PC dvd player

[Ziggy]

Good luck!

Perhaps the only updates you would need is when a BD player needs a firmware update to play new releases. That's the way I always assumed it worked (but maybe I'm wrong). And if so, if you didn't want to pay for updates, you could still use it to play discs that came out up until that point.

I wish there was a Linux solution (I'm assuming Cyberlink doesn't have a Linux port) like VLC for DVD playback. I was considering making a small HTCP strictly as a better DVD/BD player. It would be so much easier to just throw Linux on an old computer rather than dealing with Windows.

[wclem]

For what it cost it better work lol. The reports I saw led me to believe that all blu ray playback would cease if it was not patched. Not just the newer disc. Take it all with a grain of salt, this is the internet after. All lol

It is insane that we are held captive on this. Forced to do things like this just to use our media. Imagine a vinyl record with extensive copy protection lol

[marurun]

I don't know how long Cyberlink supports each product revision, but they have an annual subscription-based product that's $55 to start and $5 a year which has the exact same feature set as PowerDVD 20 Ultra, which costs $100. So basically, if you bought PowerDVD 365 and subscribed for 9 years, you'd pay the same price as buying PowerDVD 20 Ultra once, and I don't know if Cyberlink would support 20 Ultra for 9 years, though they do typically offer $50 upgrades to their older products. I hate to say it, but in this case the subscription product actually makes more financial sense. Pay the $55 for PowerDVD 365 and then hide $45 in $5 bills under a mattress. Just pull one out each year.

[wclem]

Love the mattress idea lol. I need to read through their page again. I was under the impression that 365 did not have bluray support. Also did not realize up front cost only requires a 5 dollar update fee.

Thanks for clarifying it. Actually not a bad cost for support of a device few people even want. Sadly I already purchased it. But only paid 80, so I did save. If I get free updates for five years then my cost will be the same lol.

Thanks to you and everyone for your input and.advise.

[marurun]

Love the mattress idea lol. I need to read through their page again. I was under the impression that 365 did not have bluray support. Also did not realize up front cost only requires a 5 dollar update fee.

Thanks for clarifying it. Actually not a bad cost for support of a device few people even want. Sadly I already purchased it. But only paid 80, so I did save. If I get free updates for five years then my cost will be the same lol.

Thanks to you and everyone for your input and.advise.

There's a PowerPlayer 365 that's only subscription with a smaller up-front cost. That doesn't play any physical media. There's also PowerDVD 365. That has a slightly larger up-front cost and a larger annual cost but plays all media and matches the feature set of the one-time purchase PowerDVD Ultra.

https://www.cyberlink.com/products/powe ... en_US.html

[wclem]

Sorry to be a pest on this. I am reading that as a monthly fee for as long as you want to stay subscribed. With rounding 60 bucks every year. Not seeing it as an annual 5 dollars to stay current.

In my defense I am viewing this from a phone so I could be simply missing it.

Again, thanks for helping to sort this out.

[marurun]

Aw shoot, you're right. I can't read for beans today. It is per month, not per year. That's dumb and I'm sorry for giving you false hope. Yeah, I guess you need to buy the real deal. Either that or get a stand-alone Blu-Ray player (probably a better idea, unless a computer monitor is your only screen).

[wclem]

It's all good man. Your intention was real, I appreciate that for sure. This is a media computer hook to a tv in living room. I have a small bluray hooked to it that sits next to me. No more getting up to change a disc lol. Aslo no constant switching devises back and forth.

Really just for convenience.

[marurun]

I posted this in the wrong thread, so I deleted the post there and am reposting it here. Found a free option.

Oh, I did find this article, though. It's a couple years old, but it still applies.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-watc ... indows-10/

'Tis free! (with stuff you can pay for)

https://www.leawo.com/blu-ray-player/

Also, with a little work, VLC can be convinced to play Blu Ray discs.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-watc ... windows-10

[stickem]

Rip BD to PC HDD with MakeMKV. Play back lossless file with VLC or Plex.

Most HD movie DLs offline aren't full BD quality. They'll usually be a compressed few GBs versus the full 30 GB BD.

This is what I do and run a plex server to watch on any tv in the house. Only downside is having to leave the pc running 24/7.