Technical Issues and Questions

[TMDaines]

VLC is great, especially now that it supports Blu-ray menus. MPC-HC is pretty good too.

[Michael Kerpan]

I keep trying to get VLC to works for Blu-Rays in Linux, no luck so far...

I'll have to try it again under Windows 7 (64 bit).

[EddieLarkin]

I second MPC-HC, which plays all of my Blu-rays fine when AnyDVD-HD is running in the background (including all of my Region A imports). I have had less luck with VLC.

[tenia]

I'm using a quite old-school TMT 5 with Any DVD HD and it's fine for the use I have.
My issue is more with Any DVD HD itself, which I use mainly to bypass the Region A locking of Criterion discs. They're all authored the same, so it's fine, but recent Region B discs sometimes can't be played back, because they're using a new protection. My PC isn't HDCP compliant (for no reason I've been able to find so far), so it's useless without a proper HDCP bypass...
Wonders of technology...

[David M.]

I thought AnyDVD HD removed HDCP?

[TMDaines]

I thought AnyDVD HD removed HDCP?

Yup, it does. My PC monitor isn't HDCP compliant. I think I tested this by turning AnyDVD off and attempting to play a Blu-ray with PowerDVD and it didn't work.

I second MPC-HC, which plays all of my Blu-rays fine when AnyDVD-HD is running in the background (including all of my Region A imports). I have had less luck with VLC.

What OS do you use? I've been watching Blu-rays with it for a couple of years now - sans menus, of course. Now the support for menus, especially simple ones, is pretty good too. I can't remember any discs not being operable off the top of my head.

In my opinion, VLC just can't be beat for its feature set. The main boon over MPC-HC is its super simple and precise cropping feature, which is invaluable for ridding of unnecessary windowboxing. This is especially true when watching 4:3 or 1.66:1 films that are pillarboxed in 16:9 1080p, which then become windowboxed on a 16:10 monitor. It puts all the commercial consumer solutions to shame.

[EddieLarkin]

Windows 7. With VLC, many Blu-rays just simply refuse to play despite AnyDVD-HD running. It's probably something I could fix but I just haven't had a need yet.

But yes, I will use VLC for its crop feature, primarily at the moment for bringing the incorrect 16:9 "open matte" transfers of the later seasons of Buffy back to their original 4x3. But MPC-HC has a superior zoom function, which allows me to watch all those dastardly open matte 4:3 transfers zoomed precisely to whatever ratio is necessary. And not only that, it also has a zoom and shift function, meaning I can move the top line up and down.

Also, MPC-HC has a really simple squeeze/stretch feature you can engage with the keypad in very small increments. Perfect for getting the Betty Boop Blu-rays from their stretched 1.37:1 ratio back to 1.19:1. Ditto for The Big Country, which was squashed from 2.25:1 to 2.35:1, making everyone look like this.

[tenia]

I thought AnyDVD HD removed HDCP?

It does. The issue is when Any DVD HD fails to recognize and decrypt the disc. Then, I'm stuck until the new Any DVD update.

[jindianajonz]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but is there any reason to get the Darbee edition of the Oppo players? I know normally all "video enhancements" should be avoided like the plague, but Oppo is pretty well respected around these parts, so I thought perhaps this one may have some value.

[EddieLarkin]

Apparently the normal version of the 103 has a built in noise reducer that can not be disabled (though it is seemingly very mild). The 103D has a different processor that features no noise reduction. So on that basis it may be worth getting, as it's not like you have to use the Darbee feature. Though I've heard it's pretty good for DVDs and Blu-rays that aren't so great, but unnecessary for top tier transfers (you can't improve something that's perfect!).

[David M.]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but is there any reason to get the Darbee edition of the Oppo players? I know normally all "video enhancements" should be avoided like the plague, but Oppo is pretty well respected around these parts, so I thought perhaps this one may have some value.

No, there's no reason. Oppo players have had video "enhancement" features for some time now, the only difference is that the "Darbee" one has a branded name. It's a different take on edge enhancement, which frankly is irrelevant - unless you're watching a really, really bad transfer, in which case it doesn't much matter how your player is set up.

Apparently the normal version of the 103 has a built in noise reducer that can not be disabled (though it is seemingly very mild). The 103D has a different processor that features no noise reduction. So on that basis it may be worth getting, as it's not like you have to use the Darbee feature. Though I've heard it's pretty good for DVDs and Blu-rays that aren't so great, but unnecessary for top tier transfers (you can't improve something that's perfect!).

Eddie, where did you hear this? I tested the 103 when it was new and would have rejected it outright had it had any forced NR.

[EddieLarkin]

It's not as bad as I thought, as apparently HDMI2 is fine. HDMI1 on the otherhand can not bypass the Qdeo processor, which does have built in noise reduction. Presumably people noticed by comparing the two inputs. The 103D removed the Qdeo processor completely, and thus both inputs are fine. Details (with confirmation from Oppo themselves) can be found here, posts 519 and 521. I recall a lot of discussion here as well, though that thread is way too big for me to bother trawling through it right now!

[David M.]

Yikes. I need to check that out!

[Drucker]

Yikes. I need to check that out!

Your entire reputation rests on this!

[Cash Flagg]

This is an issue with my television, and not a BD player/disc, but I didn't know where else to put it (if anywhere). About a week ago, I noticed a flickering red dot on the lower left of my Panasonic plasma screen. This dot was a constant presence for several days. I called Panasonic, and since I am no longer under warranty (bought the TV in April 2012 and didn't get extended warranty), they wouldn't pay for repair/replacement, and referred me to a local technician. In the meantime, the pixel, over the last couple of days, was only intermittent, instead of constant. The repair guy came by today, and told me (for a $75 fee) that it was a 'dead pixel'. Apparently there is nothing that can be done about such things, except to replace the frame, which, as I am no longer under warranty, would cost me roughly $1200. With Panasonic discontinuing their plasmas, it would be extremely difficult for me to buy a replacement TV, even if I wanted to spend the money on one. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a possibility that the dead pixel will eventually disappear? As I said, it hasn't been constant the last few days, so I don't know if that is a positive sign, or meaningless. The flashing pixel is really distracting and aggravating, especially as I watch a great deal of black and white films, which makes the intrusion of a red dot all the more noticeable and frustrating. I'm actually quite despondent now, as I love my plasma and there doesn't seem to be any similar, but reasonably priced (under $2000) option that I'm aware of. I do plan on calling Panasonic back tomorrow and pleading my case with a higher-up, but I don't hold much hope there.

The red dot disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived. A major relief, but now I worry that it will return once more, like some bad horror sequel. 'Beware of The Dot!'

[FerdinandGriffon]

Free Mac Blu-ray Player doesn't recognize the Rohmer box discs properly yet. The video plays fine, but no sound and no subtitles. Does anyone have suggestions for an alternative? I haven't been able to set up Blu-ray playback in VLC, though if anyone can point me towards precise, complete directions for doing so on OSX I'd like to try again. I'm willing to pay for a player too if there's a fully featured one on the market that's halfway decent.

[Drucker]

I have a very general question about 4k TVs. Basically, will these (or are they already?) better than Plasmas? I never had the chance to buy the Vera, and it looks like that ship has sailed. I won't be in the market for a new TV for a few years, probably, but I see the price of these things is already down to 3k or less in some places.

Do they overcome the shortcomings of 1080p LEDs? Are Plasmas still better? And how do blu-rays look on these things? Anyone have any insight?

[jindianajonz]

I'm by no means an expert, but when I was researching my new sound system lately on various AV forums, I got the impression that projectors are the way of the future. I grabbed a Vierra from the penultimate wave, and I've been questioning whether that money would have been better spent on a nice projection system.

A year or two ago, I also heard a lot about future OLEDs being better than plasma, but those don't seem like they are commercially viable yet.

[EddieLarkin]

Plasma tech and 4K are incompatible, so in the sense that a 4K LED is going to have the twice the resolution of any PDP, yes they're better. But they're still LED, and seem to come with the same sort of shortcomings LEDs have always had in comparison to Plasmas. And of course, right now even with the doubling of resolution, you'll only be upscaling everything. If you were to get a new TV now, I'd recommended the Panasonic flagship PDP models from last year over a 4K LED. But if you're waiting anyway it's probably worth seeing how long it takes for us to start getting proper 4K content; by that point, 4K OLED TVs may be affordable. It's OLED that seems more likely to be the successor technology to Plasma. That said, I hope to be exclusively using a projector by the time the whole 4K thing settles down.

[Drucker]

I hadn't realized there was a difference between OLEDs and 4k, which apparently there is? I have a 46" samsung LED which I believe I've done a pretty good job calibrating. Is it perfect? No, but it's fine with me for now. When I buy a house, I'll want to get a bigger TV, which is why I've started thinking about it.

A projector is very, very tempting, but the maintenance and cost of replacing those bulbs seems crazy. I really like that my current TV is fine as is and doesn't really need much maintenance.

[EddieLarkin]

4K simply refers to the resolution. A "4K TV" tells us nothing about the display technology. OLED is the latest TV technology, is likely superior to Plasma (but a lot my expensive!) and can come in 1080p as well as 4K.

[David M.]

Blu-ray will look best on a 1080p plasma.

Showing them on a 4K display involves scaling, which inevitably adds artefacts and often results in a slightly softer looking picture. 1:1 mapped video is always the way to go.

[Zot!]

Blu-ray will look best on a 1080p plasma.

Showing them on a 4K display involves scaling, which inevitably adds artefacts and often results in a slightly softer looking picture. 1:1 mapped video is always the way to go.

I can't believe this would be true. Uprezzing doesn't create a softer picture, it just adds extra pixels. Quality varies, and those fake pixels may suck and result in an inaccurate image, but not a soft one. However, line doubling and upscaling has been around since the laserdisc era, and has since become standard on DVD and BD players for DVDs displayed on a HDTV. I've never had a problem with it.

But yes, 4k content would be ideal.

[jindianajonz]

I hadn't realized there was a difference between OLEDs and 4k, which apparently there is? I have a 46" samsung LED which I believe I've done a pretty good job calibrating. Is it perfect? No, but it's fine with me for now. When I buy a house, I'll want to get a bigger TV, which is why I've started thinking about it.

A projector is very, very tempting, but the maintenance and cost of replacing those bulbs seems crazy. I really like that my current TV is fine as is and doesn't really need much maintenance.

OLEDs are Organic LEDs, a new technology that allows an LED TV to produce much deeper blacks. The way I understand it, deep blacks have always been the achilles heel of LEDs, but OLEDs provide blacks that rival (and possibly surpass) even the best Plasmas, while retaining visibility in brighter rooms (one of the biggest problems plasmas have)

[David M.]

I can't believe this would be true.

Why not?

Have a read about scaling algorithms to see what's required to "add extra pixels".