[QUOTE=FormulaRedline,Jan 2 2008, 01:25 PM]Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drive equals future proof HD content now.

 

Huh, what new monitor? Attach it to your 1080p TV. Monitors are for work stations, not entertainment PCs.

If you are having trouble with HDCP, just get AnyDVD.

 

[QUOTE=FormulaRedline,Jan 2 2008, 03:43 PM]Huh, what new monitor?

 

... had a reel-to-reel tape once.

 

Why do you think you would need a new TV? It's connected to a computer. You can change the resolution to whatever you feel like. Ideally it would have a DVI connection, but at 720p you could probably get away with a DVI to HDMI, RGB Component, or VGA connection depending on what your TV can take as inputs. AnyDVD does work, ask me how I know

It is a nice try, so nice that it in fact it works. I'll take pictures tonight of Transformers on HD DVD or Planet Earth on Blu-ray, both in 1080p, if you wish

 

Because mine doesn't do 1080p - I know I can change the resolution but it's a fair amount of effort & cost just to get from 480p to 720p since, from the reviews on newegg, my 2+ yr old PC (cpu & graphics (plus mobo & o/s?)) wouldn't be up to running the high-def content either .. and I still wouldn't get the full benefit until I have a TV that can cope w/ 1080p

What spec PC have you got this working on?

Taking pictures of 1080p won't help unless your camera & my monitor are both up to displaying the resolution

 

PC is:
AMD X2 4200+ CPU (2.2GHz stock, water cooled and OCed to 2.8GHz)
2 x GeForce 7900GTX in SLI
2GB DDR400 RAM
2 x 250GB 7200RPM HDD in Raid 0
EVGA nForce4 Motherboard
Sound Blaster Audigy SE
Windows XP Pro

I built it a year and a half ago. It may sound fancy, but it's overkill for a HTPC, I built it specifically for gaming. It wouldn't be that expensive to build a similar machine these days with only one (better) graphics card, one HDD, and stock cooling.

However, if you are fine with the computer you have now for everything else, don't go buying a new one just to run the drive. At that point you might as well just buy separate Blu-ray and HD DVD set top boxes as it will be cheaper.

1080p is nice, but if you've already got a 720p TV with high def sources (satellite, cable, etc) and DVDs, I can't really say the picture quality is that much better (or at least, you won't derive that much pleasure from it) to be worth the money you'd spend (I like dollars more than pixels too ).

The picture would have just been to show you that it actually works What are the specs on your PC?

 

It's silver

 

Intel P4 2.8Ghz HT
Intel D865PERL mobo (integrated 6ch AC'97 audio)
1.5Gb DDR400 RAM
1 x 36Gb SATA o/s HDD (have the 2nd drive to go SATA RAID 1)
AGP 4x (?) ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 PRO .. I know, I know - it's not for gaming
Win XP Pro

 

Thanks Graham... I just fell out of my chair.