[bluray]

WINDOWS:

OS OEM DVD 75€
Blu ray software 100€


LINUX:

OS 0€
Blu ray software (makemkv) 0€ (Will be 60€

If Windows price is your concern, here are some options:
1. Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate- why pay for the OEM packaging, when you can buy it for fraction of the original price.
2. blu-ray player software- cyberlink (come with bd-rom), VLC (free), HPC-HC (free), etc. it supported variety of bd files playback with 1080p and dts-hd/truehd sounds. for now, I preferred w7 mce over xbmc.

With all that said, I still preferred Windows 7 over anything in the market now, and no Apple for me!

[Taravel]

If Windows price is your concern, here are some options:
1. Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate- why pay for the OEM packaging, when you can buy it for fraction of the original price.

Can't see the price...it is unavailable. I'm interested in this option please show me other shops.

2. blu-ray player software- cyberlink (come with bd-rom)

It's true but you need to fire more money for retail version of BR-ROM and usually the version isn't the last.

And what you sad doesn't change updating costs.

, VLC (free), HPC-HC (free), etc. it supported variety of bd files playback with 1080p and dts-hd/truehd sounds.

These softwares can't play blu-ray without an external software that hack the protection like in GNU/Linux.

for now, I preferred w7 mce over xbmc.

OT

With all that said, I still preferred Windows 7 over anything in the market now, and no Apple for me!

It's an opinion on a tool shareable.
But I was shifting the speech on aspects usually hidden: 1) Costs 2) Maintenance time.

See you soon

[SpectreX]

So MakeMKV only works on Linux? That`s a newsflash, last time i checked MakeMKV was available on any of the 3 major desktop operating sistems. PowerDVD or Total Media Theatre all have native BD playback with a built in AACS decryptor, using something like MakeMKV to stream a decrypted file to a player, is a hack-job (and btw, you can do that under Windows too, for the record), aside from the fact that you don`t have menu support to see the extra features and stuff like that.

Pre-installed codecs for what? XBMC cannot use external codecs, no matter what OS it is running on (this is one major downside for XBMC). XBMC has/uses it`s internal ffmpeg based codecs/splitters, that`s it.

[LB06]

I used Ubuntu for a good long time and then I had a hard drive failure. It took months for me to get my Ubuntu install with XBMC working the way I liked. I decided I didn't want to go through that and installed Windows when I bought my new ssd.

I do work in tech support. I work with Windows systems all day long. If anything goes bad in Windows I know how to fix it. With Ubuntu I spent a lot of my time Googleing. It took me roughly two hours to install Windows, install popper drivers, optimize it for the SSD and and install XBMC.

Linux was a great experience and I'm glad I gave it a try but I'm glad to be back on Windows where I'm comfortable.

Yes I think this is key. Start with what you're comfortable with and if you know of no compelling reason to switch then don't. I mean there's only so much an OS can do for the same piece of software. It shouldn't be about the OS, it should be about XBMC. And XBMC will perform best on an OS that you're comfortable with.

For most people that would be Windows, like for you and for the TS. Me, I'm much more comfortable with Linux. In those two hours I can get 5 XBMC boxes up and running with 24p, BluRay, 1080p and a remote and still have time to cook dinner

[bluray]

Can't see the price...it is unavailable. I'm interested in this option please show me other shops.

They ran out, and here is another seller at Amazon- NEW Windows 7 Ultimate Full (Software). If you shop around, you'll find great deal on W7.

It's true but you need to fire more money for retail version of BR-ROM and usually the version isn't the last.

And what you sad doesn't change updating costs.

The version that included with my LG BD-ROM work fine. If you want to update to newer version, it is up to you.

These softwares can't play blu-ray without an external software that hack the protection like in GNU/Linux.

Again, if you look around, there are BD decrypter. Here is one choice- DVDFab HD Decrypter

It's an opinion on a tool shareable.
But I was shifting the speech on aspects usually hidden: 1) Costs 2) Maintenance time.

What hidden cost and what maintenance time? Since I built the latest zacate htpc W7, I spent more time enjoying BD movies with full DTS-HD and TrueHD than with my previous junk media players. I haven't spend time do any upgrade on it!

[bluray]

Yes I think this is key. Start with what you're comfortable with and if you know of no compelling reason to switch then don't. I mean there's only so much an OS can do for the same piece of software. It shouldn't be about the OS, it should be about XBMC. And XBMC will perform best on an OS that you're comfortable with.

For most people that would be Windows, like for you and for the TS. Me, I'm much more comfortable with Linux. In those two hours I can get 5 XBMC boxes up and running with 24p, BluRay, 1080p and a remote and still have time to cook dinner

Wow, you can get 5 XBMC boxes running and cook dinner in two hours---I'm impressed. What you meant by XBMC boxes? Are you building a brand new htpc with XBMC? Can it playback DTS-HD and TrueHD audio codecs?

[LB06]

Wow, you can get 5 XBMC boxes running and cook dinner in two hours---I'm impressed. What you meant by XBMC boxes? Are you building a brand new htpc with XBMC? Can it playback DTS-HD and TrueHD audio codecs?

Basically any PC with Nvidia or a fast CPU.

Yes to TrueHD, no to DTS-HD MA (will only core), but I really don't see how that is relevant to installation time, as it is inherent to the lack of support in ffmpeg. But I always encode DTS-HD MA to FLAC anyway, so for me it doesn't really matter. FLAC is more efficient not to mention open

[Taravel]

They ran out, and here is another seller at Amazon- NEW Windows 7 Ultimate Full (Software). If you shop around, you'll find great deal on W7.

The link shows me a Windows that costs 82.5€ I considered 75€ for windows .

The version that included with my LG BD-ROM work fine. If you want to update to newer version, it is up to you.

Usually HTPC users are geeks that wants the newest features.
In my opinion this is the most advantage of the HTPC.

Again, if you look around, there are BD decrypter. Here is one choice- DVDFab HD Decrypter

These are software that you must pay in place of the BR player like PDVD.

As I said If you don't pay for software this speech is without meaning.

What hidden cost and what maintenance time?

As I said windows is 75€ and if you want to stay up-to date you had to pay.
I explained maintenance time in my first post.

Since I built the latest zacate htpc W7, I spent more time enjoying BD movies with full DTS-HD and TrueHD than with my previous junk media players. I haven't spend time do any upgrade on it!

Enjoying is always a good thing but I would prefer to spend 25€ in donations and 50€ in other things .
That is all I don't want to convince you I only want to explain my point of view and I want to remark the real limits of a linux configuration and how to climb over them.


See you soon

[Taravel]

So MakeMKV only works on Linux? That`s a newsflash, last time i checked MakeMKV was available on any of the 3 major desktop operating sistems. PowerDVD or Total Media Theatre all have native BD playback with a built in AACS decryptor, using something like MakeMKV to stream a decrypted file to a player, is a hack-job (and btw, you can do that under Windows too, for the record), aside from the fact that you don`t have menu support to see the extra features and stuff like that.

It's true but, as i said, the solution with makemkv is the worst choice until NFS will be available. The windows OEM license remains.

Pre-installed codecs for what? XBMC cannot use external codecs, no matter what OS it is running on (this is one major downside for XBMC). XBMC has/uses it`s internal ffmpeg based codecs/splitters, that`s it.

Indeed I was wrong because I was referring to my situation. I don't use XBMC under Vista because I use it only for BR (because my pc isn't able to transcode BR in real time by means of makemkv) and for testing some video filters with MPC.

In any case under Ubuntu I had to install audio codecs (switching on "Install codecs and flash" during installation) to play correctly films by means of XBMC.

See you soon

[bluray]

Basically any PC with Nvidia or a fast CPU.

Yes to TrueHD, no to DTS-HD MA (will only core), but I really don't see how that is relevant to installation time, as it is inherent to the lack of support in ffmpeg. But I always encode DTS-HD MA to FLAC anyway, so for me it doesn't really matter. FLAC is more efficient not to mention open

If the installation doesn't include building a new htpc, I can see that you can get 5 existing htpc work with XBMC within 2 hours.

My installation always includes getting DTS-HD to work. Most of my BD movies have DTS-HD and a few of them with TrueHD. I built my home theater with 7.1 DTS-HD playback as a minimum in mind. Here are a few example- Gnomeo & Juliet (7.1 DTS-HD), Kungfu Panda (5.1 TrueHD), How to Train Your Dragon (5.1 TrueHD), Avatar (5.1 DTS-HD), The Forbidden Kingdom (7.1 DTS-HD), etc.

[bluray]

Usually HTPC users are geeks that wants the newest features.
In my opinion this is the most advantage of the HTPC.

These are software that you must pay in place of the BR player like PDVD.

As I said If you don't pay for software this speech is without meaning.

You don’t have to be a computer geek to enjoy Windows 7 MCE with full 1080P, DTS-HD and TrueHD playback. Why pay for software, when it is available as freeware. If you want to donate to the programmer, it is up to you!

[Taravel]

You don’t have to be a computer geek to enjoy Windows 7 MCE with full 1080P, DTS-HD and TrueHD playback. Why pay for software, when it is available as freeware. If you want to donate to the programmer, it is up to you!

I'm glad to see that Windows MCE is FREE!!! Can you send me the link to download for free Windows MCE? I want play original blu-ray with it without buying an external program show me how-to please.


See you soon

[bluray]

I'm glad to see that Windows MCE is FREE!!! Can you send me the link to download for free Windows MCE? I want play original blu-ray with it without buying an external program show me how-to please.


See you soon

You're confused! The freeware I referred to are DVDFab Decrypter, MPC-HC, VLC, PowerDVD 9 (it included in BD-ROM drive), XBMC, Boxee, etc.

If you buy Windows 7, MCE is included (you can call it free)!

Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 2 Disk Bundle Full Version

[poofyhairguy]

My installation always includes getting DTS-HD to work. Most of my BD movies have DTS-HD and a few of them with TrueHD. I built my home theater with 7.1 DTS-HD playback as a minimum in mind. Here are a few example- Gnomeo & Juliet (7.1 DTS-HD), Kungfu Panda (5.1 TrueHD), How to Train Your Dragon (5.1 TrueHD), Avatar (5.1 DTS-HD), The Forbidden Kingdom (7.1 DTS-HD), etc.

If you could tell blindfolded the difference between a DTS Core track and a full DTS HD track then someone needs to make a superhero movie about you.

[Taravel]

You're confused! The freeware I referred to are DVDFab Decrypter, MPC-HC, VLC, PowerDVD 9 (it included in BD-ROM drive), XBMC, Boxee, etc.

The only program that you listed that let you PLAY bluray is PowerDVD 9 and it isn't free. PowerDVD is included in Retail version of some BR drive and this is one reason because the retail version costs more than the bulk edition.
But you may think that is free like windows when you buy a PC from a manufacter.

If you buy Windows 7, MCE is included (you can call it free)! Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 2 Disk Bundle Full Version

If I don't use windows I must buy Windows to use MCE...what you said doesn't have any sense because is like I tell you that Photo-shop is free if you buy Adobe Creative Suite...If you use Linux you must not buy Windows. I don't know how to explain you better and I will not try again...