Your PC BD-Live ready? Cyberlink's latest Blu-ray Disc Advisor can check

Cyberlink's updated its BD Advisor (the HD advice having sadly, but understandably, falling by the wayside), to check for profile 1.1 (Picture-in-picture) and 2.0 (BD-Live) support. A quick download of the 4 MB app and a scan later, and you know if your hardware may need an upgrade to play movies at all, or to enjoy all the special features by checking out the new advanced tab in the new, slightly cleaner interface. Our request for a calculator to add up the cost of necessary upgrades has yet to be answered, though we're slightly comforted in the knowledge that the required equipment is a lot cheaper now than it was two years ago during our first scan.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 11:42AM]

Does it install a root kit as well?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 11:43AM]

On a computer, wouldn't you just need a firmware upgrade or something?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 12:37PM]

Sadly, with modern day copyright protection the answer is simply: No.

You could have a non hdcp compliant monitor or non hdcp compliant video card. That would mean, you'd need to A. Buy a new video card or B. Buy a new monitor.

Alternatively, you may need to buy a new video card if your current video card cannot push the data stream required to power 1920x1080 at 60fps from the blu-ray disc. Aka old/outdated video card.

There is also the possibility your processor could be out of date. Then there are the really silly folks who think a blu-ray disc will play in their dvd-rom who don't have a blu-ray drive yet. Yes, these people will exist on PC just as they did on standalone players. "The blu-ray don't look no better in my dvd player, it won't play".

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 12:55PM]

This tool is not quite ready for prime time. It shows my video card as being OK based solely on the amount of VRAM. My card does not have HDCP and won't display BD content.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 6:07PM]

Seemed to work on my system - noticed that I had no Blu-Ray drive :~)

X800 graphics card came back 'grey' because it 'could' do Blu-Ray - but is 'missing key features' (e.g. no HDMI port)

No alerts from AVG/System Mechanic/SpyWare Terminator to say that 'anything untoward' happened during the installation or running

Given that it is FREE - have to say that it represents 'good value' :~)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 6:08PM]

Seemed to work on my system - it noticed that I had no Blu-Ray drive !

X800 graphics card came back 'grey' because it 'could' do Blu-Ray - but is 'missing key features' (e.g. no HDMI port)

No alerts from AVG/System Mechanic/SpyWare Terminator to say that 'anything untoward' happened during the installation or running

Given that it is FREE - have to say that it represents 'good value' :~)