The Best and Cheapest Upscaling DVD Player - Sony DVP-NS7xxH Series

Ever since buying a 1080p HDTV, I didn't know how much improved a DVD can look until I saw what this upscaling DVD player from Sony could do. It puts out the closest thing to Blu-Ray that I have seen.

Sony Delivers

One of the best inexpensive upscaling DVD players on the market right now is the Sony DVP-NS7xxH series. These DVD players take the image and upscale it to full 1080p HDTV quality video, and the difference is amazing. If you are using an HDTV with a standard DVD player, then you are really missing out. With an upscaling DVD player like this, you will get the closest thing to Blu-Ray movie quality that you can get out of a DVD movie. It retails for around $60 to $70.

Upscale to 1080p

Prior to buying this upscaling DVD player, I had a standard player from Panasonic. It was a great machine, but I noticed the picture quality took a dive after I hooked it up to my 47” HDTV. The problem was that standard DVD players only have a max output of 480p, and my HDTV supports 1080p. Because of this, my television was taking that smaller 480p image and blowing it up to 1080p, so there is some image quality loss in the process. It’s just like how if you took a 3x5 photo and enlarged it to fit an 8x10 frame – the bigger photo wouldn’t look as good as the smaller one.

What makes this Sony DVD player so great is that it takes that 480p picture and upscales it to 1080p, and it does a good job at it. Some HDTV’s can do this one their own, but it is better to have the upgraded signal come from the source than make the TV do the processing. You just have to use an HDMI cable to connect this DVD player to your HDTV, and you are good to go.

Features

This is a no-frills DVD player, but simplicity is a big plus to some people. When it comes to movies, I just want to put in the disc and play it, and I want the picture and sound to be the best they can be. This DVD player only has four buttons up front: Power, Open/Close, Play, and Stop. It has a simple display that shows a timer or chapter info, but no titles or anything descriptive. It is also a very small DVD player that is less than two inches tall.

In addition to DVD movies, this thing will play pretty much anything but a Blu-Ray. You can play music CD’s or even a CD full of MP3’s or JPG picture files. It plays all kinds of burned DVD+/-R and RW discs, so there are no worries about it playing movies made on your computer. On the audio front, it supports DTS surround sound and optical output.

DVP-NS710H and DVP-NS700H

I actually own the DVP-NS700H series DVD player, but that model has since been retired and the new one out right now is the DVP-NS710H. There are only minor differences between the two models, but that means you might be able to get a good deal on the DVP-NS700H. I was so impressed with my Sony upscaling DVD player that I bought one for my parents to use with their new HDTV, and they have since been equally satisfied with this device.

You can find the Sony DVP-NS7xxH series upscaling DVD players at most any electronics retailer, from Best Buy to Amazon.com. Just remember that to get the 1080p picture, you will need an HDMI cable, but do not pay too much for one.

Blu-Ray vs HD Pay Per View

Which is better, Blu-Ray or HD PPV? We answer that question and much more inside.

HD in Blu

With Blu-Ray cornering the home movie market, companies like DirecTV and DISH are trying desperately to maintain their Pay-Per-View Services in the face of the juggernaut that is Blu-Ray. The great thing that Blu-Ray has done for the movie business is that it has forced everyone into a 1080p standard in record time. Xbox Live is now offering streaming 1080p over Xbox Live and Netflix, and the Pay-Per-View business is switching over to HD to maintain their customers. So, given a choice between a Blu-Ray Movie and a movie on PPV, which format should you choose?

The choice all comes down to the set-up that you have. So let me offer you three scenarios:

1. If you have an HDTV, but no surround sound…

PPV is your best option, simply because it’s the easiest solution. Blu-Ray will work the same, but the PPV is going to give you the same resolution and at a lower cost for a one-time viewing. Furthermore, without needing the sound provided by Blu-Ray, given an HDMI cable connected to your HDTV, you should get the same out of your investment. Of course, the main problem with PPV is that you don’t get to watch the movie at ANY time, you have to treat it like going to the movies.

2. If you have an HDTV (or projector) and full 5.1 (or 7.1) surround sound…

Without a doubt, under this scenario, Blu-Ray is the better option. Blu-Ray not only allows you to watch your movie at whatever time you want, it also allows you to hook up the player to a receiver and get full-HD, 5.1, loss-less surround sound. The sound is what really makes the difference. While PPV has great sound, it’s just not Blu-Ray quality. The image quality of Blu-Ray to me is still a bit sharper than on PPV, but the sound is one point that isn’t debatable.

3. If you have standard definition…

If you still have a standard definition TV today, I applaud you, you hold the last of a dying breed. The nation-wide DTV transition here in America has finally ended the almost 60-year reign of the standard definition, analog television. With a standard TV, either format will not make a huge difference for you. The Blu-Ray might still be better, but I don’t even know that you’ll be able to hook up an HDMi-only Blu-Ray player to a standard def TV. The PPV might be the best route to go in those circumstances.

If you haven’t jumped on the HDTV bandwagon yet, now’s the best time to get on it. With the recession in full swing, those with some extra cash can get amazing, once-in-a-lifetime deals on the flat-screens that are so coveted by everyone. Make sure when purchasing to get a 1080p compatible TV and do your homework beforehand.

How to Convert a Matroska Movie to Blu-ray for Free

Here is a short guide if you wish to convert a Matroska video file into a High-definition Blu-Ray disc, by using solely freeware programs.

Converting one video format to another is usually a matter of trial and error, as various things can go wrong; these can include a wrong aspect-ratio, discrepancies in colour, or simply the wrong output on your chosen Blu-Ray player.

This article will focus on converting the Matroska video format into Blu-Ray by using a combination of freeware programs. The MKV file is a high-quality video container and can include subtitles and other extras; hence the quality should be rather good to view on your Blu-ray player. You can use various guides to convert to MKV, and, while this guide will go through each step carefully, it doesn’t promise that your converted video will be faultless every time. As explained above various things can go wrong and, in case they do, please go through the steps again and try to change minor settings to see if it makes a discernible difference.

MKV Movie to Blu-Ray for Free

First download the following program in order to start your conversion:

TSMUXER

1) After having installed both programs, open your MKV file (must have h.264 and AC3 video/audio) with TSMUXER, by clicking on the “Add” button.

2) Look at the Track info: It should say “Profile: Main” and then 4.1. If it doesn’t say 4.1 click on “Change Level to 4.1” in “General track Options.”

3) In “Output” choose the option “Create Blu-Ray Disc”. The process should be fairly quick since there is very little no compression undertaken in the audio/video streams.

4) Still under the same output section, choose where the program will save your file by clicking on “Browse” and simply choosing your destination path.

5) Now that all your options have been set, simply click on “Start Muxing” and wait for the program to work its magic. As said it should be rather quick compared to other format conversions, such as VOB to AVI or similar.

Lastly the size of the video file will be increased since a Blu-Ray supports a larger file size due to improvement in quality in comparison to standard formats. After you are done with everything and the program has finished saving the muxed video, you can burn it with any software of your choice.

Which Video Card is Best for Viewing Movies?

Selecting the best video card for viewing movies must take into consideration the processing load imposed by playing of latest HD movies via DVDs. With MPEG4 and H.264 coding the processing load is heavy and an independent GPU with sufficient memory is the solution.

Introduction

High resolution movies of place a very high processing demand. The video data is usually in MPEG4 compression with the latest version of H.264 encoding. Though the H.264 encoding/compression is the most efficient, the video would still be flowing at about 1.5 Mbps rate on an average. This decoding has to be done on-the- fly in real time, otherwise you will see disturbances in the movie that is playing. Sometimes you may need transcoding to be done between a NTSC DVD out to your TV PAL in or vice versa. Comparatively that is a small burden, except this too will have to be done in real-time. Typically HDCP support will have to be provided.

Even assuming a powerful processor like the Core 2 duo family and RAM in the range of 2 to 3 GB, you need a very capable video card on the system to be able to play a movie without problems from a DVD drive. Your PC with a suitable video card can easily drive that giant HDTV screen that you have. Both ATI and nVidia have products aimed at this segment.

Good Video Cards for Movie Playing

It is hard to pinpoint one specific best card for playing a movie from an internal drive on a computer. What we shall try to discuss is good choices among available video cards that’ll give you good playback. We are assuming here you’d be interested in playing commercial DVDs in HD format and issued on media such as Blu-ray. We also assume you would want watch high definition at 1080p resolution. Two major manufacturers that have products in this specific area are nVidia and ATI.

NVidia recommends their Pure Video HD technology that is a combination of a dedicated video processing core on the NVIDIA GPU and software in the NVIDIA ForceWare drivers. These together deliver the desired video quality at low power consumption. CyberLink PowerDVD 9, a program that will let you play Play DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and the latest HD video formats, is recommended by nVidia. You are able to the watch the media on the PC or your HDTV home theater set up. True Theater technology lets you up-scale the older format videos to the HDTV format.

ATI Radeon HD 4300, 4600 and 4800 series cards are recommended for 1080p full HD movie playing. Like the nVidia cards these too can do up-scaling of older movies into full HD display on your home theater. HDCP support is provided. ATI also includes energy saving features and CrossFire X multi GPU technology can be used. These cards provide multi monitor support. The cards also use ATI Power Play technology. This technology helps reduce power consumption of the product.

A by-product of using these cards is enhancing the gaming power of your machine. For dedicated serious gaming you may need even more powerful video cards, but these cards provide you very good gaming power in your machine.

DVI Output DVD Player Review - OPPO OPDV971H

Here we take a look at a one of the top DVD players with DVI connectivity and High-Definition features; the OPPO should provide you with enough functionality for 200 dollars.

If you are looking for a DVD player with high-quality DVI output and great resolutions, even at its modest price the OPPO is a good choice for any movie, TV and video enthusiast. The unit compares well against even high-priced players, particularly due to its picture quality if not its audio output, and it certainly ranks amongst the best in this price range.

Continue reading if you wish to make your mind up on this product, and decide whether it’s just another cheap player or it is worth the money.

Video Specs and features
Rating

Video processing on the unit is excellent offering DVI outputs of 480p all the way up to 720p, which is all that’s really needed for High-res TV. For a budget unit it is above average as even more expensive models have lower upconversion and HDMI limits. The Oppo has an integrated ‘native-rate’ conversion which does a visibly better job than the conversion undertaken by your HDTV or other HD display.

You also have the ability to change various picture-quality settings, such as Brightness, Saturation, Contrast and etc. These are normally available on up-market models but even at that price, few ones have the option of adjusting your gamma for instance.

One of the downsides of the player is its remote control, with has a poor layout where all of the buttons look the same; since the remote isn’t lit it is hard to distinguish which button does which (apart for the directional control).

Audio
Rating

The OPPO offers the usual 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS, with on-board decoders and analog outputs. Although most of the video functions are good and almost excellent, the Audio isn’t particularly impressive but it is nonetheless average.

If you are planning to listen to CD’s on this player, you won’t be particularly impressed; standard sound spacing, not enough depth in the lower-spectrum frequency and general poorly-rounded harmonic performance makes the player’s audio quite bland. Some of the models in this price range by Sony or Pioneer offer better audio performance but then again they lack DV outputs or other features.

The unit also has coaxial Toslink digital audio outputs, and you can adjust your bass levels, stereo down-mix, the trim level of the audio channel and switch your sub on or off. In short, most of the audio functions you would expect are there but the quality isn’t spectacular.

Overall
Rating

The OPPO is certainly recommended if you are looking for high-quality video output through a DVI socket, and it certainly offers that; surprisingly enough for the price you get a brilliant resolution and a wide range or resolutions. If you are planning to upgrade to HDTV but have yet to buy an adequate LCD set or similar you can comfortably buy this unit and build your system around it.

It has its downsides, such as poor remote layout and unimpressive audio output, but it comes out well above most other players within the price range of slightly over 200 dollars. Recommended.

Find and Select a Blu-ray DVD Club

Buying the latest new releases or old favorites on Blu-ray and DVD can quickly get expensive. Learn about some of the Blu-ray and DVD movie clubs available that make it easier and more affordable to purchase the movies you want.

Sony Blu-ray Club

The Sony Pictures Blu-ray Club is not your typical movie club. However, if you purchase a lot of Blu-ray movies you might want to consider joining this club. Membership to the Sony Pictures Blu-ray club is free, and entitles you to tons of benefits and rewards that will save you mony and earn you free stuff. For example, just for joining the Sony Pictures Blu-ray club and registering ten Sony Pictures BD–Live enabled Blu-ray Disc titles with the club, you will receive a $10 electronic coupon that you can use toward the purchase of a Blu-ray movie from the Sony Rewards catalog and 10% off an electronics item. You will receive the same rewards when you register your second set of ten titles.

Every time you register a Blu-ray Disc you will also get an entry into the Blu-ray Registration Sweepstakes, with giveaways like a Sony HDTV every month. Also, if you apply and get approval for a Sony Card, you get to select five free Blu-ray Disc titles.

Columbia House DVD Club

If you are looking for a Blu-ray or DVD club with longevity, Columbia House may be the one for you. Columbia House has offered music and video clubs for decades, with the inception of their DVD club taking place in 1997. The Columbia House DVD Club will help you build your collection of films on DVD and Blu-ray for far less than you might spend at a big box store, and the videos are delivered right to your door.

Currently you can join Columbia House DVD club and select four DVD's or Blu-ray discs for just 49¢ each, and shipping is free. You can then make your first club purchase at the time that you join for $14.95, get one more at the special price of $9.95 and then you only have to purchase four more movies within the next two years.

Columbia House DVD Club offers DVD's and Blu-ray discs at a 25% discount to members, and features monthly specials such as "Buy One Get a Second for 50% Off," and "Unlimited DVD's at $19.95 Each."

Disney Movie Club

Perhaps you want your DVD or Blu-ray collection to consist mostly of family-themed movies. If so, then the Disney Movie Club may be the one for you. You can select four Disney movies on DVD for $1.99 each or two Disney Blu-ray discs for $4.95 each. After joining and receiving your special initial Blu-ray or DVD movies, you will need to buy at least five regularly priced DVD's or Blu-ray discs within the next two years.

Aside from getting a great price on your first order, subsequent DVD or Blu-ray selections will also be discounted. You may receive special offers on selected releases and you get to choose from all the wonderful, family-friendly movies Disney has to offer.

Film Movement Movie Club

If your tastes lean more toward foreign and independent films, check out the Film Movement DVD of the Month Club. By subscribing to this DVD club,you will automatically receive the newest award-winning film every month, before they are available to the general public. You are also entitled to discounts on all of the films in the club catalog and special features, such as director's commentaries and trailers. Currently, you can sign up for a monthly subscription for $15 a month. If you are a bargain hunter, you may want to opt for the six-month subscription for $67.95 (less than $12 a month) or the annual subscription for just $131.95 (about $11 a month).

Of course, before committing to any membership you must read and agree to the terms and conditions. Make sure you are comfortable giving your personal information, such as your credit card number, and fully understand the membership agreement.

As you begin building your Blu-ray or DVD collection, you will need a place to store the movies. Check out Choosing Blu-ray and DVD Racks for some ideas!

How to Update a Pioneer’s BDP Player’s Firmware

If you need help with updating your BDP Blue-Ray disc player’s firmware (in order to enjoy the full benefits of new features on a disc) have a read through this simple article which will guide you through the process.

Introduction

A Blu-Ray disc will usually include a variety of features which will otherwise not be present on a standard DVD disc. This can include features which allow you to go online and chat, play games with other users or download bonus content such as extra interviews or trailers.

In order to enjoy such features it is recommended that you update the firmware of your player frequently or as soon as there is a new one available; you can easily be notified by e-mail for any available updates.

This article focuses on the Pioneer BDP models and will go through what you need to do in order to update your player easily.

Updating

The updates are mostly similar for any of the BDP models, but it is still strongly suggested that you visit the official site to have a look if anything is different for your specific model. Remember the article is only for the BDP-LX, BDP-320 and BDP-51FD players.

First download the firmware for your model at the site:

Pioneer: BDP Update

1) Extract the zip file and burn the ISO image file onto a CD-R or CD-RW. Any program will do. If you are unsure you can verify whether the disc has burnt successfully or simply re-insert it and “Browse” to see if the file is there.

2) Using the player’s front panels (not the remote), turn it on and open the disc tray to insert the disc you’ve just burnt. If the disc was burnt incorrectly the player won’t recognize it. Remember that you should have extracted the ISO from the zip file, not burnt the zip file directly.

3) Close the tray and the “Disc Download” message will appear. Leave the player until the “Download OK” message appears and the player ejects the disc. Remember not to touch anything until this happens, even if the player appears to be ejecting the disc before-hand. The update can take from 15 to 20 minutes.

4) Remove the disc. The unit will have gone into stand-by mode so switch it on and check the firmware to see if the update has completed successfully.

If you have problems check the update instructions on the site given above. They also give help in case a problem has occurred. The instructions are text files, and can be found by clicking on your BDP player model and looking underneath (the model information should be in red writing).

Home Media Buying Guide - Best High-End Blu-ray Disc Player

If you're planning to buy a high-end Blu-ray disc player and money seems not to be your primary concern, check out this list of five high-end Blu-ray disc players which are sure to burn your wallets. But, hey you deserve the best Blu-ray movie watching experience after a day's work, so splurge.

Denon DVDA1UDCI Blu-ray/DVD/CD Player

First on our list of high-end Blu-ray disc players is the Denon DVD-A1UDCI. Don't get turned off by its price because it is certainly packed with powerful features. Obviously, this Blu-ray disc player is capable of playing popular high resolution audio formats including SACD and DVD-Audio. It is also BD-Live ready. It also features AL32, an advanced digital audio processing that upconverts conventional 16-bit CDs to full 32-bit digital format. What this means is that the Blu-ray disc player is capable of DVD deinterlacing and upconversion to HD.

The Denon DVD-A1UDCI disc player is equipped with the Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor, 32-bit dual differential D/A converters for each channel and analog 7.1 outputs. It also has dual parallel HDMI outputs which you can assign with HDMI Pure Direct Mode. This Blu-ray disc player features 720p/1080i/1080p output resolution, built-in audio decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and 70block construction that protects against cross-interference circuits. (Price: $4,061)

Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD Blu-ray Disc Player

Feauturing 7.1-channel Analog Audio Outputs, 12-bit 297MHz Video Encoder, and 7 Individual Wolfson Audio DACS, the Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD Blu-ray Disc Player lets you experience movies and music like never before. It is capable of simultaneously delivering pure signal, great image quality and sound.

This single disc Blu-ray DVD/CD player also features HDMI ver 1.3a output, 1080p TrueFPS video output (BD/DVD), Dolby TrueHD, dts bit-stream out, 48-bit Deep Color support, 297 MHz video encoder, BD-Live Ready via ethernet, 4GB internal memory, 16-bit video processing LSi and Coaxial frequency response PQLS jitter. In other words, if the Denon's Blu-ray disc player's price is too expensive for you, the Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD is your cheaper alternative. (Price: $2,179.99)

Sony BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray Disc Player

Of course our list will not be complete if we don't include something from Sony. Well, for this list we've added the Sony BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray disc player. This player does not only provide you with Blu-ray playback at 1080p resolution, but it is also capable of upscaling your DVDs. This Blu-ray player boasts Sony's 14-bit HD video processor. That feature alone is enough reason for you to consider getting this player. It enhances standard definition picture quality through its HD Reality Enhancer and Super Bit Mapping.

Other features of the Sony BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray disc player include an isolated audio circuit board and high quality parts, rigid beam chassis and dual shield construction, Dolby TrueHD and dts HD-71. analog, and R-Core Transfer. (Price: $1,499.99)

Panasonic DMP-BD30

If you want a new feature which Panasonic claims is unique only to their Blu-ray disc player, well you might want to consider the DMP-BD30 Blu-ray disc player. This feature called Final Standard Profile adds Picture-in-Picture modes including Enhanced Commentary, Backstage Pass, Peek Behind the Animation and Audio Mixing features to the Panasonic DMP-BD30. This Blu-ray disc player upsamples the color information in video signals before up-converting content recorded in 480i/p, 720p or 1080i video format. In other words you get superb picture and sound quality when watching your favorite movies on a Blu-ray Disc if you get this player.

Some other noteable features of this Blu-ray player include support for Blu-ray DVDs PAL or NTSC from region A and B, playback of regular PAL or NTSC DVDs from regions 1 and 2, SD card slot, and support for other media including VCD, SACD, DVD-Audio, DiVX, DVD-R, DVD-RW and more. And while this may be a high-end multi-region Blu-ray DVD Player its price is certainly affordable. (Price: 499.99)

NAD T 587 Blu-ray Disc Player

The last high-end Blu-ray disc player on our list is the NAD T 587. This Blu-ray disc player fully supports Profile 2.0 standard and boasts of high-end features including BD Live Network connectivity, full native 1080p resolution, digital HDMI transmission, standard DVD upscaling, support for 1080p videos at 24fps and superb audio performance with its 7.1 Linear PCM soundtrack with 24 bit resolution. The T587 Blu-ray disc player also support Dolby and DTS HD formats as well as Audio CDs and CD-Rs with MP3 or WMA decoding. The NAD T587 Blu-ray disc player has a reasonable price as well. (Price: $2,098.99)

Choosing Blu-ray and DVD Racks

If you are in the market for a rack to hold all of your Blu-ray discs or DVD's, you are in luck. There are a multitude of racks available in a wide variety of styles and sizes. Read on for a list of retailers that sel Blu-ray and DVD racks, as well as a sampling of their offerings.

Amazon

The mega-mall of the Internet, Amazon.com has several Blu-ray and DVD racks from which to choose. If you only need to store a handful of Blu-ray discs or DVD's and have an equally diminutive budget, you may appreciate the Atlantic 6373-5592 Nestable 16-Blu-ray DVD Wire Rack that holds sixteen DVD's or Blu-ray discs and sells for just under $7. Two advantages to this Blu-ray or DVD rack are that it is nestable, so if your collection expands you can buy more racks and stack them together; and that it comes with no assembly required.

If you are looking for something a bit more artistic or merely have a much larger collection of Blu-ray discs, then the Modern Black Metal 83 Blu-Ray Disc Wave Tower / Wall Mount Storage Rack might better suit your tastes and needs. This rack will stand freely as a tower or can be mounted on a wall and will hold up to 83 Blu-ray discs for under $25. However, if your collection consists of DVD's and not Blu-ray, look elsewhere as this rack is not made to store regular DVD cases.

Ikea

When shopping for an affordable, simple Blu-ray or DVD rack, you may want to take a look at what Ikea has to offer. The affordable modern furniture superstore sells myriad unfussy wooden Blu-ray and DVD shelving units in a wide variety of sizes, colors and configurations at almost ridiculously low prices. However, Ikea has other options as well. For example, the Lerberg CD/DVD Wall Shelf can be hung vertically for Blu-ray discs and horizontally for DVD's, comes in dark gray or white and costs under $6.

At just under $100, the Bertby Glass Door Wall Cabinet will store 290 CD's or 140 DVD's and comes in black/brown or white/birch. The shelves are adjustable, so you can configure this rack to hold your Blu-ray discs, DVD's and whatever else you may want to store.

Media Storage Center

Just as its name inclines, Media Storage Center has a vast variety of media storage pieces, such as Blu-ray and DVD racks. Set up your home theater to feel like a video store with one of their spinning Blu-ray and DVD towers. Priced between $100 - $300, you can select a spinning rack in up to six different finishes, depending on the tower you choose, and store dozens or even hundreds of Blu-ray discs and DVD's.

If you are seeking something that blends in with your current furniture, you will definitely want to check out their drawers and apothecaries. While these are not Blu-ray and DVD racks, per se, these striking storage pieces will enhance your home's decor.

Racks and Stands

Another retailer that lives up to its moniker is Racks and Stands. If you are looking for Blu-ray and DVD racks that are truly out of the ordinary, look no further. For example, the Phone Booth Media Cabinet resembles Superman's favorite changing spot and stores up to 136 DVD's. This rack stands 44.5” high and sells for just under $170, with free shipping.

On the other hand, maybe you want a Blu-ray or DVD rack suitable for your child's bedroom or playroom. If so, you will love the Venture Horizon Children's Bookcase, which resembles a playhouse but can actually hold around 200 Blu-ray discs or DVD's. These adorable racks currently sell for $165, and again, shipping is free!

When shopping for Blu-ray and DVD racks, start out knowing what you need as far as capacity and what you like regarding style. This way, you will be sure to find the storage solution that is ideal for your home. For help setting up a media rack or entertainment center, be sure to check out the Bright Hub article

How to Create a Blu-ray Movie with Imgburn

A step-by-step guide on how to burn a Blu-ray recordable disc with the free software Imgburn; the article also includes a link on where to download the software. This guide is simple even for beginning users, all you need to do is follow instructions. This article does not include how to rip a Blu-r

Since Blu-ray recordable discs are becoming more and more popular, not only as movies are released for rental on Blu-ray discs (usually as a special post-release of the original DVD) but also to store family movies for your own collection. Hence, you might find this article interesting if you don’t have a clue on how to burn a Blu-Ray Disc Recordable (BD-R); it is an extremely easy process and can be done with some freely available software.

In this article we will look at how to burn a BD-R by using Imgburn, which is available for download here. You can use any other available software as the process is somewhat similar, such as Nero for instance (which you need to buy).

Please refer to this article for how to rip a blu-ray movie:

Brighthub: How to rip a Blu-ray movie

Burning a Blue-Ray disc with Imgburn

Remember that copying rented Blu-Ray discs is illegal; you can however create a backup of the original disc you bought for storage purposes. In this guide we will be using the “folder-rip” method; this essentially means that you will have ripped your disc to a folder on your computer already. Again, you can refer to the above article if you don’t know how to do this.

First insert the blank disc into your Blu-Ray burner. Open “Imgburn” and go to the “Mode” menu at the top; select “Build” for this purpose. The program will show any available information in the right-side window.

Now you can select your previously ripped folder in order to start the burning process. Look at the image below for where to do this. After you’ve selected your BDMV folder Imgburn will show any relevant information, such as size and number of files, in the right-side window.

The program will show some warnings in case you haven’t selected some disc-compatibility options, such as UDF file system, and also prompt you to write a name for the volume you are about to create. Click yes when the warnings appear and type a Volume name should you wish to do so. Click “OK” at the last information window displaying all size and sector information.

Start the burning process by clicking on the big “Build” icon at the bottom. The process will take anything from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on processor and computer speed. You can verify if the disc is readable and you should be ready to go.

That is all it takes. You can now test your disc into a home-player or on your computer’s blu-ray player. Happy viewing.

Will Films be Released straight to Blu-Ray?

Here is an article which looks at whether movies will be released to Blu-Ray rather than DVD format, essentially replacing the DVD for home-movie watchers. We also briefly look at things like the pricing difference between a DVD and BD (Blu-Ray disc) and the differences in the technology

The Blu-Ray disc was first available commercially in 2003, having been first shown at various conventions in previous years. The disc allows for more data (video or other) to be stored due to a shorter wavelength laser (blue-violet) in comparison to the DVD technology. This allows for higher quality particularly when viewing movies.

The BD’s popularity has already soared since 2007 (source the daily telegraph) and many movie rental companies such as Blockbuster, Lovefilm or Netflix have made blu-ray releases available for rental. However, seeing as one needs to buy specific equipment in order to play these discs the price is still largely uncompetitive compared to a standard DVD.

So will films eventually only be released to the BD High definition format? Will it eventually replace the DVD? Or perhaps it is just transitional to eventually allow room for HD movie streaming on the net? Read on as this article looks at the newest tech-fad and attempts to answer some of these questions.

Movie Studios Support

Almost all of the major production houses have shown full support for the Blu-Ray HD format, as shown from the list on the Blu-Ray.com site. Some studios, such as Twentieth Century Fox have stated they prefer the BD format over High-Definition DVD’s but the new releases to DVD still seem to surpass the newly introduced format.

Most new films, such as “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The curious case of Benjamin button” or “Milk”, have both DVD and Blu-Ray releases but the number of re-mastered and old titles (such as “Lost Horizon” or “Arsenic and old lace” for example) released to DVD are still far more in number.

Does High-Definition only matter when new releases are involved (i.e. “The Matrix” or “Ironman”)? Would it really make a difference watching Hitchcock in HD or standard DVD format? Perhaps it wouldn’t or it is something to consider when upgrading your collection.

Cost Issues

Blu-Ray players prices start at $150 upwards, but to fully enjoy the High-Definition format you will also need a TV set which is HD ready. There are also Blu-Ray writers which are quite expensive starting at $300; it isn’t quite as accessible as a DVD writer which you can pick up for $50 and less second-hand.

As far as the actual discs are concerned, particularly speaking of new releases and not collections, there isn’t such a big difference in pricing: you would end up paying approximately $10 more for a newly released BD compared to a DVD.

Moreover, someone who has a large DVD collection will be unlikely to upgrade to BD simply because it isn’t feasible to do so. Despite new releases in the format and the fact that BD HD is way more popular than the HD DVD format, standard DVD's are still more convenient particularly for existing collections and due to more choice being offered.

In Summary

Yes, films are already being released to Blu-Ray but in conjunction with, or after, DVD releases. This means that the majority of collectors and movie-watchers will be likely to buy or rent the DVD, despite the difference in quality; the cost of upgrading is considerable and the HD format is really only suited to films with stunning visuals.

It is difficult to determine, as with any new technology introduced in the market, whether BD will replace DVD’s completely. It certainly won’t happen very soon unless prices in hardware drop dramatically.

This has been seen in many previous instances, such as VHS over BETAMAX or mp3’s/ITunes over CD’s. CD’s are still widely consumed by music lovers in spite of the Ipod and music downloads; hence it is unlikely we will see DVD’s disappearing off the shelves anytime soon.

Blu-ray Decryption Explained

As Blu-ray becomes more popular, the security measures used by movie studios has increased. To give you the most control over your movies, read about current Blu-ray encryption methods and what exactly is involved with decrypting,

Decryption Explained

Ever since the creation of video cassette recorders (VCR) movie studios have been utilizing various encryption methods for protecting their content. Encryption means there is a layer of technology on the content media which is intended to thwart copying of the movie. With content as valuable as the Blu-ray format, studios have continued to try to make it very difficult to copy discs for personal use, layering Blu-ray discs with an ever changing encryption scheme attempting to prevent you from creating a copy of a movie you rightfully purchased.

Decrypt means reading the disc and removing the copy protection. This allows you to copy the movie to an alternative storage location such as another disc, a hard drive, or a flash drive. Once the movie is decrypted, it is unprotected and you can do with it what you wish. With the decrypted movie on your hard drive, you can then put it on your laptop or server, and play it anywhere you wish by using compatible Blu-ray software. Arcsoft Total Media Theater, for example, allows you to play a Blu-ray movie stored on your hard drive.

In addition to the commonly known reason for decrypting to copy to a hard drive there are other benefits such as being able to play on a non-HDCP-supported display. If you have an older display or television that is not HDCP-compliant, then the Blu-ray player software will prevent you from being able to watch. Being able to decrypt the movie allows you to watch it anywhere, and on any device.

Unfortunately, there is presently no sponsored software provided by the movie studios which allows you to decrypt a movie for your own personal use. Fortunately, a small company by the name of Slysoft offers a program called AnyDVD HD which allows the decryption of a blu-ray disc (or DVD for that matter) for playback as well as for copying to your hard drive. The program will decrypt movies on the fly in the background, or can be used to copy the movie to a hard drive. As I mentioned, the movie studios do continue to update their copy-protection scheme, so Slysoft does their best (and they are quite fast) at releasing updates to AnyDVD to allow for decrypting of the latest movies.

See How to Back-up a Blu-ray Movie for details on how to use AnyDVD to your advantage.

Where to Find the Cheapest Blu-Ray DIsc Players

This time we'll be taking a look at your top 3 cheap solutions to playing Blu-Ray. The price, as well as the player specs will surprise you - this and more, inside.

Searching High and Low

Blu-Ray is a rich man’s game. Or is it? What if I were to tell you that out there in the wild, there were blu-ray players that cost you just a little over $100? Think it’s lunacy? Think again. I present you the official Bright Hub list of the cheapest Blu-Ray players ever conceived by man. These magnificent machines will play your Blu-Ray Discs without breaking the bank, but are they worth it?

Memorex MVBD2510

Memorex MVBD2510

The Memorex MVBD5210 won’t be winning any prizes for best looking disc player anytime soon. This bulky, ugly little piece of tech isn’t exactly what you want underneath your shiny, new HDTV, but it does get the job done in a great way. It up-converts to 1080p, displays at 1080p, and includes HDMI connection. The reliability of the disc reading though, might be a problem.

You see, Blu-ray discs require expensive hardware because the internal processor has to be much faster than that of a conventional DVD, therefore the price goes up. This Memorex unit doesn’t have too much processing ability underneath its shell. This could cause some hiccups in film viewing among other things, not to mention problems when using the BD-Live Feature.

Samsung BD-P1500

Samsung BD-P1500

The BD-P1500 is more up my alley. Unlike the Memorex above, for about $25 more, you’re getting an elegant Blu-Ray player that is packing much more in its processor.

The BD-P1500 is an excellent budget Blu-ray player because of its great features in a single package. Not only is the BD-P1500 sleek, it also comes equipped ready to handle BD 2.0 features as well as support legacy features in older discs.

For $25 more than the Memorex, it’s worth it for a device that might be sitting under your television for the foreseeable future. Until the technology advances significantly, it looks like Blu-Ray is going to be the go-to technology for high-definition film viewing and the BD-P1500 is your ticket in.

Sharp BD-HP21U

Sharp BD-HP21U

For $20 more than the BD-P1500 will cost you, you could upgrade to the HP21U. This player has all the exact same features that the P1500 has, but it also includes the ability to wire your surround sound directly to the player, by-passing a costly high-definition receiver.

This is a bit odd, because if you have a home theater setup you’re looking to upgrade, this will be worth absolutely nothing. However, if you haven’t jumped into the home theater game, then this would be a great way to already get everything in one package.

The Sharp is a little less, if you’ll pardon the pun, “sharp” than the Samsung. Both players look nice, but the BD-P1500 has the next-gen look to it, whereas the Memorex and Sharp models still look like DVD players that are trying too hard.

If you’re strapped for cash, the P1500 is clearly the best option out of these three, but don’t take my word for it – get out there and continue researching the players. There are more budget players out there that may be more suitable to your needs than either of these three.

My DVD Player Won't Load the Movie: Common Faults & Fixes

A troubleshooting article which looks at possible reasons as to why home DVD-players have trouble recognising, loading and playing a burned DVD disc. The article provides a list of common problems with DVD discs and the most probable solutions for them.

DVD Disc Failure

Coasters are all too common with enthusiasts who regularly burn DVD discs from their own PC. A “coaster” is simply a DVD which has failed halfway through the burning process; hence the only thing you can use the disc for is as a coaster for your drink.

Sometimes home DVD-players even have trouble recognising discs which have burned successfully and are perfectly playable on your PC. In most cases it is a problem with your home-player; if a disc is playable on your computer, via media player or PowerDVD for instance, it is a perfectly valid disc in theory.

Read on for possible reasons why your DVD will fail in a home player. Hopefully with the information below you can determine what is causing the problem and fix it.

Format or Region

Format problems – Although most modern home DVD players read both plus and minus formats, some older models have problems with one or the other. If your disc is rewritable you need to have a look at the documentation or manual of your DVD player in order to determine what formats are fully supported.

Region type – Make sure the DVD-burner on your computer is set to the correct region for your country. Also you will need to buy discs which are the right region in order to be played by your player. Some home-players are multi-region but not many. To check country specific DVD-region codes have a look HERE (bottom of page).

Scratches or Dye

Scratched Discs – This is a common problem but the disc won’t be recognized only in the most extreme cases. You can clearly see if your disc is damaged by looking at the bottom side and seeing if there are any large scratch marks. Unfortunately there is little to do with a severely scratched disc apart from trying to recover data; DVD-X Rescue is extremely efficient at recovering data and, for me, there is no other program which matches it. It will cost money but it is worth it.

Dye Problems – Some discs use special dyes for the top-side of the disc which most players have no trouble with. However it can very well happen that your player has a problem with a particular dye model, in which case you will simply need to buy a different brand or re-burn your disc onto something supported. Similarly, avoid putting labels or something which obstructs the top-side of the disc, as it may have trouble spinning; use markers to write titles instead.

Burn Speed and Further Help

Speed – DVD writers have gone all the way from 4X (4 speed) to 16X and more. Sometimes discs burned at great speeds, such as 16x, are less reliable on home-systems than those burned at 4X or less. Although it takes considerably more time to burn at slower speeds, you can re-burn as a test to check for compatibility with your home-player.

Hopefully you have found a solution above but if you are still stumped here is some further help. You can find some related Brighthub articles here:

My DVD Player Won't Load the Movie: Common Faults & Fixes

A troubleshooting article which looks at possible reasons as to why home DVD-players have trouble recognising, loading and playing a burned DVD disc. The article provides a list of common problems with DVD discs and the most probable solutions for them.

DVD Disc Failure

Coasters are all too common with enthusiasts who regularly burn DVD discs from their own PC. A “coaster” is simply a DVD which has failed halfway through the burning process; hence the only thing you can use the disc for is as a coaster for your drink.

Sometimes home DVD-players even have trouble recognising discs which have burned successfully and are perfectly playable on your PC. In most cases it is a problem with your home-player; if a disc is playable on your computer, via media player or PowerDVD for instance, it is a perfectly valid disc in theory.

Read on for possible reasons why your DVD will fail in a home player. Hopefully with the information below you can determine what is causing the problem and fix it.

Format or Region

Format problems – Although most modern home DVD players read both plus and minus formats, some older models have problems with one or the other. If your disc is rewritable you need to have a look at the documentation or manual of your DVD player in order to determine what formats are fully supported.

Region type – Make sure the DVD-burner on your computer is set to the correct region for your country. Also you will need to buy discs which are the right region in order to be played by your player. Some home-players are multi-region but not many. To check country specific DVD-region codes have a look HERE (bottom of page).

Scratches or Dye

Scratched Discs – This is a common problem but the disc won’t be recognized only in the most extreme cases. You can clearly see if your disc is damaged by looking at the bottom side and seeing if there are any large scratch marks. Unfortunately there is little to do with a severely scratched disc apart from trying to recover data; DVD-X Rescue is extremely efficient at recovering data and, for me, there is no other program which matches it. It will cost money but it is worth it.

Dye Problems – Some discs use special dyes for the top-side of the disc which most players have no trouble with. However it can very well happen that your player has a problem with a particular dye model, in which case you will simply need to buy a different brand or re-burn your disc onto something supported. Similarly, avoid putting labels or something which obstructs the top-side of the disc, as it may have trouble spinning; use markers to write titles instead.

Burn Speed and Further Help

Speed – DVD writers have gone all the way from 4X (4 speed) to 16X and more. Sometimes discs burned at great speeds, such as 16x, are less reliable on home-systems than those burned at 4X or less. Although it takes considerably more time to burn at slower speeds, you can re-burn as a test to check for compatibility with your home-player.

Hopefully you have found a solution above but if you are still stumped here is some further help. You can find some related Brighthub articles here:

Converting HD-DVD to Blu-Ray: Is it possible?

HD-DVD lost the war, leaving those with large HD-DVD collections to wonder what they should do with all of their favorite movies. Conversion from HD-DVD to Blu-Ray is one option - but it isn't easy.

The Wrong Side of the War

Blu-Ray won. HD-DVD threw in the towel months ago. Even consumers who don't normally pay a lot of attention to home theater technology have probably noticed that HD-DVDs have disappeared from store shelves and have been replaced by Blu-Ray sections twice their previous size. The HD-DVD seems now destined to go the way of Betamax, Laserdisc, and other formats which never really hit their stride.

But what if you have a collection of HD-DVDs at home? And what about all of those HD-DVDs that people can now purchase for half the price of a normal DVD? Don't worry. There are still plenty of ways to enjoy HD-DVD content even as the world transitions to Blu-Ray

Converting HD-DVDs to Blu-Ray

Unfortunately, trying to convert HD-DVDs to a Blu-Ray format in order to update your home library isn't the easiest thing in the world. That is not to say it is impossible, however. If you'd like to convert your HD-DVDs to Blu-Ray you'll first need to invest in a program that can rip an HD-DVD. There are two programs available right now, and both are fairly easy to use. The first is AnyDVD HD, and the second is DVDFab HD Decrypter. The big difference is that DVDFab HD Decrypter is shareware while AnyDVD costs about $90 dollars. As you might have guessed, you'll also need an HD-DVD drive on the computer that will be ripping the data.

Once the data is ripped, it should be in a .EVO format. What you need to do is to convert the files to a format which Blu-Ray uses. This is where things get messy. First you will need to use EVOdemux which is an EVO file Demultiplexer (don't ask). Next you will need either a program called Vc1conv (found about mid-way down the page) or H264Info. Which one you need depends on the HD-DVD, as Vc1 and H264 are designations for different ways of encoding an HD-DVD movie. If figuring out which you have seems hard, don't fret - you can obviously try programs and discover through trial and error which format you're encountering. You'll need to compress the audio because the single-layer Blu-Ray discs you're almost certainly going to be burning the movie onto will have less capacity then an HD-DVD. For that you use a program called Eac3to. Finally you'll want to use tsMuxeR and tsRemux to prepare the video streams which you have for burning onto a Blu-Ray disc.

Now that you've jumped through all of those hoops and wrangled with some programs that are less then user friendly you'll need a program that actually burns to a Blu-Ray disk. For that you will probably want to use a program like Nero 9, which is quite robust and will, unlike some of the above programs, be extremely easy to use. However, it will cost at least $69.99. And of course you'll need a Blu-Ray burner, which is going to set one back about $160.

Alternatives

The above process does work, but its success rate could be considered less than optimal. The programs involved are freeware tools which are less then simple and there is a lot of file management involved. Also, as one might have noticed, converting HD-DVDs to Blu-Rays is quite expensive. The overall cost of the above process is at least $230 dollars for a combo Blu-Ray/HD-DVD drive and Nero 9. If you decide to pay for AnyDVD then the price will be about $90 dollars more. Plus you'll need to pay for Blu-Ray discs, which cost about $40 dollars for a ten-pack.

In other words, those who currently own HD-DVD products would be better off keeping their current HD-DVD player and then buying a separate Blu-Ray player. It would require far less hassle and it would be less expensive. Those who own an HTPC are even more fortunate, as the Blu-Ray Burner mentioned earlier is actually a combo drive that reads HD-DVD discs as well. There are quite a few such combo drives available, but a word of advice - snap them up quickly. HD-DVD drives are already becoming harder to find, and I'm sure these combo drives will be phased out of production soon.

Those who own HTPCs also have the option simply leaving the HD-DVDs ripped to a hard disk and playing them back using a program such as PowerDVD 9. This method works well, but those looking to rip an entire HD-DVD collection may find themselves running out of hard drive space.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it - the programs and equipment needed to convert an HD-DVD to Blu-Ray and the reason that you'd be crazy to do so. If you're still interested in converting from HD-DVD to Blu-Ray, however, then good luck. Everything that is needed is listed above, but working with the tools can be frustrating to say the least. Do not expect every conversion to work on the first try, and have a Blu-Ray player nearby so that immediate testing of the finished product can be done.

Converting HD-DVD to Blu-Ray: Is it possible?

HD-DVD lost the war, leaving those with large HD-DVD collections to wonder what they should do with all of their favorite movies. Conversion from HD-DVD to Blu-Ray is one option - but it isn't easy

The Wrong Side of the War

Blu-Ray won. HD-DVD threw in the towel months ago. Even consumers who don't normally pay a lot of attention to home theater technology have probably noticed that HD-DVDs have disappeared from store shelves and have been replaced by Blu-Ray sections twice their previous size. The HD-DVD seems now destined to go the way of Betamax, Laserdisc, and other formats which never really hit their stride.

But what if you have a collection of HD-DVDs at home? And what about all of those HD-DVDs that people can now purchase for half the price of a normal DVD? Don't worry. There are still plenty of ways to enjoy HD-DVD content even as the world transitions to Blu-Ray

Converting HD-DVDs to Blu-Ray

Unfortunately, trying to convert HD-DVDs to a Blu-Ray format in order to update your home library isn't the easiest thing in the world. That is not to say it is impossible, however. If you'd like to convert your HD-DVDs to Blu-Ray you'll first need to invest in a program that can rip an HD-DVD. There are two programs available right now, and both are fairly easy to use. The first is AnyDVD HD, and the second is DVDFab HD Decrypter. The big difference is that DVDFab HD Decrypter is shareware while AnyDVD costs about $90 dollars. As you might have guessed, you'll also need an HD-DVD drive on the computer that will be ripping the data.

Once the data is ripped, it should be in a .EVO format. What you need to do is to convert the files to a format which Blu-Ray uses. This is where things get messy. First you will need to use EVOdemux which is an EVO file Demultiplexer (don't ask). Next you will need either a program called Vc1conv (found about mid-way down the page) or H264Info. Which one you need depends on the HD-DVD, as Vc1 and H264 are designations for different ways of encoding an HD-DVD movie. If figuring out which you have seems hard, don't fret - you can obviously try programs and discover through trial and error which format you're encountering. You'll need to compress the audio because the single-layer Blu-Ray discs you're almost certainly going to be burning the movie onto will have less capacity then an HD-DVD. For that you use a program called Eac3to. Finally you'll want to use tsMuxeR and tsRemux to prepare the video streams which you have for burning onto a Blu-Ray disc.

Now that you've jumped through all of those hoops and wrangled with some programs that are less then user friendly you'll need a program that actually burns to a Blu-Ray disk. For that you will probably want to use a program like Nero 9, which is quite robust and will, unlike some of the above programs, be extremely easy to use. However, it will cost at least $69.99. And of course you'll need a Blu-Ray burner, which is going to set one back about $160.

Where to Download a Free Virtual DVD Player

If you want to be able to play DVDs on your computer, but do not have the right hardware to do so, you can download a virtual DVD player that will emulate the real thing. Here are some free virtual DVD player downloads to get you going

Phantom CD

Phantom CD is a free virtual CD and DVD drive. You can use it to replace your physical CDs and DVDs. This means your optical drive will be used less and last longer and you won't have to deal with scratched or dirty discs. In addition,the reading speed of Phantom CD is up to 200 times faster than a physical disc, so your movies, games and applications will start more quickly and run smoothly.

When you mount disc image files using Phantom CD, the files will appear to be a CD or DVD in Windows and will work just like a CD or DVD player.

AVS DVD Player

Another free virtual DVD player you can download is the AVS DVD Player. Not only is this a free virtual DVD player, but it is also universal. Along with typical DVD formats, such as NTSC, PAL, SVCD and VCD, AVS DVD Player also supports MPEG1, 2 and 4 formats, AVI, Quick Time, Real Media, WMV and more. AVS DVD Player has been tested free of adware, spyware and viruses, as well.

After downloading and installing this free virtual DVD player, you can subscribe to the site's free newsletter by clicking on the Want to be notified when Free DVD Player is updated? link on the download page and entering your email address. This newsletter will inform you about updates, news and future plans.

Virtual Clone Drive

Virtual Clone Drive is a free virtual DVD player offered by SlySoft, Inc. While the drive only exists virtually on your system, it acts just like a physical CD or DVD drive. This free virtual DVD player supports all of the commonly used formats, including BIN, CCD and ISO, and it supports up to eight virtual drives all at the same time. Virtual Clone Drive is also simple to use. All you have to do is double click an image file in order to mount it as a drive.

The free virtual DVD player is compatible with all Windows versions from 98 to Vista, although if you are running Windows 2000 or XP you must be logged on as an administrator in order to install Virtual Clone Drive. The site also offers video tutorials and a support page.

Alcohol 52%

The final free virtual DVD player in our list is Alcohol 52%. This emulation software supports dozens of languages as well as up to 31 virtual CD or DVD drives at one time. This free virtual DVD player supports most formats, and has the ability to save audio, data, game and other types of disc copy settings. If you find you absolutely love this free virtual DVD player, you might opt to upgrade to Alcohol 120%. This software program is not free, but it provides all of the features of the free version along with the capability to burn CDs and DVDs and includes free lifetime updates for just under $60.

More Information

Read the Bright Hub tutorial, How to Save a DVD to a Hard Drive to learn more about using your free virtual DVD player.

How to Clean a DVD Laser

If you want to clean your DVD laser, look no further for your complete guide.

Lens Cleaning

There are many ways to actually clean a DVD laser, but what’s the most efficient way that won’t cause any damage to the actual device? First, let me give you anecdotal evidence as to why you should clean your DVD laser.

I bought an Xbox 360 about a year ago. The standard DVD drive was quite a trooper. It put up with at least 4-5 hours of daily usage during the summer and a few less in the fall. However, not long after Prince of Persia had come out in December, it started to die on a regular basis. “Can’t Read Disc” errors were becoming more and more frequent and I was worried I’d have to replace the whole box. In a last ditch effort, I cleaned the disc following the instructions I’m about to give you. Lo and behold, the drive worked for another 3 months before the laser finally died once and for all – and I was still able to only replace the disc drive for $50 rather than the whole thing.

Now, let me preface by saying that this is an extremely delicate operation. If you don’t have steady hands, you could permanently damage the DVD drive:

The Steps

1. Open your DVD player – yes, you’re about to destroy your warranty, but if your laser is not working properly, chances are you’d have to either replace the drive or just get another new DVD player.

2. When opening the DVD player, locate the DVD drive

3. With the actual drive located, remove the drive from inside the player and place it on a table or surface that’s clean.

4. Proceed to open the DVD drive, this is a part you should be incredibly careful to do, because unbalancing the rotation mechanism or the belt would be catastrophic.

5. With the DVD drive opened, carefully make sure to orient it so that the laser is facing towards the ceiling

6. With the actual “eye” of the laser looking right at you, proceed to get a Q-Tip and a Bottle of standard, rubbing alcohol.

7. Take the tip of the Q-Tip and delicately place it in the rubbing alcohol so that only a VERY small amount of rubbing alcohol is on the actual tip

8. With the alcohol on the tip, rub the tip VERY GENTLY on the optical “eye” of the laser. Be careful not to push down on it.

9. When you’ve done one or two passes, stop rubbing the “eye”

10. At this point, work quickly so that you can close up the DVD drive without getting any dirt in there

11. Close up the entire DVD so that it looks like it did before you started step 1.

With the DVD closed, go ahead and plug everything back into it and test it out. If you were successful, you should be seeing the DVD play on your television. However, if even cleaning the disc fails to get you the results you’re looking for, chances are either the logic board has fried or the belt-system inside the player has been compromised. Either way, DVD players are rather cheap today, so it shouldn’t be a problem to find a good one for cheap – make sure to purchase one that allows you to play AVI codecs and WMV codecs, so that you can enjoy ripped DVDs as well as normal ones.

Playing WMVs on Your DVD Player

We show you how to convert from WMV to DVD standard formats of either VOB or AVI inside using two different kinds of converters. If you've been looking for a software solution to your WMV woes, read all about it here.

WMV to DVD

Making WMV files play on your DVD is as easy as making AVI files play on your DVD – which is to say, not as easy as you’d think it would be. WMV as a whole has been a file type that isn’t accepted quite as widely as the AVI or MPEG-4 Standards. WMV-HD was supposed to change all that, but given that Matroska’s MKV file type proved much more popular and is easily converted to MP4, it went down as fast as it started.

The bad news is that DVD players don’t natively play anything other than VOB files and their associated audio counterparts. This means that you’ll either have to convert the WMV to a VOB file type, or you’ll have to find a DVD player that’s got compatibility for WMV files – something that’s about as commonly found as a unicorn. So you’re going to have to convert to either AVI to play on something like the Phillips DVP-5960 or a standard DVD that can play on anything.

Conversion to VOB

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – this is the worst way possible to achieve what you’re looking for in terms of playing different media files on your TV through your DVD player. The conversion process is long (read: overnight) and the process can sometimes be destroyed by something as simple as a processor hiccup. Aside from these obvious problems, recording on optical media is something that I like to leave only as a last resort – thanks to these new 8 Gb and 16 Gb Flash drives, I enjoy being able to plug-and-play my media rather than burning it to a DVD that will then either have to be erased or will have to be trashed when I’m done.

Iif you still have a deep desire to do it this way however, there’s a nifty little piece of software (freeware) called AVI2DVD that will do everything you need it to, even to other formats besides AVI.

Conversion to AVI or MPEG

There’s a piece of software called STOIK that’s effective at converting from WMV to DiVX file types. The interface isn’t great however, and the conversion process can sometimes linger on (it’s free, so you can’t complain much). Conversion from WMV to AVI however, just means that you’ll need a DVD player like the DVP-5960 discussed above. The DiVX codec is much easier to work with for the DVD player, so the conversion from WMV to AVI rather than MPEG or anything else makes perfect sense. Still, you should be willing to invest at least $70 or so for that particular DVD player.

Regardless of which way you do it, the conversion is achieved (in some cases, it’ll be easier than others) and the DVD player will be able to play the file.