Laptop HDMI: bitstream uncompressed audio etc???

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Batman

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#59760 12-Apr-2010 06:26

Just wondering guys - wanting to fork out some money on a bluray laptop.

Question is, will it do most things a bluray player will?
- will i be able to configure which sounds, 7.1 PCM vs bitstream gets transferred via the HDMI?
- will it automatically handshake with my Denon true-hd/dts-ma amp?

ie is closer to plug and play or crash and burn?

Nety

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#317325 12-Apr-2010 13:55

I would think very carefully before going down the laptop as bluray player route. You can get a bluray player now for ~$300. Most likely it will cost you significantly more then that just for the bluray drive in the laptop.
On top of that you cannot play blurays in Windows with out third party software. It may come bundled with the laptop but if it does it may not support bitstreaming (bundled software is seldom fully featured). If you do have to buy the software you are looking at $100+.
Also full bitsteaming is only supported by ATI 5xxx video cards at this stage. Not sure on the laptop video card front but you would need to do your homework and be SURE. For instance my soundcard supports bitstreaming however there is only one piece of software out that that supports it.

Short answer is most likely crash and burn

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Batman

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#317334 12-Apr-2010 14:04

OK!

Batman

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#364805 7-Aug-2010 19:58

it turns out to be crash and burn. not only do you need an hd 5xxx graphics and all the correct drivers, your mobo is important. mine cannot do it :(

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1235861&page=31
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18341445#post18341445

oh well some sound is better than no sound!

Jaxson

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#365225 9-Aug-2010 09:26

Yeah as Nety says, the audio output and general bluray integration on computers is still years behind a comparitively very cheap standalone bluray player.

This is something I had hoped would have been addressed by now but it appears to still be a real minefield of hardware compatibility problems. I had high hopes for a media PC build but I put this on hold a year ago until the bluray HD audio out via hdmi was sorted, and I still do not believe it's there. (as you say, must have this software add in, this piece of hard ware etc etc).