will do just fine?
4. Finally (at least for now), I've had some trouble with the playback of a couple of BDs. Let me start from the beginning. My drive was packaged with a CD of Cyberlink's "Hi-Def Suite", including version 7.3 of PowerDVD Ultra. I should also mention that I run Slysoft's AnyDVD HD (not the latest version, version 6.4.2.5). So when PowerDVD was installed and I ran it for the first time it informed me that the program wasn't up to date and asked if I would like it to upgrade, and so I did. Once all was properly installed, I popped in my first Blu-Ray, PowerDVD said it would change the resolution of my screen for "smooth playback" (what bollocks), and then an error message popped up. I tried again, several times, with the same and other discs, for always the same result. After looking up the error code online, I uninstalled the Hi-Def Suite then reinstalled it and this time refused to perform the "upgrade". And surprise, not only did that silly "change your screen resolution" thingg go away, but my Blu-Rays finally played...well, almost. Out of the 6 BDs I've purchased, four of them launched without a glitch, but when I put in the last two, Transformers and Walk The Line, PowerDVD refused to play them, instead informing that I should update the player or some movies won't play! I should also note that AnyDVD wasn't up to date enough to decode those two, but they're BDs from my region anyway... So what should I do in order to play those two movies? Update PowerDVD 7.3 even though the last time I did that not a single movie would play? Upgrade to PowerDVD 8? Update AnyDVD HD? Or is the issue something else entirely?
Thanks a lot for the taking the time to read and answering my questions. I greatly appreciate it.
