[hdmkv]

Can Kodi show the original Blu-ray interactive menus? From what I understand, to be licensed to support full BD menus, the device must also support Cinavia. Both are required. And, if you support Cinavia, the audio in the content gets muted, with a message telling you that the content is protected and isn't authorized for playback on that device.

So, almost all media players (maybe all) since Cinavia came out have not supported full BD menus, only BD-lite.

[hdmkv]

looun posted this in the HiMedia thread, but think it deserves attention here. It appears Open Hour's Gecko won't be a HiMedia M3 clone after all, even though they have the same Hisilicon chip. Like VidOn and Zidoo, they're doing a custom Kodi implementation...

Gecko custom Kodi is more than a wrapper. The wrapper approach will lost all the Kodi playback UI and playback directly with Hisilicon native player with Hisilicon player UI.

Will they abide by GPL like Zidoo? Hopefully, as the Hisilicon chips (3798M here, or Hi3798C in Q5/Q10) are likely to remain superior for video playback, even over Rockchip's latest RK3368 in Zidoo's X6. Hopefully, Cloud Media has integrated Kodi with the Hisilicon player well in Gecko.

Check out OpenHour posts here and here.

Update: first user impressions not so good (typical Syabas / Cloud Media).

[Stereodude]

To show menus you need a licence - and with the licence comes Cinavia.

Therefore no 3D-able players show BD menu anymore. You can get older players that still do for 2D-

There are also hacks for some Blu-Ray players that make it possible to have a Menu and ISO - but obviously not legally.

Uh, I'm still missing something here. Are saying it's technically impossible to show menus without a license? I'm pretty sure that's not the case. AFAIK, if you want to sell a Blu-Ray player and use the various Blu-Ray logos and trademarks if has to be licensed or you get sued by the BDA. However, Kodi's not a Blu-Ray player. There's no optical drive and it's not advertised as a Blu-Ray player.

Besides, isn't libbluray making decent progress with menu support? Are you saying that Kodi can't integrate libbluray's menu support without a becoming a licensed BD player by the BDA? Of course becoming a licensed BD player is impossible because Kodi is open source and the Cinavia detection algorithm would have to comply with the GPL. This would make it trivial to remove it from the code and recompile Kodi, or to see what exactly the Cinavia detection algorithm is looking for in the audio which will help anyone trying to remove Cinavia considerably.

Also, doesn't VLC has "experimental" BD menu support courtesy of libbluray? I haven't tried it, but I've seen reports it works. AFAIK, they don't have a license.

[BORIStheBLADE]

looun posted this in the HiMedia thread, but think it deserves attention here. It appears Open Hour's Gecko won't be a HiMedia M3 clone after all, even though they have the same Hisilicon chip. Like VidOn and Zidoo, they're doing a custom Kodi implementation...

Gecko custom Kodi is more than a wrapper. The wrapper approach will lost all the Kodi playback UI and playback directly with Hisilicon native player with Hisilicon player UI.

Will they abide by GPL like Zidoo? Hopefully, as the Hisilicon chips (3798M here, or Hi3798C in Q5/Q10) are likely to remain superior for video playback, even over Rockchip's latest RK3368 in Zidoo's X6. Hopefully, Cloud Media has integrated Kodi with the Hisilicon player well in Gecko.

Check out OpenHour posts here and here.

Update: first user impressions not so good (typical Syabas / Cloud Media).

Haha Yup.. They never fail to let us down.

[movie78]

There is discussion here about Blu-ray Disc Java menus support in Kodi

Blu-ray Disc Java menus support.

[Stereodude]

There is discussion here about Blu-ray Disc Java menus support in Kodi

Blu-ray Disc Java menus support.

I admit to not being a libbluray expert. That thread says that libbluray 0.8.1 was merged into Jarvis as of the beginning of September, but bdj isn't active yet (ie: no BD Java menus), so... What is that going to bring to the table that Kodi doesn't currently do?

[RockerC]

There is discussion here about Blu-ray Disc Java menus support in Kodi

Blu-ray Disc Java menus support.

I admit to not being a libbluray expert. That thread says that libbluray 0.8.1 was merged into Jarvis as of the beginning of September, but bdj isn't active yet (ie: no BD Java menus), so... What is that going to bring to the table that Kodi doesn't currently do?

BD Java menus, again read http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213352

Libbluray is compiled with bdj deactivated for Kodi mainstream today, but expeimental work is being done there for it to work when compiled with bdj activated for Kodi mainstreamin the future.

Again read http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213352

[Stereodude]

BD Java menus, again read http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213352

Libbluray is compiled with bdj deactivated for Kodi mainstream today, but expeimental work is being done there for it to work when compiled with bdj activated for Kodi mainstreamin the future.

Again read http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213352

Thanks for only repeating information I already provided in my question like I'm a complete idiot, and not actually answering my question.

It seems the possible answers are:
1) Nothing until bdj is activated
2) libbluray does more than just BD Java menus and will still add some other functionality to Kodi even with bdj deactivated, and that is...?

[nickr]

BD Java menus, again read http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213352

Libbluray is compiled with bdj deactivated for Kodi mainstream today, but expeimental work is being done there for it to work when compiled with bdj activated for Kodi mainstreamin the future.

Again read http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=213352

Thanks for only repeating information I already provided in my question like I'm a complete idiot, and not actually answering my question.

It seems the possible answers are:
1) Nothing until bdj is activated
2) libbluray does more than just BD Java menus and will still add some other functionality to Kodi even with bdj deactivated, and that is...?

You are way OT now.

[RockerC]

libbluray does more than just BD Java menus and will still add some other functionality to Kodi even with bdj deactivated, and that is...?

The answer is that upstream features libbluray: the library integrates navigation, playlist parsing, menus and BD-J, Mainstream Kodi master doesn't however use the BD-J part yet, but Kodi does use all the other features of libbluray to playback Blu-ray discs and files.

And that linked thread also explains that, and it also explains that each version of libbluray of course brings with it bug-fixes/stability to help read and playback Blu-ray Disc files, and that is the "other functionality to Kodi even with bdj deactivated". For more info of what the libbluray library actually does read upstream dokumentation here:

http://www.videolan.org/developers/libbluray.html

And changelog for the libbluray versions are summerized here:

http://git.videolan.org/?p=libbluray.git...=ChangeLog

Did not post that answer here as it is way off-topic for this thread, and the thread linked has this answer, so me linking it to you again is not to say you are an idiot, it was to help you find and read the answer yourself, but now you do apper to be too lazy to simply follow that link to read and find the answer yourself instead of having it spoonfeed to you.

[Stereodude]

You are way OT now.

I don't really see how it's off topic. We're discussing the capabilities of Kodi with regards to Blu-Ray playback and menus which goes hand in hand with ISO playback. People who rip to ISO probably wanted menus, or they would have gone mkv or another container. After all, if you don't understand the underlying capabilities of Kodi, how can you have a discussion of which players support what when running Kodi?

The answer is that upstream features libbluray: the library integrates navigation, playlist parsing, menus and BD-J, Mainstream Kodi master doesn't however use the BD-J part yet, but Kodi does use all the other features of libbluray to playback Blu-ray discs and files.

And that linked thread also explains that, and it also explains that each version of libbluray of course brings with it bug-fixes/stability to help read and playback Blu-ray Disc files, and that is the "other functionality to Kodi even with bdj deactivated". For more info of what the libbluray library actually does read upstream dokumentation here:

http://www.videolan.org/developers/libbluray.html

And changelog for the libbluray versions are summerized here:

http://git.videolan.org/?p=libbluray.git...=ChangeLog

Yes, and I read that a few days ago. Just because Libbluray is capable of something doesn't mean the feature is implemented in or being used by Kodi. Hence the question.

Did not post that answer here as it is way off-topic for this thread, and the thread linked has this answer, so me linking it to you again is not to say you are an idiot, it was to help you find and read the answer yourself, but now you do apper to be too lazy to simply follow that link to read and find the answer yourself instead of having it spoonfeed to you.

You link me to a 201 post, now locked, thread where I can't ask any questions. I skimmed the thread. I only saw discussions of Menu support (which discs work, problems encountered, etc) and how to build a version of Kodi with it / test it. I've since gone back and read the thread more closely and still don't see where this information is posted. I'd ask you for the post number, but I'm sure I'd just get chastised for being further OT and expecting spoon feeding.


Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion of Chinese Android boxes and how they're GPL violating (or not), using external players, don't support drop frame refresh rates, can't bitstream, or whatever else may come.

[3dgeek]

Update: first user impressions not so good (typical Syabas / Cloud Media).

How I have learned to hate Syabas "support" and products... Really since the early days with the 100 and later 200 it has gone down hill - with Beta and Alpha products.

Glad we now have choice.

[nickr]

You are way OT now.

I don't really see how it's off topic. We're discussing the capabilities of Kodi with regards to Blu-Ray playback and menus which goes hand in hand with ISO playback. People who rip to ISO probably wanted menus, or they would have gone mkv or another container. After all, if you don't understand the underlying capabilities of Kodi, how can you have a discussion of which players support what when running Kodi?

This thread is not about bluray playback or menus, it is about full 3D playback and HD audio.

Menus are an issue on 2D as well as 3D isos or disks, so belongs in another thread IMHO.

[hdmkv]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I hate menus... just the movie in MKV or ISO. Easy launch and enjoy vs. all the animated menus, sub-menus, etc.

[nickr]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I hate menus... just the movie in MKV or ISO. Easy launch and enjoy vs. all the animated menus, sub-menus, etc.

+1. Extras can also be ripped and then handled by video extras addon.