BLuray/HDDVD combi drive opinions

[The Incredible...]

I saw This

and wondered if it was worth it?

I know HDDVD is dead, but i already have some HDDVDs cos i got the xbox 360 add on drive, but i'd rather watch them from my PC if possible cos teh xbox is so loud i have to either crank the volume right up or use headphones

the thing that makes me not too sure is i'm not sure if i can actually get a hidef output from my graphics card/monitor setup

I have a EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card and use a Acer AL1721 LCD monitor and a Bush LCD19W08DHD HDReady TV

can someone tell me if i will get a HD picture on those monitors?

[deject]

That's not a bad price as far as I can tell. I'd say it's probably worth it since you already have some HDDVDs, though you can plug your Xbox360 drive into your PC instead.

edit: as far as getting HD on your monitor, I think it's too old to have HDCP support, so you're not going to be able to get the full HD signal on it without stripping off the DRM. I suggest trying out AnyDVD HD, though it is quite expensive. DVD43 might work too.

[The Incredible...]

in that case i might think about getting a new, BIGGER monitor with extra HDness

or perhaps a proper BIGGER HD TV that i can use as my main monitor

[MIkkyo]

..

or perhaps a proper BIGGER HD TV that i can use as my main monitor

THIS!!! First pay day tomorrow of new job

[Mr. Johnson]

didn't they like you at the game store?

[buzzmong]

He finished Uni, so he's now got a proper job (something I'm avoiding for another year at least).

[The Incredible...]

He finished Uni, so he's now got a proper job (something I'm avoiding for another year at least).

get a job like me, i only work every other week, and i still get 14 days paid holiday. coming up to the end of my 3rd consecutive week off

[Akiakaiu]

THIS!!! First pay day tomorrow of new job

Screw the job, bring me more Fith!

[FatherJack]

I saw This

and wondered if it was worth it?

I know HDDVD is dead, but i already have some HDDVDs cos i got the xbox 360 add on drive, but i'd rather watch them from my PC if possible cos teh xbox is so loud i have to either crank the volume right up or use headphones

the thing that makes me not too sure is i'm not sure if i can actually get a hidef output from my graphics card/monitor setup

I have a EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card and use a Acer AL1721 LCD monitor and a Bush LCD19W08DHD HDReady TV

can someone tell me if i will get a HD picture on those monitors?

I have one of those drives, but I got it mainly for converting HDDVDs to BluRay, so I can still watch my small collection of HDDVDs as if my 360 player ever broke it would be irreplaceable. Not had much luck decoding the data so far, but there's no real urgency so I haven't tried that hard. In addition the huge price of BD media makes it a prohibitively expensive process at the moment.

As for watching, you need a hi-def player, such as the version of PowerDVD in Cyberlink's Hi-Def suite*, and to avoid it constantly bitching about updates and regions a copy of SlySoft's AnyDVD HD**. You can then watch stuff ripped to your hard drive as well.

I ended up buying a PS3 to watch BluRay media, which like the 360 lets you watch anything you have shared on your PC as well, but as I say I haven't gotten the files decoded yet. Unlike the 360 though, the PS3 is very quiet.

* from about £25 for the basic version of just PowerDVD (don't know if it has BD/HD support)
** £23, includes AnyDVD
I the former for testing and bought the latter as I use it a lot.

[HereComesPete]

in that case i might think about getting a new, BIGGER monitor with extra HDness

or perhaps a proper BIGGER HD TV that i can use as my main monitor

Big TV's may look rather good with consoles, but given that their resolution is mediocre for pc gaming, and sometimes in weird non-standard formats to boot, they suck as monitors imo. Get a decent 22-24" monitor instead would be my advice, the quality more than makes up for the lack of inches (tnwss).

[MIkkyo]

Screw the job, bring me more Fith!

The pen part of my tablet got lost in the move to Hamilton, I need to buy a new tablet. but I'll try and get one next week.

[Akiakaiu]

The pen part of my tablet got lost in the move to Hamilton, I need to buy a new tablet. but I'll try and get one next week.

Shame about the tablet though :/

[The Incredible...]

I have one of those drives, but I got it mainly for converting HDDVDs to BluRay, so I can still watch my small collection of HDDVDs as if my 360 player ever broke it would be irreplaceable. Not had much luck decoding the data so far, but there's no real urgency so I haven't tried that hard. In addition the huge price of BD media makes it a prohibitively expensive process at the moment.

As for watching, you need a hi-def player, such as the version of PowerDVD in Cyberlink's Hi-Def suite*, and to avoid it constantly bitching about updates and regions a copy of SlySoft's AnyDVD HD**. You can then watch stuff ripped to your hard drive as well.

I ended up buying a PS3 to watch BluRay media, which like the 360 lets you watch anything you have shared on your PC as well, but as I say I haven't gotten the files decoded yet. Unlike the 360 though, the PS3 is very quiet.

* from about £25 for the basic version of just PowerDVD (don't know if it has BD/HD support)
** £23, includes AnyDVD
I the former for testing and bought the latter as I use it a lot.

the one i linked to comes with the HDDVD/BD version of powerdvd i think