HD DVD on Windows Media Centre 2005

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Surely when this stuff is made properly available, there will be a new version of Cyberlink PowerDVD etc that will have the relevant DRM stuff to allow HD-DVD to play on any Windows OS - so I'd've thought playing the DVD would be possible.

I'd've then thought that Media Center would work, as it uses PowerDVD for the decoding element. But whether it would, or whether an update will be made, has yet to be seen.

I can't see MS being allowed to limit HD-DVD playback to Vista only in any way.
 
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Have MS actually said that they are only gonna support HD-DVD / Blue-Ray (if they do actually ever support BR) in Vista? or is this just speculation?
 
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i think HDdvd will get support as microsoft will want HDdvd to be to winning format, seeing as they are about to give Xpox owners a HDdvd drive, where as Sony have Bluray in the PS3. MS need to be careful though, as if they dont support bluray and make people buy a third party thing for it and bluray is the winning format then they have given themselves a problem
 
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Kamakazie! said:
Have MS actually said that they are only gonna support HD-DVD / Blue-Ray (if they do actually ever support BR) in Vista? or is this just speculation?
As far as I've read, they will support HD-DVD natively in Vista.

Note that DVD (Video) isn't natively supported in XP - you need third party codecs to make it to work.
 
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csmager said:
As far as I've read, they will support HD-DVD natively in Vista.

Note that DVD (Video) isn't natively supported in XP - you need third party codecs to make it to work.

HD-DVD (or BD) do not need HDCP to play.

Currently all the HD-DVD's play full HD res over component. Sony and a few others have said BD discs will play over component in HD.

So in theory they could play in any os - just need the software to do it.
 
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csmager said:
As far as I've read, they will support HD-DVD natively in Vista.

Ye but will also be hampered by DRM if the pre release notes to wmp 11 is anything to go by

New features include:
- New interface
- Better support for syncing with portable devices
- Indexed libraries
- Search-as-you-type
- Controlled downgrade of quality for DRM contents *** (dont like sound of this bit guess its to coincide with hd via component cables that also downgrades hd res content.)
- Will link to Microsoft and MTV's Urge music stores

Quote taken from here
http://www.msfn.org/comments.php?shownews=17096

I guess also the drm downgrading thing also stops people playing hd dvds from pc to there tvs at full res.
 
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Dougsnake said:
Ye but will also be hampered by DRM if the pre release notes to wmp 11 is anything to go by.
Yep - this is not MS being evil though. If the HD-DVD is DRM protected, WMP 11 will allow it to be played if HDCP compliant hardware is installed. If something supporting the DRM wasn't installed, it wouldn't play at all.
 
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if it supports HD-DVD natively (ie: codecs) then its likely to support BR. MS are in talks to use WMV compression in BR like HD-DVD will probably be using.

why would it not be supported in MCE 05? Surely again its just a player/codecs that you will need. Expecially with all the early realeased HD films not being shipped with HDCP.
 
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csmager said:
Yep - this is not MS being evil though. If the HD-DVD is DRM protected, WMP 11 will allow it to be played if HDCP compliant hardware is installed. If something supporting the DRM wasn't installed, it wouldn't play at all.

it is likely to still play the film if DRM stuff is not present, just it will be at a crappy resolution (lowe than DVD iirc). There is the option that it just does not play but i doubt if any studios will impliment this level of protection.
 
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Kamakazie! said:
why would it not be supported in MCE 05? Surely again its just a player/codecs that you will need. Expecially with all the early realeased HD films not being shipped with HDCP.
My point exactly. A newer version of your favourite MCE compatible DVD Player/codec is likely to support HD-DVD in MCE.
 
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