Windows 7 software to play blu-ray discs?

I'm thinking about replacing the DVD drive in my computer with a blu-ray drive. What software can I use to play the hi rez surround format(s) on blu-ray discs (in addition to the visual image)? I am running Windows 7 and have a SoundBlaster Live! 24 bit sound card (don't laugh).

J. D.

Hi JD,

A player I know of is:
http://www.cyberlink.com/store/powe...earch-us_0_1&gclid=CMyF6Zed77oCFYg7MgoduygAvA

But for hardware, you'll need to get a new video card. All BluRay sound formats only travel over the HDMI video cable(yes, the audio&video) both travel on the same HDMI cable. You need to get a new video card, the good news is even the $50 video cards from NVidia & AMD can handle audio over the HDMI connector. You will plug the single HDMI cable into your receiver or preamp and get the audio(& video) from there. Make sure the video card has been manufactured within the last 18 months and you will be ok.

For HDMI audio(BluRay) your SoundBlaster card will not be used at all.

jdmack said:

I'm thinking about replacing the DVD drive in my computer with a blu-ray drive. What software can I use to play the hi rez surround format(s) on blu-ray discs (in addition to the visual image)? I am running Windows 7 and have a SoundBlaster Live! 24 bit sound card (don't laugh).

J. D.

Click to expand...

For software, there is also PowerDVD. I haven't tried it yet as it came free with my external Samsung SE-506 BD Drive and I use a Mac mainly. The software I use on Mac is also available on Windows too, so you may want to check that out. It's called MacGo.

If you want to experience BluRay on your PC only, you should be good to go, so long as your sound card is capable of 5.1. With A BluRay disc, it should down mix to regular DD or DTS 5.1, so you won't get the hi res audio, but it will at least be in 5.1. As Dennis points out, if you want to hook your PC up to a TV, then you're going to need a graphics card with an HDMI output and the same can be said for the audio if you wish to benefit from the DTS Master HD and Dolby True HD formats.

Hope that is of some help?

DennisMoore Jr. said:

All BluRay sound formats only travel over the HDMI video cable

Click to expand...

Not necessarily true. The Oppo 95/105 Blu-ray players have separate RCA jacks for each audio channel. And on my PC I can route the Blu-ray audio through any sound card installed in the PC; including over the ASIO firewire port to a MOTU 828mk3. I guess it depends on where you want to listen/watch the Blu-rays that you play on the PC. If you want to route them to your A/V Receiver, the easiest way may be through an HDMI cable on a new video card. If you want to listen watch at your PC, there are many options such as multi-channel sound cards or a MOTU firewire/usb adapter.

Thank you all for the software suggestions. I ended up buying an actual blu ray player a couple of weeks ago. It has analog audio outputs and I can use an HDMI to DVI converter cable to send the video to my computer monitor (I'm not as concerned with how the video looks).

J. D.

Arcsoft's Total Media Theater 6 plays everything (except SACDs, natch!) including HDDVDs
and plays the HFPA discs quite nicely.