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AFryia
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 965
Location: S.E. Michigan VPH-G70Q
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: HTPC vs. Standalone Player |
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The HTPC has served me well all these years.
I'm looking at Blu-ray now that the retail prices are more reasonable.
I'm at a cross roads. I need to update the HTPC for Blu-Ray, or I can just buy a standalone player.
A standalone player seems like the simplest choice but I need PowerStrip to tame the signal for my G70.
1) Does a typical standalone players have any shift or porch setting control?
2) Do I need to upgrade to Win7 to run Media Center with Blu-Ray? Is Media center compatible with Blu-ray?
3) Is anyone running a standalone Blu-ray player with a JohnHWMan IFB V2 input card?
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greg_mitch
Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 5320
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:23 am Post subject: |
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2.) There is no built-in Bluray support in any Windows product. You can integrate a few after market software packages with Win 7 MC (Total Media Theater I think it is called).
I would go that route first as you can get a BR drive for around $60-$70 and the software is probably less than $100...although I just use the drive to rip and play back MKV's which is supported in 7MC with a codec pack download called Shark007 or something.
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benareeno
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 1614
Location: ottawa, canada
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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I have tried HTPC several times...it never quite pans out. There's always one feature or one bug that just can't be beat. Usually there is a timing issue as well. Nothing runs better than a standalone if you are sensitive to tiny timing blips that an HTPC will inevitably have. I think those that think their system runs fine are just immune to the timing issues that I have seen on every htpc.
My PS3 plays Blu-Rays right out of the box...no ripping required. It also plays downloads with no timing issues...I think it's fairly genius. But...it can't do active area scanning, low end gamma correction or 48 HZ...which are all features that I would love to have.
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akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008
Posts: 934
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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If you want something that just works decent get a standalone player. Those with htpc's are typically into computers and enjoy futzing with the stuff more than most. 
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Sparky015
Joined: 12 May 2009
Posts: 1185
Location: Cleveland / Akron, OH
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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No standalone player is going to have your shift and porch setting control. You would need a VP to go along with it if your into the video processing side as well.
_________________
~Paul
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